The Associated Press: GOP Senators Blink On A Big Chance To Repeal 'Obamacare'
After seven years of emphatic campaign promises, Senate Republicans demonstrated they didn't have the stomach to repeal "Obamacare" on Wednesday when it actually counted. The Senate voted 55-45 to reject legislation to throw out major portions of Barack Obama's law without replacing it. (Werner and Fram, 7/26)

The Associated Press: GOP Eyes Narrow Bill To Advance Goal On 'Obamacare' Repeal
They couldn't pass a repeal of "Obamacare," or find the votes for a White House-backed replacement. So now Senate Republicans are lowering their sights and trying to unite behind a so-called "skinny repeal" that would merely undo just a few of the most unpopular elements of Barack Obama's law. The "skinny bill" is an admittedly lowest-common-denominator approach, and it may not even have the votes to pass, either. But as Republicans search for how to keep their years-long effort to repeal and replace "Obamacare" alive, they're coming to believe that the "skinny bill" may be the only option left. (Werner, 7/27)

The Washington Post: The Senate’s Possible ‘Skinny Repeal’ Of Obamacare Faces Skepticism In The House
Some in the Senate have suggested that the downsized bill would represent a bridge to a conference committee, where the two chambers would meet to resolve their differences. But House Republicans who fought tooth and nail over the course of months earlier this year to expand the scope of the repeal legislation are saying “fat chance” to the skinny repeal — including key members on the conservative and moderate ends of the GOP — and say it is difficult to see what legislative product could span the divide between the chambers. (DeBonis, 7/26)

Politico: 'Skinny' Obamacare Repeal Still Lacks Votes To Pass
Even a bare-bones repeal of Obamacare is no sure thing in the Senate. A handful of key Republican senators who had spurned earlier overtures from GOP leadership endorsed the latest plan to gut Obamacare’s individual and employer coverage mandates and its medical device tax. But several centrists said they’re undecided on the so-called skinny repeal, leaving the GOP in limbo through at least the end of the week. (Everett, Haberkorn and Kim, 7/26)

The Washington Post: GOP Momentum Grows For More Modest Plan To Overhaul Obamacare
Top Republicans such as Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the chamber’s third-ranking Republican, said that although leaders have not yet found “the sweet spot” between conservatives and centrists, they had picked up support for a more modest plan because it did not include deep cuts to Medicaid. Some Republican senators were simply open to any legislation that could keep alive the roller-coaster push for an overhaul. (Eilperin, Snell and Sullivan, 7/26)

Los Angeles Times: Running Out Of Options To Overhaul Obamacare, Senate Republicans Ponder A 'Skinny' Repeal
"I’ve got to think about moving things along to get to conference to hopefully get a good product," said Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who viewed the skinny alternative as a step toward something more comprehensive. On Wednesday, GOP senators spent another frustrating and fruitless day debating and rejecting possible approaches. After voting down their leaders' most comprehensive overhaul plan a day earlier, Republicans rejected another long-standing GOP idea on Wednesday: to simply repeal most of Obamacare. (Mascaro, 7/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Insurers Warn About Lack Of Coverage Mandate In Senate’s ‘Skinny Repeal’ Option
Health insurers came out strongly against the idea of any bare-bones health-care bill that would repeal the ACA’s coverage mandate without other measures aimed at stabilizing the law’s insurance exchanges. “If there is no longer a requirement for everyone to purchase coverage, it is critical that any legislation include strong incentives for people to obtain health insurance and keep it year-round,” the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association said in a statement. “A system that allows people to purchase coverage only when they need it drives up costs for everyone.” (Armour, Wilde Mathews and Hackman, 7/26)

Politico: Dems To GOP: No Amendments Until You Show Us Your Bill
Senate Democrats are taking their ball and going home in the looming health care vote-a-rama — until Republicans finally cough up their actual Obamacare repeal plan. Fed up with the GOP’s constant vacillations over how to dismantle Obamacare, Democrats say they will hold back on offering any more amendments in the health care floor fight until Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) shows what plan the GOP will ultimately coalesce around. (Kim, 7/26)

The Wall Street Journal: Anthem Seeks Clarity From Health Law Debate
Anthem Inc. said that if it doesn’t quickly get more certainty about the future of the Affordable Care Act exchanges, it will likely further pull back its planned participation for next year, a threat that adds to the pressure on Senate Republicans as they struggle to pass health-care legislation. (Wilde Mathews, 7/26)

KPBS: Coalition Of San Diego Healthcare Groups Protest Efforts To Replace Obamacare 
A coalition of health organizations in San Diego held a rally Wednesday to protest the U.S. Senate’s attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare. Local healthcare advocates say Obamacare has extended coverage to millions of Californians who did not have insurance. (Goldberg, 7/26)

Sacramento Business Journal: The Sacramento Health Centers Most At Risk Under Obamacare Repeal
The number of federally qualified health centers, or FQHCs, in the region has almost tripled over the last eight years, in large part due to the Affordable Care Act. (Rodd, 7/26)

Los Angeles Times: USC President Admits University 'Could Have Done Better' In Handling Reports Of Medical School Dean's Drug Use
USC President C.L. Max Nikias acknowledged Wednesday that the university “could have done better” in its handling of a former medical school dean who a Times investigation found took drugs and associated with criminals and drug abusers. Nikias didn’t detail how the university could have done more but said USC currently has “only loosely defined procedures and guidelines for dealing with employee behavior outside the workplace.” He announced a new committee that would look at strengthening those procedures. (Hamilton, Pringle and Parvini, 7/26)

KQED: Spurred By Drug Deaths, Legislature Advances Idea Of Supervised Injection Sites 
Many California communities could open centers inviting addicts to shoot up hard drugs under a little-noticed bill that has cleared the state Assembly and now awaits a vote on the Senate floor. The goal is to reduce deaths. (Rosenhall, 7/27)

In other news from Sacramento —

The Mercury News: Palo Alto State Assemblyman Tackles Food Insecurity With Bill
The first bill proposed by a Palo Alto state assemblyman to be signed into law will make it easier for low-income California residents to access emergency food services. ...The bill, which Gov. Jerry Brown signed earlier this month, allows revision to the national 2-1-1 referral service so that residents can use the free phone number or online database to find entities that provide food to needy residents, including those with pending CalFresh applications. (Lee, 7/26)

KQED: Yelp Adds C-Section Rates And Childbirth Data To Reviews Of California Hospitals
The San Francisco-based review site is now adding clinical data on C-sections, episiotomies, and breastfeeding rates to consumer reviews of California hospitals, so women can make more informed decisions about where they deliver. ... The reaction from the state’s hospital industry group was low-key. (Dembosky, 7/26)

KPCC: After Rating Brunch Spots, You Can Yelp A Maternity Ward 
A coalition seeking to drive down the rate of unnecessary Cesarean sections in California has teamed up with Yelp to give consumers the opportunity to see how often their local hospitals perform the procedure on women giving birth. The data became available on Yelp on Wednesday, along with statistics on episiotomies, how many new mothers leave the hospital breastfeeding their babies, and more. (Faust, 7/27)

The Mercury News: UC-Berkeley Fights Back Over CRISPR Patent Rights
On Tuesday, UC filed an appeal of the U.S. Patent Office’s decision last February that the patent claims to CRISPR by Feng Zhang of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard do not interfere with those put forth by UC Berkeley biochemist Jennifer Doudna and her European collaborator, Emmanuelle Charpentier. ...UC asserts that its team was the true inventor of the gene editing technology. (Krieger, 7/26)

In other news from across the state —

Orange County Register: $10 Million In Mental Health Grants Announced For Southern California To Help Teens, Homeless, And Families 
Providence St. Joseph Health announced $10 million in mental health funding on Wednesday, July 26, for California teens, expectant mothers and homeless patients, the first installment of a $30 million commitment over three years. ... Additionally, grants will pay for school-based mental health services for Anaheim Union High School District students, tele-psychiatry services in the San Fernando Valley, and home visits by therapists for pregnant women in Los Angeles. (Perkes, 7/26)

Bakersfield Californian: Hospitals Awarded For Excellence In Health Care
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and Mercy Hospital Southwest received a five-star achievement award for their OB/GYN Care and seven national awards from Healthgrades, Dignity Health announced in a press release Tuesday. Patients treated in hospitals with five stars for Labor and Delivery Excellence have a lower risk, about 54 percent on average, of experiencing a complication versus a hospital without, the release said for the years 2013-2015. (7/27)

Ventura County Star: Faster Response Focus Of First-Responder Training In Ventura County
When a mass shooting or other disaster strikes, authorities call the area a hot zone immediately following the incident, "meaning it's not safe for paramedics to enter and treat the wounded," [Ventura County Fire Department Captain Scott] Quirarte said. Once the area has been secured, it becomes a cold zone. But increasingly law enforcement officers, paramedics and others are trying to establish "warm zones," places that have yet to be fully secured "but that are safe enough for our guys to go into and treat those who need help," he said. (Scheibe, 7/26)

Santa Rosa Press Democrat: Sonoma County Issues Toxic Algae Warning For Russian River Beaches
Sonoma County officials posted caution signs at beaches up and down the Russian River on Wednesday alerting visitors to positive test results for a potentially dangerous, naturally occurring neurotoxin linked to harmful algae, a problem surfacing around Northern California this summer. ... It’s the third year in a row the algae-related toxin has been detected in the river. (Callahan, 7/26)

The Mercury News: Stanford: Measles Could Spread As Vaccination Rates Decline
In a new study, scholars at Stanford’s School of Medicine and the Baylor College of Medicine find that slight declines in childhood measles vaccinations would cause disproportionately big increases in measles cases and public health costs. According to the study, published this week in JAMA Pediatrics, if just 5 percent fewer children in the 2-11 age range were inoculated against the measles, mumps and rubella (the MMR vaccine), the number of annual measles cases among that group would triple. (Deruy, 7/26)

In other public health news —

Sacramento Bee: CA Latinos More Likely To Live In Polluted Communities
California has made great strides in scrubbing smog from its skies, yet pollution remains a problem in some parts of the state, with 44 percent of Latinos living in communities with poor air quality compared to about one-quarter of non-Latinos, according to a new state Senate report. The study, commissioned by the Legislative Latino Caucus, comes as Gov. Jerry Brown will be in Bell Gardens at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday to sign Assembly Bill 617, part of last week’s package of bills to extend the state’s cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (Miller and Luna, 7/26)

KPBS: New San Diego Study Adds To Debate On E-Cigarettes 
A San Diego study adds new data to the debate over whether e-cigarettes are a helpful or harmful tool in the public health fight against smoking. In a paper published Wednesday in the British Medical Journal, researchers at UC San Diego report finding a significant spike in the number of Americans quitting smoking in recent years. (Wagner, 7/26)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Smoking Cessation Rises For First Time In 15 years, And E-Cigs May Be The Key
Electronic cigarettes may be helping Americans to kick the smoking habit, according to a study released Wednesday from UC San Diego researchers. The annual quit rate rose from its longtime average of 4.5 percent to 5.6 percent for 2014-15, the most recent period with verified data, according to a U.S. Census survey of tobacco use. It was the first recorded rise in the smoking cessation rate in 15 years. (Fikes, 7/26)

San Francisco Business Times: America’s Opioid Epidemic And The Workplace: 3 Lessons For Employers
Employees may be prescribed opioids to relieve pain following a workplace injury, which could in turn begin a path to dependency. But whether the origin of opioid use stems from a workplace injury or not, use of these drugs could have a dramatic impact on an employee’s performance. (Vance and Foulke, 7/26)

San Diego Union-Tribune: R.I.P. Coke Zero. Why Coke Zero Sugar Has Fans Making A Hiss
What’s in the new Coke Zero Sugar? The company won’t disclose its formula, obviously, but a spokeswoman told AdAge that it has “optimized the blend of flavors that gave Coke Zero its real Coca-Cola taste.” (Gomez, 7/26)

Los Angeles Times: Should California Start Its Own Bank To Serve Marijuana Companies? It Wouldn't Be Easy
Over the last year, there has been increasing interest among cannabis businesses and public officials in the idea of public banks: government-owned institutions that would take deposits, make loans and, in California at least, be willing to work with marijuana companies. ...This week, L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson said he wants to look into creating a city-owned bank that might serve cannabis businesses. (Koren, 7/27)

Los Angeles Times: The Cannabis Candidate: Gavin Newsom Dominates Donations From A Growing Industry Aiming For Influence
California will soon have open sales of recreational marijuana, and it needs to decide how to regulate its newest cash crop. Hoping to influence those decisions, the cannabis industry is seeking access to the state’s political leaders. (Menezes and Moore, 7/27)

The New York Times: Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed In The Military
President Trump abruptly announced a ban on transgender people serving in the military on Wednesday, blindsiding his defense secretary and Republican congressional leaders with a snap decision that reversed a year-old policy reviled by social conservatives. Mr. Trump made the declaration on Twitter, saying that American forces could not afford the “tremendous medical costs and disruption” of transgender service members. He said he had consulted generals and military experts, but Jim Mattis, the defense secretary, was given only a day’s notice about the decision. (Davis and Cooper, 7/26)

The Washington Post: Trump Announces That He Will Ban Transgender People From Serving In The Military
Trump’s decision comes two weeks after the House rejected an amendment to the annual defense policy bill that would have blocked the Pentagon from offering gender transition therapies to active-duty service members. Twenty-four Republicans joined 190 Democrats voting to reject the measure. But conservative lawmakers — many of them members of the House Freedom Caucus — had threatened to withhold support for a spending bill if Congress did not act to prohibit the Pentagon from paying for the procedures. The impasse broadly threatened government spending, but most importantly for Trump, it potentially held up money that had been appropriated for the border wall between the United States and Mexico, a key promise he had made during the campaign. (Phillip, Gibbons-Neff and DeBonis, 7/26)

Los Angeles Times: Transgender Veterans Outraged By Trump's Sudden Ban On Military Service
Carla Lewis enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1990. But the next year, after a background check for a top-secret position revealed that she had seen a counselor for gender identity issues, she was honorably discharged for what her military papers described as “Conditions That Interfere With Military Service — Not Disability — Mental Disorders.” (Pearce, 7/26)

KQED: ‘You Don’t Just Quit’: California Hits Back At Trump’s Transgender Military Ban
President Donald Trump’s announcement early Wednesday that transgender people would no longer be allowed to serve was met with swift reaction and strong opposition among California’s transgender military community and congressional delegation. Trump made the announcement in a series of tweets, concluding with: “Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming … victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.” (Leitsinger, 7/26)

Stat: Trump Says It's Too Pricey To Have Transgender Troops. Here's The Truth
But at least two studies in recent years have found that the cost of medical care for transgender service members would be minimal. A June 2016 study from the RAND Corporation estimated that there were between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender active-duty service members — out of 1.3 million service members in total — and noted that not all of them would seek treatment related to gender transitioning. The study also estimated that the cost associated with medical care for gender transition would only increase military health care expenditures by between $2.4 million and $8.4 million each year — an increase of between 0.04 and 0.13 percent. (Joseph, 7/26)