Politico: U.S. To Lift Air Travel Restrictions For Fully Vaccinated Foreigners
The U.S. will lift air travel restrictions for foreign nationals who are fully vaccinated, with the Biden administration targeting early November for foreign travel to resume for the first time in more than a year. The head of the White House’s Covid-19 Response Team, Jeff Zients, announced Monday that foreign nationals must show proof of vaccination and proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken three days prior to boarding an airplane. Zients said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will determine which vaccines will be accepted. (Pawlyk and Day, 9/20)

NPR: White House Lifts Ban On Vaccinated Foreign Nationals Flying To The U.S.
Jeffrey Zients, President Biden's COVID-19 response coordinator, announced the new policy Monday. It replaces a patchwork of travel bans on travelers, most of which began during the Trump administration. The travel bans, many in place for well over a year, separated families and negatively affected the tourism industry in the U.S., where international travel is a big part of business. A hashtag, #LoveIsNotTourism, took off on social media, with people advocating for an end to the travel bans, at least for those who are fully vaccinated. (Naylor, 9/20)

Bloomberg: U.S. to Open Air Travel to Most Vaccinated Foreigners
The European Union’s top industry official welcomed the policy change. “A logical decision given the success of our EU vaccination campaign,” said Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton in a tweet. He said he’d be meeting with Zients Monday “to continue fighting the pandemic.” British Airways Chief Executive Officer Sean Doyle called the U.S. move an “historic moment” and said customers could now book with confidence, while his Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. counterpart Shai Weiss said the industry had cleared a “major milestone to the reopening of travel at scale.” (Wingrove, 9/20)

Also —

AP: Q&A: America's New COVID-19 Rules For International Travel
The Biden administration is rolling out new international travel policies affecting Americans and noncitizens alike who want to fly into the U.S. The goal is to restore more normal air travel after 18 months of disruption caused by COVID-19.The across-the-board rules, which will take effect in November, will replace a hodgepodge of confusing restrictions. Some details of the plan announced Monday are being worked out, but here are some questions and answers about what to expect. (Miller and Koenig, 9/21)

Stat: Covid Overtakes 1918 Spanish Flu As Deadliest Disease In U.S. History
The Covid-19 pandemic has become the deadliest disease event in American history, with a death toll surpassing that of the 1918 Spanish flu. The Spanish flu was previously the disease event that caused the biggest loss of life in the United States; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 675,000 Americans died during the 1918 pandemic, in waves of illness that stretched out over roughly two years in this country. According to STAT’s Covid-19 Tracker, Covid deaths stand at more than 675,400. (Branswell, 9/20)

CNBC: Covid Is Officially America's Deadliest Pandemic As U.S. Fatalities Surpass 1918 Flu Estimates
Covid-19 is officially the most deadly outbreak in recent American history, surpassing the estimated U.S. fatalities from the 1918 influenza pandemic, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Reported U.S. deaths due to Covid crossed 675,000 on Monday, and are rising at an average of more than 1,900 fatalities per day, Johns Hopkins data shows. The nation is currently experiencing yet another wave of new infections, fueled by the fast-spreading delta variant. (Lovelace Jr., 9/20)

CNN: US Death Toll From Covid-19 Just Surpassed That Of The 1918 Flu Pandemic 
Despite all the scientific and medical advances of the past 103 years, the Covid-19 pandemic has now killed more Americans than the 1918 flu pandemic did. More than 675,000 people in the United States have died from Covid-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. That surpasses the estimated US death toll from the deadliest pandemic of the 20th century. (Yan, 9/20)

Stat: ‘Delta Has Been Brutal’: Covid-19 Variant Is Decimating Rural Areas Already Reeling From The Pandemic
Health inequities in rural communities across the South are continuing to determine who is most vulnerable to Covid-19 now that the Delta variant is bringing a new surge in deaths. Several states, including Florida and Georgia, have experienced the highest levels of hospitalizations to date in recent months, as the highly contagious variant sweeps through the country, and within those states, rural areas are especially hard-hit. (Goldhill, 9/21)

Star Tribune: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Reach 757 In Minnesota, Highest In 2021
COVID-19 hospitalizations reached 757 in Minnesota on Friday, underscoring the continued threat of the fast-spreading delta variant of the coronavirus. The hospitalizations are a new high for 2021, according to the latest state pandemic figures released Monday, and reflect the usual rise in admissions toward the end of the week that is often followed by a decline as patients are discharged on the weekend. The total includes 230 patients placed in intensive care, the highest total since Dec. 24. (Olson, 9/20)

Salt Lake Tribune: More Utahns Are Now In ICU Beds With COVID-19 Than Ever Before
There are now more COVID-19 patients hospitalized in intensive care units throughout Utah than ever previously recorded, according to the Utah Department of Health. The state Health Department on Monday reported that 233 people were being treated for COVID-19 in Utah ICUs as of Sunday, breaking the previous record of 232 set Friday. (The highest number of COVID-19 patients ever hospitalized in Utah was 606 on Dec. 9, but of those hospitalized at the time, 213 were in ICUs.) In the past three days, nearly 3,400 more Utahns tested positive for COVID-19. More than 650 of those new cases were reported in school-age children. (Pierce, 9/20)

Idaho Statesman: Idaho COVID ICU, Hospital Admissions Set Record; 36 Deaths
Idaho reported 36 more deaths related to COVID-19 from Saturday through Monday, and data from the Department of Health and Welfare show the state has again reached record numbers of patients hospitalized and in intensive care units with the disease. (Blanchard, 9/20)

The Spokesman-Review: Washington COVID Hospitalizations Down Slightly, As Deaths Increase
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Washington declined this week. Health officials said several factors are at play: More people are wearing masks and taking the disease seriously, and more people are dying.The number of people in the hospital with coronavirus fell to about 1,500 in Washington. A week ago is was 1,700. (Dreher, 9/20)

Nebraska Public Media: Ricketts Says COVID Dashboard Is Back, Will Track Hospitalizations, Cases And Deaths
Governor Pete Ricketts said Monday the state is bringing back part of its COVID-19 dashboard that will track hospitalizations and more county-level data. Ricketts announced he’s signed an executive order that waives an infectious disease statute that normally limits the sharing of medical data based on health privacy laws. Ricketts said the dashboard will keep track of hospital capacity, new cases and COVID deaths in counties across the state. (Williams, 9/20)

Also —

Axios: Chicago Has Highest COVID-19 Case Rates In City Worker Neighborhoods 
COVID hot spots have moved all over Chicago in the past 18 months, but in recent weeks, the highest rates have emerged in two ZIP codes on the far Southwest and Northwest Sides, according to city data. 60655 covers parts of Beverly, Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood. 60656 covers parts of Jefferson Park and Norwood Park. These two ZIP codes carry two more distinctions: They house the city's highest concentrations of municipal workers. And they were the only two Chicago ZIP codes to post strong showings for former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election, per a Tribune analysis. (Eng, 9/20)

AP: George Holliday, Who Filmed Rodney King Video, Dies Of COVID
George Holliday, the Los Angeles plumber who shot grainy video of four white police officers beating Black motorist Rodney King in 1991, has died of complications of COVID-19, a friend said Monday. Holliday, 61, died Sunday at a Los Angeles hospital, where he had been for more than a month, according to Robert Wollenweber, a longtime friend and former coworker. Holliday was not vaccinated and was on a ventilator in recent days after contracting pneumonia, Wollenweber said. (9/21)

USA Today: Florida Man Dies Of COVID Minutes Before His First Grandchild Is Born
A Florida man died from COVID-19 this month just 20 minutes before his first grandchild was born. Shane O’Neal, 40, died from COVID-19 at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Sept. 3. His daughter, Kylie Dean, gave birth to her son, Preston, at 3:49 a.m. the same morning. Dean, an ICU nurse, told USA TODAY that her father was “super excited” about the birth of his first grandchild. “Every time he’d go to the store, he’d pick up some baby clothes or baby toys,” she said. (Pitofsky, 9/20)

Axios: Rep. Tim Ryan Tests Positive For Coronavirus 
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said Monday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus, and that his vaccination against the virus prevented a more severe infection. "Today, I tested positive for COVID-19," Ryan wrote on Twitter. "While I’m currently experiencing mild symptoms, I’m grateful to have the protection of a safe and effective vaccine — and I know without it, this illness could be much, much worse." (Reyes, 9/20)

AP: Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Tests Positive For COVID
Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor Rebecca Kleefisch tested positive for COVID-19 after being exposed at church earlier this month, her campaign said Monday. Kleefisch is a cancer survivor and a former two-term lieutenant governor. She is seeking to take on Democratic Gov. Tony Evers next year. Kleefisch launched her campaign on Sept. 9 and has been on the campaign trail since. (Bauer, 9/20)

CNN: An Idaho Nurse's Training Didn't Protect Her From Covid Vaccine Misinformation. Now, She's One Of The Victims In The State's Covid Crisis 
Natalie Rise was a registered nurse in Idaho who loved her job as a home health care worker before she decided to stay at home with her special-needs twins, according to her brother, Daryl Rise. But her science-based training to become an RN was apparently no match for the disinformation about Covid-19 vaccines being shared across social media, according to her brother. (Simon and Waldrop, 9/21)

CNN: Two Dose Version Of Johnson & Johnson Shot 94% Effective Against Covid-19, Study Finds 
A two-dose version of Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine provides 94% protection against symptomatic infection, the company said Tuesday -- making a two-dose regimen of J&J's Janssen vaccine comparable to a two-dose regimen of Moderna's or Pfizer's. Plus, the company said, adding a booster dose to a single shot of the vaccine raised immunity even more, and should also protect people strongly against infection. (Fox, 9/21)

CNBC: J&J Covid Vaccine Booster 94% Effective When Given At Two Months, J&J Says
Johnson & Johnson said Tuesday its Covid-19 booster shot is 94% effective when administered two months after the first dose in the United States. It also said the booster increases antibody levels by four to six times compared with one shot alone. A J&J booster dose given six months out from the first shot appears to be potentially even more protective against Covid, the company said, generating antibodies twelvefold higher four weeks after the boost, regardless of age. (Lovelace Jr., 9/21)

The New York Times: An Extra J. &Amp; J. Shot Substantially Boosts Protection Against Covid, The Company Reports
Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has shown little sign of waning. Researchers released a study last week comparing 390,517 vaccinated people to 1,524,153 unvaccinated ones. Up to five months after vaccination, the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine against hospitalization remained steady at around 81 percent. As the pandemic has unfolded, people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have waited for guidance about whether they’ll need a booster. The new clinical trial, which recruited 32,000 volunteers around the world, compared people who received one dose of Johnson & Johnson to those who received two doses eight weeks apart. (Zimmer, 9/21)

In other news about booster shots —

Politico: Vaccine Supply Fears Motivated White House Booster Push
Top advisers to President Joe Biden pushed for his administration to announce a broad booster rollout for September in part because of fears that the U.S. could run short of doses needed to offer the shots to its entire population if vaccines’ protection decreased suddenly, according to two senior officials with knowledge of the matter. The internal campaign coincided with pleas from international leaders for the U.S. to do more to help lower-and middle-income countries secure initial doses. Biden’s team wanted to make sure the U.S. would have enough supply for the 40 percent of eligible Americans who still needed their first shots and those who would eventually need a boost, the officials said — despite the country’s deep vaccine stockpile. (Banco, 9/20)

Axios: Biden To Get COVID Booster Shot On Camera 
President Biden will receive his COVID booster shot on camera once it's fully approved for Americans ages 65 and older, the White House said Monday. A federal advisory panel unanimously voted last week to recommend that the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) authorize a third dose of Pfizer's vaccine for people over the age of 65 and those at higher risk of infection. (Chen, 9/20)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: CVS Makes Hiring Push Amid Worker Shortage, Increased Covid-19 Vaccine Demand 
CVS Health Corp. CVS -1.09% , one of the biggest U.S. providers of Covid-19 tests and vaccines, is racing to hire thousands of workers as staffing shortages prompt stores to close drive-through lanes and at times turn away customers seeking shots. The largest U.S. pharmacy chain by stores said it plans to add 25,000 employees this week in a single-day hiring spree to prepare for a potential surge in demand from booster shots and as more people seek Covid-19 tests and flu vaccines. (Terlep, 9/20)

Houston Chronicle: CVS Health Hiring 3,500 In Texas During One-Day Event
CVS Health is gearing up to fill 25,000 clinical and retail jobs during a one-day hiring event Friday, Sept. 24. The jobs, including 3,500 in Texas, consist of new and existing positions as the company prepares for the fall and winter flu season and COVID-19 vaccination and testing remain in high demand. “Every flu season we need additional team members, but this year we’re looking for even more.” Neela Montgomery, executive vice president, CVS Health and president, CVS Pharmacy said in an announcement. “With the continued presence of COVID-19 in our communities, we’re estimating a much greater need for pharmacists, trained pharmacy technicians, nurses, and retail store associates.” (Feser, 9/20)

Los Angeles Times: California Has The Lowest Coronavirus Rate In The U.S.
California officially has the lowest coronavirus case rate of any state, federal figures show, underscoring the progress made in the ongoing battle against the highly infectious Delta variant. The state has been among the national leaders in that metric for the last week, as the number of newly confirmed coronavirus infections continues to tumble from a peak earlier this summer. California’s new case rate per 100,000 people is less than half of neighboring states, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some hard-hit states have more than quadruple California’s numbers. (Lin II and Money, 9/20)

San Francisco Chronicle: One Bay Area County Is Approaching 100% Of Eligible Residents With One COVID Vaccine Dose
Marin County has marked a new pandemic-fighting milestone, with more than 90% of its eligible population now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to county data, 90.7% of residents 12 and older were fully vaccinated as of Monday. A whopping 97.3% of Marin’s eligible population has received at least one vaccine dose. Among its total population, Marin’s rate of completed vaccinations is 78%, with 84% partially vaccinated. Marin has the highest overall vaccination rate of all counties in California and is among the top 10 most highly vaccinated counties in the U.S. (Hwang, 9/20)

In news about covid treatments —

Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Recommends The Vaccinated Lose Access To Monoclonal Antibodies
The Tennessee state government now recommends nearly all vaccinated residents be denied access to monoclonal antibody treatment in a new effort to preserve a limited supply of antibody drugs for those who remain most vulnerable to the virus, largely by their own choice. The federal government began capping shipments of these drugs last week because the majority of the national supply is being used by a small number of poorly vaccinated southern states, including Tennessee. (Kelman, 9/20)

Georgia Health News: Georgia To Get Less Monoclonal Antibodies As Feds Take Over Supply 
A recent surge in demand for powerful Covid antibody drugs has generated concerns about supply shortages in states that are heavy users of the treatment, including Georgia. About 70 percent of these lab-created drugs are being used in the Southeast. With that uneven distribution, federal health officials recently decided to take over supplies and allocate them through state agencies. Georgia and other Southern states are expected to get less supply of the monoclonal antibody drugs while the shortage continues. (Miller, 9/20)

In other news about the vaccine rollout —

The New York Times: Some Parents Aren’t Ready For Young Children To Get Vaccine 
With Pfizer-BioNTech’s announcement on Monday that its coronavirus vaccine had been shown to be safe and effective in low doses in children ages 5 to 11, a major question looms: How many parents will have it given to their children? If authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, the vaccine could be a game changer for millions of American families with young children and could help bolster the U.S. response as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads. There are about 28 million children ages 5 to 11 in the United States, far more than the 17 million adolescents ages 12 to 15 who became eligible when Pfizer’s vaccine rolled out to that age group in May. (Mervosh and Goldstein, 9/21)

The Baltimore Sun: What To Know About Pfizer's COVID Vaccine For Kids 
Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday that their COVID-19 vaccine was safe, well-tolerated and produced a strong immune response in children aged 5 to 11, bringing hope to many parents that their children could soon be protected. Officials for the vaccine makers said in a news release that they would take the data to federal regulators soon, prompting estimates that younger kids could be vaccinated by the end of October. The companies also said they will seek authorization for the vaccine’s use in children younger than age 5 before the end of the year. The vaccine already is approved in adults and has emergency authorization for use in children as young as 12. (Cohn, 9/20)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccine Hesitancy Found In 32% Of Healthcare Workers, Survey Says
About 68% of frontline healthcare workers said they were planning on getting vaccinated against COVID-19 when asked at the end of 2020, according to survey results published today in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. Nurses, females, and minorities were more likely to report vaccine hesitancy. The researchers surveyed 5,929 healthcare workers, 49.5% of whom were nurses; 38.0%, physicians; 9.8%, nurse practitioners (NPs); and 2.7%, physician assistants (PAs) at two academic hospitals in Philadelphia. About 67.8% said they planned on getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Nurses had the highest proportion of vaccine hesitancy while physicians had the least (47.3% vs 13.1%). Regardless of position, Black healthcare workers were about 5 times more hesitant than White healthcare workers (75.3% vs 44.8%), and women were about twice as hesitant as men (53.2% vs 22.3%). (9/20)

CIDRAP: Study: Allergic Reactions To MRNA COVID Vaccines Rare, Manageable 
Allergic reactions to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are rare and usually mild, according to a study late last week in JAMA Network Open. Stanford University researchers led the study of 22 reported allergic reactions to the first 38,895 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines given to healthcare workers from Dec 18, 2020, to Jan 26, 2021 (less than six hundredths of a percent). Of all vaccinations, 80.6% were of the Pfizer vaccine, while 18.7% were of Moderna. The study population was 60% women, 64% White, 2% Black, 20% Asian, 16% younger than 50 years, and 54% aged 70 and older. (Van Beusekom, 9/20)

The Washington Post: D.C. School, Childcare Workers Must Get Covid Vaccine, No Test Option 
D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said Monday that all teachers and school staff and early child-care workers in the District must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Nov. 1, eliminating a testing option for these professionals who regularly interact with children who are often too young to be vaccinated. The mayor’s initial vaccine requirement — which included a testing option — did not apply to public charter or private school workers nor day-care employees. But this stricter mandate applies to these nongovernment employees. (Stein, 9/20)

The New York Times: N.Y.C. Schools' Covid Strategy: Test More, But Keep Classrooms Open 
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday that New York City would take two new steps to address fears over the full reopening of schools: require weekly coronavirus testing of unvaccinated students and relax quarantine rules to keep more students in classrooms. But the mayor resisted calls for a vaccine mandate for students, even as Pfizer-BioNTech moved toward offering the vaccine to children from 5 to 11 years old. (Fitzsimmons, 9/20)

In other K-12 school news —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta-Area School Districts Report A Sharp Decline In COVID Cases
Overall, since the start of school last month, districts recorded nearly 32,000 COVID-19 cases. Some school systems across Georgia took more aggressive action than the state and many local governments to arrest the spread of the virus as COVID-19 cases soared last month. The measures included enacting mask mandates or switching to virtual instruction amid a crush of new infections among students and staff. Amber Schmidtke, a public health researcher who tracks Georgia’s COVID-19 trends, said the stronger actions taken by school systems and by parents may be behind improving case rates among children. (Hogan and Scott Trubey, 9/21)

The Aegis: More Than 1,100 Harford County Students Quarantining Or Isolating Because Of COVID Concerns
More than 1,100 Harford County students are missing school either because they have contracted COVID-19, are experiencing symptoms of the virus or have been exposed to it, according to data reported Monday on the school system’s coronavirus dashboard. According to Harford County Public Schools’ COVID dashboard, 158 students had tested positive for the coronavirus — either through a PCR or rapid test. Of the students who tested positive, only five were vaccinated. (Whitlow, 9/20)

Indianapolis Star: Nearly 500 Schools Not Reporting COVID-19 Cases To Indiana Dashboard
An error on the state's COVID-19 dashboard for schools has been fixed, giving a clearer picture of how many schools have yet to meet the state's reporting requirement. As of Monday's update, 477 schools have yet to comply with the mandate that requires schools to participate in the dashboard this year. Last school year, participation in the dashboard was encouraged but not required by the Indiana Department of Health. An error in the dashboard had been labeling some schools reporting zero cases as "not reporting." The state says that the error has been fixed. The dashboard now shows 71 schools reporting zero cases and 1,820 schools reporting at least one case. State health officials did not immediately respond to questions about how many schools were mislabeled. (Herron, 9/20)

AP: Court Order Sought To End Mask Mandate In Vegas-Area Schools
Parents of students in the Las Vegas area who filed a lawsuit last month challenging Nevada’s COVID-19 mask mandates asked a federal judge on Monday to issue an emergency order allowing children to attend school without masks. The lawsuit filed against Gov. Steve Sisolak, Attorney General Aaron Ford and the Clark County School District says the district’s current policy requiring masks in schools regardless of vaccination status is causing psychological distress and emotional harm to students who must wear them. (9/21)

The Washington Post: Newberg, Ore., School Worker Suspended For Blackface Protest Of Vaccine Mandate 
A staff member at an elementary school in suburban Portland, Ore., has been suspended after reporting for work in blackface last week, in an apparent protest against the school district’s vaccine mandate for employees. The woman showed up dressed as Rosa Parks with her face darkened with dye to protest a vaccination mandate for all public school employees in Oregon, the Newberg Graphic newspaper reported. (Pannett, 9/21)

In higher-education news —

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Colleges And Universities Banned From Issuing COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
Mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff are off the table at Mississippi public colleges and universities, except for in clinical settings. Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning Communications Director Caron Blanton said Monday the Friday ruling by the IHL is meant to clear up any confusion resulting from its August directive about COVID-19 vaccinations. At the time, colleges and universities were asked to hold off on forming any COVID-19 campus vaccine policies, but it was not clear if vaccination mandates were banned. Blanton said vaccination mandates are now prohibited, with one exception. (Rowe, 9/20)

The Baltimore Sun: Students, Worker Allege University System Of Maryland Vaccine Mandate Violates Their Rights 
Two students and an employee are challenging the University System of Maryland’s coronavirus vaccine requirement in federal court, saying it violates their rights. All three plaintiffs — a pair of Towson University students and a University of Maryland Carey School of Law employee — say they received religious exemptions from the vaccine requirement. But they claim in a lawsuit that they felt coerced to do so. (Wood, 9/20)

AP: Biden Launches Plan To Address 'Silent Killer': Extreme Heat
The Biden administration is moving to protect workers and communities from extreme heat after a dangerously hot summer that spurred an onslaught of drought-worsened wildfires and caused hundreds of deaths from the Pacific Northwest to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana. Under a plan announced Monday, the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and other federal agencies are launching actions intended to reduce heat-related illness and protect public health, including a proposed workplace heat standard. (Daly, 9/20)

The Washington Post: President Biden Launches Strategy To Combat Extreme Heat Linked To Climate Change, Including Labor Standards
Extreme heat has cost the lives of hundreds of Americans this summer and affected the health and livelihoods of many thousands more. It now ranks as the leading weather-related cause of death in the country, according to the National Weather Service. The push could lead to new federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for employers, as well as more funding for cooling centers and other efforts to reduce heat-related illness and death. Nearly two-thirds of Americans live in places that experienced a multiday heat wave between June and August, according to a recent Washington Post analysis. (Joselow, 9/20)

Politico: Biden Administration To Write Workplace Safety Rule Tackling Heat Stress
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported there were 43 work-related deaths due to environmental heat exposure in 2019, and at least 2,410 others suffered serious injuries and illnesses, but the Labor Department says heat illness is "largely preventable, and commonly under-reported." States such as California, Washington and Minnesota have heat-related standards in place to protect workers. "This new process is historic and will unquestionably mean fewer worker deaths while improving productivity," Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), who has sponsored legislation to create a federal heat standard, said in a statement. "I know because I have seen it work in California, where I introduced the country’s first worker protections from heat stress." (Colman, 9/20)

Bloomberg: Biden And HUD Launch Moonshot Bid To Beat Homelessness
The White House is launching a new national initiative to combat the rising tide of homelessness, a pact with local governments to commit resources and energy to the people suffering most due to the national housing crisis. With “House America,” the administration of President Joe Biden is asking leaders of city, county, state and tribal governments across the U.S. to make a public pledge to reduce homelessness. In turn, the federal government will provide guidance and support to achieve two goals: providing permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness and building new affordable units for those on the brink. (Capps, 9/20)

The Hill: Biden Administration Launches New National Initiative To Fight Homelessness 
The initiative, dubbed “House America,” will call on city, county, state and tribal government leaders throughout the country to publicly vow to decrease homelessness in their areas. The federal government will then provide guidance and support to help local jurisdictions supply permanent housing for individuals experiencing homelessness and construct new affordable housing options for people who are struggling, according to Bloomberg. (Schnell, 9/20)

In related news from California —

The Mercury News: Bay Area Cities Join Lofty Biden Plan To Tackle Homelessness
The Biden administration launched a new push Monday to house 100,000 Americans by the end of 2022 as the mayors of the Bay Area’s three biggest cities — all struggling with homelessness on a massive scale — jumped on board. The House America initiative, which also aims to create at least 20,000 new affordable homes nationwide, asks city, county and state leaders to publicly commit to housing more people and building low-income units using new federal funds. In exchange, federal officials will offer support and guidance to help them meet their goals. (Kendall, 9/20)

KQED: In One Week, Newsom Signed Three Major Housing Bills. Here's What They Mean
Less than a week has passed since the recall election and Gov. Gavin Newsom already has signed some of the biggest housing bills in years, including a measure that allows more than one house to be built on the single-family lots that comprise the vast majority of California’s developable land. “The housing affordability crisis is undermining the California Dream for families across the state, and threatens our long-term growth and prosperity,” Newsom said in a bill-signing statement on Sept. 16 . “Making a meaningful impact on this crisis will take bold investments, strong collaboration across sectors and political courage from our leaders and communities to do the right thing and build housing for all.” (Tobias, 9/20)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Embraces First Tiny Cabin Village For Homeless People With Plans For SoMa
After years of resistance, San Francisco is finally jumping into the tiny homes technique for sheltering homeless people with plans to install them on two parking lots between Market and Mission streets, The Chronicle has learned. The lots at 33 Gough St. have been used since December as a city-sanctioned “safe sleeping village,” holding 44 tents for unhoused people while they get counseling aimed at routing them into permanent homes. Those tents will be replaced by late fall with 70 tiny homes, dubbed cabins, similar to those already in use for years in Oakland, the Peninsula and San Jose. (Fagan, 9/20)

In other news from the Biden administration —

Politico: CDC Recommends Waiting Period For Afghan Flights To U.S. After Measles Cases 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending the Biden administration halt flights of Afghan evacuees from military bases overseas to the U.S. for at least 21 days following a measles vaccination, according to two people with direct knowledge of the matter. After four Afghans tested positive for measles after arriving in the U.S. this month, the CDC announced that it would halt flights to the U.S. for Afghan evacuees at Ramstein Air Base in Germany and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar for at least a week out of an abundance of caution. The agency is now recommending a stoppage on flights until Afghan evacuees receive the measles vaccine and develop immunity. (Banco, 9/20)

The New York Times: C.I.A. Officer Suffers Havana Syndrome Symptoms 
An intelligence officer traveling in India this month with the C.I.A. director reported symptoms consistent with the so-called Havana syndrome, signaling a possible escalation in the mysterious incidents that have affected American officials since 2016, current and former officials said. The circumstances of the incident are still being investigated, and officials have not yet determined whether the C.I.A. officer was targeted because the officer was traveling with the director, William J. Burns, or for other reasons. If the incident was caused by an adversarial intelligence service, it may not have known the officer was traveling with Mr. Burns. (Barnes, 9/20)

On the administration pandemic response —

Politico: Becerra Takes A Back Seat While Others Steer Covid Response
As President Joe Biden’s health secretary, Xavier Becerra runs the sprawling department responsible for delivering on the administration’s vow to end the coronavirus pandemic. But when Biden’s senior health officials gathered one Sunday in August to make the high-stakes decision that all adults should get Covid-19 booster shots, Becerra wasn’t included on the call. The nation’s top health official was instead preparing for a multi-day tour up the East Coast to tout Biden’s broader agenda, while others including Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and CDC Director Rochelle Walensky mapped out the specifics of the government’s booster strategy. (Cancryn, 9/21)

Politico: Former Obama Aide Tapped To Help With HHS Covid Messaging
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra has brought on former Obama-era health official Leslie Dach as a temporary adviser to assist with the department’s messaging on the pandemic response. Dach, a well-known Democratic communications specialist, told POLITICO that he’ll spend the next several weeks helping to coordinate Covid-19 policy and messaging across the department — including working with the White House and agencies like the Centers for Disease Control. His official HHS title is Covid-19 strategic planning director. (Cancryn, 9/20)

ABC News: LGBTQ Veterans Discharged Dishonorably For Sexual Orientation To Get Full Benefits, VA Says 
LGBTQ veterans who were given other than honorable discharges from the U.S. military due to their sexual orientation are eligible to receive full benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Monday. "LGBTQ+ Veterans are not any less worthy of the care and services that all Veterans earn through their service, and VA is committed to making sure that they have equal access to those services," the department said in a statement. (Zaru, 9/20)

CBS News: LGBTQ Veterans Discharged For Their Gender Identity Or Sexual Orientation To Receive VA Benefits 
For years, LGBTQ military members were only allowed to serve so long as nobody openly acknowledged their sexual orientation or gender identity. On Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that those service members who received other than honorable discharges for their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status are eligible for full benefits. The announcement was made on the 10th anniversary of the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which had been put into place in February 1994 by former President Bill Clinton. It is estimated that nearly 14,000 gay and lesbian service members were discharged from the military in the 18 years the policy was in place, according to the Center for American Progress. (Cohen, 9/21)

Stars and Stripes: Discharged LGBTQ Veterans Now Eligible For Benefits Under New Guidance Issued By VA 
VA Secretary Denis McDonough issued the new guidance to VA adjudicators Monday. “Although VA recognizes that the trauma caused by the military’s decades-long policy of discrimination against LGBTQ+ people cannot be undone in a few short months, the Biden administration and Secretary McDonough are taking the steps necessary to begin addressing the pain that such policies have created,” Williams said. The announcement was made as part of the 10th anniversary of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which barred openly gay, lesbian or bisexual individuals from serving in the military. The policy was enacted under former President Bill Clinton’s administration in 1993, and it was repealed by former President Barack Obama on Sept. 20, 2011. (Wentling, 9/20)

CNN: VA Tells Veterans Discharged Under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' They Are Eligible For All VA Benefits 
"More than 100,000 American service members have been discharged because of their sexual orientation or gender identity -- including more than 14,000 under Don't Ask Don't Tell," President Joe Biden said in a statement released Monday about the 10 year anniversary of the repeal of the policy. "Many of these veterans received what are known as 'other than honorable' discharges, excluding them and their families from the vitally important services and benefits they had sacrificed so much to earn," Biden said in the statement. Biden said in the statement that he believes the repeal of the policy "helped move our nation closer to its foundational promise of equality, dignity, and opportunity for all." (Kaufman, 9/20)

Military.Com: 10 Years After Don't Ask, Don't Tell Was Repealed, The Military Reckons With Past Discrimination 
Iraq War veteran Shon Washington spent his career wracked by paranoia, sneaking to places far from his duty station to date men in the hopes that his fellow service members wouldn't see him. Two other gay men with whom he served were discovered and swiftly kicked out of the military. Washington, whose service ran from 2004 to 2011, struggled with his own sexuality for a long time, dating a long-term girlfriend he considered proposing to throughout his initial year in the Navy. (Kime and Beynon, 9/20)

AP: Supreme Court Sets Arguments In Big Abortion Case
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Dec. 1 in Mississippi’s bid to have the landmark Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing a woman’s right to an abortion overturned. The court issued its arguments calendar for late November and early December on Monday. Mississippi is asking the high court to uphold its ban on most abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. The state has told the court it should overrule Roe and the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey that prevent states from banning abortion before viability, the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. (Sherman, 9/20)

Politico: Supreme Court Sets Dec. 1 For Arguments In Challenge To Roe V. Wade
The Supreme Court on Monday set Dec. 1 arguments on Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy — a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade. ississippi's ban has been blocked by lower courts because it directly violates Roe’s protections for pre-viability abortions. The hearing would come after justices this month allowed Texas to move forward with a near-total abortion ban. (Ollstein, 9/20)

USA Today: Supreme Court And Roe: Women Athletes Warn Of Mississippi Abortion Law
More than 500 current and former female athletes urged the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to reject a Mississippi law that would prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. In an amicus brief filed Monday, the athletes cite the importance of "bodily integrity and decisional autonomy" to their individual careers and women's sports as a whole. The list of signatories includes 26 Olympians, 73 professional athletes, 276 college athletes and some of the biggest names in women's sports – from U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe to WNBA veterans Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart and Diana Taurasi. (Schad, 9/20)

In news from Missouri —

AP: Federal Appeals Court To Hear Missouri Abortion Law Case
A federal appeals court on Tuesday will consider whether Missouri can implement a sweeping law aimed at limiting abortions. The law adopted in 2019 would ban abortions at or around the eighth week of pregnancy. It also would prohibit abortions based on a Down syndrome diagnosis. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis isn’t expected to rule for several weeks. (Salter, 9/21)

In related news about family planning in New Hampshire and North Carolina —

AP: Family Planning Clinics Say Loss Of Funds Mean Service Cuts
Family planning providers that were denied state funding for routine health care services such as screenings for cancer and sexually transmitted diseases said Monday that they could see cuts in services and longer patient waiting times as a result. “State funding for this care is critical because it covers low-income and uninsured Granite staters who rely on us for these specific health care services,” said Kayla Montgomery, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, which was denied funding. (9/20)

North Carolina Health News: Advocates Slam Budget Funding Crisis Pregnancy Centers 
Texas’ ‘near-total’ abortion ban sent shockwaves throughout the country after the Supreme Court rejected emergency requests to block the law. Implementation of Texas’ SB 8 is calling into question whether the access to legal abortion decided in Roe v. Wade would be put to the test in other states’ legislatures. In North Carolina, advocates say legislatures aren’t only taking action against abortion through “heartbeat” bills like the one in Texas. North Carolina is one of 14 states that sends taxpayer dollars to “crisis pregnancy centers,” facilities that offer pregnancy tests and ultrasounds but also seek to dissuade pregnant people from getting abortions. This year’s North Carolina House budget includes about $9 million in funding to crisis pregnancy centers, compared to the Senate budget which allocates about $3 million. (Thompson, 9/21)

Dallas Morning News: Gov. Greg Abbott Signs More Texas Abortion Restrictions, Penalties Into Law
A bill adding more restrictions and raising criminal penalties for the use of abortion-inducing medication in Texas goes into effect in December after being signed with no fanfare by Gov. Greg Abbott. Senate Bill 4, which passed during the second special session that adjourned Sept. 2, has been decried as a “back-door ban on abortion” by Planned Parenthood officials because it outlaws providing abortion-inducing drugs to Texans after seven weeks of pregnancy. Abortions have already been severely limited in Texas by the newly enacted Senate Bill 8, which outlaws abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks into a pregnancy. Senate Bill 8, the so-called “heartbeat bill” that passed this spring, also applies to drug-induced abortion. (O'Hanlon, 9/20)

The Washington Post: Broad Majorities Of Americans Oppose Key Provisions Of Restrictive Texas Abortion Law, Poll Finds 
Broad majorities of Americans oppose key provisions of a restrictive Texas abortion law, and a majority disagrees with the recent Supreme Court decision that allowed the law, which effectively bans abortions after six weeks, to go into effect, a new poll finds. The new law takes a novel approach, relying on private citizens to sue people who help women get forbidden abortions, effectively eliminating the guarantee in Roe v. Wade and subsequent Supreme Court decisions that women have a right to end their pregnancies before viability and that states may not impose undue burdens on that decision. (Wagner, 9/20)

The Texas Tribune: Texas’ Abortion Law Follows Decades Of Lawmakers Targeting Abortion Access 
In 2014, dozens of Texans huddled together in the parking lot of a McAllen abortion clinic for a candlelight vigil to mourn its last day open. One of the only abortion providers for hundreds of miles, the clinic had provided the procedure since opening in the 1970s — but a new state law had forced it to shut down. The law, passed by the Legislature in 2013, shuttered almost half of all Texas abortion clinics as it required them to meet hospital-like standards, including minimum sizes for doorways and rooms. Lawsuits would swirl in local and state courts for years before the U.S. Supreme Court eventually struck down the Texas law in 2016 for burdening abortion access. (Bohra, 9/21)

And a Texas abortion doctor is being sued over the new law —

AP: Texas Doctor Who Defied State's New Abortion Ban Is Sued
A San Antonio doctor who said he performed an abortion in defiance of a new Texas law all but dared supporters of the state’s near-total ban on the procedure to try making an early example of him by filing a lawsuit — and by Monday, two people obliged. Former attorneys in Arkansas and Illinois filed separate state lawsuits Monday against Dr. Alan Braid, who in a weekend Washington Post opinion column became the first Texas abortion provider to publicly reveal he violated the law that took effect on Sept. 1. (Stengle, 9/21)

The Washington Post: Alan Braid, Texas Abortion Doctor, Sued Over Ban 
A lawsuit that could test the constitutionality of the nation’s most restrictive abortion ban was filed in Texas on Monday against a doctor who admitted to performing an abortion considered illegal under the new law. The details of the civil suit against Alan Braid, a physician in San Antonio, are as unusual as the law itself, which empowers private citizens to enforce the ban on abortion once cardiac activity has been detected — often as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. (Marimow, 9/20)

Stat: Senate Broadens Its Plans To Penalize Pharma For Hiking Drug Prices
A key Senate panel is expanding its plans to punish drug makers that hike prices faster than inflation, according to an internal Senate document described to STAT. The policy, which is being considered as part of Democrats’ efforts to include drug pricing reforms in a sweeping government spending package, has the potential to change the way drug makers set launch prices for drugs, and how they choose to adjust prices over time. (Cohrs, 9/20)

Stat: U.S. Lawmakers Accuse Patent Office Of Weakening Challenges And Allowing Drug Prices To Rise 
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has accused the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office of “weakening” the system for challenging patents and, as a result, encouraging abuses by drug makers that seek to thwart the availability of lower-cost generic medicines. At issue is the inter partes review, or IPR, which went into effect in 2012 as a result of the America Invents Act. This type of patent challenge, which is heard by the Patent and Trials Appeal Board, was intended to provide an easier and faster alternative to patent infringement lawsuits filed in federal courts. For this reason, the IPR process has irked brand-name pharmaceutical companies. (Silverman, 9/20)

KHN: Congress Cites KHN Investigation In Probe Of National Academies 
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform is requesting a ream of documents from the prestigious National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, spurred by a recent KHN investigation that revealed deep ties between pharmaceutical companies and two members of a committee that took a pharma-friendly stance in a recent report on drug waste. The House probe, led by Democratic Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Katie Porter, focuses on conflicts of interest held by members of a committee currently reviewing a life-or-death matter: U.S. organ donation and distribution policy. A panel member recently resigned after accepting a consulting job that apparently created a conflict of interest. House members are asking NASEM to provide conflict-of-interest disclosure forms for all members of the committee. (Jewett and Aleccia, 9/21)

And lawmakers continue to scratch and claw at the infrastructure bill —

The Washington Post: Democrats Once Sweeping Agenda On Immigration, Voting Rights, Police Reform And Minimum Wage Continues To Shrink
President Biden’s governing agenda is at risk of unraveling on Capitol Hill after a mounting series of delays, clashes and setbacks that have sapped momentum from an ambitious and intricate push to deliver on long-standing Democratic policy priorities. An overhaul of the nation’s voting laws has been blocked by Republicans. An effort to strike a bipartisan deal on police reforms has lost all momentum. A sweeping immigration plan to provide a path to legal residency for millions of undocumented immigrants is now all but dead. (DeBonis, Sullivan and Sacchetti, 9/20)

Stateline: States Use Hurricane Ida Damage To Push Infrastructure Bill
Pointing to stark pictures of inundated buildings and washed-out cars from Hurricane Ida, state and city officials are pressing Congress to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. At least 67 people died across eight states, communities were plunged into darkness for weeks while repairs to the electrical grid plodded along, and calls for help went unanswered because of lack of internet access. The storm prompted demands for more flood mitigation and enhanced building construction to help communities better withstand storms and prevent future Ida-level damage. It also illustrated the need for the expansion of broadband, rural advocates say. (Povich, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: Consolidation Boosted Mortality Rates In Rural Hospitals, Study Finds
Rural hospitals that merged with or were acquired into larger health systems are associated with greater reductions in mortality for conditions like heart failure, stroke and pneumonia compared to facilities that remained independent, according to a new study. The annual inpatient mortality rate for acute myocardial infarction decreased from 9.4% to 5% among acquired hospitals, researchers at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and IBM Watson Health found. Meanwhile, independent facilities saw inpatient AMI mortality fall from 7.9% to 6.3% during the period studied. (Ross Johnson, 9/20)

In other health care industry updates —

Modern Healthcare: HCA To Buy Five Hospitals In Utah From Steward Health Care
HCA Healthcare will buy five hospitals in Utah owned by Steward Health Care, adding to HCA's presence in the mountain states. HCA currently owns 8 hospitals in Utah. This purchase allows the for-profit hospital giant to compete with the state's largest provider, Intermountain Healthcare, which owns 24 hospitals in the state, including a virtual hospital. Not-for-profit Intermountain last week announced it was merging with SCL Health to form an $11 billion system with 33 hospitals. (9/20)

Modern Healthcare: ASCs Livid Over CMS Plan To Curb Approved Procedures
Ambulatory surgery centers are fuming over potentially losing more than 250 procedures they can offer patients if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reinstates the inpatient-only list limiting them to hospitals, according to comments on CMS's proposed outpatient pay rule for 2022. Ambulatory surgery centers argue that CMS doesn't have enough information to support such a significant policy change. The providers also claim the agency made a series of flawed assumptions about the real-world impact of restoring the inpatient-only list and limiting the procedures allowed under the ambulatory surgery center covered procedures list, known as the ASC-CPL, according to the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association. (Brady, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: CVS Sues Startup Competitor Capital Rx Over Non-Compete Agreement
CVS Pharmacy sued competitor Capital Rx in federal court on Thursday, alleging the startup pharmacy benefit manager is relying on an "unenforceable and unreasonable" contract to prevent a former employee from jumping ship from the New York-based business. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, claimed Capital Rx has threatened to sue CVS multiple times for violating a non-compete agreement Dr. Suresh Yarlagadda signed the day before he started work at the online pharmacy in May 2021. Buried in an 11-page contract is a single paragraph that states Yarlagadda cannot work at any competitor of Capital Rx's for six months after leaving his job. He also can't hold more than 3% worth of securities at any business Capital Rx designates as a competitor, according to the complaint. (Tepper, 9/20)

KHN: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: They Turned Grief Into Action
In 2004, 24-year-old Manny Lanza urgently needed surgery for a life-threatening brain condition. But he didn’t have insurance, so his hospital refused to schedule the treatment — until it was too late. Manny died waiting. In the months that followed, Manny’s parents, Reynaldo Prieto and Levia Lanza, fought to make their son’s story known — and to make sure it didn’t happen again. They came up empty … until a reporter from the New York Post took their call. Then, things changed fast. (Weissmann, 9/21)

KHN: The Solution To Au Pairs’ Health Coverage Gaps May Be Simple: ACA Plans 
In 2016, Isis Mabel, of Mexico, wanted to improve her English. On advice from an aunt, she enrolled with an au pair agency to come to the United States to live with a family and care for the children. The job typically pays about $200 a week on top of lodging and meals. She said she gave the agency $360 and was told that would cover costs like visa fees and health insurance. It was all explained “super quick,” she said, with no details on what the insurance would cover. When she arrived in the United States, she recalled, a representative of the au pair agency recommended she buy extra coverage for sports, because even an accident caused by jumping could be considered sports-related. Mabel opted to purchase the extra policy for an additional $180. (Covert, 9/21)

In news about data and IT —

CNN: Alaskan Health Department Still Struggling To Recover After 'Nation-State Sponsored' Cyberattack 
Some computer networks at the Alaskan health department are still offline after foreign government-backed hackers breached the department in May, a spokesperson told CNN on Monday. News of the breach first emerged in May, but Alaskan officials now say that "nation-state sponsored" hackers exploited a vulnerability in the health department's website to gain further access to department data. The hackers may have accessed Alaskans' Social Security numbers and health and financial information, officials said. (Lyngaas, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: Consensus On Data Needed In ONC's Rule, IT Trade Groups Say
Healthcare organizations and software developers may have trouble determining what data elements they need to exchange under new federal interoperability regulations, according to a trio of health information technology and management trade groups Monday. Currently, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology's data-sharing rule requires healthcare providers, health information exchanges and developers of health IT software that have earned approval from the agency's health IT certification program to share a limited set of data elements with patients and one another. (Kim Cohen, 9/20)

In news about health care personnel —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nurses In Nevada And California Ratify 4-Year Contract With Dignity Health
Registered nurses in Nevada and California ratified a four-year contract with Dignity Health giving them a wage increase and additional safety protections. The California Nurses Association and National Nurses Organizing Committee announced Monday that the labor agreement covers more than 14,000 nurses. “As we face yet another surge of Covid-19 patients filling up our hospitals, we are proud to have achieved additional health and safety protections for our RNs and patients,” said CNA/NNOC President and registered nurse Sandy Reding. (Hudson, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Workers Charged In $1.1 Billion Telehealth Fraud Scheme
Federal prosecutors allege that more than 40 healthcare workers across the U.S. have filed $1.1 billion in false or fraudulent telehealth claims to Medicare and other government insurers since August 2020. Telemedicine executives allegedly paid 43 doctors and nurse practitioners to order unnecessary durable medical equipment, diagnostic and genetic tests and pain medicines with little to no telephone or virtual interactions with patients, according to a news release issued by the Justice Department on Friday. (Tepper, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: Mount Sinai Names Female President, First For New York's Academic Health Systems
Mount Sinai Health System has promoted its chief operating officer, Margaret Pastuszko, to president, making her the first female president of a large academic health system in New York, according to Mount Sinai. The move comes amid a handful of leadership changes the New York health system's board announced Monday. The board said the changes are designed to better position Mount Sinai to weather future challenges. Among them: Dr. Kenneth Davis will continue to serve as CEO through the end of 2024. After that, he'll stay on as a strategic advisor through 2027. (Bannow, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: Allina's Retiring CEO Penny Wheeler Vows To Keep Rebuilding Minneapolis
Following a summer of upheaval and deadly protests in Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd, Allina Health signed a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion with dozens of other large Minnesota companies. Allina CEO Dr. Penny Wheeler talked about the pact on the local news. It's the kind of thing that usually makes Atum Azzahir, a longtime community organizer and a Black woman, skeptical. But this was different. Azzahir, CEO of the Minneapolis not-for-profit Cultural Wellness Center, had worked with Wheeler for years on projects designed to improve health and wellbeing for people in the City of Lakes, where Allina Health is headquartered. (Bannow, 9/20)

Reuters: French Company Carmat Announces First Implant Of Its Artificial Heart In A Woman
French artificial heartmaker Carmat (ALCAR.PA) announced on Tuesday that it had carried out the first implant of its Aeson artificial heart in a woman. The company said the procedure had been performed at the UofL Health - Jewish Hospital by University of Louisville physicians in the United States. "This third implant in the U.S. was a landmark event not only because it allowed us to finalize the enrollment of the first cohort of patients of the EFS (early feasibility study), but very importantly because it is the first time ever that our device has helped a woman suffering from heart failure," Carmat CEO Stephane Piat said in a statement. (9/21)

In pharmaceutical industry news —

Stat: Beyondspring Lung Cancer Study Results Trigger Debate
Beyondspring’s stock price tripled in August after the New York drug maker said its experimental treatment helped patients with advanced lung cancer live longer. But detailed results presented Monday revealed issues with the conduct and analysis of the clinical trial — leaving the company’s claim of a survival benefit open for debate. (Feuerstein, 9/20)

Stat: European Commission Seeks To Intervene In Illumina's Acquisition Of Grail
In an unusual step, the European Commission plans to intervene in the recent merger between Illumina (ILMN) and Grail because regulators were unable to finish reviewing the deal before it was completed, raising concerns that competition in the market for DNA sequencing tests will now be damaged. The move comes one month after Illumina stunned regulators by announcing it had closed its $8 billion acquisition, even though the EC had opened an investigation only weeks earlier at the prompting of France and five other European Union member states. In the U.S., the Federal Trade Commission had already filed a complaint last March to block the deal. (Silverman, 9/20)

FiercePharma: Good Ad Or Bad Ad? FDA Quiz Reminds Docs About Its Bad Ad Program To Police Problematic Advertising
True or false: Pharmaceutical companies are required to send drug ads to the FDA for approval before they're used. It’s false—but you'd already know that if you took the FDA’s new interactive quiz to help promote its Bad Ad program. Now in its 12th year, the FDA's Bad Ad program is promoting itself to healthcare providers to determine false or misleading advertising and report it to the FDA for review. The FDA’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) oversees the program. (Bulik, 9/20)

USA Today: Gun Violence Affecting Kids Soars During COVID-19 Pandemic
Children and teens in the USA are 15 times more likely to die from gunfire than their peers in 31 other high-income countries combined, according to the Children’s Defense Fund. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has grown more dire. Last year was the deadliest year for gun violence in the USA in at least two decades, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit data collection and research group that uses a combination of police statistics and media reports. In 2020, more than 5,100 kids under 18 were shot – about 1,000 more than at any point since at least 2014, when the archive launched – and more than 1,300 died. The numbers of kids shot and killed both increased by more than a third from the previous year. (Hauck and Miller, 9/20)

In other public health news —

CIDRAP: Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 127 In 25 States; Cake Mix E Coli Probe Ends
A rapidly growing Salmonella Oranienburg outbreak linked to an unknown food source has sickened 127 people, some of them part of restaurant clusters, from 25 states, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a Sep 17 announcement. The number of cases reported to the CDC has grown from 20 on Sep 2, when the CDC identified the outbreak. Patient ages range from 1 to 82 years, and 59% are female. Of 49 people with available information, 18 were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. The latest illness onset was Sep 1. (9/20)

NPR: A Study Finds That Stroke Recovery May Depend On When Rehab Starts
People who have had a stroke appear to regain more hand and arm function if intensive rehabilitation starts two to three months after the injury to their brain. A study of 72 stroke patients suggests this is a "critical period," when the brain has the greatest capacity to rewire, a team reports in this week's journal PNAS. The finding challenges the current practice of beginning rehabilitation as soon as possible after a stroke and suggests intensive rehabilitation should go on longer than most insurance coverage allows, says Elissa Newport, a co-author of the study and director of the Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery at Georgetown University Medical Center. (Hamilton, 9/20)

CNN: 1 In 5 Parents' Kids Eat More Fast Food During The Pandemic, Poll Finds 
For some families, the pandemic has thrown a wrench in healthy eating plans due to stress from remote work, e-learning, money problems, sickness and more. While half of surveyed parents reported their family has eaten home-cooked meals more often since the pandemic started, 20% of parents said their family has had fast food more often, according to a new poll published Monday. (Rogers, 9/20)

NBC News: Amy Schumer Shares Story Of Having Uterus, Appendix Removed To Treat Endometriosis
Comedian and actor Amy Schumer announced on Instagram that she had had a hysterectomy and an appendectomy to treat endometriosis, a painful uterine condition. "I'm feeling really hopeful and I am really glad that I did it, and I think it's going to change my life," Schumer said. Schumer, the star of "Inside Amy Schumer" and "Trainwreck," explained the condition and her surgery in a series of Instagram posts from her hospital room over the weekend and Monday. Schumer, 40, said the doctor had found that 30 endometriosis spots had spread from her uterus to her appendix, which was also removed. (Fitzsimons, 9/20)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hypertension Underlying Death Condition In Mississippi COVID Deaths
High blood pressure is the leading underlying condition in COVID-19 deaths in Mississippians, according to Mississippi State Department of Health data reported from Jan. 1 to Sept. 14. Around 26% of residents who died of the virus had hypertension, or high blood pressure. Prior to the pandemic, Mississippi ranked 49th in hypertension rates with 43.6% of residents diagnosed with the condition. The nation's average is 32.5%. Black Mississippians disproportionately account for almost half of the COVID-19 deaths reported with underlying health conditions, according to the state health department. More than 1,000 Black residents who died from the virus had hypertension and 763 had diabetes. (Haselhorst, 9/20)

In updates from New York, Colorado and Montana —

AP: Another Inmate Dies At NYC's Troubled Rikers Island Jail
An inmate died at New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex, bringing the troubled facility’s death toll to 11 this year, authorities said. Isaabdul Karim, 42, died at a jail infirmary just before 7:30 p.m. Sunday, the Department of Correction said in a news release. The department initially gave his name as Karim Isaabdul, but a spokesperson said late Monday that Isaabdul Karim was the correct name. (Matthews, 9/21)

Axios: Colorado’s Obesity Rates Rank Lowest Nationwide - Axios
Colorado recorded the lowest number of adults with obesity in 2020 compared with all other states, according to new CDC data. 24.2% of Colorado adults reported having obesity last year. Mississippi ranked highest nationally, at 39.7%. Obesity is linked to a number of health complications, ranging from heart disease and cancer to increased risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations. (Alvarez, 9/20)

AP: Montana County Health Officer Resigns To Ease Conflict
The public health officer in a politically conservative county in northwestern Montana has resigned his post to ease what his resignation letter called “the strife and conflict coming from a minority of people objecting” to his recommendations in responding to the coronavirus. A member of the public blamed the health officer for his wife’s recent death due to COVID-19. (Hanson, 9/20)

In news about the flu in Kentucky and Georgia —

Louisville Courier Journal: Flu Season 2021 In Louisville Could Be 'Much Worse' Than Normal
Last influenza season was almost nonexistent even as COVID-19 surged, but this year, with fewer restrictions and more in-person activities, Louisville could see a "worse than average" season, Chief Health Strategist Dr. Sarah Moyer said Tuesday. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's not clear when flu activity will start and peak this year but "reduced population immunity due to lack of flu virus activity since March 2020 could result in an early and possibly severe flu season." "So, last year, we were all wearing masks or staying home; schools weren't open. So, in a much different situation, we had one of the best flu years I think ever on record," Moyer said. "We are expecting this year to be much worse because we are back together again." (Ladd, 9/21)

GPB News: Regular Flu Season Looms As Wildcard As Georgia Hospitals Strain To Treat COVID Patients 
It won’t be long before autumn comes to Georgia, but the changing season could bring more than just cooler temperatures and beautiful foliage. For pharmacists, cold weather means more people coming through their doors looking for relief from stuffy noses and sore throats or to ward off infection with a flu vaccine. October marks the start of the annual flu season, which typically worsens as the mercury drops before ending around May. And with Georgia hospitals still packed with COVID-19 patients, a bad flu season could mean even more strain on already stressed health workers. (Williams, 9/20)

In news from California —

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Sees Spiking Number Of Babies With Syphilis
More and more babies in L.A. County have been infected with syphilis in the womb, which can lead to stillbirth, neurological problems, blindness, bone abnormalities and other complications. Nine years ago, only six cases were reported across L.A. County, according to a Department of Public Health report. Last year, that number reached 113. The numbers were already surging before the arrival of COVID-19, but public health officials fear the pandemic exacerbated the problem, closing clinics that screen people for syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections and putting new efforts to battle the disease on ice. (Alpert Reyes, 9/20)

KHN: California’s Reboot Of Troubled Medi-Cal Puts Pressure On Health Plans 
When Denise Williams’ baby boy was 2 months old, she became alarmed by a rattling sound in his lungs and took him to the emergency room. While undergoing treatment, he spiraled into a disabling neurological disorder. Now 2 years old, Markeano is attached to breathing and feeding tubes. He can’t walk or move his arms. “If I want him to sit up, I have to sit him up. If I want him to play with a car, I’ve got to put his hand on the car and move it back and forth,” said Williams, 38, who lives with Markeano, her four other children and her husband, Marcus, in Adelanto, California, a small city in the High Desert region of San Bernardino County. (Wolfson and de Marco, 9/21)

AP: India To Resume Exports Of Coronavirus Vaccines In October
India, the world’s largest vaccine producer, will resume exports and donations of surplus coronavirus vaccines in October after halting them during a devastating surge in domestic infections in April, the health minister said Monday. Mansukh Mandaviya said the surplus vaccines will be used to fulfill India’s “commitment towards the world for the collective fight against COVID-19,” but vaccinating Indians will remain the government’s “topmost priority.” (Saaliq and Ghosal, 9/21)

AP: Thai Campaign To Vaccinate Schoolchildren Makes Progress
Health officials in the Thai capital made headway Tuesday in their effort to vaccinate children against the coronavirus, giving shots of the Pfizer vaccine to students aged 12 to 18 with underlying diseases. Vaccinations for that age bracket were first offered last month through hospitals, but now are arranged by schools. A separate campaign by a medical research institute on Monday began inoculating children aged 10 to 18 with China’s Sinopharm vaccine. On Tuesday, 1,500 students received shots of the Pfizer vaccine, 800 for the first time and 700 as a follow-up to their first shot in August. (Vejpongsa, 9/21)

Bloomberg: HIV Is Africa’s Latest Covid-19 Problem
Africa is the world’s least vaccinated continent and it has also been the origin of a number of coronavirus variants: the beta mutation found in South Africa, eta from Nigeria and most recently C.1.2, again from South Africa. Now, scientists say they have found a possible reason. Africa is also home to the most immunocompromised people. A study of an HIV-positive woman in South Africa showed that she harbored the coronavirus for 216 days, during which time it mutated considerably. In fact, 30 times, Tulio de Oliveira, a bioinformatics professor who runs gene-sequencing institutions at two South African universities, said at an immunology conference. (Sguazzin, 9/20)

AP: German Police: Man Arrested Over Killing In Row Over Mask
Police in Germany say a 49-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the killing of a gas station worker who was shot dead Saturday following a dispute over face masks. Authorities in the western town of Trier said late Monday that the suspect told officers he acted “out of anger” after the 20-year-old clerk at the gas station asked him to put on a mask. (9/21)

In updates on the U.N. summit —

Reuters: Vax Van Seeks To Avert Super-Spreader Event At U.N. Summit 
In a new take on vaccine diplomacy, a free mobile COVID-19 testing and vaccination station is welcoming world leaders and delegates at this week's U.N. General Assembly, seeking to avoid a super-spreader event. After a virtual meeting last year, about a third of the 193 U.N. states are planning to again send videos, but presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers for the remainder are due to travel to the United States. (Psaledakis, 9/20)

Axios: Biden To Push Vaccine-Sharing At UN, But Boosters At Home
President Biden will convene world leaders on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to push them to do more to end the pandemic — though he's also facing criticism for prioritizing boosters at home. There is still no functional plan in place to vaccinate the world, and past summits of this sort have flopped. The White House hopes that this virtual gathering will produce ambitious promises, accountability measures to track progress, and ultimately help achieve a 70% global vaccination rate this time next year. (Lawler, 9/20)

The New York Times: We’re On The Precipice Of A Post-Roe World 
A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court let stand a Texas law creating a system of vigilante legal enforcement against anyone who participates in an abortion after the point of fetal cardiac activity. In effect, Texas’ law bans abortions after about six weeks, which is long before many women even know they’re pregnant. And soon the court will hear arguments on a Mississippi abortion ban that will give the justices the chance to overturn Roe v. Wade directly. We may be on the precipice of a post-Roe world. (Ezra Klein, 9/21)

Stat: Virtual Medical School: Burnout And A Path Forward 
We started medical school at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in August of 2020, with classmates scattered all across the world. For some, the educational day ended in the late afternoon; for others, just before dawn. Our cohort of 140 students had imagined embarking on this path toward physicianhood together but, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, we started several time zones apart. (Aomeng Cui and Amir Hassan, 9/21)

Modern Healthcare: A Health Insurance Practice That Could Fuel The Mental Health Crisis 
The coronavirus pandemic shook mental health in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Americans are reporting greater depression and anxiety during COVID-19, while a greater share of adults reported unmet mental healthcare needs. Now federal lawmakers, employers and other stakeholders are putting a larger spotlight on mental health in the form of workplace benefits, policy recommendations and training programs. (Dr. Rimel Bera, 9/20)

The New York Times: I Was In Charge Of The C.D.C. Here’s My Advice On Verifying Vaccines
This month, President Biden announced a comprehensive plan to reinvigorate America’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. A big part of this plan hinges on mandating the vaccination of millions of federal workers. Employees of companies with more than 100 staff members will have to provide proof of vaccination or test negative for the coronavirus at least once a week. The businesses and other institutions that must enforce these mandates will have to verify vaccination status and test results to make this system work. (Tom Frieden, 9/21)

The Boston Globe: Nearer My God To Thee, But Not To A COVID Vaccine 
Suddenly, a lot of Americans are getting that old-time religion. With more cities, schools and universities, and businesses enacting vaccine mandates, some trying to avoid getting vaccinated are claiming religious exemptions. Federal civil rights law states that companies must recognize “sincerely held” religious beliefs. But something doesn’t add up about this Great Awakening. After all, no major denomination has forbidden any of the COVID-19 vaccinations. (9/21)

Los Angeles Times: Dump COVID Vaccine Religious Exemptions. There Is No Church Of Moderna Disbelievers 
What is a COVID-19 vaccine mandate worth if it includes exemptions for “sincerely held religious beliefs”? Very little, if anything at all. If the definition of religious beliefs were contained to major, established religions, there would basically be no exemptions because no major religion bans vaccination against COVID-19 or other diseases. In fact, leaders of many large congregations have been telling their flocks during the pandemic, “Don’t look to me for a religious excuse.” (9/20)

Bloomberg: The Delta Wave Is Tough On Kids, But Deadly For The Middle-Aged
A lot of kids have been getting Covid-19 in the U.S. this summer, thanks to the more-transmissible delta variant, the full return to in-person schooling and the unvaccinated status of virtually every American under 12. Those under 18 accounted for 28.9% of reported Covid cases in the first week of September, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than their 22.2% share of the population and much more than their 15.5% share of cumulative cases since the beginning of the pandemic. (Justin Fox, 9/19)

Dallas Morning News: If Your Kid Catches COVID At School, What Happens Next?
Unvaccinated children are now among the groups at highest risk of catching COVID because older Americans are mostly shielded by vaccines, and some evidence suggests the delta variant spreads more readily among the under-18s than other variants, said Dr. Inci Yildirim, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Yale School of Medicine. She is working on a COVID vaccine for children. Madsen agreed to be named in this column in the hope his experience would inform those who are unfortunate enough to follow in his footsteps. (Rob Curran, 9/21)

Stat: Covid-19 Testing Data Can Help Schools Stay Open This Year 
With recent spikes in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country — including in children — the Delta variant has dramatically changed the country’s back-to-school risk calculus. Fearing outbreaks, many schools are scrambling to adjust their reopening plans. Discussions about school safety have largely focused on mitigation measures like improving ventilation and requiring students and staff to wear masks and get vaccinated. Some have also noted the value of routine school-wide testing of students and staff for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, to detect infections early and prevent transmission. (Alyssa Bilinski and Joshua A. Salomon, 9/21)

USA Today: The Best COVID Message: Get Vaccinated. Get Tested. End The Pandemic
Keeping schools open is of paramount importance, but we are approaching it the wrong way, targeting the wrong groups, prioritizing the wrong tools. Too much attention is being paid to masks in the news media and by politicians on both sides of the issue. Although a proper fitting surgical or KN95, or especially an N95, have a distinct value in the fight against a highly transmissible respiratory virus, a mask is of limited value especially if it is the wrong kind of mask or isn’t worn properly, as is frequently the case with young children. (Marc Siegel, 9/21)