First Edition: January 2, 2018
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Terrifying Brush With Death Drives Doctor To Fight For Patients
The searing abdominal pain came on suddenly while Dr. Rana Awdish was having dinner with a friend. Soon she was lying in the back seat of the car racing to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where Awdish was completing a fellowship in critical care. On that night nearly a decade ago, a benign tumor in Awdish’s liver burst, causing a cascade of medical catastrophes that nearly killed her. She nearly bled to death. She was seven months pregnant at the time, and the baby did not survive. She had a stroke and, over the days and weeks to come, suffered multiple organ failures. She required several surgeries and months of rehabilitation to learn to walk and speak again. (Andrews, 1/2)
Kaiser Health News:
Sickle Cell Patients, Families And Doctors Face A ‘Fight For Everything’
The day before his 30th birthday, Marqus Valentine was in a panic. “I was so scared for midnight to come rolling around because subconsciously I was like, ‘This is it. Tomorrow’s my last day on Earth,’” he said. Valentine has sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder, and his doctors had warned him throughout his life that he was not likely to make it to 30. (Gold, 12/27)
Kaiser Health News:
Wrecked And Retching: Obscure Vomiting Illness Linked To Long-Term Pot Use
For 17 years, Chalfonte LeNee Queen suffered periodic episodes of violent retching and abdominal pain that would knock her off her feet for days, sometimes leaving her writhing on the floor in pain. “I’ve screamed out for death,” said Queen, 48, who lives in San Diego. “I’ve cried out for my mom who’s been dead for 20 years, mentally not realizing she can’t come to me.” (Bartolone, 1/2)
California Healthline:
High Praise: Pot Churches Proliferate As States Ease Access To Marijuana
Services at the Coachella Valley Church begin and end with the Lord’s Prayer. In between, there is the sacrament. “Breathe deep and blow harder,” intoned Pastor Grant Atwell after distributing small marijuana joints to 20 worshipers on a recent Sunday afternoon. “Nail the insight down, whether you get it from marijuana or prayer. Consider what in your own life you are thankful for.” (Feder Ostrov, 1/2)
The New York Times:
Years Of Attack Leave Obamacare A More Government-Focused Health Law
The Affordable Care Act was conceived as a mix of publicly funded health care and privately purchased insurance, but Republican attacks, culminating this month in the death of a mandate that most Americans have insurance, are shifting the balance, giving the government a larger role than Democrats ever anticipated. And while President Trump insisted again on Tuesday that the health law was “essentially” being repealed, what remains of it appears relatively stable and increasingly government-funded. (Pear, 12/26)
The Washington Post:
Republicans Knock Holes In Affordable Care Act But Don’t Demolish The Law
Before Congress left Washington for the year, Republicans finally made good on their determination to knock big holes in the Affordable Care Act, crippling its requirement that most Americans carry health insurance and leaving insurers without billions of dollars in promised federal payments. At the same time, public support for the perennially controversial law has inched up to around its highest point in a half-dozen years. ... This dual reality puts the sprawling ACA — prized domestic legacy of the Obama era, whipping post of the Trump administration — at a new precipice, with its long-term fate hinging on the November midterm elections. (Goldstein, 12/25)
Politico:
GOP Obamacare Quandary — Easy To Hate, Hard To Kill
Republicans start the year divided over whether to tear down or prop up Obamacare, a split that could derail their legislative agenda leading up to the 2018 midterm elections. GOP leaders on Capitol Hill don’t want a repeat of last year’s Obamacare fumble: They spent precious time on a failed attempt to repeal the health care law every member of the GOP was presumed to hate. (Haberkorn, 1/2)
The Associated Press:
Tax On Medical Devices To Resume After 2-Year Suspension
While much of corporate America will enjoy a tax cut in the new year, one industry is getting a tax increase it has fought hard but so far unsuccessfully to avoid. A 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device manufacturers went back into effect Monday after a two-year hiatus. It was originally imposed in 2013 as one of several taxes and fees in the Affordable Care Act that pay for expanded health insurance under the law. (Salsberg, 1/1)
The Associated Press:
'Obamacare' Sign-Up Tally Dips Slightly To 8.7M
More than 8.7 million people signed up for coverage next year under the Obama-era health care law, the government reported Thursday, as the program that President Donald Trump has repeatedly pronounced "a disaster" exceeded expectations. The final tally for the 39 HealthCare.gov states showed about 80,000 fewer sign-ups than an initial count provided last week, before the Christmas holiday. A spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the slight dip was due to late cancellations. (12/28)
The Associated Press:
More Than 4 In 5 Enrolled In 'Obamacare' Are In Trump States
Americans in states that Donald Trump carried in his march to the White House account for more than 4 in 5 of those signed up for coverage under the health care law the president still wants to take down. An Associated Press analysis of new figures from the government found that 7.3 million of the 8.8 million consumers signed up so far for next year come from states Trump won in the 2016 presidential election. The four states with the highest number of sign-ups — Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia, accounting for nearly 3.9 million customers — were all Trump states. (12/22)
The Washington Post:
The Uninsured Are Overusing Emergency Rooms — And Other Health-Care Myths
In the search for ways to bring down American health-care spending, there are certain ideas that are close to dogma. Chief among them: If you provide health insurance to people, they will stop overusing the emergency room. “A lot of people just didn't bother getting health insurance at all. And when they got sick, they’d have to go to the emergency room,” President Obama said in a 2016 speech. “But the emergency room is the most expensive place to get care. And because you weren’t insured, the hospital would have to give you the care free, and they would have to then make up for those costs by charging everybody else more money.” (Johnson, 12/27)
The Washington Post:
Congress Will Return To A Full Slate Of Difficult Issues
Congress faces a jam-packed to-do list this month with deadlines looming on difficult issues — including how to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, stabilizing the nation’s health insurance program for poor children, and whether to shield young undocumented immigrants from deportation. Fresh off a party-line vote in favor of legislation overhauling the tax code, the negotiations will test whether Congress and the White House still have the potential to craft any form of bipartisan agreement. If so, several of the year’s most contested issues might be resolved with months to spare before the 2018 midterm campaign heats up. (Stein, 1/1)
Bloomberg:
Trump And Congress Spoil For Fights With Shutdown Again At Stake
Several health-care issues are also outstanding. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine voted for the GOP tax-cut bill in exchange for a promise from her party’s leaders to vote on two bills aimed at shoring up Obamacare. One would restore subsidies for co-payments and deductibles suspended by Trump, while the other would establish a reinsurance program to help insurers cover people with chronic and costly illnesses. (Sink, Wasson and Edgerton, 1/2)
Politico:
Top 10 Health Care Surprises From Year One Of Trump
President Donald Trump stormed into office last January confident that he could knock off Obamacare in a nanosecond. It didn't turn out that way — and from drug prices to the Tom Price travel scandal, a lot of health policy didn't go according to plan. Here's a look at 10 health care surprises from 2017. (Cancryn, 12/30)
Los Angeles Times:
Get Ready For A Revived Brawl Over Single-Payer Healthcare In California
Whether it was bracing for a possible repeal of Obamacare or pondering an ambitious single-payer program that would overhaul how California provided medical care to its residents, the issue of healthcare kept politicians and policy wonks busy in 2017. That’s not likely to let up in 2018. ... Here’s a primer on the healthcare agenda in California politics. (Mason, 12/28)
The Washington Post:
Trump Administration Fires All Members Of HIV/AIDS Advisory Council
The remaining members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS were fired en masse this week. Months after a half-dozen members resigned in protest of the Trump administration's position on health policies, the White House dismissed the rest through a form letter. The notice “thanked me for my past service and said that my appointment was terminated, effective immediately,” said Patrick Sullivan, an epidemiologist at Emory University who works on HIV testing programs. He was appointed to a four-year term in May 2016. (Guarino, 12/29)
The New York Times:
F.D.A. Leaves Tainted Foods On Shelves Too Long, Report Finds
The Food and Drug Administration is not moving quickly enough to ensure that contaminated food is removed from store shelves, despite being given the necessary authority, federal investigators have concluded. The inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services examined 30 of 1,557 food recalls between 2012 and 2015. The investigators found that the F.D.A. did not always evaluate food-borne hazards in a timely manner or ensure that companies initiated recalls promptly, leaving consumers at risk. (Kaplan, 12/27)
The New York Times:
E.P.A. Wanted Years To Study Lead Paint Rule. It Got 90 Days.
A federal appeals court on Wednesday ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to revise its nearly 17-year-old standard for dangerous levels of lead in paint and dust within one year, a rare legal move that amounts to a sharp rebuff of President Trump and Scott Pruitt, the E.P.A. administrator. The decision also called attention to the persistent threat of lead paint to children in millions of American homes, four decades after the federal government banned it from households. (Friedman, 12/27)
The New York Times:
At Veterans Hospital In Oregon, A Push For Better Ratings Puts Patients At Risk, Doctors Say
An 81-year-old veteran hobbled into the emergency room at the rural Veterans Affairs hospital here in December, malnourished and dehydrated, his skin flecked with ulcers and his ribs broken from a fall at home. A doctor examining the veteran — a 20-year Air Force mechanic named Walter Savage who had been living alone — decided he was in no shape to care for himself and should be admitted to the hospital. A second doctor running the inpatient ward agreed. But the hospital administration said no. (Philipps, 1/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Judge Dismisses Hospital-Industry Suit That Attempted To Stop Medicare-Subsidy Cuts
A federal judge in Washington ruled the Trump administration can make sharp cuts to subsidies Medicare pays some hospitals for pharmaceuticals, a blow to the American Hospital Association and others fighting in court and Congress to halt the reductions. The hospital association and two other health-care trade groups had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services in an attempt to stop the cuts. But U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras on Friday dismissed the case, saying the plaintiffs cannot sue before exhausting other avenues to challenge the cuts, as required by law. The other trade-group plaintiffs were the Association of American Medical Colleges and America’s Essential Hospitals. (Evans, 12/29)
The Associated Press:
Feds Employ Data-Driven Early Warning System In Opioid Fight
The pain clinic tucked into the corner of a low-slung suburban strip mall was an open secret. Patients would travel hundreds of miles to see Dr. Andrzej Zielke, eager for what authorities described as a steady flow of prescriptions for the kinds of powerful painkillers that ushered the nation into its worst drug crisis in history. At least one of Zielke's patients died of an overdose, and prosecutors say others became so dependent on oxycodone and other opioids they would crowd his office, sometimes sleeping in the waiting room. (Gurman, 1/1)
The Wall Street Journal:
Opioid Deaths Decline In New England, Offering ‘Ray Of Hope’
As the national opioid crisis rages on, hard-hit New England is offering a glimmer of hope.Several states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, are on pace to record fewer overdose deaths in 2017, compared with the year before. This follows years of fast-rising death tolls in the region, which has long been a hot spot for fatal overdoses. State officials say their efforts, ranging from widespread distribution of an overdose-rescue drug to expanded treatment access, are starting to bear fruit. (Kamp, 12/28)
The Associated Press:
Drug Epidemic Grows In 2 Largest Counties Outside Washington
Police in the two largest counties outside the nation’s capital say the opioid epidemic is getting worse. Police chiefs from Fairfax County, Virginia, and Montgomery County, Maryland, told WTOP that they’re responding to more drug overdoses. The radio station reported Saturday that the police departments are treating the opioid scourge more as a social issue than a criminal justice one. For instance, Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger said social workers respond with police officers to overdoses to help users to get into treatment. (12/30)
NPR:
As Opioid Addiction Rises, Physicians Seek Alternatives
Seven years ago, Robert Kerley, who makes his living as a truck driver, was loading drywall onto his trailer when a gust of wind knocked him off. He fell 14 feet and hurt his back. For pain, a series of doctors prescribed him a variety of opioids: Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin. In less than a year, the 45-year-old from Federal Heights, Colo., says he was hooked. "I spent most of my time high, lying on the couch, not doing nothing, sleeping, dozing off, falling asleep everywhere," he says. (Daley, 12/29)
The New York Times:
How Big Tech Is Going After Your Health Care
When Daniel Poston, a second-year medical student in Manhattan, opened the App Store on his iPhone a couple of weeks ago, he was astonished to see an app for a new heart study prominently featured. People often learn about new research studies through in-person conversations with their doctors. But not only did this study, run by Stanford University, use a smartphone to recruit consumers, it was financed by Apple. And it involved using an app on the Apple Watch to try to identify irregular heart rhythms. (Singer, 12/26)
The New York Times:
Freed From The IPhone, The Apple Watch Finds A Medical Purpose
In the last months of Steve Jobs’s life, the Apple co-founder fought cancer while managing diabetes. Because he hated pricking his finger to draw blood, Mr. Jobs authorized an Apple research team to develop a noninvasive glucose reader with technology that could potentially be incorporated into a wristwatch, according to people familiar with the events, who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to speak on behalf of the company. (Wakabayashi, 12/26)
NPR:
Home Health Visits May Help Keep People Out Of The ER
Telemedicine isn't just for rural areas without a lot of doctors anymore. In the last few years, urban areas all over the country have been exploring how they can connect to patients virtually to improve access to primary care and keep people from calling 911 for non-urgent problems. (Simmons-Duffin, 1/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Want A Diet Plan? All This Start-Up Needs Is Your Money, Blood And DNA
When Liesl Bettencourt of Pleasanton, Calif., turned 50 recently, she decided it was time to get into shape. She signed up with Habit, an Oakland start-up that offers personalized nutrition recommendations, coaching and meals. And as soon as Habit sent her an initiation kit, she got nervous. The prospect of cutting out bread and cheese from her diet was hard enough, Bettencourt thought. Now she was being asked to use a lancet — a tiny needle that Habit sent her — to draw her own blood. (Lien, 1/2)
Los Angeles Times:
As Health Workers Deal With Mass Shootings And Fires, More Hospitals Are Looking To Help Them Cope
The tragedies that play out in hospitals affect not just patients and their families, but the nurses and doctors who care for them. In one day, a hospital staff could treat a child gravely injured in a car accident, lose a patient to a terminal illness and comfort a family member whose loved one is in surgery. Healthcare workers develop a sort of emotional armor, but it can wear thin. Many say they need space to decompress after regularly witnessing the most devastating moments of people’s lives. (Karlamangla, 1/2)
Stat:
What Will 2018 Bring For Science And Medicine? We Asked The Experts
Between the uncertainties of science, the fickleness of markets, and really just everything related to the White House, the fate of science and medicine in 2018 seems nigh unpredictable to us. So we reached out to a bunch of people who would know better and asked for their crystal ball readings of what the new year will bring. Here’s what they said. (1/2)
NPR:
Blood From 1 Million Americans May Offer Clues To Disease
Federal taxpayers are pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a quest for blood samples, medical information and fitness readouts from a million Americans. It's called the All of Us precision medicine initiative, and it's the biggest push ever mounted to create a huge public pool of data that scientists — and anybody else who is interested — can mine for clues about health and disease. Proponents say this big data approach to medicine will be revolutionary. Critics aren't so sure. (Harrs, 12/31)
NPR:
More Genetic Data May Not Lead To Better Health
The Mayo Clinic is building its future around high-tech approaches to research known as "precision medicine." This involves gathering huge amounts of information from genetic tests, medical records and other data sources to ferret out unexpected ideas to advance health. But one longtime scientist at the Mayo Clinic isn't playing along. Dr. Michael Joyner is a skeptical voice in a sea of eager advocates. Joyner's lab studies exercise. It is, fittingly enough, in a hospital building founded in the 1880s. While Mayo has built all sorts of new labs at its sprawling campus in Rochester, Minn., Joyner can conduct his work without glitzy DNA sequencers and other high-tech tools of precision medicine. (Harris, 12/28)
NPR:
Maintaining Tissue Sample Quality Might Reduce Medical Errors
You might not suspect that the success of the emerging field of precision medicine depends heavily on the couriers who push carts down hospital halls. But samples taken during surgery may end up in poor shape by the time they get to the pathology lab — and that has serious implications for patients as well as for scientists who want to use that material to develop personalized tests and treatments that are safer and more effective. (Harris, 12/29)
The Associated Press:
Few Colleges Track Suicides, Despite Prevention Investments
Nearly half of the largest U.S. public universities do not track suicides among their students, despite making investments in prevention at a time of surging demand for mental health services. Tabulating student suicides comes with its own set of challenges and problems. But without that data, prevention advocates say, schools have no way to measure their success and can overlook trends that could offer insight to help them save lives. (1/2)
The Washington Post:
Hazards Of The Post-New Year’s Rush To Gyms
January is a boom time for the fitness industry, as millions of guilt-ridden Americans flock — at least temporarily — to health clubs to try to shed excess pounds acquired over the holidays. “People eat too much, drink too much, and everyone wants to come back to the gym,” said Jose Velasquez, 40, a restaurant worker who regularly works out at an LA Fitness gym in the District and has seen the post-holiday boom-and-bust phenomenon again and again. (Pianin, 1/1)
The Washington Post:
Brain Study Suggests The Type Of Book You Read To Your Baby Is Important
Parents often receive books atpediatric checkups and hear from a variety of health professionals and educators that reading to their kids is critical for supporting development. The pro-reading message is getting through to parents, who recognize that it’s an important habit. According to the U.S. Department of Education, 83 percent of 3-to-5-year-old children were read to three or more times per week by a family member in 2012. (Scott, 12/31)
Los Angeles Times:
Amid Rising Gun Violence, Accidental Shooting Deaths Have Plummeted. But Why?
A country music festival in Las Vegas: 58 dead. A Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas: 26 dead. The streets of Baltimore last year: nearly 300 dead. Gun violence has received no shortage of attention. But one bright spot has gotten much less: the number of accidental shooting deaths has steadily declined. There were 489 people killed in unintentional shootings in the U.S. in 2015, the most recent year for which data is available. That was down from 824 deaths in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Taking into account population growth over that time, the rate fell 48%. (Lee, 1/1)
The Washington Post:
The Secret Experiment That Rocked Psychiatry
It was a secret experiment. There was a graduate student, a housewife, a painter, a pediatrician, a psychiatrist and three psychologists. Using fake names, they went out to 12 hospitals across the country and claimed to hear voices. Their mission was to see what would happen. What they found rocked psychiatry. David Rosenhan, a psychologist at Stanford University, published the results of the experiment in a 1973 issue of the journal Science. “On Being Sane in Insane Places” would become one of the most influential studies in the history of psychiatry. (Morris, 1/1)
Los Angeles Times:
Do Psychiatrists Have Any Business Talking About President Trump's Mental Health?
So many norms of politics and civic discourse have been shattered in the year that ends this Sunday. And not every smashed convention this year has been the handiwork of President Donald J. Trump. In a book of essays published in October, two dozen psychiatrists and psychologists challenged strictures laid down by their professions' leaders and publicly probed Trump's mental state. "The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" is a recitation of evidence for what they contend is Trump's malignant narcissism, hedonism and sociopathy. (Healy, 12/30)
NPR:
Questions About Mental Fitness Dogged Presidents Long Before Trump
The president is a "narcissist." He is "paranoid." He is "bipolar."No, not President Trump. These labels were applied to Bill Clinton, Richard Nixon and Theodore Roosevelt, respectively. And the list goes on. John F. Kennedy had psychopathic traits, according to one academic study. And Abraham Lincoln apparently experienced suicidal depression. (Hamilton, 12/23)
The New York Times:
Fast, Cheap Testing For Tuberculosis? Soon It May Be Possible
Diagnosing a lung disease like tuberculosis with a urine test may seem illogical, but a group of American researchers is now a step closer to that goal. Scientists at George Mason University have improved by at least 100 times the accuracy of testing for a sugar shed by tuberculosis bacteria, meaning that a simple dipstick urine test may soon become possible. (McNeil, 1/1)
The Washington Post:
As Zika Fades From Public Consciousness, Scientists Continue To Pursue The Virus
While the Zika virus mostly faded from the public’s consciousness last year, it’s still a hot topic among scientists — and for good reasons. After Zika emerged in the Western Hemisphere, it shook the Americas as reports of infections and devastating birth defects swept through Brazil and Colombia, eventually reaching the United States in 2016. In a welcome turn, the number of Zika cases in the hemisphere last year dropped dramatically in the hardest-hit areas. (Cunningham, 12/30)
NPR:
Kids May Skip Shots Because They Fear Needles
The reasons people may skip vaccines such as the flu shot are many. They can include apathy or being too busy. They can include people believing that they won't get sick or fearing vaccines. But recent research suggests another reason some may skip shots: fear of needles. And it's a fear that may be preventable. "People who are afraid of needles are less likely to get vaccines, less likely to fully vaccinate their kids, less likely to give blood and less likely to get a flu shot," says Dr. Amy Baxter, lead study author and clinical associate professor at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. (Haelle, 12/28)
The New York Times:
Vitamin D And Calcium Don’t Prevent Bone Fractures
Vitamin D and calcium supplements are widely used for the prevention of bone fractures in older adults, but a large analysis confirms earlier reports they do not work. Chinese researchers pooled data from 33 randomized, placebo-controlled trials with more than 51,000 participants to look for an association between taking the supplements and a lowered risk of fracture. The analysis, in JAMA, found none. (Bakalar, 12/28)
The New York Times:
Air Pollution Contributes To More Than 20,000 Deaths A Year
Day-to-day increases in air pollution, even at levels generally considered acceptable, are associated with increased deaths among the elderly. Previous studies have suggested an association, but most have been based on small populations in metropolitan areas. This new study, in JAMA, used Medicare files and nationwide air pollution data to estimate 24-hour exposure in people who died between 2000 and 2012. (Bakalar, 12/17)
The New York Times:
Fiber Is Good For You. Now Scientists May Know Why.
A diet of fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, reduces the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. Indeed, the evidence for fiber’s benefits extends beyond any particular ailment: People who eat more of it simply have lower odds of dying. That’s why experts are always saying how good dietary fiber is for us. But while the benefits are clear, it’s not so clear why fiber is so great. “It’s an easy question to ask and a hard one to really answer,” said Fredrik Bäckhed, a biologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. (Zimmer, 1/1)
NPR:
Early-Onset Alzheimer's Poses Challenges For Marriage, Finances, Life
When Bella Doolittle heard her diagnosis last February of early-onset Alzheimer's, she sat in the car outside the doctor's office and cried. "He said, 'Well, we figured out what's going on with you and this is it.' And I'm like, 'No it's not.' "Doolittle's husband, Will Doolittle, sits next to her on the couch, recalling how she grilled the doctor. "You asked, 'How long does this take? How long do I have?' And he said, 'On average, eight years.' That really upset you." (Mann, 1/2)
Los Angeles Times:
Exercise Is Good Medicine For Boosting Memory And Thinking Skills, New Guidelines Say
Every year, you resolve to get more exercise. And every year, you stay stuck on the couch. The American Academy of Neurology is here to help. The experts on brain health are out with new guidelines that say exercising twice a week may help preserve memory and thinking skills in people with mild cognitive impairment. (Kaplan, 12/28)
The Washington Post:
How To Find Treatment For A Drinking Problem
American alcohol consumption spikes every December as the holidays descend, which may help explain why reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption is a common New Year’s resolution. If you have resolved to seek treatment for a drinking problem, there is good news and bad news. On the one hand, federal laws such as the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 make it more likely than ever that your health insurance includes an alcohol treatment benefit. But on the other hand, because of years of underfunding, stigma and segregation from the rest of the health-care system, many alcohol treatment programs are of poor quality. Fortunately, the federal government has a new tool that can help you find a quality treatment program that works for you. (Humphreys, 1/1)
The New York Times:
After 2nd Bout With Cancer, Seeking To Heal His Body And Mind
Because he was in such a hurry to get to his granddaughter’s high school graduation, James Riddick did not realize he had forgotten his cane until he reached the bus. “Certain things you get so dependent on, it becomes like part of you,” said Mr. Riddick, 80. On that day, more than a year and a half ago, he stepped up into the bus, slowly and shakily but without incident. He has not used his cane since. (Otis, 12/31)
Reuters:
Illinois Judge Rejects Lawsuit Challenging Abortion Coverage Expansion
An Illinois law expanding state-funded coverage of abortions for low-income Medicaid recipients was set to go into effect next month after an Illinois judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by abortion opponents seeking to block it. Abortion foes will appeal Thursday's Sangamon County Circuit Court decision, said Peter Breen, a lawyer for the conservative Thomas More Society, who filed the suit last month along with some state lawmakers and anti-abortion groups. (Kenning, 12/28)
The Washington Post:
GOP Congressman Wants To Slash Federal Contribution To D.C. Medicaid Costs
A conservative congressman from Virginia has proposed legislation to require the District to pay a larger share of its Medicaid costs, a change that D.C. officials say could cost the city at least a half-billion dollars a year. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said the bill filed by Rep. H. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) would “lead to devastating cuts in programs and services for our most vulnerable neighbors, and we won’t stand for it.” (Portnoy, 12/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Blood-Testing Firm Theranos Gets $100 Million Lifeline From Fortress
The embattled Silicon Valley blood-testing company Theranos Inc. told its investors this week that it has secured a $100 million loan from Fortress Investment Group LLC, averting for now a possible bankruptcy filing as its remaining cash dwindled. The loan is “subject to achieving certain product and operational milestones,” Theranos’s founder and chief executive officer, Elizabeth Holmes, told the company’s shareholders in an email Friday evening that was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. A spokeswoman for the company didn’t respond to requests for comment. (Carreyrou, 12/24)
The Associated Press:
In An Unusual Step, North Carolina Police Tell Victims About Destroyed Rape Kits
When Veronica was raped more than 13 years ago, she says neither the police nor the hospital staff believed her story that a longtime friend attacked her while his mother was in the next room. "I was treated like a female crying wolf," said Veronica, who says the man raped her while she was unconscious. She believes he drugged her drink. (1/1)
Los Angeles Times:
Regulators Warned Against Housing Near Freeways Due To Health Risks. Now They're Warming To It
Twelve years ago, California air quality officials delivered a warning to cities and counties: Avoid putting new homes in high-pollution zones within 500 feet of freeways. That advice, which relied on years of research linking traffic pollution to asthma, heart attacks and other health problems, was aimed at keeping "children and other vulnerable populations out of harm's way," according to the state Air Resources Board's 2005 handbook. (Barboza and Zahniser, 12/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Freeway Pollution Travels Farther Than We Thought. Here's How To Protect Yourself
If anyone knows where to find refuge from air pollution near Los Angeles freeways, it’s Suzanne Paulson.The UCLA atmospheric chemistry professor has spent years studying how invisible plumes of dirty air from car- and truck-choked roadways spread into surrounding neighborhoods — increasing residents’ risk of cancer, asthma, heart disease and other illnesses. So when she bought a home in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Santa Monica in 2007, she made sure it was on a quiet street far from the 10 Freeway — well beyond the 500-foot zone where California air quality regulators say it’s unhealthful to put homes, schools and day cares. (Barboza, 12/30)
The Washington Post:
California Pot: Smoke ‘Em (Or Eat ‘Em) If You Can Get ‘Em
It wasn’t exactly reefer madness Monday as California launched the first legal retail sales of marijuana, but those who could find the drug celebrated the historic day, lining up early for ribbon cuttings, freebies and offerings ranging from joints to gummy bears to weed with names like Red Dragon. Jeff Deakin, 66, his wife Mary and their dog waited in the cold all night to be first in a line of 100 people when Harborside dispensary, a longtime medical pot shop in Oakland, opened at 6 a.m. and offered early customers joints for a penny and free T-shirts that read “Flower to the People — Cannabis for All.” (Melley and Chea, 1/1)
Los Angeles Times:
Recreational Pot Sales Roll Out In California, With Celebratory 'Blunts' And Big Crowds
Legal sale of recreational marijuana began in California on Monday with fanfare, celebratory 'blunts' and some anxiety. Companies began selling pot in a relatively small number of businesses Monday, with more expected to join in the coming days and weeks. (Jennings, Parvini and Robbins, 1/1)
Los Angeles Times:
Study Of California Women Finds 1 In 14 Used Pot During Pregnancy
Prenatal exposure to pot has become increasingly common in California since the state legalized medical marijuana in 1996, according to a new study. Pot use by women during the first two months of pregnancy increased by about 7.5% per year between 2009 and 2016, researchers reported this week in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. By the end of that period, about 1 in 14 women were using some form of marijuana after they had conceived. (Kaplan, 12/27)