Sacramento Bee: Sen. Feinstein Calls For Defeat Of Republican Health Care Bill
Sen. Dianne Feinstein issued a stinging rebuke Friday to the push by congressional Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare, condemning her GOP colleagues for advancing a health care bill she said was written in private “by 13 white men" .... State health officials say it remains unclear how many Californians could potentially lose health coverage because the bill is still under negotiation, but early estimates show it could be as many as 5 million. (Hart, 7/7)

KQED: GOP Senate Leader Won’t Get Votes For Health Care Bill: Sen. Feinstein
Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Friday that she thinks the Democrats have the votes to permanently stop the Republican health care bill in the Senate, noting “we’re very close to defeating it.” The Republicans can stand to lose only two votes from their own party, and nine Republicans signaled their opposition before leaving Washington for the July 4 recess. (Hutson, 7/7)

Orange County Register: Lawsuit Challenges A California Home Care Union
In August of last year, Marie DaRe, a retired Garden Grove nurse who cares for her neurologically-impaired brother, joined a union that represents homecare workers for the elderly and disabled. ... Last month the Freedom Foundation, an Olympia, Wash.-based group that has fought to curb union membership and funding in its home state, filed suit in federal district court in Santa Ana against the U.D.W. and State Controller Betty Yee on DaRe’s behalf. (Roosevelt, 7/7)

In other news on unions —

California Healthline: The Union That Roars: Nurses Aren’t Giving Up On California’s Single-Payer Push
To some, the California Nurses Association’s political tactics in pushing for a single-payer health system seemed a bit, well, extreme. Never mind the raucous demonstrations it brought to the state Capitol in recent weeks, the “shame on you” chants in the hallways, the repeated unfurling of banners in the rotunda despite admonitions from law enforcement. (Bartolone, 7/10)

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Palomar Health Sticks With Medical Group It Created Despite $82 Million Loss 
Palomar Health in Escondido will continue to support the medical group it helped to created seven years ago despite mounting losses that have reached $82 million. While it might seem intuitive for the North County hospital operator to pull the plug on a relationship that has run in the red for seven years now, experts said market forces that require doctors and hospitals to work together more closely are keeping partnerships like this one intact — even if they bleed cash. (Sisson, 7/9)

San Francisco Chronicle: SF Schools No Longer Sweet On Chocolate Milk In Cafeterias 
In many districts, it is the sacred cow of school cafeterias and among the more controversial issues in education, with the debate typically centering on whether chocolate milk is better than no milk, nutritionally speaking. In San Francisco, district officials have decided the answer is no. (Tucker, 7/10)

San Francisco Chronicle: Just Smelling Food Can Make You Fat, UC Berkeley Study Says
A study by UC Berkeley researchers found that a sense of smell can influence the brain’s decision to burn fat or store it in the body — or a least the bodies of mice. Researchers Andrew Dillin and Celine Riera studied three groups of mice — normal mice, “super-smellers” and ones without a sense of smell — and saw a direct correlation between their ability to smell and how much weight they gained from a high-fat, “Burger King diet,” Dillin said. (Graham, 7/9)

And in other news —

Ventura County Star: 16-Year-Old Ventura Girl Survives Coma, Fights Brain Cancer
The two tumors at the base of Kate Rose Miguel's brain led to a 17-day coma, forced her parents to think about unthinkable decisions and stole her ability to speak. What the malignancies haven't done is won. Three years after the now 16-year-old girl was diagnosed with a childhood cancer called medulloblastoma, she's still here, back home in Ventura after nearly seven months in Los Angeles-area hospitals, sitting on the edge of her bed in a pink T-shirt that compares her to Snow White, Pocahontas, Jasmine and other princesses. (Kisken, 7/7)

The Associated Press: Battles Over Health Care, Budget Await Congress' Return
Congress is still trying to send President Donald Trump his first unqualified legislative triumph, nearly six months after Republicans grabbed full control of Washington. Now, lawmakers are returning from their July 4 recess with an added objective — averting some full-blown political disasters. (Fram, 7/10)

The Wall Street Journal: Following Recess, GOP Health-Care Push Gets Trickier
The focus on possible steps to take if Senate Republicans can’t unite around a health bill is the strongest sign yet of the growing pessimism about the fate of the GOP legislation and the party’s seven-year pledge to topple the ACA. Some Republicans now say a vote to pass a bill could stretch beyond August, if there is a vote at all. (Armour, 7/9)

Politico: Senate GOP Returns From Break No Closer To Obamacare Deal
Senate Republicans appear miles away from their long-sought repeal of Obamacare, returning to Washington on Monday with just a few weeks to put the pieces back together before they could be forced to abandon their partisan attempts at a health care overhaul altogether. (Everett, 7/9)

The New York Times: G.O.P. Support Of Senate Health Repeal Erodes During Break
A week that Senate Republicans had hoped would mobilize conservatives and shore up support for their measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act instead ended with eroding enthusiasm, as usually reliable Republican senators from red states blanched at its impact on rural communities. With Congress set to return on Monday after a week’s recess, Republican lawmakers are increasingly aware that their seven-year promise to dismantle President Barack Obama’s largest policy achievement is deeply imperiled. (Steinhauer and Pear, 7/8)

The Associated Press: 2 GOP Senators Suggest Bill To Repeal Health Care Law 'Dead'
The initial GOP bill to repeal and replace the nation's health law is probably "dead" and President Donald Trump's proposal to just repeal it appears to be a "non-starter," two moderate Republican senators indicated Sunday as their party scrambled to salvage faltering legislation. "We don't know what the plan is," said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. "Clearly, the draft plan is dead. Is the serious rewrite plan dead? I don't know." Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said it may now be time for Republicans to come up with a new proposal with support from Democrats. (Yen, 7/10)

Los Angeles Times: With Senate Republicans At An Impasse Over Obamacare, Many Ask: Now What?
Senate Republicans, having hit an apparent impasse in their long campaign to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, return to Washington this week in search of a way forward, with support dwindling, time running out and deep divisions within their ranks. Options are limited as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) assesses the legislative landscape for his Obamacare replacement, which has virtually no hope of passing unless it is substantially amended. (Mascaro and Levey, 7/10)

NPR: FAQ: How Would The Senate Health Care Bill Affect You?
When covering the GOP efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, we tend to focus on the big picture: billions of cuts in Medicaid spending, say, or millions of fewer people with health coverage. But the real impacts would be felt in states, cities and towns, and they would vary a lot depending on where you live, how old you are and your particular health concerns. (7/10)