The New York Times: U.S. Bans Theranos Founder From Running Lab For Two Years
United States regulators have banned Elizabeth Holmes, the chief executive of Theranos, from owning or operating a medical laboratory for at least two years, in a major setback for the embattled blood-testing firm and its once widely lauded founder. In a statement late Thursday, Theranos said the regulators also yanked the operating license of its Newark, Calif., laboratory and forbade the laboratory from taking Medicare and Medicaid payments for its services. Regulators will also levy a monetary penalty that Theranos did not specify. (Tejada, 7/8)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Regulator Bans Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes From Operating Labs For Two Years
The sanctions, which include an unspecified monetary penalty, cap eight months of public scrutiny that began in October when The Wall Street Journal raised questions about the company’s ability to perform a wide variety of blood tests with just a few drops of blood. Theranos once was a leading light in the technology boom, with the private company valued at $9 billion in 2014. (Siconolfi, 7/8)

Stat: Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes Banned From Operating A Lab For Two Years
Along with the ban on Holmes, CMS has pulled the operating license of the company’s Newark laboratory and will also levy a fine, Theranos announced in a statement. It’s not clear yet how much the company, once valued at $9 billion, will have to shell out. “While we are disappointed by CMS’ decision, we take these matters very seriously and are committed to fully resolving all outstanding issues with CMS and to demonstrating our dedication to the highest standards of quality and compliance,” Holmes said in the statement, adding that the company accepts “full responsibility for the issues” at the lab. (Thielking, 7/8)

Los Angeles Times: Meningitis Outbreak In L.A. Gay Community Prompts Plea For Vaccinations
Los Angeles County public health officials and LGBT advocates are urging gay and bisexual men to get meningitis vaccinations, citing a recent outbreak of potentially deadly meningococcal disease that is disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men. There have been 17 confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease confirmed in the county so far this year, including 12 in the last two months, Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the interim director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said Thursday. Eight have been among gay or bisexual men, including seven within the last two months, he said. (Branson-Potts, 7/7)

KPCC: Health Experts Unsure Why Gay, Bisexual Men At Risk For Meningitis
As they attempt to curb an outbreak of invasive meningococcal disease in Los Angeles County, health experts say they don't know why it's disproportionately affecting gay and bisexual men. Twelve L.A. County residents have contracted meningitis in the past two months; seven of them have been gay or bisexual men. (Plevin, 7/7)

In other news, the U.S. Justice Department has set up a $40 million fund for victims of the deadliest meningitis outbreak in American history —

The Washington Post: Justice Department To Make $40 Million Available For Victims Of Deadly Meningitis Outbreak
The Justice Department plans to make as much as $40 million available for victims of a 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that federal investigators traced to a batch of contaminated steroid injections after a dispute over whether those affected by the outbreak qualified for such financial assistance was finally resolved, officials said. While some of the details still need to be worked out, the Office for Victims of Crime has decided to make the money available from its Crime Victims Fund, which is financed by fines and penalties paid by those convicted of crimes, the officials said. (Zapotosky, 7/7)

The Press Democrat: Sonoma West Medical Center Snags Grant To Extend Care For Patients
Sonoma West Medical Center has been awarded a $750,000 federal grant for developing partnerships to keep people healthy after they’ve left the Sebastopol hospital. The funds, to be used over a five-year period, will be used to create processes and services that essentially track and support patient care, beginning with the emergency room or inpatient setting and continuing all the way to the home. The hospital’s potential partners include West County Community Health Centers, home health agencies and county in-home support services. (Espinoza, 77)

The San Francisco Business Times: Why This Wearable Device Is Tracking Breast Cancer Patients
San Francisco-based Fitbit Inc. is partnering with Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute on a study to determine whether exercise helps decrease the recurrence of breast cancer. It's the largest research project that Fitbit, a maker of fitness trackers, has collaborated on to date, and comes at the heels of Fitbit's recent office expansion in Boston, where it currently employs more than 110. (Castellanos, 7/7)

In other news, a cancer coalition reaches out to a community that has distrust in invasive medical procedures —

KQED: In Fresno, Cancer Screening Advocates Reach Out To Hmong Community
Older members of the Hmong community, in particular, often resist undergoing screening tests that could save their lives because of cultural beliefs, say health professionals and advocates. Studies show the Hmong community has a higher cancer mortality rate when compared to other Asian Americans, in part because the disease is diagnosed at a later stage, which greatly reduces chances of survival. Part of the issue — low utilization of cancer screenings — is rooted in a distrust of invasive medical procedures, says Kay Vu Lee, chair of the Hmong Cancer Coalition and one of the event’s organizers. (Romero, 7/7)

The Fresno Bee: High School Students Shadow Doctors At Kaiser Permanente’s Clovis Location
The students are part of a select group of about 30 students at Caruthers High School who are taking part in the Doctors Academy program – a challenging school-within-a school program at Caruthers, Selma and Sunnyside High Schools for students interested in health professional careers. The program started at Sunnyside High School in Fresno in 1999 and is dedicated to providing extended academic, personal, and career counseling as well as test preparation for ambitious students wanting a career in the medical field. (Barker, 7/7)

In other news from across the state —

KPCC: Exide: Five Schools Found With Elevated Lead Levels
Lorena Street is one of two elementary schools where regulators working on the cleanup around the former Exide battery recycling plant found high levels of lead in yards where kids play before or after school, according to state data. The other is Fishburn Avenue Elementary School in Maywood. Altogether, Toxic Substances Control found elevated levels at five schools in samples collected one year ago. Neither the agency nor the Los Angeles Unified School District have notified the public about these findings. (Aguilera, 7/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Affordable Care Act Battle Returns To Court And Capitol Hill
The battle between congressional Republicans and the White House over the Affordable Care Act is again escalating—in court and on Capitol Hill. The administration on Wednesday appealed a federal trial judge’s ruling that the government is improperly reimbursing insurers under a program to cover discounts for low-income consumers. And House Republicans on Thursday began two days of hearings to hammer away at the issue. They released a report that said the administration distributed the funds even though it was aware it needed Congress’s approval. (Armour, 7/7)

Reuters: U.S. Democrats Pressure Republicans For Bipartisan Zika Funding
The White House and congressional Democrats pressured Republicans on Thursday for bipartisan Zika-funding legislation, saying the public health battle against the mosquito-borne virus is being undercut by efforts to ram through a bill with less funding. But there was no sign that Republicans would abandon their $1.1 billion measure, raising the chance that Congress will leave the growing health crisis unattended until September. (Morgan, 7/7)

The New York Times: Suicide Rate Among Veterans Has Risen Sharply Since 2001
The suicide rate among veterans has surged 35 percent since 2001, driven in part by sharp increases among those who have served since 2001, according to the largest study of such suicides. Of particular concern is the suicide rate among women, which has increased 85 percent in that time. The Department of Veterans Affairs released key findings Thursday of a recently completed study examining the death records of more than 55 million veterans from 1979 to 2014 from every state. (Philipps, 7/7)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Proposes Expanding Diabetes-Prevention Model
In addition to a slew of changes to Medicare's physician payment policies, the CMS on Thursday proposed expanding a program aimed at helping people avoid diabetes. The CMS suggests starting the program in 2018 and is seeking comment whether to launch the effort nationally or in additional select markets. (Dickson, 7/7)

The Associated Press: Study: Trump Health Care Plan Would Make 18M Uninsured
Donald Trump's health care plan would make 18 million people uninsured, but also lower premiums significantly for policies purchased directly by consumers, according to an independent study released Thursday. The new policies would be stingier than what's sold now. Trump's plan would have little effect on people covered by employers and those on Medicare. But millions of low-income adults covered by the Medicaid expansion under President Barack Obama's health care law would lose newly gained benefits. Separately, taxpayers might save money because the government no longer would have to subsidize insurance for millions of citizens. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 7/7)

NBC News: HPV-Related Cancers An 'Epidemic' In Men, Report Finds
The number of cancers related to HPV has dramatically increased, a new government report finds. But too few people are receiving the best protection against the preventable and potentially deadly diseases of the cervix, head and neck: a vaccine given to pre-teens which could protect them later in life. (Gussone, 7/7)

Los Angeles Times: A Shameful Partisan Battle Over Planned Parenthood Threatens Crucial Zika Funding
ll it never end? Crucial emergency funding to fight the spread of the increasingly scary Zika virus, which causes birth defects in unborn babies, has gotten mired in the same tiring partisan fight over contraception and reproductive health that is on endless repeat in Washington. ... The Senate did its part by compromising on a $1.1-billion funding package earlier this year. It wasn’t as much as President Obama requested back in February, but public health experts said it was enough to continue the important work of developing a vaccine and diagnostic tools for the virus. That’s how compromises work. Is it too much to ask the House to do the same? (7/8)

Oakland Tribune: GOP's Cynical Zika Politics Reach New Low
In an era of cynical partisan politics, congressional Republicans may have reached a new low. Five months ago, President Barack Obama sought $1.8 billion in emergency funds to stem the spread of the Zika virus, which has been linked to microcephaly, a birth defect in which infants have unusually small heads and damaged brains. The nation is still waiting. (7/7)

Los Angeles Times: We're All Paying A High Price For Drug Company Profiteering
The drug companies are ripping us off, pill by pill, shot by shot. Instead of working to earn reasonable returns by relieving our suffering and saving lives, they now focus on profits above all. Their main targets are insurance companies. But when insurance companies take a hit, they bump up premiums to employers or the government. So we all pay — in taxes, reduced take-home pay, copayments and deductibles. (Daniel J. Stone, 7/6)

LA Daily News: Abortion, Race Rulings Show This Should Be Called The Kennedy Court
The Supreme Court term that ended June 27 showed more than ever that it is truly the Anthony Kennedy Court. Justice Kennedy voted in the majority in 98 percent of all of the decisions. Where Kennedy voted with the three conservative justices — John Roberts, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — the result was a 4-4 tie. This meant that the lower court decision was affirmed, without opinion from the Supreme Court, by an evenly divided court. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 7/6)

LA Daily News: Our Veterans Deserve Medical Care Fit For A Governor
The VA Office of Nursing Services has proposed a new policy to expand the role of advanced practice nurses, including nurse anesthetists, in the VA system. This new policy in the Nursing Handbook would make it mandatory for these nurses to practice independently. Physician anesthesiologists wouldn’t be needed at all, according to this proposal, even in the most complicated cases — such as open-heart surgery. If this misguided policy goes into effect, the standard of care in VA hospitals will be very different from the standard of care other patients can expect. (Karen Short, 7/2)

Ventura County Star: Doctors Need To Support Bill On Drug Database
The numbers are staggering and getting worse. More than 165,000 Americans died from prescription opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2014, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state Department of Public Health says 1,895 Californians died of opioid overdoses in 2013. An additional 11,683 — an average of 32 a day — were treated in California emergency rooms for nonfatal overdoses and other opioid-related conditions. (7/6)

The Press Democrat: A Bumper Crop Of Ballot Measures
You see, there will be at least 17 state ballot measures on the Nov. 8 ballot — Propositions 51 through 67. It’s the most since March 2000, when there were 20....Proposition 61, for example, would cap the amount the state pays for prescription drugs at no more than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pays. (7/7)

Bloomberg: Medivation Overplays A Risky Hand
After months of playing defense against Sanofi's aggressive takeover pursuit, cancer drugmaker Medivation is now rolling out an ambitious offense.In what seemed to be an attempt to spark a bidding war Wednesday evening, Medivation held a long call with analysts and investors about its developmental cancer drug talazoparib. Promising Phase 3 trial results for a similar drug more than doubled shares of competing biotech Tesaro last week. (Max Nisen, 7/7)

Oakland Tribune: What Happens When Your Medi-Cal Luck Runs Out
I am a 17-year-old undocumented young adult and I believe that access to affordable health care services should not depend on luck. I am lucky because as of recently, undocumented people under the age of 19 are now eligible for full scope Medi-Cal. This means that, for the first time in our lives, my brother and I have access to health care -- something most people probably take for granted. (David Xia-Zhu, 7/6)

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Seniors Face Housing, Health Crisis
In San Diego County, the number of seniors, 65 and older, grew by 26.4 percent between 2000 and 2013 — to just under 400,000, according to Census Bureau data. By 2030, according to Live Well San Diego, that number will grow to 723,000. The fastest growing senior age group — 85 and older — is expected to increase from 59,666 in 2012 to 84,048 in 2030. (Ciriaco “Cid” Pinedo, 7/1)

Los Angeles Times: Southern California Doesn't Have The Money To Buy Its Way To Clean Air
The Southern California agency responsible for cleaning up the region’s smoggy air has a new strategy to cut pollution: Hope and plead for money to buy cleaner cars and trucks. To comply with federal law, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a blueprint last week outlining the rules, policies and programs the agency would enact to cut pollution dramatically enough for the nation’s smoggiest region to finally meet federal Clean Air Act standards by 2023. Instead, the plan the AQMD released relies on billions of dollars in currently nonexistent incentives to encourage businesses and individuals to switch to low-emissions cars, trucks and other equipment. It’s another troubling sign that the agency, operating under a new Republican-majority board of directors whose members have pledged to reduce environmental regulations, is backsliding on clean air and protecting public health. (7/6)

Los Angeles Times: Vermont's Newest Export Is Bad GMO Policy
Californians smartly rejected a ballot initiative in 2012 that would have required warning labels on groceries containing genetically altered organisms. It was bad policy based on nothing but conjecture. There’s no evidence that eating GMO-laden foods is harmful to humans. But GMO warning labels may be forced on food sold in this state nonetheless. (Editorial Board, 7/7)

Orange County Register: Adult Use Of Marijuana Act Will Increase Public Safety
Since 1996 and the passage of Proposition 215, which legalized medicial marijuana, our roadways have seen a decrease in the fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled from 1.32 to .92. These accident rates continue to be lower than the national average including states where marijuana is only available in the illicit market. This is despite law enforcement’s characterization of California as having “de-facto marijuana legalization.” It’s clear that no one should drive while impaired, whether the substance is legal or not, and we should hold those that do accountable. (Diane Goldstein, 7/8)