The Wall Street Journal: Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Face Masks And End Physical Distancing In Most Settings, CDC Says 
Fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear a mask or physically distance during outdoor or indoor activities, large or small, federal health officials said, the broadest easing of pandemic recommendations so far. The fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask while traveling by plane, bus or train, and the guidance doesn’t apply to certain places such as hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. (Abbott, 5/13)

CBS News: CDC Updates Guidance, Says Fully Vaccinated People Can Go Maskless In Most Settings 
The president praised those who have gotten vaccinated for doing their "patriotic duty." "For more than a year, you've endured so much, and so many lost jobs, so many businesses lost, so many lives upended, and so many months that our kids couldn't be in school. You couldn't see your friends and family," the president said. (Watson, Cook and Erickson, 5/13)

Politico: CDC: Vaccinated People Can Now Remove Masks In Most Group Settings
The announcement by the CDC Thursday marked a massive shift in the Biden administration’s thinking about Covid-19. Six weeks ago, senior health officials warned of rising Covid-19 infection rates and pleaded with all Americans to continue to adhere to the strictest of public health measures. [CDC Director Rochelle] Walensky went as far as saying she was “scared” about the rising case counts. (Banco and Lim, 5/13)

NBC News: Here’s The Science That Convinced The CDC To Lift Mask Mandates
In announcing the agency's updated guidelines, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said there are "numerous reports in the literature" to demonstrate the safety and real-world effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines. (Chow, 5/13)

CNN: Stores Like CVS, Walgreens And Macy's Review Mask Policies After New CDC Guidance
CVS, Walgreens and Macy's said they are reviewing their requirements for facial coverings following new CDC guidance easing mask wearing for people vaccinated against Covid-19. The CDC said Thursday that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances such as in healthcare settings, on public transportation, or in areas where governments require masks. The CDC also said people will still need to follow workplace and local businesses' mask guidance. (Meyersohn and Wiener-Bronner, 5/13)

Bloomberg: CDC’s U-Turn Puts Business In ‘Damned If You Do’ Bind 
Companies are rushing to assess their mask policies after a sudden announcement by U.S. officials put newly relaxed federal guidelines in conflict with the rules at many businesses. Home Depot Inc. and TJX Cos. said they don’t immediately plan to change their policies advising face coverings be worn inside their stores, while Macy’s Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap Inc. said they’re reviewing the new guidance. The National Restaurant Association is also looking at the recommendations and is evaluating its Covid-19 operating guidance and best practices for restaurants, while some banks are indicating they’ll continue to require face coverings -- at least for now. (Clough, Boyle and Court, 5/13)

The Wall Street Journal: With Busy Airports And Restaurants, U.S. Moves Closer To Full Reopening
The return to a pre-pandemic normal in the U.S. is gaining speed. The New York City subway hit its highest daily ridership since March 13, 2020, with some 2.2 million riders last Friday. More than 1.7 million people traveled through the nation’s airports on Sunday, the most since the start of the pandemic. The San Francisco Symphony held its first in-person performance in more than a year, and the Kansas City Symphony plans to return later this month to its concert hall. (West, 5/13)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Children Step Up To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine 
Alexa Barajas was eager to get her COVID-19 vaccine as soon as she was eligible because it means she’s one step closer to reconnecting with her younger sister Madelyn Fell, who was diagnosed with liver cancer four months ago. Over the past six months, 14-year-old Alexa has been unable to play with her soccer team, nor could she and her older sister visit their father in-person. Doing so would put her 5-year-old sister at greater risk for the virus as chemotherapy has left her immunocompromised. (Mapp, 5/13)

Los Angeles Daily News: LA County Begins Vaccinating 12-15-Year-Olds, Still Reviewing New CDC Mask Guidelines 
Los Angeles County likely won’t align with new CDC guidance that would allow fully vaccinated people to forgo masks and social distancing in most situations until at least late next week, health officials said on Thursday, May 13, even as many parts of the Southland took a major step toward herd immunity — and eventually ending the coronavirus pandemic — by allowing 12-to-15-year-olds to be vaccinated. (Lee, 5/13)

VC Star: COVID-19 Vaccinations For Kids 12 To 15 Begin In Ventura County
COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 12 to 15 began at sites across Ventura County Thursday morning. California health officials gave the go-ahead for expanded use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine after a panel of experts representing western states announced their support of this week's federal approval of the vaccines. (Kisken, 5/13)

The Bakersfield Californian: Kern Public Health Announces 12 To 15 Year Olds Now Eligible For Pfizer Vaccine 
It’s official: Everyone 12 years old and older in Kern County is now eligible for vaccination against COVID-19. The Kern County Public Health Services Department announced Thursday that local providers can now administer the Pfizer vaccine to those who are 12 to 15 years old. It is yet another segment of the population that is now vaccine eligible, as local and state economies continue to reopen and hope increases that a return to normal is not far away. (Gallegos, 5/13)

Bay Area News Group: Oakland A’s “Really Close” To 85% Vaccination Threshold 
The Oakland A’s are “really close” to the 85% COVID-19 vaccination threshold required by MLB to relax certain health and safety protocols for Tier 1 individuals. “I don’t know what the actual number is, but we’re hoping to get there,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Based on where we are, I would hope that’s the case at some point in time. We’re somewhere around 80% at some point.” (Rubin, 5/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: These Are The Places In The Bay Area That Have Hit A Vaccine Wall - By ZIP Code
The Bay Area has hit a vaccine wall. Health officers have run out of eager vaccine recipients and into government distrust. After reaching a high of over 130,000 doses administered per day on April 15, the nine-county region has administered an average of only 72,000 doses per day in the week preceding May 8, according to the California Department of Public Health. (Nielson, 5/13)

Bay Area News Group: A $1 Million Payoff To Get The Vaccine? In California, Not So Much 
Vaccine incentives might be coming to California, but don’t expect a big payout. As the country aims for herd immunity against COVID-19, a growing number of states have announced monetary rewards to attract hard-to-reach people to get their shots. The boldest scheme yet is in Ohio, where officials said Wednesday that five vaccinated people would be gifted $1 million through a lottery. Others are offering cash, like a $100 bonus to vaccinated Maryland state employees, or freebies like a “beer and shot” deal in New Jersey and Connecticut for residents who show proof of vaccination. (Kelliher, 5/13)

NPR: Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research Shows
Researchers have found just 12 people are responsible for the bulk of the misleading claims and outright lies about COVID-19 vaccines that proliferate on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. "The 'Disinformation Dozen' produce 65% of the shares of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms," said Imran Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which identified the accounts. (Bond, 5/13)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento County COVID-19 Numbers Slowly Trending Down 
Sacramento County’s COVID-19 infections are slowly trending downward, improving after several weeks stuck on a plateau that has been keeping business and activity restrictions tighter than most of the rest of the state. The county’s data dashboard on Thursday showed the latest one-week case rate at 6.7 daily cases per 100,000 residents, its lowest point since Oct. 16. (McGough, 5/13)

Modesto Bee: Stanislaus Adds 1 Death To COVID-19 And 39 New Cases 
Stanislaus County reported another death to COVID-19 and 39 new cases Thursday, while also lowering the vaccine age limit for some clinics. A total of 1,061 residents have died from the virus since April 2020, the Health Services Agency said. Positive tests now total 55,551. Stanislaus has 596,864 negative test results and 54,092 people who are presumed recovered. (Holland, 5/14)

Fresno Bee: What Pushed Tulare County Past 50,000 Total Coronavirus Cases? Fresno Reports More Deaths
A data adjustment to coronavirus case counts previously reported by the Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency pushed the county past a total of 50,000 cases on Thursday. County health officials reported the upward adjustment of 313 cases as part of a data validation project. That change, as well as 34 new cases that were confirmed Thursday, bring the county’s new cumulative total of cases to 50,001 since the first instances were reported 14 months ago. (Sheehan, 5/13)

Los Angeles Times: Gyms Are Coming Back. Are Exercisers Ready To Share The Air? 
Gym operators are keen to welcome back more members as COVID-19 safety precautions ease, but they and their customers face a changed world. Friendship circles that made people want to go to a particular gym slipped away during long periods when fitness centers were locked down to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Some gyms closed for good while others sold their businesses to other operators or slumped into bankruptcy. (Vincent, 5/14)

Los Angeles Times: More California Businesses Could Get COVID Grants Up To $25K 
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday proposed adding $1.5 billion to a program providing grants of up to $25,000 to small businesses harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic in California, allowing thousands more to get financial help. The additional funds from federal COVID-19 aid to the state would bring the amount allocated in recent months for grants to $4 billion, which Newsom told business leaders would make it the largest state program of its kind in the country. (McGreevy, 5/13)

Los Angeles Times: Scientists Urge Second Look At Coronavirus Origins 
Eighteen scientists from some of the world’s most prestigious research institutions are urging their colleagues to dig deeper into the origins of the coronavirus responsible for the global pandemic. In a letter published Thursday in the journal Science, they argue that there is not yet enough evidence to rule out the possibility that the SARS-CoV-2 virus escaped from a lab in China, and they call for a “proper investigation” into the matter. (Netburn, 5/13)

Bay Area News Group: Fremont Parents Sue School District Over Closed Schools
A group of parents frustrated over currently closed schools have filed a lawsuit against the Fremont Unified School District, hoping to force district leaders to reopen classrooms for in-person instruction before school is out, even if it’s just for a few weeks. The lawsuit, filed in Alameda County Superior Court last week, follows through on a threat made in April by the group calling themselves Fremont Parents for Reopening, who claim their kids are suffering academically and mentally during distance learning. (Geha, 5/13)

Long Beach Press-Telegram: Security Officers Call For Better COVID-19 Protections At St. Mary’s In Long Beach, Other Dignity Health Hospitals 
St. Mary Medical Center did not provide its security officers with adequate protection against the spread of the coronavirus, said a complaint filed this week with the state’s worker safety agency against Dignity Health, the Long Beach facility’s operator. Dignity Health has denied the allegations. (Munguia, 5/13)

The Bakersfield Californian: Heart Hospital Announces 2021 Daisy Award Winner 
Bakersfield Heart Hospital held its Daisy Awards ceremony on Tuesday to recognize and honor the exceptional care the hospital’s nurses provide. The event was held on the anniversary of renowned nurse and social reformer Florence Nightingale’s birthday, according to a news release from Heart Hospital. The winner of this year’s Daisy Award was Andrew Domingo, a registered nurse in the hospital’s critical care unit. (5/13)

Noticias Telemundo: Latino Mental Health Crisis Grows During Pandemic 
Over 40% of Latino adults have reported symptoms of depression during the pandemic, in contrast to 25% of white non-Hispanics, the CDC reports. The emotional distress is especially acute for Latinos who had COVID-19, some of them tell Noticias Telemundo. (Franco, 5/13)

Axios: Eva Longoria To Help With Farmworkers Mental Health Project 
Actor and filmmaker Eva Longoria Bastón is lending her name to help bring mental health services to farmworkers in the U.S. A new program called "Healing Voices," launching this month in California and Florida, will study the needs of 100 farmworkers and determine how to bring more services to workers in the fields. (Contreras, 5/13)

NBC News: Two Boys, 11 And 17, Arrested In Connection With Violent Robbery Of Elderly Asian Man
Two boys, including an 11-year-old caught driving a stolen car, were arrested Wednesday after a violent robbery of an elderly Asian man in Northern California, officials said. The 80-year-old victim was strolling near the 14200 block of Acapulco Road in San Leandro, about 12 miles south of downtown Oakland, Saturday afternoon when two people in hoodies jumped him and swiped his Fitbit in an attack captured on a home security camera. (Li, 5/13)

VC Star: Ex-Ventura Mayor OK'd For Mental Health Panel As Client Advocate Exits
Former Ventura mayor Cheryl Heitmann was appointed this week to a county board that advocates for people living with mental illness and substance use  disorders. Heitmann succeeds Elizabeth Stone, who was one of five mental health clients on the Ventura County Behavioral Health Advisory Board. (Wilson, 5/14)

Los Angeles Times: Fentanyl Overdoses Lead To Arrest Of 11 Suspected Drug Dealers 
Federal agents fanned out across Southern California this week to arrest suspects charged with supplying drugs that caused 11 fatal overdoses amid a rising danger from black-market pills laced with fentanyl. In each case, prosecutors and the Drug Enforcement Administration were enforcing a federal law that carries greater penalties than drug dealers typically face in California courts: a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 20 years. (Finnegan, 5/14)

San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Several Alleged Fentanyl Dealers Face Federal Charges For Southern California Overdose Deaths 
Federal prosecutors said Thursday that they have filed charges against 11 alleged drug dealers in cases in which a dozen people died of fentanyl overdoses throughout Southern California in an effort to curb a growing number of deaths caused by the powerful synthetic opioid. (Valdez, 5/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: California's Reopening Colliding With Anti-Homeless Backlash
For much of the past year, local governments across Northern California found themselves in an uneasy truce with encampments like the one at Friendship Garden. As the pandemic raged, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged officials to keep people “where they are” if no individual shelter was available. While cities like San Francisco kept clearing sidewalks, Gov. Gavin Newsom preached hotel rooms for the most vulnerable and ordered state workers not to sweep many tents that sprung up along highways. Now that truce is over. (Hepler, 5/14)

Los Angeles Times: Outcry On L.A.’s Westside Over Bonin's Homelessness Plan 
L.A.'s struggle to get a handle on its growing homelessness crisis is running up against Angelenos’ love of their outdoor recreation spaces, which served as a lifeline for many during the stay-at-home orders of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Echo Park, many residents demanded, and are now receiving, a cleanup around Echo Park Lake, where nearly 200 tents and an assortment of furniture lined walkways and landscaped areas for much of last year. That effort drew hundreds of protesters and for now, the park remains closed. (Zahniser, 5/14)

Sacramento Bee: 58,000 Affordable Housing Shortfall In Sacramento
Nearly 60,000 low-income households in Sacramento County can’t find an affordable home to rent, a new report from the California Housing Partnership found. The lack of cheaper homes and apartments in the county has forced thousands of low-income residents to frequently spend well over the recommended 30% of their income on rent and utilities, underscoring the rapidly worsening affordable housing crisis in Sacramento. (Yoon-Hendricks, 5/13)

Los Angeles Times: Time To Trash Your Face Mask? Not So Fast 
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday announced that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may participate in activities indoors without wearing face masks or observing social distancing, even those in crowded settings. It had previously said vaccinated people could lose the mask when outdoors, which is pretty safe even for unvaccinated people. “We have all longed for this moment, when we can get back to some sense of normalcy,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said during a media briefing Thursday. (5/13)

Sacramento Bee: COVID Lessons Can Better Inform California’s Public Health
Health experts and policy makers agree that we’re seeing a bright light at the end of a very long tunnel. As we look ahead, with lessons learned, let’s not lose sight of the opportunity that’s in front of us: We must trust and invest in the public health care system now to advance equitable health care access in the future. Distributing COVID vaccines continues to be a one-of-a-kind challenge that takes an all-hands-on-deck approach. Thankfully, we are seeing significant progress, with over 32 million vaccines distributed. But solutions to public health emergencies need to go beyond fixing the symptom, they need to fix the system. To do this we must invest in our communities — for vaccines today, and for routine and critically important health care tomorrow. (Jodi Hicks, 5/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: Vaccine Hesitancy Goes Back 200 Years. We Need Global Techniques Here In The U.S.
When it comes to vaccinations, the Bay Area is outpacing other counties in California and across the country. Yet vaccine hesitancy remains a barrier to achieving herd immunity here and elsewhere. The debate around vaccine misinformation — and the ease with which it spreads on social media — is dominating the news right now. But vaccine hesitancy is a centuries-old problem that transcends technology, borders and political affiliations. (Michael Nyenhuis, 5/13)

Sacramento Bee: CA Must Invest In Public Health Infrastructure For Farmworkers 
The Central Valley is home to hundreds of thousands of rural, immigrant farmworkers. Like all essential workers during this pandemic, our farmworkers have weathered the dangers of infection while supplying our nation’s kitchen tables with fruits, nuts and vegetables. Recent evidence suggests that agricultural work ranks among the deadliest occupations of the pandemic, increasing the risk of death by upwards of 40%.In late January, the California Department of Public Health reaffirmed its commitment to our farmworkers — regardless of immigration status — by including agricultural work in Phase 1B of its vaccine allocation guidelines. Although several of California’s 58 counties have since transitioned to Phase 1B, there is still a shortage of vaccine doses to meet demand. (Ivan Marquez, 5/8)

Sacramento Bee: CA Must Decriminalize Psychedelics For Health Treatments
On Oct. 20, 2018, I took five grams of psychedelic mushrooms and experienced the Divine. I was 50-years-old, married, a businessman and a father of three. I felt it was my last chance to climb out of the sense of disconnection and emptiness I’d been experiencing since the death of my mother five years earlier. I’ve always been a good self-healer. The youngest of three children from a single mother in a Mexican American community, I’d seen more than my fair share of the trauma typical of the struggling communities of America — domestic abuse, violence, alcoholism, economic uncertainty and little to no stability. (Carlos Plazola, 5/13)

The California Health Report: California Must Take Action On Chronic Disease Among Children Of Color 
An alarming number of children (one in four) suffer from chronic health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma, depression and cavities — all of which are preventable. These chronic illnesses are robbing our children of their well-being and the ability to thrive. In addition, children of color are more likely to suffer and die from chronic diseases; for example, Black children are 40 percent more likely to have asthma, five times more likely to be hospitalized, and three times more likely to die from asthma-related causes than their white counterparts. (Flojaune Cofer, 5/12)