Sacramento Bee: ‘Science Was On The Ballot.’ Gavin Newsom Says Recall Proved Voters Back His COVID Approach
A day after his landslide victory over the recall, Gov. Gavin Newsom pointed to his win and the state’s low COVID-19 rates as vindication of his pandemic approach. “Science was on the ballot,” Newsom told reporters during a Wednesday visit to an Oakland school. “Our approach to this pandemic, vaccinations, were on the ballot last night.” Votes are still being tallied, but opponents of the recall amassed such a commanding lead in early returns that the Associated Press called the race less than an hour after polls closed. As of Wednesday afternoon, the “no” side had about 64% of the vote. (Bollag, 9/16)

Modesto Bee: Newsom Says Recall Proved CA Voters Back His COVID Approach
A day after his landslide victory over the recall, Gov. Gavin Newsom pointed to his win and the state’s low COVID-19 rates as vindication of his pandemic approach. “Science was on the ballot,” Newsom told reporters during a Wednesday visit to an Oakland school. “Our approach to this pandemic, vaccinations, were on the ballot last night.” (Bollag, 9/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: After Beating Recall, Invigorated Newsom Feels New Sense Of Urgency
Critics of Gov. Gavin Newsom spent more than a year trying to recall him. Between administrative expenses for the state and campaign expenditures by the candidates, the cost of the election totaled around $400 million. And in the end, none of it may amount to much of anything. (Koseff, 9/15)

Los Angeles Times: California Recall Results Linked To COVID-19 Vaccine Rates 
The results in California’s historic recall election are in, and Gov. Gavin Newsom survived. A closer look at the county-level results, which are still preliminary as late-arriving mail ballots are tallied, reveals a strong relationship between the governor’s support and COVID-19 vaccination rates, according to a data analysis by The Times. (Stiles, 9/15)

The New York Times: After Newsom’s Decisive Victory, Californians Tally The Cost
The coronavirus pandemic helped propel the recall attempt of Gov. Gavin Newsom to the ballot in California, and on Tuesday, his handling of the pandemic was an overriding issue as about two-thirds of voters decided he should stay in office. cross the nation’s most populous state, voters surveyed by New York Times reporters outside polling places cited Mr. Newsom’s pandemic restrictions and support for vaccine mandates as key factors in whether they voted to oust or keep him. The recall served as a preview of next year’s midterm elections nationally, with voters sharply divided along partisan lines over issues such as masks, lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations. (Woo, Cowan, Medina and Jordan, 9/15)

CBS News: Governor Gavin Newsom To National Democrats: "Don't Be Timid" On COVID-19 Response 
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, warned Wednesday that his party needs to "lean in" on COVID-19 prevention, despite hardline opposition. Speaking with CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett less than 24 hours after he overwhelmingly survived a recall challenge, Newsom said he views the victory as a sign that his constituents approve of his handling of the pandemic. "So, what I'm saying here is, be affirmative," Newsom said he would tell national Democrats. "Don't be timid. Lean in. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about formal authority of setting the tone and tenor on masks — on vaccines and masks. But it's the moral authority that we have: that we're on the right side of history and we're doing the right thing to save people's lives." (9/15)

The Hill: Pfizer Plans To Seek Vaccine Authorization In November For Kids Under 5 
Pfizer and BioNTech plan to file for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency authorization in November for their COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5, Pfizer Chief Financial Officer Frank D'Amelio said this week. Pfizer has previously said the company expects to file in early October for emergency use authorization in children ages 5 to 11. (Weixel, 9/15)

ABC7 San Francisco: California Counties Prepare To Vaccinate Kids 5-11 Years Old Ahead Of Pfizer's Expected Emergency Authorization
Pfizer is planning to submit data to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of this month with hopes for a green light to start vaccinating kids 5 to 11 years old before Halloween. Health officers across the Bay Area are starting to prepare how distribution will work once the vaccine is authorized for emergency use. ... Susan Rojas works with San Francisco's COVID-19 taskforce. Her staff is already preparing to expand the Mission's 24th Street pop-up site to be able to vaccinate up to 500 children per day once Pfizer's vaccine is authorized. "We have a lot of families coming in trying to figure out if they can put their names on a waitlist," she said. (Sierra, 9/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Boosters For All Who Took The Pfizer Vaccine? FDA May Instead Focus On Those At Highest Risk
Evidence of waning immunity for at least one COVID-19 vaccine may drive federal authorities on Friday to advise older Americans, as well as frontline health care workers, to get a third shot starting as soon as next week. With the delta variant surging across the United States and public health officials in every state struggling to improve vaccination rates as they wrestle with widespread transmission, pressure is mounting to protect even fully vaccinated people from breakthrough cases that in rare instances result in severe illness or even death. (Allday, 9/15)

Stat: FDA Scientists Strike Skeptical Tone On Covid Vaccine Boosters At This Time
Food and Drug Administration scientists have expressed skepticism about the need for additional doses of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for all people who have received it. The assessment by the agency’s staff, included in documents released Wednesday, sets up a high-stakes debate over who will need an additional booster dose — and when they will need it — at the meeting of experts being convened by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday. (Herper and Branswell, 9/15)

California Healthline: How Fauci And The NIH Got Ahead Of The FDA And CDC In Backing Boosters
With real-time data streaming in from highly specialized researchers in the U.S. and abroad, NIH scientists became convinced that boosting the covid-19 vaccine was needed to save lives, prompting the president to announce a plan with a Sept. 20 start date. Scientists at the regulatory agencies weren’t yet convinced. A meeting Friday will determine what happens next. Here’s the story from behind the scenes. (Tribble and Allen, 9/16)

Southern California News Group: Universal Studios Hollywood And Six Flags Magic Mountain Must Require Vaccination Proof 
Los Angeles County public health officials will require Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags Magic Mountain visitors and employees to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test starting next month. An amended county health order will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test starting Oct. 7 for theme parks and other outdoor mega events of more than 10,000 people, according to Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. (MacDonald, 9/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Hearst To Require Vaccines For All Newspaper Employees
Hearst Newspapers, the owner of The Chronicle, told employees Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccinations will soon be required for all employees. The email announcement by President of Hearst Newspapers Jeff Johnson said the policy would be effective Nov. 12, to give employees who are not yet fully vaccinated time to get the shots. Johnson also said that, effective immediately, all new employees in the newspaper division would need to provide vaccination proof before their hiring. (DeFeliciantonio, 9/15)

CapRadio: President Biden Meets With Business Leaders, CEOs, And More To Discuss COVID-19 Mandates
President Joe Biden has invited CEOs and business leaders to the White House to discuss COVID-19 mandates, according to the Associated Press. Today’s meeting follows Biden’s announcement last week that the Labor Department is working to require that businesses with 100 or more employees order their workers to be fully vaccinated or submit a negative COVID-19 test at least weekly. (9/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area In 'Wait And See' Mode As COVID Cases Decline
The rates of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations fell sharply in the Bay Area and across California over the past week after hovering at worryingly high levels through the summer. With the state’s positivity rate dipping to 3.5% on Wednesday — less than half the 7.2% it reached during the August peak — health officials feel cautiously optimistic that the fourth wave of the pandemic is waning three months after the state’s June 15 reopening, when most restrictions were lifted. (Vaziri, 9/15)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego County Records 57 More COVID-19 Deaths 
The true cost of San Diego’s summer COVID-19 surge continued to reveal itself Wednesday with 57 additional deaths listed in the county health department’s weekly update. As has increasingly been the case lately, those dying from the coronavirus continued to skew younger. Though 48 of the total were age 60 or older, this week’s report included a 39-year-old man who died Sept. 8, a 36-year-old man who died Sept. 7 and a 33-year-old man who died Sept. 5. Two more were in their 40s. Though medical information was pending for two of the 57, one of the remaining 55 — a 72-year-old woman from coastal North County — did not have other health conditions present at the time of death. (Sisson, 9/15)

Marin Independent Journal: Novato Council Member Resigns, Citing Stress And ‘Vitriol’
Less than two years after being elected to the Novato City Council, Amy Peele has abruptly resigned. In her announcement at the council meeting on Tuesday, Peele cited mental and physical stress from the pandemic, the political climate, vitriolic public discourse and the inability to meet in person with fellow councilmembers as the reasons behind her decision. (Houston, 9/16)

San Francisco Chronicle: Two Large Bay Area School Districts To Vote On Mandatory COVID Vaccinations For Eligible Students
The school boards for two of the Bay Area’s biggest public school districts — Oakland and West Contra Costa Unified — plan to vote next week on whether to require mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all staff and eligible students 12 and older. These districts would become the first in Northern California to require vaccinations if mandates are approved. Los Angeles and Culver City school districts have recently mandated shots against COVID-19 for staff and students. (Swan, 9/15)

Bay Area News Group: East Bay School District Could Vote To Become Bay Area’s First To Mandate COVID Vaccine Mandate For Everyone 12 And Older
West Contra Costa Unified’s school board on Tuesday will consider requiring faculty, staff and students 12 years and older to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, becoming possibly the first in the Bay Area to do so. If the board approves a resolution written by Trustee Demetrio Gonzalez Hoy calling for the vaccine mandate, students and staff in all district schools would have to be fully inoculated by Oct. 31. Those who receive Pfizer and Moderna would need to get their first shot by Oct. 3. (Mukherjee, 9/15)

Marin Independent Journal: Marin Tightens COVID-19 Restrictions For School Athletes 
Marin middle and high schools students involved in “high-risk” outdoor activities such as sports or performing arts will need to be vaccinated or commit to weekly COVID-19 testing, county officials said Tuesday. “For the first time, we are recommending surveillance testing for asymptomatic unvaccinated students who are engaged in high-risk activities,” Dr. Lisa Santora, deputy public health officer, said Tuesday at a public webinar before more than 100 participants. (Brenner, 9/16)

Sacramento Bee: Hundreds Still Blocked From Sacramento State Campus Over COVID Vaccine. Here’s The Latest
More than 25,000 California State University, Sacramento students have submitted documentation they have received a COVID-19 vaccine, school officials announced a day after several hundred students were barred from campus for failing to meet the vaccination deadline. Through Wednesday, 25,488 Sacramento State students, or 81% of the 31,500 enrolled this fall, had submitted their COVID-19 vaccination proof, according to a news release. Of the number of students taking in-person classes this fall, 89% have met the vaccine requirement. (Ahumada, 9/15)

Los Angeles Times: Drug-Pricing Clash Puts Democrats' Healthcare Plans At Risk 
Democrats are sharply divided over whether to require drugmakers to negotiate prices with the federal government, a rift threatening key parts of President Biden’s $3.5-trillion social safety net bill — including the possible expansion of Medicare and Obamacare — and one that could put the entire effort at risk. Three House Democrats on Wednesday blocked the House Energy and Commerce Committee from advancing a provision to allow drug-pricing negotiation in favor of an alternative that other Democrats say is far weaker. (Haberkorn, 9/15)

Stat: Moderate Democrats Sink Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Bill In Key Committee Vote
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s aggressive drug pricing package failed a key committee vote on Wednesday, prompting questions about whether the measure can survive a full House vote. Reps. Scott Peters (Calif.), Kurt Schrader (Ore.), and Kathleen Rice (N.Y.), all Democrats, followed through on their threats to vote against the provision in the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s markup. Republicans unanimously opposed the measure, too, leading to a tie vote that means the provision failed to advance to a full House vote. (Cohrs, 9/15)

Politico: Centrist Democrats Scramble House Drug Pricing Effort 
While another key House panel endorsed the drug pricing plan later on Wednesday, leadership may not yet have the votes to pass it as part of a larger bill. The public standoff underscores the significant hurdles ahead in securing the near-unanimous support Democrats will need to advance the social spending package. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team had spent days working to convince the holdouts, according to people familiar with the push. And Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) made multiple public appeals to the centrists to support the drug pricing language during the markup, saying it was essential to negotiating a final agreement with the Senate. (Miranda Ollstein and Ferris, 9/15)

The Washington Post: Democrats Target Cigarettes And Vaping As Potential Sources To Pay For $3.5 Trillion Economic Package 
Millions of Americans who smoke could soon see an increase in their prices, as Democrats target tobacco and nicotine to help finance their $3.5 trillion economic package. The new proposal put forward in the House this week would raise or impose taxes on a wide array of products: It would hike existing federal levies on cigarettes and cigars while introducing new taxes on vaping. Democrats say the changes could help them raise $100 billion in revenue over the next 10 years. (Romm, 9/15)

The Washington Post: Special Enrollment For ACA Health Plans Attracts Nearly 3 Million Consumers 
Biden says record enrollment total reinforces his About 2.8 million people signed up for Affordable Care Act health plans during an unprecedented, six-month special enrollment period that President Biden ordered to help Americans find insurance coverage during the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures his administration released Wednesday. The additional enrollees push the reliance on ACA health plans to 12.2 million, the highest level since the insurance marketplaces created under the law first offered health plans in 2014. (Goldstein, 9/15)

AP: Biden: Nearly 3M Get Health Coverage During COVID-19 Sign-Up
Nearly 3 million consumers took advantage of a special six-month period to sign up for subsidized health insurance coverage made more affordable by the COVID-19 relief law, President Joe Biden said Wednesday. He called that number encouraging and urged Congress to keep the trend going by extending the more generous financial assistance, currently available only through the end of next year. “That’s 2.8 million families who will have more security, more breathing room, and more money in their pocket if an illness or accident hits home,” Biden said in a statement. “Altogether, 12.2 million Americans are actively enrolled in coverage under the Affordable Care Act — an all-time high.” That’s an increase of about 20% since the end of last year. (Superville, 9/15)

Becker's Hospital Review: 15 Million People Could Lose Coverage After Public Health Emergency Ends, Report Says
A new report by the Urban Institute, funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, anticipates that 15 million people could be out of Medicaid coverage when the pandemic public health emergency ends. Medicaid enrollment initially swelled as a result of early pandemic joblessness and continuous coverage requirement of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, according to the Sept. 15 report. With the public health emergency in place through the end of 2021, researchers estimated that Medicaid enrollment could grow to 17 million new members since the start of the pandemic. That would bring the total number of Medicaid beneficiaries under the age of 65 to 76.3 million. (Moran, 9/15)

Modern Healthcare: Almost 90% Of Pandemic-Era Medicaid Enrollees At Risk Of Losing Coverage 
Almost 90% of people expected to have gained Medicaid coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic could get dropped from the program once the public health emergency ends, a new report finds. Federal law has prohibited states from kicking beneficiaries off of their Medicaid programs during the public health emergency. That, coupled with COVID-related job losses, has caused membership to remain higher than usual. However, 15 million new members risk losing coverage once the federal government ends its emergency declaration, researchers at the Urban Institute said in a report released Wednesday. (Bannow, 9/15)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Supervisors: San Diego County Will Champion Reproductive Freedom 
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 Tuesday to declare the county a champion of reproductive freedom, in response to a Texas law banning nearly all abortions. “I’m outraged that here we are in 2021 and politicians are still making decisions on women’s health care,” said Supervisor Nora Vargas, who proposed the declaration. “Access to health care is and always has been my top priority, and safe, legal abortion is health care.” (Brennan, 9/15)

The Washington Post: Pope Says Bishops Debating Biden Communion Should Be Pastors, Not Politicians 
Wading into an issue splitting the U.S. Catholic Church, Pope Francis on Wednesday said the decision about granting Communion to politicians who support abortion rights should be made from a pastoral point of view, not a political one. Francis did not take a direct stance on the raging debate over whether President Biden should be denied the sacred rite because of an abortion stance that goes against church doctrine. But the pope advised that bishops should be “pastors, and not go condemning.” “God’s style is closeness, compassion and tenderness,” Francis said. (Harlan and Boorstein, 9/15)

Modesto Bee: Rare Disease Detected In Mosquitoes In Stanislaus County
The virus that causes St. Louis encephalitis was detected in a mosquito sample in Stanislaus County, health officials said Wednesday. The St. Louis virus is a relative of the West Nile virus, which gets attention in the Central Valley every year for causing a potentially deadly neurological illness in some residents. (Carlson, 9/15)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Scientists Race To Treat Rare Genetic Diseases 
San Diego’s life science community is playing a leading role in helping families like the Dalbys, from the health systems that diagnose patients to the biotech companies that make personalized therapies. (Wosen, 9/16)

Los Angeles Times: Homeless Veteran Stabbed At Encampment Near VA In West L.A. 
A veteran living in a homeless encampment in West Los Angeles was stabbed to death early Wednesday, officials said. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives arrested another unhoused man in connection with the attack, which occurred about 6:30 a.m. in the 11600 block of San Vicente Boulevard in an unincorporated area near Brentwood. (Winton and Smith, 9/15)

Bay Area News Group: Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Blood Analyzers’ Failure Rates Threatened Patients, Court Hears 
More than a quarter of Theranos’ blood analyzers were failing quality control after it started offering blood tests, threatening patients’ health, and company founder Elizabeth Holmes was told about problems with the technology, the court heard in Holmes’ criminal fraud trial Wednesday. Holmes’ lawyers have sought to distance her from the operations of the company laboratory where the analyzers were used. Attorney Lance Wade earlier this week told court the labs were overseen by Holmes’ co-accused, former Theranos president Sunny Balwani, whom she has accused of abusing and coercing her during their romantic relationship. (Baron, 9/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Ex-Employee Says She Was Rebuffed In Attempt To Raise Alarms 
Over two days of testimony, Ms. Cheung testified that Theranos’s highly publicized proprietary technology often didn’t work, and that the company cut corners to give the impression that its product was ready for wide-scale use by patients. She said she tried to tell as many people as she could about problems, including having a discussion with the company’s No. 2 executive, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani. Rather than being receptive, she said, he questioned why she was qualified to raise concerns and whether she wanted to work at the company. (Randazzo, 9/15)