Reuters: Harris Challenges Biden In Breakout U.S. Debate Performance
Presidential candidate Kamala Harris dominated her Democratic rivals in a debate on Thursday, confronting front-runner Joe Biden on race and calling his remarks about working with segregationist senators "hurtful." In a breakout performance, the daughter of a black father from Jamaica and an Indian mother was at the center of several heated exchanges during the second night of debates among Democrats vying for the right to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. (Oliphant and Gibson, 6/28)

The Associated Press: Takeaways From Night 2 Of The Democratic Debate
The roster for Thursday night's Democratic presidential debate demonstrated some of the party's major divisions — even before candidates started talking. (Riccardi and Summers, 6/28)

The Washington Post: Democratic Presidential Candidates Dive Into Complicated Health Policy With Mixed Results
For two nights, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates tried to navigate the complicated terrain of national health-care policy — with answers that were often oversimplified, incomplete or simply misleading, according to health-care experts. Both nights saw abbreviated explanations of how to move 330 million Americans onto a single government health insurance system. Candidates gave dire warnings about the dangers of Medicare-for-all that even the proposal’s critics say could not come to pass. And some of the Democratic presidential candidates overstated rising costs during the Trump administration. (Stein and Abutaleb, 6/28)

San Francisco Chronicle: Top Takeaways Of Democratic Debates — Biden A Target As Field Tilts Left
Candidates are picking one of two lanes on policy areas such as health care: as left of each other as they can get, or as close to the center as possible. The debates showed how that split could divide the party even before Republicans fire up their attack ads. (Kopan and Garofoli, 6/27)

The New York Times: Which Candidates And Topics Got The Most Time During The Second Democratic Debate
When the moderator asked who would abolish private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan, only Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Ms. Harris raised their hands. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York explained that she supports Mr. Sanders’ “Medicare for all” bill, but that it will have a transition period for people to actively buy-in. (6/27)

The Hill: Sanders, Harris Only Dem Debaters To Favor Eliminating Private Health Insurance
Gillibrand said the quickest way to get to universal health care, where all Americans have insurance, is to let people “buy in” to the Medicare program. “I believe we need to get to universal health care as a right, not a privilege, to single payer. The quickest way you get there is you create competition with the insurers,” she said.  (Hellmann, 6/27)

Kaiser Health News: Health Care Gets Heated On Night 2 Of The Democratic Presidential Debate
Candidates including South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg, New York Sen. Kristen Gillibrand and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet offered their takes on universal coverage, each underscoring the importance of a transition from the current system and suggesting that a public option approach, something that would allow people to buy into a program like Medicare, would offer a “glide path” to the ultimate goal of universal coverage. (Luthra, 6/27)

The Hill: Biden Vows To Oppose Any Democrat Or Republican Who Wants To Dismantle ObamaCare
Former Vice President Joe Biden said the fastest way to get to universal health care coverage is to build on ObamaCare and vowed to oppose any Democrat or Republican who tries to cut down the law. "I’m against any Democrat who wants to take down ObamaCare and any Republican who wants to take it away," Biden said. (Weixel, 6/27)

The New York Times: 6 Takeaways From Night 2 Of The Democratic Debate
Mr. Sanders entered the debate as a top candidate in the polls and fund-raising, and there were big expectations he would use his stature to push his message of revolution and aggressively go after Mr. Biden. But though many of the progressive policy ideas he has helped popularize dominated the night — most notably, universal health care — he at times got lost on stage, overshadowed in particular by Ms. Harris. (Glueck, Goldmacher, Ember and Epstein, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Who Talked Most During The Democratic Debate
Onstage with several candidates who are decades younger than him, [Sanders] also is trying to make the argument that a septuagenarian should be the face of revolutionary change in Washington. He talked about that revolution when asked how he would get his health-care plan passed. “We’ll do it the way real change has always taken place, whether it was the labor movement, the women’s rights movement or the civil rights movement,” he said. “When tens of millions of people are prepared to tell the insurance companies and the drug companies that their days are gone, that health care is a human right.” (Davies, Fuchs, Mellnik, Schaul, Wootson and Hughes, 6/27)

The Washington Post Fact Checker: Fact-Checking Night 2 Of The First Democratic Debate
Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.): “Except for plastic surgery, everything else is banned under the Medicare-for-all proposal.” Bennet is basically correct. Section 107 of the Sanders Medicare-for-all would make it illegal for any private health insurer to sell coverage that duplicated benefits under the law or for any employer to duplicate the benefits, but would not prohibit the sale of health insurance for benefits not covered under the bill. But the bill proposes to cover just about everything. Hospital services. Primary and preventive care. Prescription drugs and medical devices. Mental health care. Lab work. Pediatrics. Dentistry. Hearing and vision care. Rehab. Emergency services. Even long-term care. (Kessler, Rizzo, Lee and Kelly, 6/28)

The Atlantic: Democrats Challenge Sanders On Socialism, Health Care
In one of the first exchanges of the night, the moderators cited Sanders’s affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America, and asked former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper whether the Democratic Party is veering toward socialism. Hickenlooper replied by criticizing two policy proposals that Sanders has famously championed: Medicare for All, which would usher in a government-run health-care system, and the Green New Deal, the ambitious blueprint to combat climate change. The moderate Hickenlooper, who took heat earlier this year for declining to call himself a capitalist, called for the candidates to more clearly communicate that “we,” meaning the Democrats, “are not socialists.” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York cut in too, trying to assure viewers that the current debate within the party is not about socialism, but “between capitalism on the one hand and greed on the other.” (Godfrey, 6/27)

Boston Globe: Biden, Harris Sharply Clash Over Race As Candidates Take Forceful Shots At Front-Runners During Debate
Hickenlooper, a moderate, also aimed his fire at Sanders’ plan. “I believe health care is a right and not a privilege but you can’t expect to eliminate private insurance for 180 million people, many of whom don’t want to give it up,” he said. (Goodwin and Bidgood, 6/28)

Bloomberg: Medicare For All Plan: Should Private Insurance Be Abolished? 
The party’s embrace of some form of government-run insurance will certainly be a line of attack for Republicans during the general election. Immediately after the debate, President Donald Trump’s campaign issued a statement attacking Democrats. “All of the Democrats tripped over each other in a race to see who could stand out as the most leftist candidate, threatening government control of every aspect of people’s lives,” said campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany. (Edney and Kapur, 6/27)

The New York Times: Bernie Sanders On Health Care Costs
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and other 2020 candidates often note that the United States spends twice as much on health care as other comparable nations but gets less value in return. (Stevens, 6/27)

Meanwhile, more from the first night of the debate —

Kaiser Health News: Delaney’s Debate Claim That ‘Medicare For All’ Will Shutter Hospitals Goes Overboard
At the first Democratic presidential primary debate, former Rep. John Delaney (Md.) outlined his opposition to “Medicare for All” and focused on one potential loser: hospitals. “If you go to every hospital in this country and you ask them one question, which is, ‘How would it have been for you last year if every one of your bills were paid at the Medicare rate?’ Every single hospital administrator said they would close,” he said. (Luthra, 6/27)

Kaiser Health News: KHN’s ‘What The Health’: Dems Debate Health Care
Health care played a feature role in the first debate among Democratic presidential candidates Wednesday, with would-be nominees spreading across the spectrum on the question of how quickly to move to universal coverage and what, if any, role should remain for private insurance. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump earlier this week signed an executive order calling for hospital prices to be made more available to the public. But some analysts wonder if publicizing prices could cause them to rise rather than fall. (6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Video: Democratic Hopefuls Say Undocumented Should Have Health-Care Access
In Thursday night’s presidential debate on NBC, all 10 Democratic hopefuls showed support for access to health care for everyone — regardless of immigration status. (6/27)

Politico: Did The Democrats Step On A Second Big Landmine?
Pete Buttigieg expressed the sentiments of his fellow debaters when he said: “This is not about a handout. This is an insurance program. We do ourselves no favors by having 11 million undocumented people in our country be unable to access health care.” And then he added: “The real problem is we shouldn't have 11 million undocumented people with no pathway to citizenship. It makes no sense. The American people agree on what to do. This is a crazy thing. If leadership consists of forming a consensus around a divisive issue, this White House divided us around a consensus issue. The American people want a pathway to citizenship and protections for Dreamers.” (Greenfield, 6/28)

The Hill: All Candidates Raise Hands On Giving Health Care To Undocumented Immigrants 
NBC moderator Savannah Guthrie pressed former Vice President Joe Biden on the subject after failing to see that he raised his hand with the other candidates. When asked by Guthrie if he would provide federally supported health coverage to undocumented immigrants, Biden quickly corrected her. You cannot let people who are sick, no matter where they come from, no matter what their status, go uncovered. You can’t do that. It’s just going to be taken care of. Period. You have to. It’s the humane thing to do,” he insisted. (Bolton, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Democratic Rivals Attack Biden, With Harris Leading The Way On Race Issues
Trump, who was attending the Group of 20 summit in Japan, was paying attention to the debate and weighed in after all 10 Democrats raised their hands to declare that they would support providing health care for undocumented immigrants. “All Democrats just raised their hands for giving millions of illegal aliens unlimited health care,” Trump said on Twitter during the debate. “How about taking care of American Citizens first!? That’s the end of that race!” (Scherer, Olorunnipa and Janes, 6/28)

The Hill: Trump Slams Democrats Over Health Care For Undocumented Immigrants 
Immigration has emerged as one of the top animating issues for both parties, with Democrats vowing to curtail the threat of deportation and provide pathways to citizenship while Trump doubles down on hard-line policies to curb legal and illegal border crossings and ramp up deportations of migrants already in the U.S.(Axelrod, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Fact Check: Dems On Migrant Kids, The Rich And Climate
A fired-up field of Democrats stumbled on some facts at the most visceral turns in their debate Thursday as they took on and sometimes sparred over race, the treatment of migrant children, the climate and the super-rich. ... [The candidates] are tapping into a misleading and common insinuation by Democrats about Trump placing "children in cages." The cages are actually chain-link fences and the Obama-Biden administration used them, too. Children and adults are held behind them, inside holding Border Patrol facilities, under the Trump administration as well.Obama's administration detained large numbers of unaccompanied children inside chain link fences in 2014. Images that circulated online of children in cages during the height of Trump's family separations controversy were actually from 2014 when Obama was in office. (Woodward, Long and Borenstein, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Immigration, A Central Issue For Trump, Also Key Issue At Democratic Debate
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said Trump has “torn apart the moral fabric of who we are.” South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg called the president’s family separation policy “dead wrong.” And Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) vowed to use his executive authority, if elected, to erase Trump’s policies. “On day one, we take out our executive order pen and we rescind every damn thing on this issue that Trump has done,” Sanders said to cheers. But the Democrats also had to confront the party’s role in creating and funding a federal immigration system that set the stage for Trump’s tighter enforcement. (Sacchetti, 6/28)

The New York Times: Biden Comes Under Attack From All Sides In Democratic Debate
Without condemning Mr. Biden by name, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York also rejected his deal-making ethos and called attention to his history of taking more conservative positions on abortion rights — including his past support for a ban on federal funding for abortion, known as the Hyde Amendment. Mr. Biden renounced his support for the measure only this month. (Martin and Burns, 6/27)

Vox: Kirsten Gillibrand Gave Her Opponents A History Lesson On Abortion Politics At The Debate
Then Gillibrand spoke up. “I want to talk directly to America’s women and to men who love them,” she said. On abortion, she said, “when the door is closed and negotiations are made, there are conversations about women’s rights, and compromises have been made on our backs. That’s how we got to the Hyde Amendment,” which bans federal funding for most abortions. “When we beat President Trump and Mitch McConnell walks into the Oval Office to do negotiations, who do you want when that door closes to fight for women’s rights?” she asked. “I have been the fiercest advocate for Roe v. Wade, and I promise you when that door closes, I will guarantee your reproductive rights no matter what.” Gillibrand was making a crucial point. There’s broad agreement on abortion rights across the Democratic field this year — nearly every candidate now supports repealing Hyde and codifying Roe v. Wade in statute, among other changes. But supporting those policies and making them a priority are two different things. And Gillibrand was calling her colleagues out on their commitment to fighting for abortion rights. (North, 6/28)

The New York Times: Joe Biden On Abortion And The Hyde Amendment
For all Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s efforts to focus his campaign on the economy and the middle class, he has been unable to escape his past views on more contentious subjects — particularly abortion, which has become one of the defining issues of the 2020 race. (Astor, 6/27)

Politico: How The Dems Used Their Time During The Second Night Of The First Primary Debate
Throughout the debate, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York frequently interjected and had the night’s longest closing remarks, reiterating her role as the author of a universal healthcare bill and frequent advocacy for women’s rights. (King and Dugyala, 6/28)

The New York Times: Kirsten Gillibrand’s ‘Family Bill Of Rights’ Seeks To Level The Playing Field
In May, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York unveiled her “Family Bill of Rights,” a set of policy proposals aimed at easing the financial strain on parents of young children. The policies, which she said she would enact in her first 100 days if elected president, fits with her campaign’s focus on women and families. (Stevens, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Democratic Debate Night 2 Highlights: Harris Takes On Biden On Race; Candidates Talk Guns, Abortion, Economy
Democrats don’t shy away from guns: A topic many Democrats steered clear of for decades was front and center in the second hour of the debate, highlighting how attitudes have changed in recent years amid rising anger in the party over mass shootings. The candidates spoke about guns in personal terms. Swalwell decried the fact that parents now have to remember what their children are wearing when they set off for school, in case they have to identify their bodies later. Buttigieg, a military veteran, said his life experience informs his decisions. “As somebody who trained on weapons of war, I can tell you there are weapons that have absolutely no place in American cities,” he said. Sanders, whom critics accused in 2016 of being too conservative on guns, faced scrutiny over his past comments as well as a direct challenge from Swalwell, who has sought to position himself as the field’s staunchest advocate of gun restrictions. (6/28)

ABC News: Democratic Candidate Eric Swalwell's Gun Control Plan Includes Buying Back Every Assault Weapon In America
California Congressman Eric Swalwell passionately advocated for his proposal to buy back every assault weapon in the United States during the second night of the first Democratic primary debates, invoking recent mass shootings and how his role as a parent influences his views on gun control. "Keep your pistols, keep your rifles, keep your shotguns, but we can take the most dangerous weapons from the most dangerous people," Swalwell said. (Scanlan, 6/27)

The Verge: Biden Pushes Smart Guns As Solution For Gun Violence During Primary Debate
During Thursday night’s Democratic debates, former Vice President Joe Biden pitched his “smart gun” policy on the national stage when asked how he would work to combat gun violence. “We should have smart guns,” Biden said. “No gun should be able to be sold unless your biometric measure could pull that trigger. It’s within our right to do that. We can do that. Our enemy is the gun manufacturers, not the NRA. The gun manufacturers.” (Kelly, 6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Draws Bulk Of Attacks In Second Debate
Mr. Buttigieg also faced questions over his handling of a fatal shooting of a black man by a white police officer, including why the racial makeup of his police department didn’t match the community it served. “Because I couldn’t get it done. My community is in anguish right now,” Mr. Buttigieg said. He added that he wouldn’t take sides on whether the officer acted improperly until an investigation is finished. “It’s a mess. And we’re hurting.” (Thomas, Day and Jamerson, 6/28)

NPR: 5 Takeaways From Night 2 Of The Democratic Debate
Democrats, living under Trump, are mad as hell, and they are frustrated. The past few presidential elections have had even more extreme pendulum swings than the last — George W. Bush resulted in Barack Obama, who was followed by Trump. So it might make sense then that Democrats are proposing policies that are very liberal and make them feel good. Here's some of what they are proposing (with who said they support them), based on two nights of debates. (Montanaro, 6/28)

The New York Times: Bernie Sanders On Drug Costs
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont frequently assails the cost of prescription drugs, citing the statistic that one in five Americans cannot afford them. He has called for prices to be cut in half. (Stevens, 6/27)

Politico: Sanders Says Generational Attacks On Him And Biden Amount To 'Ageism'
Sen. Bernie Sanders chafed at generational attacks against the older Democratic candidates on the debate stage on Thursday night, saying the digs struck him as "ageism." “I think that's kind of ageism to tell you the truth,” Sanders, who is 77, responded when a journalist asked about the "generational argument being made by one of your younger rivals." (Deshpande, 6/28)

The Washington Post: Transcript Of First Democratic Debate Night 2 
[Here] is the full transcript of the debate. (6/28)

Meanwhile, a look at what came from Night One —

Politico: What Castro Meant When He Said Trans Women Need Access To Abortions
About a half-hour into Wednesday night’s Democratic debate, Julián Castro was asked whether his health care plan would cover abortion. “Yes, it would,” Castro said. “I don’t believe only in reproductive freedom. I believe in reproductive justice.” Standard fare for a Democratic candidate. But then he continued. “And, you know, what that means is that just because a woman — or let’s also not forget someone in the trans community, a trans female — is poor, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the right to exercise that right to choose. And so I absolutely would cover the right to have an abortion.” (McCaskill, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Transgender Issues Came Up Like Never Before In A Presidential Debate — And The Community Noticed
Sure, Julián Castro mixed up transgender women with transgender men in the first Democratic presidential debate. But to many in the transgender community, the moment was monumental: Here, on a national debate stage, a candidate for president brought up the transgender community in a conversation about reproductive health care. (Schmidt, 6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Democrats’ Comments Give Health-Care Stocks A Stronger Pulse
Beaten-down health-care stocks saw some relief Thursday, a day after most Democratic presidential candidates shied away from forcefully endorsing plans to nationalize the U.S. health-insurance industry. The moves come after such stocks have lagged behind the broader market in 2019. Insurance stocks in particular fell sharply in April, when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced a bill that would extend government-run health insurance to every American, dubbed Medicare for All. (Osipovich, 6/27)

Reuters: In Victory For Trump, U.S. House Democrats Back Down On Border Aid Bill Demands
Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives backed down to President Donald Trump and passed a $4.6 billion aid package to address a migrant surge at the U.S.-Mexico border without the additional protections for migrant children that liberals had sought. Trump, the Republican-controlled Senate and moderate Democrats insisted on finishing the emergency aid bill as soon as possible, without further haggling over demands for greater migrant safeguards and reduced immigration enforcement spending. (Cornwell, 6/27)

The Washington Post: House Passes $4.6 Billion Border Bill As Leaders Cave To Moderate Democrats And GOP
These moderates said they wanted to see the House act to address the border crisis, not get locked in a conflict with the Senate, especially with Congress about to leave Washington for a week-long Fourth of July recess. “To leave is unacceptable and not to take care of these children is unacceptable,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-N.J.), a member of the moderate Blue Dog group. “And quite frankly, not to work out a compromise with the Senate, in my mind, is unacceptable.” (Werner, DeBonis and Bade, 6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Border Bill Passes In House, Opening A Democratic Rift
The bill provides nearly $2.9 billion for the care of children who enter the U.S. unaccompanied. It funds 30 new teams of immigration judges, and more than $1 billion goes toward Customs and Border Protection to help the agency process migrants. (Duehren and Peterson, 6/28)

Politico: House Clears Border Aid Bill After Pelosi Bows To McConnell
The vote — coming as lawmakers were eager to get out of Washington for the July Fourth recess — capped four days of havoc amid a contentious debate within Pelosi's caucus over how to respond to the mounting humanitarian crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. (Caygle, Ferris and Everett, 6/27)

The New York Times: House Passes Senate Border Bill In Striking Defeat For Pelosi
“In order to get resources to the children fastest, we will reluctantly pass the Senate bill,” Ms. Pelosi said in a letter to Democratic lawmakers. “As we pass the Senate bill, we will do so with a battle cry as to how we go forward to protect children in a way that truly honors their dignity and worth.” (Hirschfeld Davis and Cochrane, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Border Bill Exposes Dems' Rift Over Limits Of Fighting Trump 
While both chambers of Congress approved the package by lopsided margins, Senate Democrats led by Minority Leader Chuck Schumer backed it overwhelmingly, with just six Democrats voting "no." They congratulated themselves for cutting the best deal they could in the Republican-controlled chamber, where the rules virtually force the two parties to compromise if legislation is to pass. "You've got a 30-1 vote," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, Senate Democrats' chief negotiator on the measure, citing the Appropriations Committee's overwhelming approval, which presaged the Senate's 84-8 final passage. "Around here these days you couldn't get 30-1 that the sun rises in the East." (Fram, 6/28)

USA Today: House Passes $4.6 Billion Aid For Migrants After Pelosi Caves To GOP
“Bipartisan Humanitarian Aid Bill for the Southern Border just passed. A great job done by all!” Trump posted to Twitter. “Now we must work to get rid of the Loopholes and fix Asylum. Thank you also to Mexico for the work being done on helping with Illegal Immigration - a very big difference.” (Hayes, 6/27)

NPR: Democratic-Led House Passes Senate's, Less Restrictive, Emergency Border Bill
Pressure to pass an aid package to deal with overcrowded and filthy facilities and to provide adequate care for a burgeoning population of unaccompanied minors who are detained for weeks in temporary shelters has intensified over the past week following reports from lawyers who visited the children. (Romo, 6/27)

The New York Times: Five Takeaways From The Border Aid Vote
House Democrats have long played up their diversity, saying that the variety of viewpoints strengthen the party’s reach.But the different factions have frequently clashed, with more moderate members voicing concern that the progressive wing pushes the party too far to the left and more liberal members complaining about the tendency of moderate members to break with the party and vote with Republicans. (Cochrane, 6/27)

Politico: ‘Everyone Hates This Place’: Border Bill Tears Apart Democratic Caucus
Democrats broke into open warfare Thursday over Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s surrender to the Senate’s emergency border aid package, with the caucus’ long-simmering divide between progressives and centrists playing out in dramatic fashion on the House floor. Some lawmakers even resorted to public name-calling, with progressive leader Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) accusing moderate Democrats of favoring child abuse — an exchange on Twitter that prompted two freshmen centrists to confront him directly on the floor, with other lawmakers looking on in shock. (Caygle, Ferris and Desiderio, 6/27)

CNN: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slams Border Bill: US Should Not 'Be Throwing More Money To ICE'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Thursday slammed the version of an emergency border aid bill that passed the House Thursday, railing against what she called the lack of humanitarian provisions in the bill.Ocasio-Cortez, who voted against a different border aid bill earlier in the week as well, said she opposes giving any more money to agencies who are enforcing President Donald Trump's immigration policies, namely Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (LeBlanc, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Ocasio-Cortez’s Chief Of Staff Accuses Moderate Democrats Of Enabling A ‘Racist System’
After the House passed a divisive spending bill that funds agencies dealing with the border crisis, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s chief of staff criticized her boss’s moderate Democratic colleagues who approved the measure, saying it will “enable a racist system.” The intraparty debate over the $4.6 billion emergency spending bill was the latest example of a deepening divide between centrist Democrats and those further to the left, like Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.). (Thebault, 6/28)

The Associated Press: Cold, Cramped, Filthy: Migrants Describe Border Centers
At night, the teenage girl from Honduras wraps a thin foil blanket around herself and her infant son as they lie on a floor mat in the cold. The lights are blaring and sleepless children are crying. It’s so crowded inside the caged area that there isn’t space for her baby boy to crawl. This is the 17-year-old’s account, one of dozens filed in federal court this week by advocates for children locked away in the immigration system. (Attanasio, Taxin and Calvan, 6/27)

NPR: Scenes Of Tearful, Flu-Stricken And Underfed Migrant Kids Emerge In New Accounts
The descriptions contained in sworn declarations as part of a legal case stand in stark contrast to what was seen when federal officials opened the doors of a Border Patrol facility outside El Paso on Wednesday. At the station in Clint, Texas, journalists, including a reporter from NPR, surveyed an orderly and clean facility in which pantries were stocked with snacks like microwavable burritos and soup and storage rooms were full of basic supplies like toothbrushes, soap and clothes. (Rose and Allyn, 6/27)

In other news —

Sacramento Bee: Fresno CA Housing Authority Against HUD Plan For Immigrants
The Fresno Housing Authority’s board of commissioners voted to approve a letter strongly opposing a controversial federal proposal that could displace hundreds of children and families from public housing in Fresno. The board’s vote Tuesday was unanimous, said Preston Prince, executive director and chief executive officer for the Fresno Housing Authority. (Amaro, 6/27)

Reuters: Pfizer Names Former FDA Chief Scott Gottlieb To Its Board
Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it has named former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to its board of directors, effective immediately. Gottlieb stepped down abruptly as the FDA chief in March this year, a role he had held since May 2017. (6/27)

Stat: Scott Gottlieb Walks Through The Revolving Door To The Pfizer Board 
After a two-year stint running the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb has joined the board of directors at Pfizer, giving the world’s largest drug maker crucial insights into the inner workings of the Trump administration as it attempts to contain national angst over the rising cost of medicines. And in doing so, Gottlieb is also picking up where he left before joining the agency, since he had been on the board of several smaller pharmaceutical companies and was also a partner at a venture capital firm that invests in life sciences companies. (Silverman, 6/27)

The Hill: Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Joins Pfizer Board 
Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb will join the board of directors of Pfizer, the company announced Thursday. Gottlieb stepped down in April after running the FDA for two years and is currently a resident at the American Enterprise Institute. One of his main priorities at the agency was to speed up the approval of new treatments, especially generic drugs and biosimilars — identical copies of a complex drug manufactured by a different company. (Weixel, 6/27)

CNBC: Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Joins Pfizer's Board
“We are fortunate to have Dr. Gottlieb join Pfizer’s Board of Directors,” Pfizer Executive Chairman and former CEO Ian Read said in a statement. “Scott’s expertise in health care, public policy and the industry will be an asset to our company and enable our shareholders to continue to benefit from a Board representing a balance of experience, competencies and perspectives.” (LaVito, 6/27)

Kaiser Health News: Pelosi Aims For Feds To Negotiate Drug Prices, Even For Private Insurers
As House Democrats hash out a proposal empowering the federal government’s top health official to negotiate lower drug prices, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is taking it a step further and pushing a plan that could benefit even those Americans with private health insurance. A draft plan spearheaded, but not yet released, by Pelosi and other House Democratic leaders would ensure that prices negotiated on the most expensive drugs would apply not only to the government but to all payers, including employers and insurers, a Democratic aide said. (Huetteman, 6/28)

Kaiser Health News: States Design Drug Import Plans To Curb High Prescription Prices, With Donald Trump's Support
Seeking a solution to the soaring costs of drugs, Colorado, Florida and Vermont are making plans to import medications from Canada, where prescriptions are cheaper.President Donald Trump has offered his support, marking the first time drug importation has won a presidential endorsement. The states’ plans are in their infancy. But they signal how frustration among consumers — especially those shouldering greater portions of their health bills through high-deductible health plans — is putting pressure on federal and state officials. (Galewitz, 6/28)

The Associated Press: Future Is In Doubt For Cheaper Versions Of Biologic Drugs
They were the drugs that were supposed to save the U.S. tens of billions of dollars. Called "biosimilars," they are near-copies of complex and expensive biologic drugs to treat cancer, rare diseases and autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and colitis. But U.S. sales have been so limited that their future is in doubt. Already, one company has scrapped nearly all its biosimilar development projects. (6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Walgreens Profit Squeezed By Generic Drugs
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. needs a new business model to offset thinning profits from the sale of generic drugs, which continue to drag down results, the drugstore chain’s chief executive said Thursday. The comments from Stefano Pessina came after the Deerfield, Ill.-based company said profit fell in the latest quarter from a year earlier even as sales increased. (Terlep and Al-Muslim, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Amazon Adds New Option: Buy On Amazon, Pick Up At Rite Aid
Amazon is adding a new way to get your packages: head over to another store's sales counter to pick it up. Starting Thursday, Amazon shoppers will be able to fetch their orders at more than 100 Rite Aid stores across the United States. It will expand to 1,500 Rite Aid locations by year-end. And Amazon said it's looking to bring the service to other stores, both big and small. It's the first time Amazon is bringing the service to the U.S., after it began offering it at stores in Italy and the United Kingdom last month. (6/27)

USA Today: Amazon Shoppers Can Pick Up Their Packages At Rite Aid Starting Today
It's the latest salvo in the battle for shoppers. Amazon transformed the retail landscape when it enabled customers to buy everything from books to mattresses online, but now that e-commerce has become commonplace, speedy, convenient delivery and pick up has become a key way Amazon and its rivals are competing. With the new Rite Aid partnership, Amazon shoppers can go online and select a nearby counter location to pick up their purchase. They'll be emailed a bar code when their package arrives. Then, after they arrive at the store, they'll show the code to an employee, who'll scan it before handing over the item. Packages will be held for up to 14 days. And the service is free. (Jones, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Gilead’s Deal To Provide Free HIV Prevention Drug Truvada For Trump Effort Is Getting House Scrutiny
The chairman of the House Oversight Committee is expanding the committee’s review of Gilead Science’s patent claims relating to Truvada for PrEP, the company’s drug that prevents HIV infection. In a letter released Thursday, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) demanded emails and other information from Gilead about negotiations that led to Gilead’s pledge to donate free doses of the drug for President Trump’s effort to eradicate HIV by 2030. (Rowland, 6/27)

Stat: Doctors Without Borders Chastises Gilead On Its HIV-Related Drug
At issue is an injectable medication called AmBisome that is used to combat cryptococcal meningitis, which is the second biggest killer of people living with HIV, after tuberculosis, according to the group. And the World Health Organization estimates the infection is responsible for 15% of HIV-related deaths globally. Last September, Gilead committed to widening access shortly after the WHO recommended AmBisome — when combined with another medicine — as the preferred treatment over side effect concerns caused by an older drug. As part of the effort, the company promised what it called “no-profit pricing” and also agreed to expedite registration in the 116 countries. (Silverman, 6/27)

Modern Healthcare: House Dems Question Gilead's HIV Drug Donations
"Gilead has taken the position that the government's patents are not valid," the lawmakers wrote. "We would like to understand whether these patents played any role in the negotiations between the company and (HHS), and whether Gilead has otherwise engaged in negotiations with the U.S. government regarding these patents." (Johnson, 6/27)

CQ: Oversight Democrats Review CDC Deal With HIV Drug Maker
President Donald Trump touted the donation as a step towards ending the HIV epidemic. But some public health experts balked. They asked the CDC to enforce its own patents on the HIV prevention drug, which was discovered with the use of federal research dollars. They called for Gilead, the drugmaker that sells Truvada for PrEP, to pay royalties and lower the price. (Kopp, 6/27)

The Hill: House Democrats Launch Investigation Into Trump Administration's Medicaid Changes 
House Democrats are launching an investigation into the Trump administration’s handling of Medicaid. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) sent a letter Thursday to the Department of Health and Human Services that asks for information about the administration’s attempts to convince states to make conservative changes to their Medicaid programs. (Weixel, 6/27)

In other Medicaid news —

NPR: Cook County Commissioners: What's Behind The County Health System's Big IOU?
Cook County leaders this week are trying to sort out a big surprise: why the county health system's Medicaid health insurance plan owes $701 million to doctors, hospitals and other vendors. County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard made that revelation on June 21 in his latest report on the health system's finances. Now, he's raising questions about how health system officials manage money and how transparent they are to county leaders. (Schorsch, 6/27)

CNN: Medtronic Recalls MiniMed Insulin Pumps As FDA Warns About Hacking Risk
The US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on Thursday about possible risk of hacking for some diabetes patients' insulin pumps. Certain insulin pumps from Medtronic MiniMed have been recalled due to potential cybersecurity risks and it's recommended for people who use those insulin pumps to switch to different models, according to the FDA. (Howard, 6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Says Medtronic Insulin Pumps Pose Cybersecurity Risk
Medtronic began notifying patients about the issue Thursday, saying a hacker could potentially connect wirelessly to a nearby insulin pump to change settings or control insulin delivery. But the company said the likelihood of such a danger from hackers is small, and that the unauthorized person would need to be in fairly close proximity to the person with the insulin pump—several feet away, or potentially at a house next door, depending on the hacking equipment being used. (Burton, 6/27)

Medscape: FDA Recalls Some Medtronic Insulin Pumps Because Of Cybersecurity
"While we are not aware of patients who may have been harmed by this particular cybersecurity vulnerability, the risk of patient harm if such a vulnerability were left unaddressed is significant," Suzanne Schwartz, MD, deputy director of the Office of Strategic Partnerships and Technology Innovation and acting division director for All Hazards Response, Science and Strategic Partnerships in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, said in a statement. (Brooks, 6/27)

The Star Tribune: Medtronic: Older Insulin Pumps Are Vulnerable To Hackers
Insulin is a self-administered drug that can be acutely harmful if given in too large a dose. An insulin pump is a central component of an overall system used to deliver regular doses of manufactured insulin in patients whose bodies don't naturally produce enough of the hormone to break down sugars in their blood. Such pumps can communicate wirelessly with external devices to get real-time glucose measurements or transmit patient data. (Carlson, 6/27)

The Hill: FDA Warns Of Dangerous Cyber Vulnerabilities On Medtronic Insulin Pumps 
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned patients and health care providers using certain types of insulin pumps of cyber threats involving the devices, with the pumps recalled due to vulnerabilities that could lead to negative health consequences for users. Security researchers found cyber vulnerabilities in certain types of Medtronic MiniMed insulin pumps that could enable unauthorized users to connect wirelessly to one of these pumps if they are nearby to alter or stop the amount of insulin delivered to a patient. (Miller, 6/27)

The New York Times: The Lessons Of Washington State’s Watered Down ‘Public Option’
For those who dream of universal health care, Washington State looks like a pioneer. As Gov. Jay Inslee pointed out in the first Democratic presidential debate on Wednesday, his state has created the country’s first “public option” — a government-run health plan that would compete with private insurance. Ten years ago, the idea of a public option was so contentious that Obamacare became law only after the concept was discarded. Now it’s gaining support again, particularly among Democratic candidates like Joe Biden who see it as a more moderate alternative to a Bernie Sanders-style “Medicare for all.” (Kliff, 6/27)

Modern Healthcare: Obamacare Insurers Still Making Money In 2019
Coming off of a profitable 2018, health insurers were still making money selling plans on the individual insurance market, including the Affordable Care Act exchanges, during the first three months of this year, an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows. Insurers remained profitable even though the individual mandate requiring most people to buy health coverage was zeroed out and cheaper, skimpier short-term plans became widely available, researchers found. (Livingston, 6/27)

CNN: This Church Will Pay Off About $4 Million In Medical Debt In Its Community. Here's How It Happened
Four times a year, Northview Church in Indiana does what it calls the Dollar Club. The premise is simple: A dollar by itself doesn't go a long way, but a bunch of dollars, together, well, that's something. So every fiscal quarter, the pastors across Northview's seven campuses in Indiana -- averaging about 10,000 people on a typical Sunday -- asks its congregations to donate a dollar. They then pool all the money and put it to work. The church typically raises between $6,000 and $10,000, and the money has gone to support foster families, help with medical bills, and so on. (Asmelash and Ahmed, 6/27)

In case you missed it: ‘Sham’ Sharing Ministries Test Faith Of Patients And Insurance Regulators

Sacramento Bee: Why Blue Shield Now Covers Digital Coaches, Weight Watchers
Blue Shield of California is getting rid of the one-size-fits-all wellness program and offering choices to help members who want to tackle their health challenges through lifestyle changes rather than prescription medicines. Would you like to try Weight Watchers to help improve your diabetes? Well, Blue Shield and Weight Watchers have worked out a deal that covers the cost of that. (Anderson, 6/27)

Politico Pro: Health Exchange Bill Heads To Murphy’s Desk With Last-Minute Amendments
New Jersey came one step closer on Thursday to having its own health insurance exchange, after both houses of the state Legislature approved a bill that allows the Department of Banking and Insurance to set up a state-based marketplace for Obamacare plans. The Senate approved the bill 24-12 before the Assembly passed it 49-24. (Sutton, 6/27)

The Wall Street Journal: Midwest Hospital Systems To Merge Into 26-State Regional Giant
Two major Midwestern hospital systems plan to merge, according to executives involved in the deal, creating another regional giant as the nation’s $1 trillion hospital sector continues to consolidate. Sanford Health, based in Sioux Falls, S.D., and UnityPoint Health, based in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday signed a letter of intent to combine the two nonprofit systems, which together operate 76 hospitals and outpatient and long-term-care services across 26 states, executives of the two systems said. (Evans, 6/28)

Des Moines Register: UnityPoint Health May Merge With Sanford Health, Based In South Dakota
UnityPoint Health, one of Iowa's main hospital and clinic systems, is discussing a merger with Sanford Health, a larger system based in South Dakota. UnityPoint Health, based in Des Moines, includes 32 hospitals and 280 clinics in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. Its flagship hospital, Iowa Methodist Medical Center, is in Des Moines. Sanford Health, based in Sioux Falls, includes 44 hospitals, 482 clinics and more than 200 senior care centers in nine countries and 26 states. (Leys, 6/27)

Modern Healthcare: Providence St. Joseph Health To Acquire Epic Consulting Firm
Providence St. Joseph Health will acquire Bluetree, a consulting firm that specializes in managing Epic electronic health record systems, the Renton, Wash.-based integrated health system announced Thursday. Bluetree has built a client base of more than 140 U.S. hospitals since it was founded in 2012 by former Epic System Corp. executives. The acquisition of Bluetree, which will operate under not-for-profit Providence St. Joseph as an independent for-profit subsidiary, is part the health system's pursuit of diversified revenue streams that will support patient care, executives said. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (Kacik, 6/27)

Modern Healthcare: NorthShore Agrees To Buy Swedish Covenant In Chicago
NorthShore University HealthSystem has agreed to acquire Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago and its related entities, as cost pressures and shifting models of delivering care have made it nearly impossible for the North Side community health network to stay independent. Swedish Covenant had been in talks with at least six potential buyers since last year, CEO Anthony Guaccio said. Meanwhile, Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore has looked for opportunities to expand and complement its four-hospital network since plans to merge with Advocate Health Care fell through in 2017, CEO J.P. Gallagher said. (Goldberg, 6/27)

Tampa Bay Times: Extra Oversight For Children’s Heart Surgery Signed Into Law 
Children’s heart surgery departments across Florida will soon be subject to more oversight. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill late Tuesday that will let physician experts visit struggling programs and make recommendations for improvement. Lawmakers proposed the measure after the Tampa Bay Times reported the mortality rate for pediatric heart surgery patients at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg reached nearly 10 percent in 2017. The rate was the highest any Florida hospital had seen in a decade. (McGrory and Bedi, 6/26)

Houston Chronicle: Ben Taub Latest TMC Hospital To Be Sanctioned For Patient Death
Ben Taub Hospital violated key federal patient care and safety requirements in a case that culminated in death, according to a new report, the third such event in recent months to result in the sanctioning of a Texas Medical Center hospital. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified the Harris Health System of the deficiencies and moved to place it under state and federal authority in a letter and report the system received Wednesday. The action applies to all components of Harris Health, the public safety-net hospital network that operates Ben Taub. (Ackerman, 6/27)

The Associated Press: US Government Seeks Part Of Oklahoma's $270M Opioid Deal
The U.S. government wants a portion of Oklahoma's $270 million settlement with Purdue Pharma that stemmed from the state's ongoing lawsuit against opioid makers. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wrote to the head of Oklahoma's Medicaid agency that it has determined the federal government is entitled to part of Oklahoma's proceeds. (6/27)

The Washington Post: Federal Government Demands Part Of Oklahoma’s $270 Million Deal With Purdue
In a June 12 letter to an Oklahoma Medicaid official, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it “is aware the state reached the aforementioned $270 million . . . settlement with the Purdue defendants” and “the federal government is entitled to a portion of that amount.” The settlement stemmed from Oklahoma’s 2017 lawsuit against three major pharmaceutical companies — Purdue, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Johnson & Johnson — that has become a closely watched first test of whether states and cities can force the drug industry to pay for the damage of the opioid epidemic. (Bernstein, 6/27)

The Associated Press: New Florida Law Authorizes Statewide Needle Exchanges
Jose Garcia carried a drawstring backpack full of used syringes as he walked into the converted shipping container that serves as the base for Florida’s only hypodermic needle exchange program. The 57-year-old carefully counted as he dropped 115 syringes one-by-one into a locked biohazard bin brimming with hundreds of other used needles. (Rua, 6/27)

NPR: Florida Republicans Approve Miami Needle-Exchange Program
There's a green van parked on the edge of downtown Miami on a corner shadowed by overpasses. The van is a mobile health clinic and syringe exchange where people who inject drugs like heroin and fentanyl can swap dirty needles for fresh ones. One of the clinic's regular visitors, a man with heavy black arrows tattooed on his arms, waits on the sidewalk to get clean needles. "I'm Arrow," he says, introducing himself. "Pleasure." (Mack, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Court Won't Halt Suits Against Doctor Over Drug Dose Deaths
A court official has refused to pause pretrial proceedings in wrongful-death lawsuits against a doctor charged with 25 counts of murder and the Ohio hospital system where he worked. William Husel is accused of ordering excessive painkiller doses given to dozens of patients in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System who later died. (6/27)

Reuters: U.S. 'Gag Rule' Linked To 40% Jump In Abortions In Parts Of Africa
A decades-old U.S. government policy reinstated by President Donald Trump in 2017 that restricts international aid to NGOs that support abortion is linked to a 40% rise in abortions in some parts of sub-Saharan African, a study showed on Thursday. The "Mexico City Policy", also known as the "global gag rule", also led to more pregnancies and lower contraceptive use among women in African countries reliant on U.S. foreign aid, the study in the Lancet Global Health journal showed. (Kelland, 6/27)

NPR: Study: Abortion Rates Go Up When U.S. Cuts Off Aid To Overseas Clinics That 'Promote' Abortion
Of course, abortion rates could have changed during those two decades for reasons wholly unrelated to U.S. funding policy. But in an effort to factor out that possibility, the researchers divided the 26 countries into two groups: In the first were countries that received the highest amount per person of U.S. family planning aid. In the second group were the countries that received the lowest amount. The idea is that countries receiving a large amount of aid per person would likely be more vulnerable to changes in the policies governing U.S. aid. So by comparing what happened to the abortion rates in those more aid-dependent countries with the abortion rates of countries that were otherwise similar but less dependent on U.S. money for family planning, the researchers believed they could better isolate the impact of the funding ban on abortion rates. (Aizenman, 6/27)

Reuters: U.S. States Unsure How To Halt Online Sales Of Abortion Pills Amid Clinic Crackdown
American women faced with new restrictions on abortions passed by a dozen U.S. states this year are turning to abortion pills from foreign online suppliers, and the states say there is little they can do to stop it. In the year before many of these new restrictions passed Republican-controlled state legislatures, over 20,000 U.S. women sought the pills online from providers willing to defy U.S. federal rules over sale of the drugs that induce miscarriage. (6/27)

The Associated Press: Commission, Not Court, Deciding Fate Of Abortion In Missouri
The battle to keep open Missouri's only abortion clinic has moved from the courts to a state administrative process, adding to the confusion about the future of the Planned Parenthood-operated clinic in St. Louis. No state has been without a functioning abortion clinic since 1974, the year after the landmark U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized the procedure nationwide. (6/27)

Louisville Courier: Kentucky Abortion: State Told To Act On Planned Parenthood License
A federal judge has ordered the state to expedite its review of a license Planned Parenthood is seeking to provide abortions at its Louisville clinic and report back to him no later than Aug.19 with a decision. The ruling Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Greg Stivers follows a long-running battle between the administration of Gov. Matt Bevin, an anti-abortion Republican, and Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky over the license it has been seeking since 2015. (Yetter, 6/27)

US News & World Report: A Guide To Abortion Laws By State
With the fate of abortion access in question with a newly conservative majority Supreme Court, states are taking matters into their own hands, imposing virtual bans or severe restrictions on the procedure or by enshrining the right to abortion in state law. Supporter of the abortion bans hope they will force the Supreme Court's hand to revisit Roe v. Wade, perhaps undoing it. If the 1973 landmark case protecting a woman's right to an abortion until the fetus is viable were overturned, abortion would not automatically be illegal. Instead, it would allow states to set their own laws legalizing, banning or restricting the procedure at any time during pregnancy. (Milligan, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Fisher-Price Recalls 71,000 Inclined Infant Sleepers
Fisher-Price has recalled 71,000 inclined sleeper accessories because infants can roll from their backs to their stomachs on inclined sleep products, risking injury or death. There have been no reported injuries or deaths related to the sleeper accessory with Fisher-Price’s Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yards, but more than 30 infant fatalities have been reported on other similarly inclined sleep products, including the Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleeper. (6/27)

USA Today: Fisher-Price Recall: More Sleepers Recalled After Rock 'n Play Deaths
"Infant fatalities have been reported while using other inclined sleep products, after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side while unrestrained, or under other circumstances," the notice states. (Tyko, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Fisher-Price Recalls Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yard Inclined Infant Sleeper
But Fisher-Price’s decision to pull its Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yard with inclined sleeper marks the company’s full exit from selling inclined sleep products, several weeks after the company recalled 4.7 million of its popular Rock 'n Play inclined sleepers because that product was associated with more than 30 baby deaths. The April 12 recall of the Rock 'n Play ignited a debate over how a product that seemed to violate recommended safe-sleep practices was developed and allowed to be sold for a decade. The American Academy of Pediatrics and government authorities have long said that babies should sleep flat on their backs in cribs or bassinets. An inclined sleeper allows babies to sleep at an approximately 30-degree angle. (Frankel, 6/27)

ABC News: Fisher-Price Recalls Ultra-Lite Day & Night Play Yards Inclined Sleeper Accessory
Owners can find the model number on the fabric label inside of the playpen and on the fabric label on the back of the inclined sleeper pad. The inclined sleeper converter is the only portion being recalled. (Youn, 6/27)

CNN: Fisher-Price Recalls 71,000 Infant Inclined-Sleepers Accessories
An inclined sleeper allows babies to sleep at an approximately 30-degree angle, which goes against advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The group does not recommend inclined sleep products that require restraining a baby. It also advises against using car seats, strollers or other devices for sleep. The group said babies could roll or turn into an unsafe position and be suffocated or strangled when unable to move. (Sorto, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Vaccine No Match Against Flu Bug That Popped Up Near End
The flu vaccine turned out to be a big disappointment again. The vaccine didn't work against a flu bug that popped up halfway through the past flu season, dragging down overall effectiveness to 29%, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday. The flu shot was working well early in the season with effectiveness put at 47% in February. But it was virtually worthless during a second wave driven by a tougher strain, at just 9%. (6/27)

CNN: Hepatitis A Vaccine Recommended Through Age 18 And For HIV Patients
Amid a surge in hepatitis A cases across the United States, an advisory panel for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending vaccination against the virus for children and teens who have not been immunized, as well as HIV patients. Previously, hepatitis A vaccination was recommended for children ages 12 to 23 months. (Howard, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Health Panel: Millions Of US Kids Should Get Hepatitis Shot
Thirteen years ago, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended hepatitis A shots for all U.S. children at age 1. On Thursday, the panel said the shots should be given to older children who weren't vaccinated earlier, including 14- to 18-year-olds who turned 1 before the recommendation was made. (6/27)

The New York Times: HPV Vaccine Proving Very Successful
HPV, or human papilloma virus, is a common sexually transmitted disease, and while most cases are harmless, some types of the virus can cause genital warts and cancer. Researchers reviewed 40 studies of HPV infection in 14 high-income countries, with data from more than 60 million people followed for up to eight years after vaccination. The study is in The Lancet. They found that the prevalence of HPV 16 and 18, which cause most cases of cervical cancer, decreased over the period by 83 percent among girls ages 13 to 19, and by 66 percent among women 20 to 24. (Bakalar, 6/27)

Stat: 18-Year-Old Who Has Advocated For Vaccines Is Now Target Of Harassment
Ethan Lindenberger — the 18-year-old who famously got vaccinated against his mother’s wishes — is in New York City today to speak at a high-level United Nations event on combating vaccine misinformation. But the recent high school graduate’s planned appearance has sparked an onslaught of harassment by the anti-vaccination individuals, who have flooded the phone lines of UNICEF, which is hosting the event. (Thielking, 6/28)

KCUR: Vaccine Opposition Isn't Why Many Thousands Of Kansans Miss Out On Shots 
The national measles outbreak — numbering more than 1,000 cases so far — hasn't hit Kansas yet, but it has crept awfully close to home. State health officials think a case in Kansas looks nearly inevitable. And the state’s annual survey of kindergartener vaccination rates suggests some counties do better than others at getting little kids their potentially life-saving shots of MMR vaccine. (Llopis-Jepsen, 6/27)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Bill Could Protect Those Without Vaccinations From Being Fired
Hospitals and other employers who require workers be immunized against the flu, measles and other infectious diseases would not be able to fire or punish employees who refuse to receive such vaccines under a bill pending in Ohio's House. Meanwhile, state senators added to the state budget bill a provision that would make it clear that private schools can deny enrollment to students who aren't vaccinated, even for religious reasons. (Borchardt, 6/27)

Kansas City Star: Vaccine Opponents: Kansas Needs To Drop Immunization Plan
Vaccination opponents are mounting a show of force in Kansas, despite recent outbreaks across the country of measles – a disease easily prevented with a shot. A state agency wants to require vaccinations against hepatitis A and meningitis for school-age children. But dozens of people – including young mothers clutching babies – protested the plan Thursday during a packed public hearing in Topeka. (Shorman, 6/27)

USA Today: The Young Are Regarded As The Most Tolerant Generation. That's Why Results Of This LGBTQ Survey Are 'Alarming'
Young people are growing less tolerant of LGBTQ individuals, a jarring turn for a generation traditionally considered embracing and open, a survey released Monday shows. The number of Americans 18 to 34 who are comfortable interacting with LGBTQ people slipped from 53% in 2017 to 45% in 2018 – the only age group to show a decline, according to the annual Accelerating Acceptance report. And that is down from 63% in 2016. Driving the dilution of acceptance are young women whose overall comfort levels plunged from 64% in 2017 to 52% in 2018, says the survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD. (Miller, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Millennials Have Sparked A Sober Revolution And Alcohol Brands Are Starting To Notice
It’s everywhere you look these days: #SoberCurious, #SoberIsSexy, #SoberLife and #SoberSaturday. There are sober nightclubs, sober early-morning dance parties, Instagram influencers who anchor their online identities with an eschewal of alcohol. The number of alcohol drinkers in the world has decreased by nearly 5 percent since 2000, according to the World Health Organization. The Beverage Information Group reports beer sales have slumped for five years in a row. (Reiley, 6/27)

Los Angeles Times: When It Comes To Disease, Stem Cells Are A Game-Changer, Scientists Say. This Is Why
Thousands of the world's leading stem cell researchers are convening in Los Angeles this week to discuss the prospects for a future without human disease. Stem cells could play a key role. These cells are remarkably flexible; under the right conditions, they can be coaxed to develop into many other types of cells in the body. (Baumgaertner, 6/27)

The New York Times: At 75, Taking Care Of Mom, 99: ‘We Did Not Think She Would Live This Long’
Not many years ago, Lynda Faye planned to spend her retirement gardening in Amherst, Mass., and visiting her eight grandchildren. Not on the list of golden-years pursuits: caring for a frail elderly parent. Ms. Faye is 75, and her mother, Yetta Meisel, a widow, is 99. The former art teacher fills her days helping her mother bathe, making her meals, picking up medications, scheduling home aides and transporting a wheelchair for excursions. (Garland, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Alabama Woman Charged In Fetal Death, Her Shooter Goes Free
An Alabama woman whose fetus died after she was shot in a fight has been charged with manslaughter, while the woman accused of shooting her has been freed. Marshae Jones, 28, was indicted by the Jefferson County grand jury Wednesday. She was five months pregnant when 23-year-old Ebony Jemison shot her in the stomach during a December altercation regarding the fetus’s father, authorities said. (Paterson, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Marshae Jones Indicted By Grand Jury In Shooting Death Of Her Unborn Child In Alabama
Marshae Jones of Birmingham was five months pregnant on Dec. 4 when an argument broke out between her and another woman outside a Dollar General, AL.com reported. The fight, which police said was over the fetus’s father, led 23-year-old Ebony Jemison to shoot Jones in the stomach. The mother survived the shooting, but it resulted in a miscarriage. (Brice-Saddler and Horton, 6/27)

AL.com: Marshae Jones Might Not Be Prosecuted In Unborn Baby’s Death, Prosecutors Say
Jefferson County prosecutors say they have not yet made a decision whether they will prosecute the woman who is charged in the death of her unborn born child after the woman was shot during a fight. Marshae Jones, 27, was indicted by a Jefferson County Bessemer Cutoff grand jury in April and arrested this week on a felony manslaughter charge. (Robinson, 6/27)

The New York Times: 4 Officer Suicides In 3 Weeks: N.Y.P.D. Struggles To Dispel Mental Health Stigma
First, there was the deputy chief facing mandatory retirement as his 63rd birthday approached. The next day, it was a veteran homicide detective who had talked dozens of people out of killing themselves. A week later, it was a young patrolman handling domestic violence cases and going through a divorce. Then on Wednesday, a veteran officer was found dead at his home on Long Island. (Southall, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Flint Will Hear From Prosecutors Who Dropped Water Charges
Prosecutors who dropped charges against eight people in the Flint water scandal will talk about the decision in a public forum. Kym Worthy and Fadwa Hammoud will speak to the public Friday night at a Flint union hall, two weeks after dismissing charges against former Michigan health director Nick Lyon and other officials. Hammoud of the attorney general's office took over the investigation of Flint's lead-contaminated water in January. (6/28)

The Wall Street Journal: New York City Jail Plan Is Dividing Communities
Across New York City, some community members are pushing back as city leaders lay the groundwork to build four new jails within the next seven years. The new facilities are at the center of a plan to close the city jail complex at Rikers Island, which critics say has a culture of violence, aging infrastructure, and is located in the East River between Queens and the Bronx. (Gravely, 6/27)

Modern Healthcare: North Carolina State Workers Could Be Left Without In-Network Hospitals
The more than 700,000 teachers and other state employees who receive health coverage from the North Carolina State Health Plan could soon face higher medical bills when visiting hospitals in the state. That's because no hospitals have signed contracts to join the State Health Plan's new network in which providers will be reimbursed for their services at a percentage tied to the what Medicare pays for the same service. The deadline to sign a contract is Monday, July 1. (Livingston, 6/27)

Bloomberg: San Francisco Mayor Backs Ban On Juul And E-Cigarettes 
San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she supports a citywide ban on the sale of e-cigarettes, signaling her intention to sign an ordinance recently passed by the city’s board of supervisors into law, but showed less enthusiasm for proposed taxes intended to target the technology industry. With the mayor’s backing, San Francisco will become the first U.S. city to implement a ban on nicotine vaporizer products. Breed is expected to sign the law in the next week. After that, stores will have seven months before they must remove all e-cigarettes from shelves. Cigarettes, other tobacco products and recreational marijuana will remain legal. (Varghese and Stone, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Colorado Court: Teen Must Register As Sex Offender For Asking Girls His Age For Naked Selfies
Colorado’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling last week that required a juvenile boy to register as a sex offender after sexting and trading erotic pictures with two girls roughly his age, a split decision that highlights states’ recent struggles with applying laws passed in a less tech-heavy age. It began, according to the court’s decision, at a 2012 Future Farmers of America conference, where the 15-year-old met two girls, one 17 and the other 15. In the months that followed, both girls came to believe they were romantically involved with the boy. (Paul, 6/27)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Announces Local Efforts On Climate Change, Inequality
Milwaukee officials announced plans Thursday for a local effort to meet the environmental standards of the Paris Climate Accord and address economic inequality through the creation of green infrastructure jobs. The city's Steering and Rules Committee announced the resolution Thursday creating a joint city-county task force to chart a path to reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to 45% by 2030 and eliminate them by 2050. (Langhorne, 6/27)

San Jose Mercury News: Gun Control: New Law Requires Background Checks For Ammo. Would It Have Prevented Bay Area Carnage?
Starting Monday, anyone looking to buy ammunition in California will be subject to a background check. Voters approved the first-in-the-nation requirement as part of 2016’s Proposition 63, the slate of gun control measures that also banned the possession of high-capacity magazines. It’s not clear, though, whether the law would have prevented a quadruple homicide and suicide inside a San Jose home earlier this week that was carried out by a man whose criminal record was supposed to bar him from possessing guns or bullets. (Savidge, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Delaware Bill Aimed At Healthier Beverages In Kid’s Meals
Delaware’s state Senate has given final approval to a bill mandating that restaurants that serve children’s meals must offer something other than a soft drink as the “default beverage.” Default beverages under the bill approved Thursday include water, flavored water with no sweeteners, milk, flavored milk, 100% fruit juice or vegetable juice, and juice combinations with no added sweeteners. Customers could still opt for a soft drink or other sugary concoction. (6/27)

North Carolina Health News: NC Health Department Would Face ‘Dramatic’ Cuts Under Proposed Budget 
As the state budget moves toward what looks to be an inevitable veto from Gov. Roy Cooper, state health leaders are raising alarm about some of the budget provisions drafted by Republican state lawmakers. Health and Human Services Sec. Mandy Cohen argues that some of the deep cuts could prevent her department from doing its job. Cohen has spent a lot of time at the legislative building in Raleigh this week, working the halls and talking to budget writers about her qualms with the budget. She’s also been making media appearances to reiterate her priorities and concerns. (Knopf and Hoban, 6/28)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rogers Behavioral Health In Oconomowoc Sued For Discrimination
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on June 27 announced that a discrimination lawsuit has been filed against Rogers Behavioral Health, which is based in Oconomowoc. According to a news release from the EEOC, the inpatient residential health facility violated federal law when it rescinded an applicant's job offer because she tested positive for a prescribed medication. (Frank, 6/27)

The Washington Post: Phoenix Police: After Dollar Store Video, Tensions Between Police And The Community Are Boiling Over
Anna Hernandez called the police for help. Her 26-year-old brother Alejandro was in the throes of a drug binge — crystal meth, she said — so the family phoned in an order-of-protection violation in an attempt to get him off the street and into treatment. Police found Alejandro a few blocks away from their parents’ door. Hernandez heard their gunshots from the driveway. Her brother, she would soon find out from a local news station’s alert, had been killed. (Rosenberg, 6/27)

Richmond Times-Dispatch: VCU Bans Smoking On Most Of Campus Next Week As Legal Age To Buy Tobacco Rises To 21
The college announced Thursday that starting Monday, use of all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, will be outlawed on university property except at designated outdoor smoking areas. A new state law raising the legal age to buy tobacco to 21 takes effect the same day. (Mattingly, 6/27)

Arizona Republic: Arizona Inmates Subjected To Inadequate Mental-Health Care, Many Say
The lawsuit was brought in 2012 by the Arizona Center for Disability Law, American Civil Liberties Union and Prison Law Office on behalf of 13 inmates in Department of Corrections prisons alleging the department failed to provide adequate medical, health and dental care for prisoners. Parties in the case reached a settlement in 2014 that required the state to comply with 100 performance measures. More than four years after the settlement, the state is facing the possibility of being found in contempt of court for a second time if it fails to bring 34 measures into compliance by July 1. (Oldham, 6/27)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: New Pediatric Specialty Healthcare Center Opens In Ferguson 
A new pediatric specialty health care center designed by KAI opened in Ferguson. HBD Construction was the general contractor. The 15,000-square-foot building, owned by Sansone Group, houses the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Pediatric Specialty Services, as well as an office of SSM Health Medical Group Pediatrics. Specialty services offered include gastroenterology, ENT (otolaryngology), orthopedics, pulmonology, neurology and endocrinology. (6/28)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Taycheedah Inmate's Death Turned Over To Fond Du Lac Police
The circumstances surrounding the death of an inmate at the crowded Taycheedah Correctional Institution have been turned over to the Fond du Lac Police Department, a state corrections official said Thursday. And while confirming that the Department of Corrections has asked police to look into the level of health care provided to Barbara Jean Krause before she died, DOC spokeswoman Molly Vidal would not confirm or deny that any employees at the institution have been fired or disciplined in connection with her death. (Garza, 6/27)

Los Angeles Times: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Has Signed His First Budget. Here’s Where The $215 Billion Will Go
California will increase its spending on public education, expand healthcare services and stash away more money than ever for an economic downturn under the state budget signed Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom — a plan that was stalled for two weeks over how it would address the state’s growing housing crisis. The $214.8-billion budget is the largest in state history. The majority of its provisions take effect next week, though some new services won’t be funded until January in an effort to lower the short-term cost. (Myers, 6/27)

Boston Globe: Essex DA Investigating Deaths Of 5 Children, Including 3 In DCF Care
The deaths of three children in separate incidents since mid-April, all while in the care of the state’s child protection agency, are under investigation by the Essex district attorney’s office, officials said Thursday. The deaths come amid a push to beef up child protection services at the state’s Department of Children and Families, which has struggled with high caseloads for swamped social workers, a severe lack of foster families, and archaic technology to track children in state custody. (Ellement and Lazar,6/27)

Kansas City Star: KC Restricts Medical Marijuana Near Churches, Schools
Kansas City took a more cautious approach Thursday to regulation of medical marijuana than some Missouri cities as the entire state prepares for the rise of the industry. Missouri voters in November approved a constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana that provided some flexibility for cities to set their own rules. (Kite, 6/27)

Boston Globe: Three Women Settle Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Against Prominent Psychiatrist Keith Ablow
Three women who accused a prominent Newburyport psychiatrist of drawing them into demeaning sexual relationships while he was treating them for depression have settled medical malpractice lawsuits that alleged he preyed on vulnerable patients. Lawyers for Dr. Keith R. Ablow, a nationally known author and former Fox News contributor, and the three accusers recently reached out-of-court settlements, according to court filings. (Crimaldi, 6/27)

The Associated Press: Maine Governor Signs Rules To Finally Allow Pot Sales
Maine Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill Thursday setting up a legal framework for the sale of recreational marijuana to adults as early as next year. Her office said Thursday that the state’s Office of Marijuana Policy plans to accept applications for licenses by the end of 2019. The Democratic governor said her administration has worked quickly to implement the voter-approved law since she took office earlier this year. (Villeneuve, 6/27)

The New York Times: This Democratic Debate Issue Has Tremendous Promise — And Peril 
It would be an exaggeration to say that the Democratic primary race is entirely about health care, but only a little bit of one. The standout moment from the first evening was Elizabeth Warren’s vociferous defense of eliminating private insurance companies, and much of the first half of last night’s debate was consumed with the issue as well. The candidates onstage were eager to recommend their plans and elaborate on their differences: Perhaps more than any other issue, this was one on which the different policy ideas in play were clear. Democrats were offering voters choices. (Peter Suderman, 6/28)

Stat: Stop Persecuting Docs For Legitimately Prescribing Opioids For Chronic Pain
It is time for Congress to direct the CDC to withdraw its guideline for a ground-up rewrite by an agency like the NIH or FDA that actually knows what it is doing. Likewise, the Veterans Health Administration must be directed to withdraw its closely related “Opioid Safety Initiative.” Veterans tell me that medical practice standards embedded in the initiative are driving vets to suicide by denying them treatment with opioid pain relievers. Finally, the DEA must be told to stand down and stop persecuting doctors who are legitimately prescribing opioids to their patients with chronic pain for “over-prescribing,” something for which no agency has yet created an accepted definition. (Richard A. Red Lawhern, 6/28)

USA Today: Migrant Children Detention: The Centers I Saw Are No Place For Kids
While Democratic presidential candidates gather in Florida for the first set of primary debates, several of them are taking the time to visit the immigration detention center for children in Homestead, Florida. Their visits follow the news last week that migrant children are facing neglect and danger in a U.S. Border Patrol facility just outside El Paso. That story broke when a group of lawyers — two of my Human Rights Watch colleagues and I were among them — learned from interviews with detained children last week that hundreds of children were kept in filthy, overcrowded holding cells in Clint, Texas, for days and even weeks, many sleeping on cold cement floors. (Michael Garcia Bochenek, 6/27)

The Washington Post: VA Ordered Fake Appointments To Cut Waiting List, Whistleblower Says
One day before Minu Aghevli testified at a House committee hearing about official Department of Veterans Affairs misconduct, she received a thick packet of documents that shook her life. It amounted to a pink slip more than 170 pages long, including about 140 pages outlining reasons VA plans to fire her, according to Kevin Owen, her lawyer. The packet arrived on Monday. She testified on Tuesday. (Joe Davidson, 6/27)

The New York Times: Stonewall Hasn’t Ended
The New York police commissioner, James O’Neill, apologized this month for police harassment 50 years ago Friday at the Stonewall Inn, where trans women of color led the resistance that started the national L.G.B.T.Q.-rights movement.But trans people don’t want empty apologies. We want to live and thrive. That means the Police Department must stop aggressively going after members of the L.G.B.T.Q. community, and transgender women in particular, for minor offenses, a practice that has persisted in the decades since Stonewall. (Shelby Chestnut, 6/27)

The New York Times: When An Abortion Doctor Becomes A Mother
Recently a colleague asked me if I’d had trouble working while I was pregnant. “Actually I was fine,” I said. “I know a lot of people have a hard time, but it wasn’t an issue for me.” She raised her eyebrows. “Wow. Good for you. I was a mess.” (Christine Henneberg, 6/27)

The Hill: How Much Damage Are Smart Phones, Computers And Tablets Doing To Our Bodies?
Last week the media was briefly focused on the external occipital protuberance, a fancy name for a bony bump at the back of the head. This fascination centered on whether or not the bump was more common in millenials and Gen Zers as a bony compensation for neck muscle strain from excess screen time. The answer is not known, but the more important question was obscure. How much damage are smart phones, computers, iPads and video games doing to our bodies? The complete answer isn't in yet, more research needs to be done. (Marc Siegel, 6/27)

The Hill: How Can Political Leaders Engage Voters?
Global health is a prime example of the impact we can achieve. America’s investment in fighting the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria has saved millions of lives, driving down disease rates and making whole populations healthier. Since 2000, overall life expectancy has increased by 10 years in sub-Saharan Africa. The HIV infection rate among children is down more than 70 percent since 2000. These successes are possible because the world, often led by the U.S., invested in innovative health research that produced new tools and then focused on delivering them through programs that achieved measurable results. (Chris Collins, 6/27) 

The Hill: Today Is HIV Testing Day — Overcoming Stigma To Prevent New Infections 
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day, and it comes amid a sweeping federal campaign to reduce new HIV infections in the United States by 90 percent over the next decade. The Trump administration wants to target “hotspots” where more than half of new HIV infections occur. I practice in one of those hotspots — Franklin County, Ohio — where the annual incidence of HIV has not changed significantly for the past five years. When I look through records of my newly diagnosed patients, I often see they’ve had contact with the medical system in the past, but they were never offered an HIV test. (Carlos Malvestutto, 6/27)