Bay Area News Group: How Bay Area Cities Are Responding To Newsom's Calls For Homeless Sweeps After Landmark Supreme Court Ruling
Gov. Gavin Newsom, under growing pressure to make progress on homelessness, this month ordered state agencies to work with cities and counties to shut down encampments and threatened to cut funding to local governments that fail to get more people off the street. “This is a crisis,” he told local officials. “Act like it.” (Varian, 8/19)

KQED: Scenes From San Francisco's Unhoused Encampment Sweeps
San Francisco officials are ramping up citations and sweeps of unhoused people sleeping on the city’s streets. The escalation in enforcement comes as Mayor London Breed faces a tight reelection this November and increasing pressure from opponents saying the city hasn’t done enough to solve the problem. In July, she vowed to more aggressively clear encampments beginning in August. (Nascimento, LaBerge, Castro, Johnson, 8/19)

Los Angeles Times: Poll: L.A. County Voters Lukewarm On Tax For Homeless Services
A measure on the November ballot that would double the county’s quarter-cent homeless sales tax is leading in an early poll of Los Angeles County voters but but does not yet have enough support to pass. Forty-seven percent of likely voters surveyed said they would vote for the new half-cent tax if the election were held immediately, a margin that falls three percentage points short of the majority needed to pass. Thirty-six percent said they would vote no, and 17% were undecided. (Smith, 8/17)

Los Angeles Times: LA Officials Direct Traffic Officers To Enforce Parking Laws, Tow RVs That People Live In
The Los Angeles City Council gave the go-ahead on Friday to tow illegally parked vehicles in large swaths of the city, granting workers more latitude to immediately remove RVs and other vehicles that homeless people sleep in. Officials have been struggling to gain control over the proliferation of RV encampments after a pandemic moratorium on towing them was lifted two years ago. Since then, traffic officers had to go through a lengthy process to ensure the vehicles weren’t occupied. If they were, they had to offer housing outreach services. (Mendez and Uranga, 8/18)

Los Angeles Times: How Many Foster Kids Are Homeless In L.A. County? Nobody Knows
Iziko Calderon was in 10th grade when the seizures started. A foster youth who had churned through abusive homes, Calderon assumed the episodes were a reaction to years of pent-up trauma. Calderon every so often would collapse at school, writhing from nerve pain as if engulfed in fire. “People in school were afraid of me,” recounted Calderon, now 22 and a community organizer. (Ellis, 8/19)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Santa Rosa Community Health Clinic In Homeless Services Center Pays Dividends 
Two years after opening Caritas Center, its downtown Santa Rosa family shelter and services hub, Catholic Charities believes it has successfully tested a key piece in the puzzle of solving homelessness: improve the health of people who are homeless. (Hay, 8/18)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Closure Of Homeless Veterans Housing Program In Sebastopol Leaves Raw Feelings Behind
A Sebastopol-based transitional housing program for homeless veterans shut down in the first week of August, forcing its residents to find other housing and leaving a gulf of raw feelings and differences of opinion in its wake. (Hay, 8/17)

KVPR: When It Reopens, Madera Community Hospital Will Have New CEO
Madera Community Hospital has a new CEO. Steve Stark has been appointed by the hospital board. Stark previously served as CEO of three Northern California hospitals also run by the Madera facility’s new owner, American Advanced Management. Former CEO Karen Paolinelli will step down but continue to consult for the hospital.

Chief Healthcare Executive: Dignity Health Names CEO Of Two California Hospitals
Patrick Caster has been named president and chief executive officer of two Dignity Health hospitals in Ventura County, California. Caster has been named as the top leader at Dignity Health - St. John’s Regional Medical Center and St. John’s Hospital Camarillo. (8/19)

CyberGuy: A Mechanical Artificial Heart Is Using High-Speed Rail Tech To Keep Patients Alive
In a groundbreaking medical achievement, the first fully mechanical heart developed by BiVACOR has been successfully implanted in a human patient. This milestone marks a significant advancement in the field of cardiac care, offering new hope for those awaiting heart transplants. ... The primary purpose of the BiVACOR TAH is to serve as a bridge-to-transplant solution. ... Since 2011, adult heart transplants have increased significantly by 85.8%. This device could be a lifeline for many of those patients. (Knutsson, 8/18)

Fox News: Blood Banks Searching For Type O Blood Amid Emergency Shortage: 'Always A Need'
The nation is facing an emergency blood shortage, according to the American Red Cross. Extreme heat and recent natural disasters are affecting the blood supply, the nonprofit says. Not only is there a shortage of donations across the country, but there is also a specific need for Type O blood, according to Vitalant, an Arizona-based nonprofit that operates blood banks nationwide. (Tsai, 8/18)

CNN: FDA May Greenlight Updated Covid-19 Vaccines As Soon As This Week, Sources Say 
The US Food and Drug Administration is poised to sign off as soon as this week on updated Covid-19 vaccines targeting more recently circulating strains of the virus, according to two sources familiar with the matter, as the country experiences its largest summer wave in two years. (Tirrell, 8/18)

Los Angeles Times: California’s COVID Surge Fueled By ‘Much More Infectious’ Variant
California’s relentless FLiRT-fueled COVID surge is continuing to spawn infections at a dizzying rate, with coronavirus levels in wastewater reaching some of the highest levels seen since 2022. Wastewater readings are now higher than all but one COVID peak in the last two years, and have far surpassed those seen during the typical summertime seasonal spikes in the vaccine era. (Lin II, 8/19)

USA Today: KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 Variant: See Symptoms, Cases, Latest CDC Data
The KP.3.1.1 COVID-19 variant is the dominant strain of the virus, the latest projections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show. The agency's Nowcast data tracker, which displays COVID-19 estimates and projections for two-week periods, projects the KP.3.1.1 variant is accounting for 36.8% of positive infections, followed by KP.3 at 16.8% in the two-week stretch starting Aug. 4. (Forbes, 8/16)

CIDRAP: COVID Activity Shows Signs Of Slowing In Parts Of US 
COVID-19 activity remains elevated across most of the United States, but some regions of the country are seeing some declines, as the proportion of KP.3.1.1 variant continues to rise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today in its latest updates. Nationally, wastewater detections of SARS-CoV-2 are at the very high level for the second straight week. The highest levels are still in the West and South, followed by the Midwest and the Northeast. The CDC's latest update, however, shows downward trends from high levels in the South and Midwest. (Schnirring, 8/16)

Reveal: The COVID Tracking Project Part 3
At the height of the pandemic, COVID-19 was talked about as “the great equalizer,” an idea touted by celebrities and politicians from Madonna to then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. But that was a myth. Ibram X. Kendi and Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research worked with The COVID Tracking Project to compile national numbers on how COVID-19 affected people of color in the U.S. Their effort, The COVID Racial Data Tracker, showed that people of color died from the disease at around twice the rate of White people. (Curiskis and Oehler, 8/17)

The Washington Post: CDC Issues Advisory On Oropouche Virus Disease That Has Turned Deadly 
The CDC advisory issued Friday recommends that pregnant people reconsider nonessential travel to Cuba, which reported its first confirmed case in June. (Sun, 8/17)

Reuters: Bavarian Nordic To Ramp Up Production Of Mpox Vaccine
Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic said on Saturday it plans to ramp up production of its mpox vaccine and work with international health organizations to ensure fair access as the disease has been declared a global public health emergency. The company, one of the few drug firms that have an mpox vaccine, said it has informed the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that it can manufacture 10 million doses of the vaccine by the end of 2025, and could already supply up to 2 million doses this year. (8/17)

The New York Times: As Bird Flu Spreads, Disease Trackers Set Their Sights On Pets
Trupanion, a Seattle-based pet insurance company, is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a disease tracking system for pets, the company announced this week. The system will draw on insurance claims submitted to Trupanion in real time when sick dogs and cats visit the veterinarian. “The concept is to proactively detect potential threats to pets and public health,” said Dr. Steve Weinrauch, the chief veterinary and product officer at Trupanion. (Anthes, 8/16)

Stat: 5 Health Issues To Watch For At The Democratic National Convention
Democrats have set the stage for a convention this week packed with boasts about some of their most popular health care policy wins and future moonshot goals. The four-day event in Chicago will kick off as former President Trump increases attacks on rising inflation, economic hardship, and border control policies under the Biden administration. The Republican candidate has not dwelled much on health care in his campaign rhetoric. But Democrats see topics from reproductive rights to lower drug prices as winning issues with voters. (Owermohle, 8/18)

The New York Times: 3 Women With Harrowing Pregnancy Stories Will Speak At Convention 
Democrats on Monday evening will spotlight the stories of women placed in medical peril because of state abortion bans, part of an effort by the party to capitalize on the lasting anger over the Supreme Court’s decision in 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade. All three women who are scheduled to speak on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago have become prominent surrogates for the party’s ticket on the campaign trail, offering their deeply personal testimonials in campaign ads, White House meetings and political events. (Lerer, 8/19)

Fox News: Planned Parenthood Offering Free Abortions, Vasectomies At DNC 
Planned Parenthood is offering more than a free T-shirt or sticker at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) this coming week — the organization will offer free vasectomies, medication abortion, and emergency contraception. Planned Parenthood Great Rivers of St. Louis announced in a X post that a bus is headed to the DNC in Chicago on Aug. 19-20 to offer free services. (Rumpf-Whitten, 8/17)

Chicago Tribune: Pro-Abortion Rights And LGBTQ+ Protesters Rally Ahead Of The Start Of The DNC
A crowd of hundreds called for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights Sunday evening in downtown Chicago, getting a head start on a week of protests before the Democratic National Convention kickoff Monday. ... The rally and march took place a week after the coalition Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws — endorsed by more than 30 local and national organizations — won a permit for a route on Michigan Avenue following a long legal battle with the city. (Perez, 8/18)

ABC News: FDA Authorizes 1st Over-The-Counter, At-Home Test For Syphilis
The first at-home, over-the-counter antibody test for syphilis received marketing authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday. This means biotechnology company NOWDiagnostics, Inc., which manufactures the test, now has a license to sell it. ... The new test, called First To Know, uses a drop of blood to offer an early indication that a person may have syphilis, with results available in about 15 minutes. The results must be confirmed by a doctor.(Salzman and Kekatos, 8/16)

CBS News: Alternatives To The Traditional Pap Smear Are On The Way. Here's What To Know
For some, pap smears are an uncomfortable but necessary evil when it comes to health screenings. For others, it's an experience bad enough to avoid a doctor's visit, risking not detecting cancer cells early. But this year, some health care companies are preparing to introduce self-collection options, allowing patients to skip awkward interfaces with healthcare professionals. (Moniuszko, 8/16)

The Washington Post: Removing Fallopian Tubes During Sterilization Is Safe, Study Suggests
Removing fallopian tubes during sterilization is about as safe as sterilization procedures that damage the tubes but leave them intact, a new study suggests — a finding that could help reduce some women’s risk of ovarian cancer. Swedish researchers found little difference in the risk for surgical complications between the two methods, they write in the journal Lancet Regional Health – Europe. (Blakemore, 8/18)

Axios: More Than 70 Births Came After Uterus Transplants
Women who received uterus transplants have delivered more than 70 infants worldwide since the first successful transplant in 2011, with 20 cases at a Texas medical center showing about the same success rate as with natural wombs, per new research in JAMA. (Goldman, 8/19)

The California Health Report: Punjabi Residents In Fresno Find A Lifeline In A Community-Led Health Program 
All Nirmal Singh and his wife, Daljit Kaur, wanted were a few groceries from Walmart. But as the older couple drove in circles around the suddenly unfamiliar streets of Fresno, Singh feared they’d be spending the night in their car.  Singh, 72, had struggled with bad eyesight for years. At the meatpacking plant where he works the night shift, he strained to see the hooks for hanging chickens and worried he might trip over stray pieces of meat on the floor. His wife’s eyesight was even worse. Kaur, 69, fell frequently because she couldn’t see obstacles and uneven ground in front of her. She once had to go to the emergency room after hitting her head and spraining her wrist in a fall. (Boyd-Barrett, 8/15)

AP: Rural Communities Of Color Across The US Find New Ways To Get The Health Care They Need
Advocates, hospital and health clinic administrators and rural residents say changing disparities in health outcomes and health care services in rural America needs to start at the local level — especially in communities of color that may lack trust in the medical field. ... It’s already happening in California, where community health workers in the Fresno area go door to door to help Punjabi Sikh immigrants, who often work on farms or at meatpacking plants. “We’ve learned that we have to go to people, we have to go to where they’re at, they’re not going to come to us,” said Mandip Kaur, the health director of the nonprofit Jakara Movement. (Hunter, 8/16)

Bloomberg: Deadly Bacteria Is A Growing Threat To Beach Vacations Across The US
Adam Gufarotti, community support manager for the city of Lake Elsinore, says harmful algae blooms are a major concern. As the largest freshwater lake in Southern California, Elsinore draws visitors from around the region. But in 2022, the lake shut down for six months due to a dangerous bacterial bloom. The city lost $300,000 in lake use fees alone. Gufarotti noted that the toll was even higher for local retailers dependent on tourism revenue. To avert a repeat, Lake Elsinore in February kickstarted a $2 million investment to pilot what’s known as nanobubble technology, from Moleaer Inc. (Abdelal, 8/17)

Bay Area News Group: Increase In E-Bike Injuries Spurs Bay Area Cities To Take Another Look At Regulation
A recent UCSF study found that e-bicycle injuries doubled nationally every year from 2017 to 2022. E-scooter injuries rose by 45%. The study showed that more than 23,000 e-bike riders were injured in 2022. More than 56,000 injuries were logged from e-scooter accidents that same year. (Bender, 8/19)