Becker's Hospital Review: Nonprofit Groups Allege California System Misused $1B
Two nonprofit organizations are suing Fresno, Calif.-based Community Health System, alleging it has misused $1 billion in tax dollars intended to serve low-income patients. The health system has called the claim inaccurate and baseless. In the lawsuit, filed Aug. 7, Cultiva La Salud and Fresno Building Healthy Communities said the health system directed public funding to Clovis (Calif.) Community Medical Center while Fresno (Calif.) Community Regional Medical Center was left with outdated equipment, insufficient operating rooms and chronic understaffing. (Kuchno, 8/8)

Chicago Tribune: Hospital Misplaced Woman's Body, Family Alleges In Lawsuit
A California hospital misplaced the body of a 31-year-old woman who died at the facility, leaving her family thinking she was alive and missing for a year, her family alleges in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against the hospital and the Chicago-based health system that owns it. (Schencker, 8/8)

Times of San Diego: MiraCosta College Celebrates New Nursing And Health Facility
The new Theresia M. Heyden Hall for Nursing and Allied Health at MiraCosta College will celebrate its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, August 21. The $29.7 million facility will support degree and certificate programs for multiple healthcare fields, including nursing, kinesiology, nutrition, health education, and careers as medical administrative professionals. (Brown, 8/8)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Homes May Face More Fines For Health, Safety Violations
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has added another weapon to its arsenal as it ramps up efforts to enforce nursing home safety and quality rules. The agency decided that federal and state authorities may levy more fines against skilled nursing facilities when inspectors uncover health and safety deficiencies. Under a final rule published July 31, regulators are now empowered to concurrently fine providers on both per-day and per-instance bases. (Early, 8/8)

Stat: MDMA Therapy For PTSD Faces Imminent FDA Decision 
A decades-long campaign to legalize MDMA as a mainstream medical treatment will reach a climax as soon as Friday, with the Food and Drug Administration poised to decide whether the psychedelic should be approved as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in conjunction with psychotherapy. The regulators face an Aug. 11 deadline to decide whether to sign off on the drug or reject it. The agency could also postpone its decision if it needs more time to review data and investigate claims of irregularities in clinical trials run by Lykos Therapeutics. (Keshavan and Goldhill, 8/9)

Los Angeles Times: Magic Mushroom Chocolates Having A Moment. Do They Contain Mushrooms?
Beneath the psychedelic colors and cartoon mushrooms, the labels are often vague: Some claim to be “vegan space capsules” while others warn they are only “novelty collectibles.” A few obliquely say that they contain a “proprietary mushroom blend” or that they are “infused with magic.” But many of the mushroom chocolates and gummies sold in Southern California head shops, it seems, are not as advertised. This year, the Food and Drug Administration began issuing warnings about one brand’s products after dozens of people who ate them fell ill or died. Federal regulators said tests found synthetic hallucinogens and other psychoactive compounds not listed on the labels. The company, Santa Ana-based Prophet Premium Blends, ultimately recalled all its candies. (Blakinger and Sheets, 8/9)

CNN: Daily Marijuana Use Linked To Deadly Head And Neck Cancers, Study Finds
Using marijuana daily for years may raise the overall risk of head and neck cancers by 3.5% to 5%, according to a new study that analyzed millions of medical records. (LaMotte, 8/8)

The New York Times: Engineered Virus Steals Proteins From H.I.V., Pointing To New Therapy 
Scientists have developed a new weapon against H.I.V.: a molecular mimic that invades a cell and steals essential proteins from the virus. A study published in Science on Thursday reported that this viral thief prevented H.I.V. from multiplying inside of monkeys. The new therapeutic approach will soon be tested in people, the scientists said. Four or five volunteers with H.I.V. will receive a single injection of the engineered virus. “This is imminent,” said Leor Weinberger, a virologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who led the new study. (Zimmer, 8/8)

Los Angeles Blade: Garcia And Lee Push For Insurers To Provide Doxy PEP For Free
Democratic U.S. Reps. Robert Garcia and Barbara Lee of California sent a letter on Thursday urging the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to compel health insurers to provide free access to doxy PEP, a drug regimen for the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. The USPSTF is an independent panel of experts in primary care and preventative medicine organized under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whose primary responsibility is to evaluate the evidence on the safety and efficacy of medical screenings, counseling, and preventative medications. (Kane, 8/8)

The Washington Post: Trump Won’t Rule Out Revoking Access To The Abortion Pill Mifepristone 
Donald Trump suggested in a news conference Thursday that he is open to curbing access to abortion pills through federal regulations, declining to rule out a sweeping move that some antiabortion allies have advocated. Trump has previously praised a Supreme Court ruling that maintained access to the key abortion drug mifepristone, saying, “I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it.” But the GOP presidential nominee muddled his position at Thursday’s news conference at his Mar-a-Lago Club. (Knowles, 8/8)

AP: In 60-Year-Old Tim Walz, Kamala Harris Found A Partner To Advocate For Reproductive Rights 
The makings of a presidential ticket began in an unusual spot six months ago: a Minnesota abortion clinic. At the time, it was a historic visit for Vice President Kamala Harris — no president or vice president had ever made a public stop at one. But the visit laid the groundwork for Harris to connect with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and learn about his interest in reproductive health, an issue Harris has taken the lead on during her White House term. (Seitz, 8/8)

NBC News: Valley Fever Outbreak At California Music Festival Shows Fungus' Threat
An outbreak of Valley fever among attendees and workers at an outdoor music festival in California’s Central Valley highlights the fungal infection’s mounting threat. Fourteen people who traveled to attend or work at the Lightning in a Bottle Festival in Bakersfield in May have tested positive for Valley fever and developed symptoms, the California Department of Public Health told NBC News on Thursday. At least three of them were hospitalized. (Bendix and Barakett, 8/8)

CIDRAP: COVID Drops To 10th Leading Cause Of Death In US 
Provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) on the top causes of deaths in the United States in 2023 shows COVID-19 dropped to the tenth leading cause of death. In 2022, it was the fourth leading cause of death, meaning deaths from COVID dropped by 68.9% in 1 year. There were 76,446 deaths from COVID-19 in 2021, and 245,614 in 2022. In 2023, the leading causes of death in the United States were heart disease (680,909 deaths), cancer (613,331), and unintentional injury (222,518). (Soucheray, 8/8)

CBS News: Measles Cases Are Triple What They Were Last Year In The U.S. Doctors Say Vaccines Can Help
Federal health officials are renewing warnings about the growing number of measles cases and encouraging parents to get their children the recommended vaccinations before school starts. Measles outbreaks are up substantially, CDC numbers show. CDC officials say that's because there was a drop in vaccinations, which they say are the best way to keep communities safe and free from potentially deadly diseases. (Stahl and Nau, 8/8)

CNN: Childhood Vaccinations Will Have Prevented More Than 500 Million Illnesses And 1 Million Deaths In US Since 1994, CDC Report Says 
Routine childhood vaccinations will have prevented hundreds of millions of illnesses, tens of millions of hospitalizations and more than 1 million deaths among people born between 1994 and 2023, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new report, published Thursday by the CDC, analyzed the benefits of routine childhood immunizations in the United States through the CDC’s Vaccines for Children Program, which launched in 1994. The research also found that the vaccinations saved the country billions of dollars. (Howard, 8/8)

CapRadio: A California Bill Aims To Strengthen Protections For Outdoor Workers During Extreme Heat
As extreme heat becomes an increasing threat, state and federal officials have looked to strengthen protections for outdoor laborers. California has long been a leader in this area, becoming the first in the nation to implement heat standards for outdoor workers in 2006. Today, the state is one of only a handful across the nation with mandatory heat protections for outdoor workers. This can include ensuring worker access to fresh water, shade and regular breaks. (Secaira, 8/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Air Quality Advisory Issued Due To Wildfire Smoke
An air quality advisory was issued Thursday afternoon for the Bay Area due to wildfire smoke, with poor conditions expected to last through Friday. The advisory by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District said “smoke from wildfires in the western United States and Canada is expected to impact air quality in the Bay Area on Thursday and Friday,” but did not specify which wildfires were sending the smoke into the region. (Whiting, 8/8)

Los Angeles Times: Newsom And San Francisco Take A Wrong Turn On Homelessness 
It’s been disappointing to see Gov. Gavin Newsom take a hard line on homelessness by directing state agencies and departments to clear encampments on state-owned land, such as freeway embankments, and encouraging local governments to do the same. (8/8)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Tensions Grow On Homelessness, Again 
A meeting of San Diego County mayors to discuss homelessness this week featured two clear yet contradictory themes. One was emphasizing the years-old notion that a unified, regional approach is needed to address what everyone agrees is a crisis. The other was familiar criticism by mayors that other municipalities either hadn’t been doing enough or, worse, were pushing part of the problem into their cities. (Michael Smolens, 8/9)

Los Angeles Times: Can't Huntington Beach Just Leave Transgender Kids Alone?
Less than 2% of U.S. teenagers identify as transgender. It would be safe to guess that a lot of them tell their parents sooner or later; if they want any form of medical or surgical intervention, they need parental consent. Others simply feel a strong enough bond with their parents to share what’s going on and seek support. The remainder — transgender students who are not ready to tell their parents, sometimes with very good reason — are a tiny portion of the student population. Yet in a few under-informed spots in California, you’d think that transgender secrecy was an issue as vital to public education as illiteracy. (8/9)

Los Angeles Times: Why Is The GOP Blocking Legislation That Would Help Kids?
Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance told Megyn Kelly last month that Democrats are calling for an end to the Child Tax Credit because they are “anti-family and anti-kid.” Vance, who has courted controversy for calling Democrats the party of “childless cat ladies,” then declared, “We should send the signal to the culture that we are the pro-family party, and we’re gonna back it up with real policy. We’re the party of parents, we’re the party of kids.” Republicans are using Vance’s kids and families rhetoric to convince voters to choose them in November, but they are failing when it comes to backing it up. In fact, they’re actively opposing important legislation to help children and parents. (Justin Talbot Zorn and Mark Weisbrot, 8/4)

Times of San Diego: As Immigrant Farm Workers, My Family Is Both Blessed And Frustrated
I’ve worked in the fields of the Salinas Valley since I was 18, tending grapes and picking broccoli. Agricultural work has many contradictions. It is both steady and uncertain. I work constantly but don’t have one job. Instead, I work different jobs for different contractors during the picking season. I could not have survived without doing this work, but sometimes I wonder how much longer I can survive doing it. Farmwork is getting easier in some ways, and harder in others. (Araceli Ruiz, Zócalo, 8/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: Hot Weather Used To Be A Nuisance For My Son's Seizures. The Extreme Heat We're Seeing Could Kill Him
Most children with Dravet Syndrome begin having seizures as an infant but since my child started only a year ago, our family is still learning how to navigate this new reality. One of the biggest changes to my son’s life happens on hot days. (Holly Kearl, 8/8)

Capitol Weekly: New Bill Bad For Housing, Climate And Environmental Justice
California is grappling with three simultaneous crises: a shortage of affordable housing, land use decisions that subject vulnerable people and communities to dirty air and water, and rapid climate change that has led to record heat waves and dangerous wildfires. We count on our lawmakers to write and pass laws to combat these challenges. Unfortunately, AB 1893, authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks and sponsored by Attorney General Rob Bonta, will make them worse. (Jen Ganata and Shashi Hanuman, 8/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: The Complicated Ethics Of California’s End-Of-Life Act
Last month, California released its annual report on terminally ill Californians who took aid-in-dying drugs to end their lives. All told, 884 people died in California by using end-of-life medication prescribed by their doctors. I knew one of them. (Nuala Bishari, 8/3)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: It’s Vaccine Season Again 
It’s been a COVID summer in California. New, particularly contagious subvariants emerged in recent months. Even people who had avoided the virus until now were vulnerable. (8/8)