Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
California May Require Labels on Pot Products to Warn of Mental Health Risks
Doctors and lawmakers in California want cannabis products labeled to warn consumers of the increased risk of schizophrenia and other disorders associated with heavy use. (April Dembosky, KQED, )
Abortion Bill Heads To Newsom’s Desk: California lawmakers on Thursday passed a bill that aims to protect abortion providers and patients seeking abortion care in the state from civil action started in another state. Assembly Bill 1666 next heads to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is supportive of abortion rights. It would take effect immediately with his signature. Read more from CNN and Axios.
Bill Aims To Protect California’s Gun Control Laws: Attorney General Rob Bonta announced legislation Thursday that he said would withstand the legal challenges likely to result from the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that imperils California’s strict gun control laws. Bonta said Senate Bill 918 would clarify where concealed firearms are forbidden and enumerate the qualifications required for obtaining a concealed carry permit. Read more from The Sacramento Bee, Politico, and the Los Angeles Times. Keep scrolling for more on the gun violence epidemic.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
Sacramento Bee:
Supreme Court Gun Ruling A ‘Dark Day For America,’ Says California Gov. Newsom
California’s tough laws regulating concealed carry weapons are likely imperiled by the Supreme Court’s ruling Thursday striking down a similar New York statute, on what Gov. Gavin Newsom called a “dark day in America.” The 6-to-3 decision means “more people will carry guns in bars, in shopping malls, in churches, hospitals, movie theaters, even schools.,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., in a statement. Feinstein has been active for decades promoting gun safety and regulation. (Lightman, 6/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
How California Gun Laws Are Impacted By Supreme Court Ruling In New York
Americans have a constitutional right to carry concealed firearms in public, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The 6-3 decision struck down a New York law requiring individuals to show a special need for self-defense to carry guns outside the home, applies equally to a similar law in California, and will allow thousands of guns on city streets. “The constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense is not a ‘second-class’ right,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court’s majority. To justify any restrictions on gun possession, he said, the government must show that it is “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation” — and in this case, states and their colonial predecessors historically allowed their citizens to carry those weapons. (Egelko, 6/23)
Orange County Register:
Experts: Supreme Court Ruling Means More Guns In Public Places For Southern California
The U.S. Supreme Court decision to swat down a major part of New York’s concealed weapons law ensures there will be more guns on the street in Southern California and more roadblocks to reform, experts said Thursday. However, advocates on both sides of the gun debate promised they will not let down, especially in California, which has some of the strictest firearm regulations in the nation. “I will do everything I can as city attorney to keep us from backsliding,” said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, the top legal official in a city known for its tight regulations on who can carry a gun outside the home. “This decision is very dangerous and has the potential to erode public safety.” (Saavedra and Rokos, 6/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
How California Won’t Make It Easy To Obtain Concealed Carry Licenses
The Supreme Court probably tore a giant hole in California’s concealed-carry gun law, but that doesn’t mean the Golden State must suddenly make it easy to obtain licenses to carry firearms in public. On Thursday, the court struck down a New York law requiring gun owners to show they have “proper cause” to get a permit to carry a handgun outside of their home. The ruling probably jeopardizes similarly restrictive laws in California, a half-dozen other states and the District of Columbia, which all require applicants to prove they have a special reason to need self-protection. (Gardiner, 6/23)
KPCC:
Supreme Court Strikes Down New York Gun Law. What It Means For Gun Control And California
The Supreme Court said Thursday that Americans have a right to carry guns in public, a major expansion of gun rights. The justices’ 6-3 decision follows a series of recent mass shootings and is expected to ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities – including New York, Los Angeles, and Boston – and elsewhere. It’s the high court’s first major gun decision in more than a decade, and about a quarter of the U.S. population lives in states expected to be affected by it – including California, which is one of six states with similar laws. In their decision, the justices struck down a New York law requiring people to demonstrate a particular need for carrying a gun in order to get a license to carry one in public. The justices said the requirement violates the Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.” Writing for the majority, Justice Clarence Thomas said the Constitution protects “an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.” Backers of New York’s law had argued that striking it down would ultimately lead to more guns on the streets and higher rates of violent crime. Today on AirTalk, Larry discusses the ruling and its implications with David Savage, Supreme Court reporter for the Los Angeles Times and Ben Christopher, state politics reporter for CalMatters. (6/23)
CapRadio:
Supreme Court Ruling Puts Target On California Gun Laws
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued one of its most significant gun law rulings in more than a decade, tossing out New York state’s tight restrictions on who can carry a concealed gun in public. Gun rights activists are celebrating the 6-3 decision, while advocates for stricter gun laws decry it. Both agree that California’s similar law may be next to be challenged. (Christopher, 6/23)
AP:
American Medical Association Weighs In
The American Medical Association has called the ruling a “harmful and deeply disturbing decision.” “Firearm violence is a public health crisis, and easier access to weapons and fewer restrictions on who can carry them — and where they can be carried — are dangerous steps in the wrong direction,” Dr. Jack Resneck, the AMA’s president, said in a written statement. “Overturning decades of reasonable firearm regulations will cost more lives.” (6/23)
Modesto Bee:
Will CA Be Affected By The End Of Abortion Ruling Roe V. Wade?
If Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case that grants abortion rights, is overturned, the decision will affect millions — including those in California, known for its progressive abortion policies. When it comes to the medical procedure, a family planning specialist told The Bee, politics should not interfere with the doctor-patient relationship. (Adatia and Taylor, 6/24)
Sacramento Bee:
As Supreme Court Threatens Roe V Wade, CA Restricts Some Abortions
Megan Fidell went into her third trimester convinced she was pregnant with a healthy baby. One morning in her 31st week, she woke up excited to go to the doctor and see her baby on an ultrasound; by 11 a.m., she and her partner, David Lemon, were pacing through the park in tears, resolved to terminate the pregnancy. Severe hydrocephalus, Fidell’s doctor had told the couple that spring day in 2012. Pointing to the black-and-white ultrasound images, the obstetrician showed them where the baby’s brain should be. There was a huge dark space. The doctor explained the baby’s head was so large that Fidell would need a risky C-section. She said that the baby’s ventricles were full of fluid; Fidell saw that the brain was a film on the edge of the skull. There was no cure. The baby might never speak words. He would have to endure surgery before he turned 1, if he even lived that long. (Lange, 6/24)
The Sacramento Bee:
Newsom Wants California To Be A Haven For Abortion. So Why Couldn’t Megan Get Help?
A Sacramento woman had to travel out of state for her abortion. While some see California as an abortion haven, most later abortions are still illegal. (Lange, 6/24)
KQED:
Rebecca Bauer-Kahan On Preparing For Abortion Decision And John Myers Signs Off
Marisa and Scott talk with Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan about how Democrats in the state legislature are preparing for a possible reversal of Roe v. Wade and where talks stand on an inflation relief legislation. Then, John Myers, former capitol bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times and KQED, joins to talk about his career covering state government as he heads to become Chief of Public Affairs at CalPERS.(Lagos and Shafer, 6/23)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
COVID-19 Hospitalizations Rising, County Reports
San Diego County hospitals saw a sudden increase in coronavirus-related admissions Wednesday, according to the region’s latest weekly COVID-19 report. Total confirmed and suspected cases admitted to all non-military hospitals across the region jumped from 234 Tuesday to 280 Wednesday. (Sisson, 6/23)
Palm Springs Desert Sun:
Riverside County Moves To 'Medium' Virus Transmission Level
While COVID-19 cases fell slightly in the Coachella Valley in the week ending Wednesday, metrics for Riverside County remain high and have moved the county into the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's "medium" community transmission level. Under that distinction, residents are encouraged to wear masks in indoor settings, especially if they are at or around those with high-risk of illness, and stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. Other Southern California counties are under the "medium" level as well. (Sasic, 6/23)
Santa Cruz Sentinel:
UC Santa Cruz Researchers Collect More Than 10 Million Coronavirus Variants
UC Santa Cruz researchers have compiled more than 10 million genetic variants of the COVID-19 virus from around the world and organized them into a family tree that maps the evolution of the coronavirus. “This scale of data is really unprecedented,” said UC Santa Cruz bioinformatics programmer, Angie Hinrichs. “We’ve never had so many genomes from the same species before.” (Sleeper, 6/24)
CNN:
Biden Admin Announces At-Home Covid Tests For Blind And Low-Vision People
The Biden administration on Thursday rolled out free at-home Covid-19 tests that are designed to be more accessible for people who are blind or visually impaired. White House Covid-19 response coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said the administration will provide more accessible, rapid self-tests to Americans across the country for free through Covidtests.gov, which ships tests through the US Postal Service. (Judd and Vazquez, 6/23)
USA Today:
Lack Of Universal Health Care Cost 300,000 US Lives In COVID: Study
More than 330,000 Americans could have been saved during COVID-19 pandemic if the United States operated under a universal health care system – nearly one-third of the total COVID-related deaths – according to a recent study. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA last week found that universal health care would have helped address underlying and pre-existing conditions that contributed to the COVID-related deaths, ultimately saving over 338,000 lives between the start of the pandemic and mid-March 2022. (Elbeshbishi, 6/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Will COVID Evolve To Cause Less Severe Disease? Why We Can’t Assume The Answer Is Yes
When scientists find a new disease-causing virus in humans, the first question they want answered is: Can this thing spread easily from person to person? And if not, will it someday? Avian influenza can infect humans, but it’s not very good at passing from one person to another. Same with the coronavirus that causes MERS, another severe respiratory illness. Though hundreds of cases of both have been reported over the past two decades, neither virus seems inclined to evolve toward efficient person-to-person transmission. (Allday, 6/24)
Orange County Register:
Coronavirus: Orange County Is 72% Fully Vaccinated As Of June 23
The OC Health Care Agency reported 2,324,587 county residents were fully vaccinated as of Thursday, June 23. This represents about 72% of Orange County’s total population. Also, there have been 1,329,788 booster doses administered. (Goertzen, 6/23)
AP:
Experts Endorse Moderna COVID-19 Shots For Kids Ages 6 To 17
An expert panel backed a second COVID-19 vaccine option for kids ages 6 to 17 Thursday. Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted unanimously to recommend Moderna shots as an option for school-age kids and adolescents. This group has been able to get shots shots made by Pfizer since last year. The panel’s recommendations usually are adopted by the CDC, and become the government’s guidance for U.S. doctors and their patients. (Stobbe, 6/23)
Reuters:
Sanofi, GSK Variant-Specific COVID Shot Found Effective Against Omicron
Late-stage data on an experimental COVID-19 vaccine from Sanofi and GSK has showed the shot confers protection against the Omicron variant of the virus, the companies said on Friday. The so-called bivalent vaccine targets the Beta variant - first identified in South Africa - as well as the original Wuhan strain of the virus. (Grover, 6/24)
AP:
COVID Vaccines Saved 20M Lives In 1st Year, Scientists Say
Nearly 20 million lives were saved by COVID-19 vaccines during their first year, but even more deaths could have been prevented if international targets for the shots had been reached, researchers reported Thursday. On Dec. 8, 2020, a retired shop clerk in England received the first shot in what would become a global vaccination campaign. Over the next 12 months, more than 4.3 billion people around the world lined up for the vaccines. (Johnson, 6/23)
Monterey Herald:
Monterey County Reports First Probable Case Of Monkeypox
Monterey County’s first probable case of monkeypox has been identified in a resident, the county’s Health Department confirmed in a press release Thursday afternoon. The Health Department is awaiting confirmation of the test results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the individual is isolated and in good condition. “Monterey County Health Department is prepared for this case and is preparing for other cases, should more occur,” said Monterey County Health Officer Dr. Edward Moreno in the press release. “We want to emphasize that this is not a disease that spreads easily through the air like COVID-19.” (Gibbs, 6/24)
Los Angeles Times:
First Suspected Cases Of Monkeypox In Riverside And Santa Clara Counties Reported
With monkeypox cases ticking up in California, public health officials in Riverside and Santa Clara counties reported their first probable cases this week. Health officials in Riverside County received positive test results from a man in the eastern portion of the county on Tuesday, said Jose Arballo Jr., spokesperson for Riverside University Health System-Public Health. The man, who is under 60 years old, showed up at a clinic with symptoms and was tested, Arballo said. He did not require hospitalization and was well enough to recover at home. (Valdez, 6/23)
Reuters:
U.S. CDC Confirms Evidence Of Local Monkeypox Transmission
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said there was evidence of local transmission of monkeypox, in addition to reports of cases where people had traveled abroad. The cases are mainly occurring in men who have sex with men, but women are also getting infected, CDC staff member Dr. Agam Rao said at a panel meeting on Thursday. (6/23)
The New York Times:
Origin Of The Monkeypox Outbreak Becomes Clearer To Scientists
Genetic analysis suggests that although the monkeypox virus is rapidly spreading in the open, it has been silently circulating in people for years. Health officials have already identified two versions of monkeypox among American patients, suggesting at least two separate chains of transmission. Researchers in several countries have found cases with no known source of infection, indicating undetected community spread. And one research team argued last month that monkeypox had already crossed a threshold into sustainable person-to-person transmission. (Mandavilli, 6/23)
The Washington Post:
U.S. Monkeypox Response Mirrors Early Coronavirus Missteps, Experts Say
Public health experts, including within the Biden administration, are increasingly concerned that the federal government’s handling of the largest-ever U.S. monkeypox outbreak is mirroring its cumbersome response to the coronavirus pandemic 2½ years ago, with potentially dire consequences. As a result, they said, community transmission is occurring largely undetected, and the critical window in which to control the outbreak is closing quickly. (Sun, Diamond and Nirappil, 6/23)
Bloomberg:
Monkeypox Outbreak: CDC Eyes Vaccine Access For Kids
US health officials are looking to expand use of the monkeypox vaccine for children as the outbreak continues to spread across the US and in countries around the world, with more than 3,300 cases reported globally. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is developing a protocol aimed at allowing use of Bavarian Nordic A/S’s Jynneos vaccine in children, if needed, according to documents prepared for a meeting of agency advisers that took place this week. The vaccine is currently cleared for use in adults and is considered safer than Emergent BioSolutions Inc.’s ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine, which can also be used against monkeypox. (Muller and Griffin, 6/23)
KQED:
The FDA Orders Juul To Pull All Of Its Vaping Products From The U.S. Market
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a marketing denial order to Juul, telling the company to remove its e-cigarettes from the U.S. marketplace — a decision that promises to shake up the vaping market. The decision applies to "all of their products currently marketed in the United States," the FDA said. (Chappell, 6/23)
Roll Call:
FDA Orders JUUL To Remove All Vaping Products From The Market
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday ordered vaping giant JUUL to remove its remaining products from the market, after roughly two years of reviewing the company’s applications. The agency cited “insufficient and conflicting data” about the potential for leaking chemicals from JUUL e-liquid pods, which it said precluded its ability to complete a proper risk assessment. (Clason, 6/23)
Axios:
What The FDA Ban On Juul Means For Big Tobacco
The FDA's decision to order Juul e-cigarette products off the U.S. market opens a new and grinding battle in the push to revamp the government’s rules for smoking and vaping. With parallel efforts to cap nicotine in cigarettes and ban menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, the Biden administration is pursuing a broad tobacco agenda not seen since the Clinton administration. It could be a drawn-out and costly fight. Hours after the FDA issued its marketing denial order on Thursday, Juul said it would seek a stay and was exploring a possible appeal. (Bettelheim, 6/24)
Axios:
Americans Can't Stop Searching "How To Stop Vaping"
Online search interest in "How to stop vaping" is up amid news that impacts people who use vaping products nationwide, Google Trends data indicates. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it will order Juul to remove its e-cigarettes out of the U.S. market, taking away an e-cigarette option for millions of smokers. The FDA has been working to cap nicotine in cigarettes, while the Biden administration has been working to limit tobacco in the U.S. (Scribner, 6/23)
San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
Nurses At Kaiser Hospital In Los Angeles Stage One-Day Strike
Hundreds of nurses at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center staged a one-day strike Thursday, June 23, claiming they are understaffed, overworked and lacking in supplies needed to adequately do their job. Nearly 700 of the facility’s 1,200 nurses were on hand, wielding picket signs reading, “On Strike for Safe Patient Care.” (Smith, 6/23)
Los Angeles Times:
Parents Of Beverly Grove Man Killed By Intruder Sue LAPD Over Response To Prior 911 Calls
The parents of a 31-year-old man fatally stabbed by an intruder at his Beverly Grove home last year have sued the Los Angeles Police Department, claiming the police mishandled multiple 911 calls about the suspect in the hours before the attack. Gabriel “Gabe” Donnay’s neighbors had called police on the suspect, Enoch Conners, at least four times that day for hopping fences in the neighborhood and threatening residents. Officers spoke to Conners multiple times, each time letting him go and telling the neighbors that they were safe to return to their homes, according to the lawsuit. (Rector, 6/23)
Los Angeles Daily News:
It’s Time To End The COVID Emergency And Limit Newsom’s State Of Emergency Powers
After more than 800 days, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s declaration of a COVID-19 state of emergency remains in effect. Although Gov. Newsom has dropped most of the restrictions he unilaterally imposed under this emergency, he retains the power to reimpose lockdowns and other highly coercive measures without legislative intervention. The time has come to both end the COVID-19 state of emergency and to reconsider the ability of this or any future California governor to exercise emergency powers indefinitely. (Marc Joffe, 6/23)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Abortion Bans Trample On The Religious Freedom Of Muslims, Too
As the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade continues to cause alarm across the country, religious minority groups are gearing up for a legal battle to protect their religious freedoms. On June 10, a Florida synagogue filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks saying it prevents Jews from having a procedure that, in some cases, Jewish law would require them to have. They’re not alone. (Asifa Quraishi-Landes, 6/23)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
My Best Friend Had An Illegal Abortion. It Was Expensive, Traumatic And Dangerous.
In 1972, when I was a sophomore in college, my best friend got pregnant. This was before the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, the lawsuit that led to justices establishing a nationwide right to abortion. She was in a toxic relationship with a Vietnam veteran who had post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues. He was not a good candidate as a husband or a father. And she wasn’t in a financial position to support a child herself. (Judy Piercey, 6/22)
Los Angeles Times:
States Must Stop Deceptive 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers'
As we face the imminent overturn of Roe vs. Wade, clinicians, legislators and activists are preparing for dramatic shifts in the lives of pregnant people and their families. One trend that’s already troubling is the proliferation of crisis pregnancy centers, or CPCs, in California and nationwide. These antiabortion organizations target low-income people facing unintended pregnancies. Their goal is not to provide care, but to prevent people from accessing abortion and contraception. The centers advance their mission “by using deceptive and coercive tactics and medical disinformation, and misleadingly presenting themselves as medical facilities,” according to a recent report from the Alliance: State Advocates for Women’s Rights and Gender Equality. As abortion providers in California, we have witnessed the consequences of this deception and coercion. (Jessica Hamilton and Christine Henneberg, 6/22)
Sonoma Index-Tribune:
Heroic Teens Demonstrate Power Of CPR And Defibrillator Training
When their friend’s heart stopped beating while playing basketball on Thursday, a group of Sonoma Valley teens swooped into action. They started CPR, physically forcing the heart to pump. They also located the nearest automated external defibrillator (AED), to try to shock his heart back to life. As Fire Chief Steve Akre perfectly summarized: “They did everything they could possibly do. They did everything right.” (6/23)
East Bay Times:
Closing Digital Divide Would Help End Telehealth Disparity
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic drove a rapid widescale shift to telehealth services, widening existing disparities for underserved communities. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, one in four Americans does not have the digital literacy skills or access to internet-enabled digital devices to engage in video visits. Patients with limited English proficiency, limited digital literacy, low socioeconomic status or older age often lack the resources required to overcome the structural barriers to telehealth access. (Brandon Aguilar, 6/24)
Los Angeles Times:
Why Is It So Hard To Get Healthcare As A Trans Cancer Patient?
Nobody can know what it is like to be a cancer patient without actually having cancer. Before I was diagnosed, I had proximity to cancer patients and experiences in healthcare that I thought gave me insight. In some ways they did. Yet although I had previously experienced discrimination for being transgender, nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to endure as a trans cancer patient. The abusive treatment I have experienced makes clear how having cancer and being trans are stigmatized in our healthcare system. (Lex Rivers, 6/20)
Modesto Bee:
Stanislaus County’s West Side Deserves Health Care Upgrade
Golden hour questions may forever haunt the memory of last month’s massacre at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The golden hour represents the critical time after a traumatic event in which the injured just might survive if they get medical care. After those precious 60 minutes, all bets are off. (6/19)
Los Angeles Times:
Overhyped Alzheimer’s Treatments Betrayed Patients' Hopes. Here's How Science Should Change
America’s science policies are changing. America’s scientists need to change with them. The recent controversies over the Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval of an Alzheimer’s treatment are a lesson in the costs of failing to do so. A year ago, the FDA fast-tracked Biogen’s aducanumab — the first new Alzheimer’s drug in almost 20 years — even after an expert panel nearly unanimously recommended against giving it the green light. The decision has been so contested that lawmakers are now trying to change the FDA’s accelerated approval process. (Jason Karlawish, 6/20)
CalMatters:
California Can Find Better Ways Of Dealing With Dying Prisoners
While lawmakers in Sacramento work to address rising concerns about crime, they should not stop seeking opportunities to pursue meaningful, evidence-based criminal justice reform. One place to start would be with sick and dying incarcerated people. People who are incapacitated or nearing the end of their lives are the most expensive to incarcerate and the least likely to reoffend. California law permits courts to resentence certain people who meet strict criteria on time served so that they may live their final months outside a prison. (Daniel Landsman, 6/22)
CalMatters:
Investment In Housing Is The Bottom-Line Answer To Homelessness
Twenty years have passed since voters approved a $2.1 billion bond to address homelessness, yet it remains a humanitarian crisis with no foreseeable end. Homeless encampments abound, and another governor is proposing a solution that does not address the root cause. The problem is clear — people cannot afford the rents in California — and so is the answer. Californians need more housing, and the state needs to help pay for it. (Mike Herald, 6/24)
Capitol Weekly:
The Essential Reality And Necessity Of Environmental Justice
The term “environmental justice” — or EJ, for short — has recently gained widespread usage among the general public. Do you know what it means? At the heart of it is that our most disadvantaged communities and neighborhoods have historically been disproportionately impacted by industrial pollution, toxic waste and air emissions that adversely affect the health and well-being of residents in those areas. (Rev. Mac Shorty, 6/21)