KQED: Oakland Soda Tax Backers To File Complaint Over Opposition Ads
Three Oakland City Council members are calling on local and federal agencies to investigate opponents of the city’s proposed soda tax on the fall ballot. They say the beverage industry’s advertising is deceptive. At issue are opposition TV ads and a flier that label the effort a ” ‘Grocery Tax’ [that] can be applied to any item in the store, not just sodas.” (Aliferis, 7/14)

California Healthline: Soda Taxes: Gaining Steam Or Getting Steamrolled?
A sip of soda will become more expensive next year in Philadelphia, which recently became the second city in the United States to pass a tax on sugary beverages — after Berkeley voters passed one in 2014. The Philadelphia measure, approved by the City Council in June, could lend momentum to efforts by public health advocates to get similar taxes enacted elsewhere around the nation. Voters in three Northern California cities — San Francisco, Oakland and Albany — will decide in November whether to approve such taxes. A soda tax initiative in San Francisco in 2014 failed to get the two-thirds vote needed to pass. (Gorman, 7/15)

In other news on proposed ballot measures —

The Press Democrat: Analysis: Mental Health Ballot Measure Could Create Deficit In Mendocino County
A sales tax proposal that would raise an estimated $37 million over five years to build new facilities in Mendocino County for mental health and drug and alcohol rehabilitation services could leave the county with a $4.8 million hole in its general fund annually, according to a just-released financial report on the proposed ballot measure. But then again, it might not, according to the report commissioned by the county Board of Supervisors and released late Thursday. (Anderson, 7/14)

LA Daily News: SoCalGas Slammed For Poor Cleanup Of Porter Ranch Homes
Frustrated by what they call a deficient cleanup effort, Los Angeles County health officials said Wednesday they’ll go to court, if necessary, to make the Southern California Gas Co. comply with a directive to remove contaminants from thousands of Porter Ranch homes affected by last year’s ruptured natural gas well. The call for a thorough and complete cleanup comes a day after SoCalGas filed legal papers asking that a public health directive requiring them to remove dust and oily mist from up to 35,000 homes be nullified. The company said it has cleaned more than 1,700 residences. (Abram, 7/13)

In other public health news —

The San Diego Union-Tribune: STD Rates Continue Climb In County
Rates for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis rose in San Diego County in 2015, according to a report recently released by the Health and Human Services department, continuing a trend that goes at least as far back as the report’s oldest data in 1996. The syphilis rate increased to 15.2 cases per 100,000 people from 11.6 cases, the steepest increase of the three on a percentage basis. (Morrissey, 7/14)

LA Daily News: Don’t Go Swimming At Pyramid Lake Due To Toxic Algae Bloom, Water Officials Say
State water officials are urging people to avoid any contact with the water at Pyramid Lake because of a toxic algae bloom that has developed on the Los Angeles County reservoir. In a statement issued Wednesday, the California Department of Water Resources advised the public to not wade, swim or water-ski at the lake and to keep dogs and children away from the water. Caution signs have also been posted at the lake, according to Ted Thomas, a spokesman for the department. (Baer, 7/13)

KPCC: LA County Developing Meningitis Vaccination Campaign
Local health officials want to boost meningitis vaccination levels among gay and bisexual men, amid a disease outbreak in Southern California that has disproportionately sickened men who have sex with men. So far this year, L.A. County has reported 13 cases of meningitis; seven were among men who have sex with men. All of the patients survived. Officials acknowledge getting more men vaccinated will be challenging since many people don't know they're at risk for the disease. (Plevin, 7/14)

Los Angeles Times: Zika Epidemic In Latin America May Have Peaked, And Scientists Predict It Will Be Over In 3 Years
Researchers modeling the rampant spread of the Zika virus say that, like a wildfire consuming a parched landscape, the epidemic that has caused a plague of birth defects in Brazil is already showing signs of slowing and is likely to largely burn itself out in three years. Peak Zika spread may already have passed, said researchers writing in the journal Science. At a slower rate and with seasonal ebb and flow, the Zika virus’ march across the Americas, they reckon, will likely grind to a halt. (Healy, 7/14)

The Washington Post: Zika’s Spread Can’t Be Stopped, Study Argues, But It Will Burn Out In 3 Years
Trying to stop the Zika virus from spreading in Latin America is probably pointless, according to a new study by medical modeling experts at Imperial College London, who predict the epidemic is likely to fizzle out on its own within three years. The findings, published Thursday in the journal Science, used Zika data collected across Latin America, where the outbreak erupted last year in Brazil. The study concludes that attempting to prevent Zika by eliminating the mosquitoes that spread the virus is a largely futile endeavor, because those methods haven’t eliminated dengue fever, which is carried by the same vector. (Miroff, 7/14)

Santa Cruz Sentinel: Santa Cruz Doctor Accused Of Overprescribing Opioids
The state medical board has been asked to hear an accusation of unprofessional conduct against Dr. William K. Ebert, alleging he prescribed excessive quantities of painkillers to three patients and failed to keep adequate records. The prescribed painkillers included oxycodone and Norco, opioids that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek warns are highly addictive. On his nationwide campaign to fight opioid abuse, Murthy recalled how he was told during his medical training that addiction to opioids is rare, something he's had to unlearn. (Gumz, 7/14)

East Bay Times: Alameda County Grand Jury Calls For Eden Health District To Dissolve
A special district charged with administering public health care services in Hayward and San Leandro can add another voice to a growing number of critics calling for it to change its ways or dissolve. Eden Health District should be dismantled because it "no longer owns and operates a district hospital or other direct care assets to deliver acute health care solutions," a 12-page Alameda County civil grand jury report has concluded. The district at one time owned Eden Hospital, but sold it to Sutter Health because it could not afford state-required seismic upgrades. (Moriki, 7/14)

In other news from across the state —

The Fresno Bee: Health Clinics Going Up At Corcoran Prison In Building Boom
A building boom behind the walls of Corcoran state prison is putting the state on the right side of a federal receiver and boosting the local economy. At the prison, which holds about 3,570 inmates, work has begun on new health clinics to comply with a 2002 settlement in federal court requiring a higher level of medical care for inmates at all state prisons. (Griswold, 7/14)

East Bay Times: Free End-Of-Life Legal Planning Aid For Contra Costa Seniors
Decisions about end-of-life care are difficult, but planning ahead ensures that family members and health care providers respect patients' wishes. Contra Costa Senior Legal Services, in partnership with American Insurance Group and the city of Concord, is sponsoring a free monthly legal clinic to help seniors prepare an advance health care directive, a document that designates someone to make health care decisions on their behalf if they are unable to speak for themselves. Contra Costa County residents 60 and older are eligible to receive assistance from the new Community Partners Clinic. (White, 7/14)

The New York Times: Congress Recesses, Leaving More Stalemates Than Accomplishments
Congress limped out of town Thursday for a seven-week recess, leaving behind a trail of partisan fights, a failed bill to help fight the Zika virus, a stalemate on gun safety and a few mundane accomplishments that members hoped to sell as awesome to voters in an unsparing mood. The fierce partisanship was evident as some House Republicans filed a resolution to impeach the Internal Revenue Service commissioner, John A. Koskinen, while Hillary Clinton, over lunch at the Capitol with Senate Democrats, stressed that their hopes of reclaiming the majority were bound up with her aspirations of winning the White House. (Herszenhorn and Steinhauer, 7/14)

In other national health care news —

Politico: Why Obama's 'Public Option' May Disappoint
President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over the past week have both called for a new government-run insurance option. But the "public option"— which some Democrats have been trying to enact since health law negotiations in 2009 — isn't a panacea for the problems plaguing Obamacare, Harvard expert Katherine Baicker tells POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast. (Diamond, 7/14)

USA Today: Republicans Say Abortion Clinics Broke The Law By Selling Fetal Organs
Republicans on a special House panel investigating the practices of abortion providers said Thursday those providers and their middlemen have violated federal law by selling tissues and organs from aborted fetuses. In an interim report to Congress, the panel’s GOP majority said it has uncovered evidence that some providers were so eager to profit from selling fetal tissue that they altered abortion procedures to put financial benefit above the health of women. (Collins, 7/14)

ProPublica: As Cases Multiply, Officials Scramble To Stop Abuse Of Nursing Home Residents On Social Media
When a certified nursing assistant in Hubbard, Iowa, shared a photo online in March of a nursing home resident with his pants around his ankles, his legs and hand covered in feces, the most surprising aspect of state health officials' investigation was this: It wasn't against the law. The Iowa law designed to protect dependent adults from abuse was last updated in 2008, before many social media apps existed. ... The Iowa incident is just one illustration of how regulators and law enforcement officials nationwide are struggling to respond when employees at long-term care facilities violate the privacy of residents by posting photos on social media websites. (Ornstein and Huseman, 7/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Backs ID Numbers For Medical Devices
The federal Medicare agency has endorsed the use of unique identification numbers in billing records for medical devices, a move safety advocates say is crucial in helping detect malfunctions in devices such as heart defibrillators, blood filters and hip and knee joints. The move is a shift for the agency, which hadn’t recommended such a step before, though it has for years been advocated by many lawmakers and officials at the Food and Drug Administration. (Burton, 7/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Trying To Serve More Veterans Faster, VA Opens Door To Disability Fraud
The Department of Veterans Affairs, fiercely criticized in recent years for slow and shoddy work, has reacted by expanding coverage and speeding up claims processing. Now critics say the reduced evidence requirements and briefer investigations can mean claims get padded, wasting funds and time better directed to more-qualified veterans, according to interviews with more than 40 current and former VA staffers, doctors, veterans and government agents. (Huang, 7/14)

The Hill: White House Praises Trump’s VP Pick For Expanding Medicaid
Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick received praise from an unwelcome place Thursday: the White House. President Obama’s chief spokesman, Josh Earnest, lauded Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) for deciding to expand Medicaid in his state under ObamaCare. (Fabian, 7/14)

Modern Healthcare: Trump's Reported VP Pick Raises Questions About Medicaid Expansion
Donald Trump's reported selection of Mike Pence as his running mate means the Indiana governor will be in the position of calling for repeal of his own Medicaid expansion, which has extended coverage to more than 300,000 low-income adults. Pence, a strong opponent of the Affordable Care Act, nonetheless pushed through a conservative version of Medicaid expansion in his state that took effect last year. (Meyer, 7/14)

Politico Pro: How Mike Pence Embraced Obamacare
When faced with the decision of whether to embrace Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion or stick to his party’s ideology in rejecting the health care law, Mike Pence did what several Republican governors have done: He swallowed his pride and took the money for his state. But Donald Trump’s likely running mate decided to do it with a conservative twist: He added a litany of controversial rules and restrictions for how poor people in Indiana could qualify for the newly generous Medicaid coverage. (Pradhan, 7/15)

Politico Pro: Pence's Handling Of Public Health Controversies Could Become 2016 Issue
Mike Pence’s tenure has been marked by a series of public health controversies that have reverberated across the country — and would again be thrust into the national spotlight with Pence as Donald Trump's running mate. ... Pence’s positions on abortion, Medicaid, needle exchange and the human papillomavirus vaccine have largely drawn plaudits from conservatives, but some decisions stoked outrage among some public health experts. (Demko, 7/14)

Stat: Mike Pence Selection Would Make Women’s Health A Top-Tier Election Issue
Donald Trump may have just made women’s health a bigger issue in the 2016 election. With Mike Pence emerging as Trump’s likely vice presidential pick, the presumptive Republican nominee could strengthen his credibility with anti-abortion leaders who have been wary of him. But Pence’s selection won’t do Trump any favors with advocates of women’s health, who say the Indiana governor has supported some of the toughest abortion restrictions in the country. (Nather, 7/14)

In other news, Hillary Clinton has the edge over Trump on health care, a poll finds —

The Washington Post: Poll Finds Clinton Has The Advantage On Health Care, But It May Not Matter
A July poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that Hillary Clinton has the advantage when voters are asked which potential president best represents their positions on health care. Almost half of the respondents chose Clinton, while a third picked Donald J. Trump. But does it matter? (Johnson, 7/15)

Los Angeles Times: Ending The Scourge Of Surprise Medical Bills
California lawmakers have been trying for more than a decade to protect hospital patients from being hit with huge bills from doctors who aren’t part of their health insurer’s network. They have another opportunity to do so this year, and they should seize it. The problem arises when patients go to an in-network hospital or clinic to be treated by an in-network surgeon or other physician, but wind up receiving care (often without their knowledge) from an anesthesiologist, pathologist, radiologist or other specialist who’s not in the network. A nasty surprise arrives weeks later, when the out-of-network specialists bill them for the portion of their fee that the insurer wouldn’t cover — an amount that can be in the thousands of dollars. (7/12)

Los Angeles Times: Now On Starbucks' Menu: Less Health Coverage
Starbucks announced Monday that it will give its U.S. workers a raise that will boost compensation by 5% to 15%. That’s very cool. The coffee giant also said it will offer employees more affordable health insurance that will cut costs by being less comprehensive. That’s not so cool. (David Lazarus, 7/12)

The Sacramento Bee: Even With Health Care Reform, It’s Hard To Find A Doctor
The federal health reform known as the Affordable Care Act has dramatically reduced the number of Americans without insurance. In California, the rate of adults under age 65 without coverage has fallen from 23.7 percent to 11.1 percent since the law took effect. But as many of the newly insured have discovered, there’s a big problem lurking behind those numbers: Even with insurance coverage, it can still be very difficult for consumers to find a doctor. (Daniel Weintraub, 7/11)

Los Angeles Times: The Zika Crisis: How Congress Abandoned Its Duty To Govern
It’s tempting to blame Republicans and Democrats equally for the impasse, but that’s not what the facts dictate. It’s the GOP that has insisted on saddling Zika funding measures with riders that are in some cases irrelevant and in others actually damaging to public health. Democrats have resisted these cynical stunts, with good reason. (Michael Hitlzik, 7/13)

Oakland Tribune: Turning Medical 'Frequent Fliers' Into Healthier Homebodies
Though our nation's uninsured rate is at historic lows, we still haven't adequately addressed those patients whom doctors sometimes call "frequent fliers" due to their recurring health care visits. They account for half of all American medical expenses -- $1.45 trillion dollars annually -- yet represent just 5 percent of the overall population. They are the sickest and most vulnerable among us, often diagnosed with multiple chronic conditions. (Larissa Estes and Peter Long, 7/9)

Los Angeles Times: Don't Make Marijuana California's Cash Cow
Running out of time and options to raise money to address the homelessness crisis, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors turned Tuesday to a new funding source: weed. The supervisors agreed to seek voters’ approval in November for a gross receipts tax of up to 10% on marijuana businesses. But it’s far from clear that marijuana could — or should — be the pot of gold that county leaders are hoping for. ( 7/14)

The Sacramento Bee: Shady Union-Hospital Deal Is Double-Crossing Voters
California voters have been duped, defrauded and double-crossed twice, and now they’re being fed an outrageously disingenuous lie to cover it up. Earlier this month, a judge blocked an attempt by Oakland-based Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West to place on the November ballot an initiative to limit the pay of nonprofit hospital executives. Why did the judge block it? Because it’s a bad idea? No. Because it was written incorrectly? No. (Sal Rosselli, 7/13)

Oakland Tribune: Tobacco Tax Increase In California Is Long Overdue
Proposition 56, increasing the tobacco tax in California by $2 a pack, is the most important health care measure on the November ballot. By passing it, voters can save thousands of lives, substantially reduce the state's health care costs and increase its atrociously low reimbursement rates for doctors who treat poor patients. California spends $9 billion a year on tobacco-related medical care, and taxpayers pay about one-third of it. (7/9)

Los Angeles Times: Britain's Diabetic Leader Reflects Differing Healthcare Systems
Britain has a new prime minister – Theresa May – and much of the coverage this week has focused on her being only the second woman in the country’s history to run the government. An equally intriguing factoid is that, as far as anyone knows, May, 59, is the first contemporary world leader with Type 1 diabetes. This provides an opportunity to look at how Britain’s universal-coverage health insurance system compares with the largely for-profit, market-oriented American approach. (David Lazarus, 7/15)

LA Daily News: Successful Aging: Zero In On The History Of Blue Zones And How It Works
Most people want to live a long and healthy life. The question is how best to achieve it. The Blue Zones Project provides us with some answers based on the study of the longest lived people in the world. (Helen Dennis, 7/11)