The Associated Press: Abortion, Free Speech Collide In Supreme Court Dispute
Informed Choices is what its president describes as a "life-affirming" pregnancy center on the edge of downtown Gilroy in northern California. Even as it advertises "free pregnancy services" and promises in signs on its door and inside to discuss all options with pregnant women, Informed Choices exists to steer women away from abortion. The state of California, prompted by abortion rights groups, worried that vulnerable, uninsured women were going to Informed Choices and other anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers expecting they would get comprehensive care. (3/16)

The Associated Press: 2 Women Offer Differing Views Of Crisis Pregnancy Centers
Accounts from two women who visited crisis pregnancy centers, with differing views of the experience. (3/16)

The Associated Press: California Lawsuits Accuse Uber And Lyft Of Discriminating Against Wheelchair Users
If a person wants to drive for Uber or Lyft but doesn’t have a car, both ride-hailing companies steer them toward rental cars. If a driver doesn’t feel like getting behind the wheel when it rains, both companies sweeten the deal by offering additional pay. If a driver’s car isn’t wheelchair accessible, should Uber and Lyft then encourage them to drive a vehicle that is more accommodating? That’s the question at the heart of two lawsuits that attorneys from Disabilities Rights Advocates, a nonprofit advocacy group, filed in recent weeks against Lyft and Uber. (Lien, 3/15)

In other news out of the courts —

KQED: S.F.-Based McKesson Corp. Subpoenaed In Opioid Probe
New York state prosecutors have served the McKesson Corp. with a subpoena in connection with a multistate investigation into the San Francisco-based drug distribution giant's opioid marketing and sales practices. The office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman confirmed Thursday that it served McKesson, the nation's largest prescription drug distributor, and Ohio-based Cardinal Health, with subpoenas, seeking company records and communications related to suspicious drug orders. (Goldberg, 3/15)

Orange County Register/City News Service: Co-Owner Of SoCal Drug Treatment Centers Pleads Guilty In Massive Billing Scheme
The co-owner of a company that operated drug and alcohol treatment centers in Southern California and Colorado pleaded guilty Wednesday to all 46 felony counts against her involving a $175 million health-care billing scheme. Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo immediately sentenced Kirsten Wallace, 44, to 11 years in state prison following her plea to 28 counts of money laundering, seven counts of grand theft of personal property, six counts of identity theft and five counts of insurance fraud, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. (3/15)

The Washington Post: Fertility Clinic Failures Forge Lost Legacies, Heartbreak
Many of them had already endured their share of heartache. Some had been trying for years to get pregnant, suffering through multiple miscarriages. Others had undergone cancer treatments that destroyed their fertility. Now, hundreds of these women and couples have learned that the eggs and embryos they froze for eventual use in starting or expanding a family may have been destroyed by storage tank failures March 4 at two fertility clinics in suburban Cleveland and San Francisco. (Seewer, 3/15)

San Jose Mercury News: New Lawsuit Over San Francisco Fertility Center Tank Problem
A second lawsuit has been filed against a San Francisco fertility center by a Sacramento couple that says their frozen embryos were destroyed by a rare tank malfunction, dashing their hopes of starting a family. Megan and Jonathan Bauer’s lawsuit says they were planning to transfer one of their eight embryos stored at Pacific Fertility Center next month — and were shocked to be told that something went wrong. (Krieger, 3/15)

The Associated Press: Sheriff: Vet Shot Self After Killing 3 Mental Health Workers
A combat veteran killed himself after fatally shooting three mental health workers last week at a California veterans home, authorities said Thursday. The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said Albert Wong, 36, shot the three workers in the head with a rifle at the California Veterans Home in Yountville. The sheriff didn’t release the type of rifle used. The sheriff also serves as the county’s coroner. (3/15)

The Mercury News: Autopsy Results Released For Yountville Veterans Home Shooting
Three women taken hostage and killed in a shooting at the Yountville veterans home last Friday died from rifle shots to the head, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office. Dr. Jennifer Gonzales Shushereba’s unborn baby — she was seven months pregnant — died due to a lack of oxygenated blood caused by her mother’s death, according to the autopsy results. Shooter Albert Wong, 36, died from one self-inflicted fatal wound to his head from his shotgun, the sheriff’s department said. (Gafni, 3/15)

Capital Public Radio: Liberal Groups Mount Push For Universal (Not Single-Payer) Healthcare In California
California isn’t moving to a single-payer health care system anytime soon. So a coalition of liberal advocacy groups is calling for policy actions this year to achieve statewide universal coverage under California’s current health care system. Many of the groups in the coalition support single-payer but acknowledge that barriers like state costs and Trump administration approval are insurmountable in the short term. (Adler, 3/15)

The Mercury News: Advocates Offer New Remedy For California Health Care Woes As A Bridge To Single Payer 
California won’t be adopting single-payer health care with its $400 billion price tag anytime soon. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon made sure of that by opposing it. But the health care system is ailing, and organized labor, health care advocates and several Democratic lawmakers are offering a new prescription in the form of several bills. The measures could provide a bridge to a single-payer system in the future. “Universal coverage is within our grasp,” Anthony Wright of Health Access California, the leading proponent of the package, said at a news conference at the state Capitol Thursday. (Morain, 3/15)

The Associated Press: California Could Cut Pot Taxes In Bid To Lure Legal Users
Less than three months after California launched legal marijuana sales for adults, the state could consider temporarily slashing hefty tax rates that some say are driving buyers into the black market. Growers and sellers in the nation's largest legal marketplace have been complaining that taxes that in some cases can near 50 percent are too high. Many consumers, they say, are shopping in the underground market to save a buck. (Blood and Thompson, 3/15)

Los Angeles Times: California Considers Lower Taxes On Pot To Help New Legal Industry Compete With Black Market
Alarmed that California's fledgling legal marijuana industry is being undercut by the black market, a group of lawmakers proposed Thursday to reduce state taxes for three years on growing and selling cannabis to allow licensed sellers to get on their feet. With many California license holders claiming they can't compete because of high state and local taxes, the new legislation would cut the state excise tax from 15% to 11% and suspend a cultivation tax that charges $148 per pound. (McGreevy, 3/15)

Meanwhile —

The Associated Press: San Francisco Embraces Amsterdam-Style Marijuana Lounges
[T]here’s nothing like the Barbary Coast lounge almost anywhere in the United States, a conundrum confronting many marijuana enthusiasts who find it increasingly easy to buy pot but harder to find legal places to smoke it. Only California permits marijuana smoking at marijuana retailers with specially designed lounges. But it also allows cities to ban those kids of shops. (Elias, 3/15)

KPCC: California's Aging Driver Fatalities Are Increasing
Fatal crashes involving older drivers are increasing. According to a new report from the nonprofit transportation research group, TRIP, California has the largest number of licensed drivers over 65 and the third highest number of fatalities involving at least one of those drivers. (Carpenter and Patel, 3/15)

In other public health news —

Sacramento Bee: He Caught A Rare, Crippling Virus At A State Park. His Dad Fears A Cover-Up
Citrus Heights resident Curtis Fry wants answers. After eight months of waiting, he doesn’t understand why Cal/OSHA can’t provide them. Fry’s 22-year-old son, Spencer Fry, contracted the deadly hantavirus in July 2017 while working at Bodie State Historic Park and living in state-provided housing. An avid runner and hiker, Spencer suffered permanent hearing loss in his left ear and partial leg paralysis as a result. Fry said he wants state investigators to report how he was exposed and hold State Parks accountable, but he fears investigators will water down criticism because Spencer submitted a form saying he intended to sue. (Anderson, 3/16)

Orange County Register: 5 Things To Ask When Looking For An Assisted Living Facility
Believe it or not, that day will come when you or a loved one will need additional care. But with almost 16,000 nursing homes operating in the U.S., how can you find the best facility for your family? The first step is searching Medicare ratings for facilities in the desired area. Then, schedule a tour. And while you have a staff member or administrator available, here are five questions to ask about the facility. (Osmond Cook, 3/15)

Los Angeles Times: Move Over, Neanderthals: Our Ancestors Mated With Denisovans Not Once But Twice, Scientists Say
Humans weren't just making babies with Neanderthals back in the day. A new study that compares the genomes of different groups of modern humans has found that our ancestors interbred with another close relative, the Denisovans, more than once. The findings, published in the journal Cell, demonstrate a special method that scientists can use to find these hidden fragments of DNA from our long-gone cousins — and shed fresh light on the complexities of human evolution. (Khan, 3/15)

Orange County Register: As Motel Voucher Expiration Dates Approach, Santa Ana River Homeless Lawsuit Hearing Moves From Federal Courthouse To City Hall
The next hearing in the civil rights lawsuit over the removal of hundreds of homeless people from riverbed tent encampments might balloon into a countywide summit on homelessness. Motel stays for more than 600 people displaced from the Santa Ana River Trail and scattered around the county begin to expire this weekend. U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter earlier in the week summoned attorneys representing Orange County and homeless plaintiffs to a status conference scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Santa Ana City Hall council chambers. (Walker, 3/15)

In other news from across the state —

Sacramento Bee: Prison Psychologist Reported Recovering After Being Repeatedly Punched By Inmate
A staff psychologist at California State Prison, Sacramento, in Folsom is reported recovering from an attack by an inmate Thursday. The incident occurred about 10:55 a.m in the Enhance Outpatient Treatment Center in the prison's Facility B. Inmate Edjuan Scott repeatedly punched the psychologist, a woman, in the mouth, according to a news release from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The blow knocked the woman backward, causing her to strike her head on the ground and lose consciousness. (Locke, 3/15)

The Desert Sun: New Children's Clinic Brings Speciality Medical Care To Indio
For many years, parents of children with chronic diseases or immediate medical needs had to travel all the way from the Coachella Valley to Loma Linda University Medical Center in to receive specialized medical care for their kids. Families with limited access to personal transportation often had to take several buses to make the trek northwest. On Monday, Loma Linda University's new children health center opened its doors in Indio, expanding the university clinic's services to eastern part of the county. The clinic will be providing general pediatric services as well as specialized care on selected dates. (Maschke, 3/14)

KQED: San Onofre Nuclear Waste May Go to New Mexico, Instead of 100 Feet From the Beach
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has begun a technical review of a license for an interim storage site for nuclear waste in New Mexico -- and that's a hopeful sign for those fighting to find an alternative to burying spent nuclear fuel 100 feet from the beach at the now-closed San Onofre nuclear plant, in northern San Diego County. (St John, 3/15)

NPR: FDA To Limit Nicotine In Cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it wants to sharply reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes. The idea is to help wean millions of smokers off their deadly habit and prevent millions more from becoming regular smokers in the first place. "Despite years of aggressive efforts to tackle the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, tobacco use — largely cigarette smoking — still kills more than 480,000 Americans every single year," FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a statement. (Stein, 3/15)

California Healthline: FDA Moves To Cut Nicotine In Cigarettes, Helping Smokers Kick Habit
The idea of reducing nicotine to non-addictive or “minimally addictive” levels is the “cornerstone” of a comprehensive tobacco control plan announced in July by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. “We’re taking a pivotal step today that could ultimately bring us closer to our vision of a world where combustible cigarettes would no longer create or sustain addiction — making it harder for future generations to become addicted in the first place and allowing more currently addicted smokers to quit or switch to potentially less harmful products,” Gottlieb said. (Szabo, 3/15)

The Washington Post: FDA Moves Ahead With ‘Historic’ Plan To Reduce Nicotine In Cigarettes
Commissioner Scott Gottlieb unveiled an “advance notice of proposed rulemaking,” the earliest step in what promises to be a long, complicated regulatory effort to lower nicotine levels to be minimally addictive or nonaddictive. The notice, to be published Friday in the Federal Register, includes new data published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday based on a possible policy scenario. That FDA-funded analysis found that slashing nicotine levels could push the smoking rate down to 1.4 percent from the current 15 percent of adults. That in turn would result in 8 million fewer tobacco-related deaths through the end of the century — which Gottlieb termed “an undeniable public health benefit.” (McGinley, 3/15)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Moves To Curb Nicotine In Cigarettes
Nicotine levels in cigarettes can be reduced in different ways. Manufacturers can adjust the blend of tobacco leaves or use different types of paper or filters. Nicotine can also be stripped from the leaf in the manufacturing process. But products with very low levels of nicotine have never garnered a significant share of the U.S. market. The FDA has said its approach will consider a continuum of risk for nicotine delivery, from combustible products such as cigarettes to replacement therapies like nicotine gums. (Chaudhuri, 3/15)

The Associated Press: FDA Begins Push To Cut Addictive Nicotine In Cigarettes
Currently, there are no limits on nicotine, which occurs naturally in tobacco plants. Under law, the FDA can regulate nicotine although it cannot remove it completely. The FDA's powers to police the tobacco industry are unique worldwide and the attempt to restrict nicotine would represent a first in global efforts to reduce smoking-related deaths. Under one scenario, the FDA estimates the U.S. smoking rate could fall as low as 1.4 percent by 2060, down from the 15 percent of adults who smoke now. (3/15)

Los Angeles Times: In A First, The FDA Announces Its Intention To Reduce The Amount Of Nicotine Allowed In Cigarettes
The FDA action won praise from public health advocates, who lament the loss of 480,000 American lives each year due to smoking. "The benefits the FDA cites for this proposal are extraordinary," said Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. He added that for the proposal to have maximum impact, the FDA should reduce nicotine levels in all combustible tobacco products, not just cigarettes. (Healy, 3/15)

Politico: Trump’s FDA Weighs Nicotine Limits In Cigarettes
The nicotine rule is one of a number of tobacco-related regulations FDA is working on. The agency will soon seek comment on the role that flavors like menthol play in tobacco use, and to get feedback and data concerning the possible regulation of premium cigars. It’s also working to modernize its approach to the development and regulation of nicotine replacement products like gum and patches. (Karlin-Smith, 3/15)

Los Angeles Times: Henry Waxman Explains Why It Took The FDA So Long To Regulate The Nicotine In Cigarettes
Former California Congressman Henry Waxman, who famously grilled tobacco company CEOs during congressional hearings in the 1990s, applauded the announcement. “It is clear nicotine is what keeps people smoking,” said Waxman, a former smoker. ... Waxman spoke with the Los Angeles Times about the significance of the proposed regulations, how they might improve public health, and why he’s not in favor of banning nicotine altogether. (Netburn, 3/16)

Politico: Exclusive: Trump Finalizing Opioid Plan That Includes Death Penalty For Dealers
The Trump administration is finalizing a long-awaited plan that it says will solve the opioid crisis, but it also calls for law enforcement measures — like the death penalty for some drug dealers — that public health advocates and congressional Republicans warn will detract from efforts to reverse the epidemic. The ambitious plan, which the White House has quietly been circulating among political appointees this month, could be announced as soon as Monday when President Donald Trump visits New Hampshire, a state hard hit by the epidemic. It includes a mix of prevention and treatment measures that advocates have long endorsed, as well as beefed-up enforcement in line with the president’s frequent calls for a harsh crackdown on drug traffickers and dealers. (Diamond, 3/15)

In other national health care news —

The Wall Street Journal: Billions Of Dollars On The Line As Insurers Await Obamacare Ruling
Health insurers and the Trump administration face a court decision shortly that will determine whether the government must pay insurers billions of dollars despite Republican efforts to block payments they view as an industry bailout. Insurers have filed roughly two-dozen lawsuits claiming the federal government reneged on promises it made to pay them under the Affordable Care Act. A decision could come at any time on pivotal litigation before a three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. (Armour, 3/15)

Stat: Lawmakers Want To Remove Gag Clauses That Boost Drug Costs At The Pharmacy Counter
The next time you walk into your pharmacy, you may not get the best deal on your prescription, but don’t blame the pharmacist. Many allegedly have contracts with behind-the-scenes middlemen that contain “gag clauses” preventing them from telling you that paying cash for a prescription might cost less than your health insurance copayment. And pharmacists can face significant penalties if they disclose the difference. So now, a trio of senators has introduced a pair of bills — the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act and the Know the Lowest Price Act — that would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from using these gag clauses in order to pocket the difference. (Silverman, 3/15)

The Hill: Senators Target 'Gag Clauses' That Hide Potential Savings On Prescriptions 
The clauses, which keep pharmacies from proactively telling customers they could save money on a prescription if they paid out of pocket instead of through insurance, has sometimes been included in contracts between pharmacies, insurers and companies that manage drug benefits for employers called prescription benefit managers (PBMs). “Insurance is intended to save consumers money. Gag clauses in contracts that prohibit pharmacists from telling patients about the best prescription drug prices do the opposite,” Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in a statement Thursday. (Hellmann, 3/15)

Stat: Senate Signals Interest In Changes To Drug Discount Program
Key Senate Republicans have signaled an increasing interest in making changes to the so-called 340B drug discount program, adding to a chorus of House Republicans who are pushing to overhaul the program. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee met Thursday to discuss the program with representatives of the hospitals who favor the program and the pharmaceutical companies who have long called for reining it in. The hearing was the first sign of serious Senate interest in the issue, and it follows a string of relatively heated meetings in the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a flurry of bill introductions on the topic from lawmakers in both chambers and both parties. (Mershon, 3/15)

The Washington Post: House To Try Again On Bill Easing Use Of Unapproved Drugs
The House plans to try anew next week to approve a Republican bill making it simpler for fatally ill people to try unproven treatments. And this time, the measure seems certain to pass. Lawmakers voted for the legislation on Tuesday by a lopsided 259-140 vote. But it lost because GOP leaders had used a procedure, normally reserved for uncontroversial bills, that requires a two-thirds majority for passage. Tuesday’s vote fell just short of that. President Donald Trump backed the legislation and GOP lawmakers lined up behind it nearly unanimously, but Democrats opposed it by more than a 4-1 margin. (Fram, 3/15)

Sacramento Bee: Supreme Court Should Uphold Free Speech Of California's Crisis Pregnancy Centers
AB 775 is very different from reasonable regulations requiring disclaimers for commercial enterprises as food and drugs. Such regulations are constitutional and not at issue here. The core of this case is that the government is forcing non-profit pro-life pregnancy centers – which provide their services for free – to engage in speech contrary to their very reason for existence. (Elissa Graves, 3/13)

Sacramento Bee: Republicans Are Asking For Single Payer Health Care
Republicans in Congress have worked hard to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. In so doing, they are creating an opening for the kind of health care system they will detest. (Tom Epstein, 3/14)

Los Angeles Times: Villaraigosa Is Right, Single-Payer Healthcare In California Is A Political Pipe Dream
In all, a state-operated, single-payer healthcare plan would cost around $400 billion a year, according to objective analysis. Let's put that in perspective: Gov. Jerry Brown's total state spending proposal for the next fiscal year is less than half that amount — $190 billion. (George Skelton, 3/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: Health Insurance Premiums Will Soar In California, Nation, Thanks To Congress
Without action in Washington, premiums will continue to rise year after year. Covered California’s analysis predicts premium hikes of 35 percent by 2021 in 15 states, including California. Seventeen states will see 90 percent premium spikes by 2021. (3/10)

San Francisco Chronicle: Effective Drug Education Should Be ‘Just Say Know’
Last month, when 10 otherwise healthy middle-schoolers had been hospitalized “after they ingested an unknown substance,” my suspicions were aroused. Sure enough, that substance was edible marijuana. Those 10 students will be OK, and unlikely to repeat that dysphoric experience. Over the past 50-plus years, thousands of others have made the same mistake, usually involving a brownie or other edible, and learned from it — either to abstain completely or moderate their use. The decision to use marijuana is not to be taken lightly, and requires sound information. That’s why I was grateful to hear that San Francisco Unified School District is, according to School Board President Hydra Mendoza, prioritizing “drug education and, specifically, the risks of cannabis.” (Marsha Rosenbaum, 3/6)

The Washington Post: Why It’s Not ‘Enabling’ To Make Drug Use Safer
In the face of an unabating overdose crisis that has already killed more than a half-million people, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Seattle have announced plans to do what was once unthinkable: open centers where people can inject illegal drugs under medical supervision. Many other cities are also debating so-called safe infection facilities (SIFs) — but unfortunately, a common misconception about addiction stands in the way. (Maia Szalavitz, 3/13)

Los Angeles Times: Jail Time For Martin Shkreli Won't Fix Drug Prices. Globalization Will
Before sentencing notorious pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli to seven years in prison, the federal judge presiding over his criminal trial ordered him to turn over "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," the Wu-Tang Clan album of which only a single copy exists. Shkreli paid $2 million for the album, an extravagance he could afford after making a fortune by jacking up the prices of prescription medications. Seizing the album and other assets worth a total of $7.4 million may seem like karma, but it will do nothing to tame drug costs. Indeed, it is entirely legal to raise generic drug prices (which explains why Shkreli was convicted of securities fraud, not healthcare fraud). The problem is that government has made it far too easy for pharma companies to gain a national monopoly on the supply of drugs that no longer are patent-protected. Rather than make an example of Shkreli, the solution to outrageous drug prices is to embrace globalization. (Charles Silver and David A. Hyman, 3/15)

Los Angeles Times: A New Way To Reduce Gun Suicides, And Maybe Mass Shootings Too
Mass shootings dominate the headlines and seem to drive the movement to change gun policy, but reducing gun suicides could save many more lives. More than 20,000 people each year kill themselves with a gun; that's twice the number of gun homicides. The Parkland, Fla., massacre claimed 17 lives; roughly 59 people die by gun suicide each day. An innovative new law could bring down this tragic death toll. Washington will soon become the first state in the country to enact a "firearm choice" law. It passed by wide margins in the state Senate and House, with support from Democrats as well as Republicans, and is now awaiting Gov. Jay Inslee's signature. (Ian Ayres and Fredrik Vars, 3/12)

Sacramento Bee: Don’t Play Politics With Dying Californians Who Are Using New Medical Aid-In-Dying Law
Among the needless mandates are two provisions that are not even in Oregon’s 20-year old Death with Dignity Act, the model for California’s new law. SB 1336 would require patients to justify why they want to use the law verbally and in writing, and would also mandate doctors identify their specialty. SB 1336 is a thinly veiled attempt by opponents of medical aid in dying to make it impossible for patients to use the law and to gather data that they believe will help them to overturn the law entirely. (Kim Callinan, 3/14)

San Francisco Chronicle: Laura’s Law Is Helping Many — But Still Only Making A Dent In SF
Remember Laura’s Law, the program to compel treatment of mentally ill people that the Board of Supervisors bickered about for four years? It finally passed in 2014 and took effect in November 2015. ... Those who received care through Laura’s Law were less likely to wind up in the psychiatric emergency room at San Francisco General Hospital than they were before treatment, less likely to be hospitalized and less likely to be jailed. (Heather Knight, 3/9)