The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Sonoma County Demands $1.3 Million From Sebastopol Hospital Over Urgent Care Closure 
Sonoma Specialty Hospital in Sebastopol was buzzing with activity this week, its 58 beds just about all full as medical staff rushed in and out of patient rooms, a bustle that has breathed new life into this once dying facility. (Espinoza, 5/22)

San Diego Union-Tribune: County, UCSD Health Start Negotiations On East Campus Mental Health Unit 
For the second time in nearly two years, county supervisors unanimously supported significantly expanding mental health capacity at UC San Diego Health East Campus, formerly known as Alvarado Hospital. (Sisson, 5/22)

Bloomberg: Health Care Hack Fixes Were Overstated By UnitedHealth
UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s claims that it had made progress fixing some systems in the weeks after a crippling cyberattack frustrated state health officials who said they were still having problems. Utah officials were waiting for UnitedHealth to fix pharmacy systems that served thousands of low-income residents when the company said in a March 7 news release that all major pharmacy claims and payment systems had been restored, according to documents obtained through a public-records request. (Tozzi, 5/22)

Becker's Hospital Review: Ransomware: 10 Things Hospital Leaders Should Know
Hospitals and health systems continue to be targeted by ransomware hackers, disrupting patient care and costing millions of dollars in recovery costs. Here are 10 things healthcare executives should know about ransomware attacks. (Bruce, 5/22)

Los Angeles Times: Second Human Case Of Bird Flu Detected In Dairy Worker
A second human case of bird flu in a diary worker has been confirmed in Michigan, state and federal health officials announced Wednesday. The symptoms were mild, consisting of conjunctivitis. The Texas dairy worker who contracted the virus in March also came down with pink eye. At a press call on Wednesday, Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the finding was “not unexpected” and that it was a scenario “that we had been preparing for.” (Rust, 5/22)

CIDRAP: HHS Advances Plan To Produce 4.8 Million H5N1 Vaccine Doses 
Response (ASPR) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said officials are moving forward with a plan to produce 4.8 million doses of H5N1 avian flu vaccine for pandemic preparedness. (Schnirring, 5/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: California’s COVID Metrics Rise As Part Of A National FLiRT Uptick
California is among a dozen states witnessing a pickup in COVID-19 indicators after a relatively tranquil spring that saw record lows in key metrics. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a steady increase in the percentage of emergency department patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in California over the past month. However, the figure remains well below last summer’s peak. (Vaziri, 5/22)

CIDRAP: Study Shows Vaccination Lowers Risk Of Long COVID 
COVID-19 patients vaccinated against the novel coronavirus were less likely to have symptoms of post-COVID condition (PCC), or long COVID, according to a new study in Nature Communications. The study was based on outcomes seen among patients in eight large healthcare systems in the United States who had positive SARS-CoV-2 tests between March 2021 and February 2022. (Soucheray, 5/22)

Stat: New Antiviral Works Against Coronaviruses In Mice, But Human Testing Will Have To Wait
During the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccines were the main line of defense. Startlingly effective shots quickly helped immunize a large portion of the population — at least initially, and in high-income countries. (Merelli, 5/22)

The Washington Post: Fentanyl Is Fueling A Record Number Of Youth Drug Deaths
Fentanyl, a pervasive killer in America’s illicit drug supply, is increasingly landing in the hands of teens across the region and nation, worrying providers who say treatment options for youths are limited. Across the country, fentanyl has largely fueled a more than doubling of overdose deaths among children ages 12 to 17 since the start of the pandemic, according to a Washington Post analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released this month. (Portnoy and Keating, 5/22)

NBC News: Fentanyl Test Strips Are Being Used By Drug Dealers To Advertise 'Clean Pills'
Fentanyl test strips are sold online and easily obtained free from many public health departments. They’re touted as a harm reduction tool to help drug users determine whether fentanyl is present in a pill or powder. But Sheriff’s Deputy Patrick Craven, the lead detective of the newly formed opioid response team in rural Placer County, California, warns that the test strips are now being used by drug dealers who post photos on social media showing “negative” test results to advertise that their drugs are “clean.” (Nguyen and Blankstein, 5/22)

WIRED: Eventbrite Promoted Illegal Opioid Sales To People Searching For Addiction Recovery Help 
A WIRED investigation found thousands of Eventbrite posts selling escort services and drugs like Xanax and oxycodone—some of which the company’s algorithm recommended alongside addiction recovery events. (Burgess and Mehrotra, 5/21)

Science News: Two Distinct Neural Pathways May Make Opioids Like Fentanyl So Addictive
A study in mice looked at how feelings of reward and withdrawal that opioids trigger play out in two separate circuits in the brain. (Lloreda, 5/22)

AP: Daily Marijuana Use Outpaces Daily Drinking In The US, A New Study Says 
For the first time, the number of Americans who use marijuana just about every day has surpassed the number who drink that often, a shift some 40 years in the making as recreational pot use became more mainstream and legal in nearly half of U.S. states. In 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or near-daily compared to 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers, according an analysis of national survey data. In 1992, when daily pot use hit a low point, less than 1 million people said they used marijuana nearly every day. (Johnson, 5/22)

NBC News: Teens Who Use Marijuana Are More Likely To Suffer Psychotic Disorders, Study Finds
Teenagers who used cannabis within the last year had a dramatically higher rate of developing a psychotic disorder, according to a study published Wednesday. The study, led by researchers from the University of Toronto, found an 11 times higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder among teenagers who used cannabis compared with those who did not. When the analysis was limited to just emergency room visits and hospitalizations, there was a 27-fold increase in psychotic disorders in teenagers who had used the drug. (Syal, 5/22) 

Marijuana Moment: Former Obama Drug Czar Says Marijuana Is 'Not Medicine' And That 'Big Cannabis' Is Behind Federal Rescheduling Decision 
The former U.S. drug czar under President Barack Obama expressed skepticism of marijuana’s medical value and the Biden administration’s move to federally reschedule cannabis in a new interview, warning of ominous industry influence over politicians and the country’s medical review process. “It’s not medicine,” said former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Gil Kerlikowske, speaking on the podcast of former U.S. Rep. Mary Bono (R).“This is all Big Cannabis,” he added. “This isn’t people my age that are just old hippies that want to open up a pot shop somewhere. This is a huge business like Big Tobacco. Absolutely.” (Adlin, 5/21)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Leaders Respond To 'Promising' And 'Troubling' Report Showing A Continued Rise In Homelessness 
Local and federal officials expressed cautious optimism Wednesday about new statistics showing only a small rise in homelessness throughout San Diego County. The annual point-in-time count found more than 10,600 homeless people in January, a 3 percent increase from last year. The previous tally recorded a 22 percent jump. (Nelson, 5/22)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Homelessness Declined This Year In Napa County. Looming State Budget Cuts Threaten Services That Made That Possible 
An upcoming loss of state funding connected to the state’s budget woes could cause problems for Napa County’s homeless services in future years. (Booth, 5/22)

Sacramento Bee: Gavin Newsom’s Budget Won’t Fund Key Homeless Programs. Democrats Want To Claw Money Back 
California lawmakers are pushing hard to find ways to restore major homelessness and housing program cuts Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed in his revised budget. The spending plan he presented earlier in the month would deal with an estimated $45 billion deficit by not adding funding for a major state program to tackle homelessness. (Holden, 5/22)

The Washington Post: Companies Made Millions Charging Veterans For Help Applying For Benefits 
Senators savored the moment on a summer day outside the Capitol — the passage of a sweeping, bipartisan agreement to add $280 billion in new benefits and health care for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. But glitches, slowdowns and other mishaps have dogged the program’s rollout by the Department of Veterans Affairs, enabling the growth of an unregulated shadow industry that promises to drastically boost tax-free disability checks, according to lawmakers, advocates and leaders in the claims industry — in exchange for veterans signing away thousands of dollars in future benefits. (Rein, 5/23)

The Hill: House Committee Adopts Amendment To Rehire Troops Fired For Refusing COVID Vaccine
The House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday adopted an amendment to the annual defense policy bill that would push the Department of Defense to rehire U.S. service members who were fired for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. The measure, which would require the Pentagon to create a robust plan for rehiring those service members, was adopted by voice vote as the committee considered a round of amendments for a markup of the 2025 national defense authorization act (NDAA). (Dress, 5/22)

Los Angeles Times: Lt. Governor Kounalakis Launches PAC To Mobilize Voters On Abortion
California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis publicly launched a new independent political committee to mobilize “pro-choice” California voters and help to defeat Donald Trump and take back Democratic control of the House of Representatives. Californians for Choice, which as a super PAC is allowed to raise unlimited sums from donors for independent expenditures on races, plans to recruit volunteers across the state to make calls and knock on doors in key congressional contests, according to a statement from the committee. (Wick, 5/22)

The Mercury News: San Mateo County Approves $400,000 For Reproductive Health Care Services
San Mateo County Supervisors unanimously approved $400,000 in funding this week to boost reproductive health care, among other services slated for a new round of funding. “The upgrades will afford Planned Parenthood Mar Monte the ability to serve patients more efficiently and increase capacity,” said Board of Supervisors President Warren Slocum. The funds will be sourced from Measure K, a local sales tax fund that finances local social services. (Macasero, 5/22)

Fresno Bee: Rural Residents In Fresno County Will Soon Have Better Access To Contraceptive Care
Fresno County rural residents – who live in a contraceptive care “desert” – will have better access thanks to a new partnership. (Ortiz-Briones, 5/22)

Los Angeles Times: Meet The Suburban Moms Helping Arizonans Get Abortions In California
Staring down a state budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom needed money fast to fund his latest ambition for California. So he turned to an influential voting bloc with a knack for fundraising: suburban moms from the Midwest. The Democratic governor last month unveiled a bill that would temporarily allow Arizona abortion providers to practice in California in order to help cope with an influx of patients crossing the state border in the two years since the Supreme Court ended nationwide abortion rights. (Mays, 5/23)

Los Angeles Times: The Arizona Political Couple On Opposite Ends Of 1864 Abortion Ban
Before she voted to repeal Arizona’s near-total abortion ban, Sen. Shawnna Bolick rose from her seat on the Senate floor to painstakingly detail one woman’s three difficult pregnancies. The first pregnancy was not viable and would require a “D&C” — which, as the doctor informed the patient, is “like having an abortion” because tissue is removed from the uterus. The second pregnancy resulted in a healthy baby boy, but required an emergency C-section. The third delivered a baby girl, but demanded 23 weeks of bed rest. Then Bolick revealed the story’s twist. (Pinho, 5/23)

The Hill: Democrats Want To Force Senate GOP To Vote On Contraception
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Wednesday the Senate will vote next month on legislation to protect women’s access to contraception, setting up a campaign issue for the fall. Democrats expect Republicans to block the bill, just as they have blocked legislation protecting access to in vitro fertilization, which Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) said included “poison pills.” (Bolton, 5/22)

Los Angeles Times: Don't Swim At These Beaches In L.A. County On Memorial Day Weekend
Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us, meaning Southern Californians will soon gather for barbecues and flock to beaches to mark the unofficial start of summer. In Los Angeles County, however, residents should avoid the water at certain coastal locations because the bacterial levels reached unhealthful levels when last tested, according to an L.A. County Department of Public Health news release. (Lin, 5/22)

KVPR: After Years In Decline, U.S. Drowning Deaths Are Rising Again
Drowning deaths in the U.S. were on the decline for decades, but a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that fatalities have been increasing since 2020. While it's not exactly clear what's causing the spike, public health experts believe the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could be at least in part to blame. (Hernandez, 5/22)

AP: Feds Face Trial Over Prison Guards' Abuse Of Incarcerated Women At Now-Shuttered California Facility
The federal Bureau of Prisons will go to trial next year over claims it allowed an environment where guards at a now-shuttered California prison sexually abused incarcerated women, a judge ordered Wednesday. In the first public hearing since FCI Dublin closed last month, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers also ordered an outside legal expert to keep handling the cases of some 600 women transferred out of the prison. Many of the inmates sent to other federal lockups claimed they suffered mistreatment during the transfer process. (5/22)

Los Angeles Times: Anita Hill-Led Hollywood Commission Wants To Change How Workers Report Sexual Harassment
In the wake of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape trial, a survey of nearly 10,000 workers by the Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission revealed a sobering result: Few people believed perpetrators would ever be held accountable. The vast majority, however, were interested in new tools to document incidents and access resources and helplines. Four years later, the Hollywood Commission is trying to make that request a reality. (Masunaga, 5/23)

Los Angeles Times: Undocumented Immigrants Could Lose Assistance For Elderly And Disabled
In Bell Gardens, Raquel Martinez said she has relied for nearly three years on a program that pays an assistant to help her make it safely to her frequent appointments at the MLK Medical Campus. Martinez, 65, is blind and has cancer. If she did not have the help of her support worker, Martinez said, she would struggle to navigate the elevators and find the right office. Her assistant also helps her with groceries and other daily tasks such as housekeeping, she said, tending to her 21 hours a week.“ I was in need of a lot of help,” Martinez said in Spanish. As budget cuts squeeze the state, California could yank such assistance from elderly, blind or otherwise disabled immigrants who have relied on the state’s In-Home Supportive Services program. (Alpert Reyes, 5/23)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento Nursing Graduate Aims To Serve Undocumented Communities
Perla Valdovinos Galvan didn’t think she could go to college. It wasn’t because she wasn’t smart enough or because she wasn’t ready. Galvan believed college wasn’t an option because she’s undocumented. But Galvan always wanted to be nurse. It was her childhood dream. She had an innate desire to “do something good.” As her father was ill, she told him she would be his caretaker. Galvan said that when she was 13, her father died from medical negligence. It was then she decided she wouldn’t let what happened to her father happen to anyone else. (Hall, 5/23)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: More Than 40 Inmates Stage Hunger Strike In Sonoma County Jail 
Forty-five men incarcerated in the Sonoma County jail are participating in a hunger strike to protest various conditions and procedures in the jail, officials said. (Smalstig, 5/22)