Capital & Main: California Often Leads Change, But Not For Single-Payer Health Care
In 2022, a proposal to create the first single-payer health care system in California’s history so fractured the Democratic supermajority in the State Assembly that it never even came to a vote. The powerful health industry lobby, along with Republicans and the state Chamber of Commerce, lined up to oppose it. The governor checked out of the conversation. Groups who had supported and pushed for the idea were left bitterly disappointed — and in some cases, feeling betrayed. (Kreidler, 4/25)

Becker's Hospital Review: Stanford Health Care To Transfer Outpatient Center's Nutrition Services
Palo Alto-based Stanford Health Care is moving its Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley outpatient nutrition services in Livermore to other regional care centers. The services will be transferred to other local providers and within the Stanford Medicine system, a spokesperson for Stanford Health said in a statement shared with Becker's. (Ashley, 4/25)

Becker's Hospital Review: Queens Health System To Buy Psychiatric Hospital From Sutter
Honolulu-based Queen's Health System plans to complete its acquisition of an 88-bed psychiatric hospital from Sacramento-based Sutter Health later this year. Queen's has signed a letter of intent to acquire Kahi Mohala psychiatric hospital, which is in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, from Sutter Health. Signing of the letter activates a due diligence process that is expected to take several months, Queen's told HawaiiNewsNow in an April 25 report. (Carbajal, 4/25)

Becker's Hospital Review: Do Nonprofit Hospitals Sidestep FTC's Noncompete Ban?
The Federal Trade Commission voted to implement a sweeping noncompete ban that would have seismic effects on the healthcare industry and the U.S. economy more broadly. But questions remain around which nonprofit hospitals and other providers may be affected by the ban and how far the FTC's jurisdiction reaches under its final rule. The American Hospital Association has argued against the rule and pushed the FTC to limit the reach of its authority specifically for the healthcare industry. (Condon, 4/25)

Bay Area News Group: Bird Flu's Disturbing New Turn Into Cattle - Are California Herds Safe?
California, the nation’s leading milk producer, is working out the details of a testing program for all incoming animals to comply with a new federal requirement, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture. (Krieger, 4/26)

NBC News: Bird Flu: 1 In 5 Samples Of Pasteurized Milk Contained Virus Fragments, FDA Finds
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday that traces of the bird flu virus have been found in 1 in 5 samples of pasteurized milk, providing a more detailed picture of how much of the milk supply has been affected. ... As of Thursday, bird flu had been detected in 33 herds in eight states: Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, Ohio and Texas. (Lovelace Jr., 4/25)

Politico: The ‘Milk Supply Is Safe’: Biden Administration Scrambles To Reassure Americans As Bird Flu Spreads 
With news Thursday night that a fifth of the U.S. milk supply contains fragments of bird flu virus, the Biden administration and dairy industry are racing to convince the public not to worry about the spread of the disease among the nation’s cattle. (Cadei, Brown and Lim, 4/25)

Nature: Bird Flu In US Cows: Is The Milk Supply Safe?
There is no definitive evidence that pasteurization kills H5N1, but the method kills viruses that multiply in the gut, which are hardier than flu viruses, says Cornell University virologist Brian Wasik. “Influenza virus is relatively unstable,” he says, “and is very susceptible to heat.” Pasteurization of eggs, which is done at a lower temperature than pasteurization of milk, does kill H5N1. It’s possible that pasteurization would be less effective at killing relatively high viral concentrations in milk, says Wasik. Finding out whether this is the case requires experimental data. In the absence of a definitive answer, keeping milk from infected cows out of the commercial supply is extremely important. When Nature asked when to expect more evidence on whether pasteurization kills H5N1, Janell Goodwin, public-affairs specialist at the FDA in Silver Spring, Maryland, said that the agency and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) “are working closely to collect and evaluate additional data and information specific to” H5N1. (Nowogrodzki, 4/25) 

BBC: 'Unprecedented': How Bird Flu Became An Animal Pandemic
Bird flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading in cows. In the handful of human cases seen so far it has been extremely deadly. (Bourke, 4/26)

NBC News: CDC Describes First Known Cases Of HIV Transmitted Via Cosmetic Injections
Three women were likely infected with HIV while receiving so-called vampire facials at a New Mexico spa, marking the first known HIV cases transmitted via cosmetic injections, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report Thursday. The first HIV case linked to the VIP Spa in Albuquerque was discovered in 2018 and prompted the New Mexico Department of Health to offer free testing to anyone who got injections at the facility. (Bendix, 4/25)

Poynter: Fact-Checking Aaron Rodgers, Who Repeated Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s False Claims About HIV/AIDS 
Aaron Rodgers, already famous after nearly two decades as an NFL quarterback, is drawing a new kind of notoriety for peddling conspiracy theories. Recently, a video clip went viral of Rodgers, known for his anti-vaccine views, criticizing Dr. Anthony Fauci’s handling of the AIDS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic during his decadeslong tenure as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. ... Rodgers said Fauci promoted an antiretroviral drug in the 1980s called zidovudine, also known as azidothymidine or AZT, to treat HIV. Rodgers falsely claimed that taking AZT was “killing people” at that time. (Czopek and Swann, 4/23)

Fresno Bee: Reedley Lab: Costa Bill Aims To Plug Federal Oversight Gap 
More than a year after the city of Reedley first encountered state and federal roadblocks in dealing with an illegal biological laboratory, new federal legislation is aimed at better tracking who are the buyers of infectious disease pathogens and establishing a reference database for cities, counties and states. (Sheehan, 4/25)

CIDRAP: Impaired Sense Of Smell Still Common 1 Year After COVID-19
Sense of smell—but not taste—was still impaired in some COVID patients at 1 year, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open. The US-based cross-sectional study compared 340 people with and 434 without prior COVID-19, recruited from February 2020 to August 2023 from the social media website Reddit. (Soucheray, 4/25)

Reuters: GlaxoSmithKline Sues Pfizer And BioNTech Over Covid-19 Vaccine Technology 
GlaxoSmithKline sued Pfizer and BioNTech in Delaware federal court on Thursday, accusing them of infringing GSK patents related to messenger RNA (mRNA) technology in the companies' blockbuster COVID-19 vaccines. GSK said in the lawsuit that Pfizer and BioNTech's Comirnaty vaccines violate the company's patent rights in mRNA-vaccine innovations developed "more than a decade before" the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Brittain, 4/25)

Reuters: Acuitas, CureVac Settle Lawsuit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Patent Rights 
Biotech company Acuitas Therapeutics and Germany-based CureVac have settled Acuitas' lawsuit demanding credit for inventions related to COVID-19 vaccines, according to a filing on Thursday in Virginia federal court. Acuitas sued CureVac last year in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, claiming its scientists should have been named as co-inventors of CureVac patents covering technology used in messenger RNA (mRNA)-based shots. CureVac told the court on Thursday that they had settled their dispute and will ask to dismiss the case. (Brittain, 4/25)

Los Angeles Times: Treatment Of Miscarriages Could Upend Abortion Debate
For decades, the abortion wars have centered on whether a woman should be able to decide when and if she has a child. But with increasingly strict restrictions on reproductive rights being enacted across the United States, these debates are charting new, unfamiliar territory — medical care for women who have had miscarriages. Up to one in four women who know they are pregnant will miscarry, according to the National Library of Medicine. Although most miscarriages resolve naturally, some require medical intervention that is similar to an elective abortion. (Mehta, 4/25)

Los Angeles Times: A Deal To Buy Skid Row Homeless Housing Fell Apart
An agreement for the world’s largest AIDS charity to buy a half-dozen troubled homeless housing developments in Skid Row collapsed Thursday, throwing into disarray the future of the properties and the city’s rescue efforts for one of its largest supportive housing portfolios. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation had reached a deal this month to buy six buildings owned by the Skid Row Housing Trust for $27 million in a receivership sale. But foundation spokesperson Ged Kenslea said in a statement Thursday that the nonprofit discovered the properties needed millions of dollars in further repairs and were on track to continue suffering large operating losses. (Dillon, 4/25)

KQED: How The Supreme Court Case On Homelessness Could Affect The Bay
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, in what’s been described as the most significant case on homelessness in decades. Many Californians are watching this case closely — from politicians, to advocates, to unhoused residents. KQED housing reporter Vanessa Rancaño breaks down the basics of this case, and why people in the Bay are closely following it. (Guevarra, Rancaño, Montecillo and Esquinca, 4/26)

inewsource: Island Life For These Unhoused San Diegans Means Few Police – And Many Hazards
Waterfront property in San Diego can rent for thousands of dollars a month — and costs millions if you’re looking to buy. But on one small island, in the middle of the San Diego River, about 15 residents get their own slice of nature by paying what some call “island rent.” And here, the rent is due every day. It comes down to keeping personal areas clean, lending a helping hand and sharing provisions — “Don’t be greedy,” as one resident puts it. (Dulaney and Meyers, 4/25)

Los Angeles Times: Food Recalls Reach Highest Level Since The Pandemic
Food recalls across the U.S. last year continued to rise following a drop during the pandemic, with nearly half due to undeclared allergens, according to a report released Thursday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture — which regulates meat, poultry, and eggs — and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — which regulates all other foods — recorded a total of 313 food recalls and public health alerts in 2023, according to the report published by Public Interest Research Group. (Ahn, 4/26)

AP: USDA Tells Producers To Reduce Salmonella In Certain Frozen Chicken Products
Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning under a final rule issued Friday by U.S. agriculture officials. When the regulation takes effect in 2025, salmonella will be considered an adulterant — a contaminant that can cause foodborne illness — when it is detected above certain levels in frozen breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. That would include things like frozen chicken cordon bleu and chicken Kiev dishes that appear to be fully cooked but are only heat-treated to set the batter or coating. (Aleccia, 4/26)

USA Today: School Lunch Nutrition: USDA To Limit Added Sugars For First Time
The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced updated nutrition standards for school meals that will be gradually updated to include "less sugar and greater flexibility with menu planning" between Fall 2025 and Fall 2027. “The new standards build on the great progress that school meals have made already and address remaining challenges - including reducing sugar in school breakfasts," said USDA's Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Cindy Long in the news release. (Hauari, 4/25)

The War Horse: As More Women Veterans Die By Suicide, VA Lacks Support 
When she joined the Navy in 2001, Jennifer Alvarado wanted to excel, to be, in her words, a “stellar sailor.” After boot camp, she worked as a hospital corpsman and pursued extra medical and weapons certification courses to prove her work ethic. Her home life on the military base was a different story: She hid the stress and increasing danger of her relationship with her husband from everyone. One evening in 2005, with her two small boys in the apartment, Alvarado argued with her husband and the altercation turned violent. He beat her, she said in a recent phone interview, and then stormed out and took her car. She called the police on the military base. “My secret was out in the open,” she said. “The shame just came out of my pores.” Her command didn’t provide long-term mental health support for post-traumatic stress, she said. (Marshall-Chalmers, 4/25)

The New York Times: Losing A Foot Never Held Her Back, Until She Tried To Join The Military
Hanna Cvancara’s dream is to become a nurse in the military, and she has been trying to achieve that dream for more than a decade. But every time she applies, she gets rejected. It’s not that the 28-year-old couldn’t handle the job. She is working now as an emergency department nurse at a civilian Level II trauma hospital in Spokane, Wash., tending to bleeding car accident victims, drug users in fits from withdrawal, children in the throes of seizures and whatever else comes through the doors. (Philipps, 4/25)

KVPR: New Documentary Series Highlights Climate Change’s Toll On Farmworkers
From sweltering temperatures to more frequent natural disasters – a new documentary series released this week by the United Farm Worker Foundation highlights how farm laborers face a wide range of risks and dangers while harvesting the nation’s crops. The five-part mini-series, called Farm Worker Voices, aims to show how climate change affects the everyday lives of agricultural laborers, and spotlights the stories of farmworkers across the country who are directly affected. (Quintanilla, 4/25)

San Francisco Chronicle: What Could Grants Pass Mean For Human Rights?
Like other cities, San Francisco has struggled to obtain clarity on what laws it has the right to pass and enforce when it comes to homeless camps in public spaces. In 2022, the Coalition on Homelessness sued the city, alleging its policing of those sleeping outdoors violates not just the rights of people experiencing homelessness, state and federal law, but also its own policies. That case is now on hold pending the Supreme Court’s ruling. (4/23)

Los Angeles Times: Opinion: Criminalizing Homelessness Is Unconscionable. But Unconstitutional?
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about whether a small Oregon city can cite and prosecute homeless people for sleeping in public places when they have nowhere else to lay their heads. If the case reveals nothing else about the state of our country, it reveals this: We continue to fail the homeless people who live among us, and no single court ruling in the world is going to solve the underlying issues — the lack of affordable housing, widespread income equality, substance abuse and a shamefully insufficient social safety net. (Robin Abcarian, 4/23)

CalMatters: Newsom Remains Critical Of California's Local Response To Homelessness. He Should Look In The Mirror
California Gov. Gavin Newsom complains that local government officials have not been effective in dealing with homelessness. But he appears to be shifting the political onus from his own administration. (Dan Walters, 4/23)

San Francisco Chronicle: I Just Helped Save A Man's Life With Narcan On S.F.'s Streets. He Still May Be Doomed
I saw a man lying on the sidewalk, unconscious. A young woman was already tending to him. She had just administered a pocket-sized Narcan nasal spray. (Jim Carroll, 4/21)

CalMatters: California Schools Must Handle Mental Health Issues Better
The mental health crisis among our young people is well documented, and young adults in California experience mental health challenges at alarming rates. These mental health concerns directly impact our students’ ability to learn, concentrate and perform academically. (Rebecca Pariso, 4/24)

Sacramento Bee: SB 796 Would Criminalize Threats Made Against Schools 
In the most powerful, advanced country in the world, how is it that many parents, myself included, are still haunted by the same question: “Will my child be safe at school today?” (Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil, 4/23)

Los Angeles Times: Lying To Doctors Is Common. The Results Can Be Tragic
My father and I only argued about one thing regularly: his driving. Because he had epilepsy. In 1948, when my father was 17, he fell out of a moving car. He was in a coma for three days. A dime-sized titanium plate was put in his skull. Thirteen years later he started having both petit and grand mal seizures. (Paul Karrer, 4/25)

Fresno Bee: Infectious-Materials Lab Near Fresno Was A Hidden Danger. A Bill Would Tighten Laws
Last year, a special House of Representatives committee looked into how a nondescript building in Reedley became a laboratory full of dangerous pathogens, operated by a man with ties to communist China and on the run from Canadian officials. (4/25)