The New York Times: Theranos Under Federal Criminal Investigation, Adding To Its Woes
Theranos, the embattled blood-testing laboratory, said on Monday that federal officials were conducting a criminal investigation into the company, adding to a series of questions from officials about its inner workings. In a note to outside partners, the company said that the Justice Department had requested documents and that the investigation was active. The note also said that the Securities and Exchange Commission was investigating the company. (Abelson and Pollack, 4/18)

USA Today: Blood Lab Theranos Under Federal Investigation
"The investigations by the SEC and the U.S. Attorney's Office, which began following the publication of certain news articles, are focused on requesting documents and ongoing," the statement read. "The company continues to work closely with regulators and is cooperating fully with all investigations." (della Cava, 4/18)

The Wall Street Journal: Theranos Is Subject Of Criminal Probe By U.S.
People familiar with the matter said the subpoenas seek broad information about how Theranos described its technologies and the progress it was making developing those technologies. Investigators are also examining whether Theranos misled government officials, which can be a crime under federal law, some of the people said. Such subpoenas don’t necessarily mean prosecutors are actively seeking an indictment. People familiar with the matter said the investigation is at an early stage. (Weaver, Carreyrou and Siconolfi, 4/18)

The San Francisco Business Times: Theranos Under Criminal Investigation, SEC Probe
Theranos Inc. is under criminal investigation by federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said Monday, only hours after billionaire CEO Elizabeth Holmes insisted in a television interview that the blood-testing company would survive. (Chu, 4/18)

STAT: Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes Says She's 'Devastated' By Setbacks
Elizabeth Holmes, CEO of the embattled blood-testing company Theranos, has tried more than a few approaches in recent months to head off the waves of bad news that just keep coming. She’s gone to bat for her company at an industry conference, posted a 6,000-word defense on its website, and this month assembled a group of respected medical advisors. On Monday morning, Holmes tried a new tack: an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show. (Robbins, 4/18)

The Silicon Valley Business Journal: Theranos CEO Says She's 'Devastated' But Her Company Will Survive
"I feel devastated that we did not catch and fix these issues faster," Holmes said in a report that aired on NBC's Today show. She insisted that her company will survive despite the possibility that both she and Theranos President Sunny Balwani, could be banned from owning or running any other lab for at least two years. "I know what we've built and I know what we've created and what it means to people," she said. "It's a change that needs to happen in the world." (Schubarth, 4/18)

KQED: Elizabeth Holmes To Present Theranos Data At Scientific Conference
In what is sure to be a hot ticket this summer, Elizabeth Holmes is going to present data on Theranos’ technology at a meeting of scientists well-equipped to judge its validity. (Brooks, 4/18)

The San Francisco Business Journal: Activist Shareholder: Board Change 'Required' At East Bay Drug Company
Activist shareholder Starboard Value LP pledged to continue its fight for change on Depomed Inc.'s board, even after the drug developer dropped a contentious reincorporation plan. In a statement Friday, Starboard said "we remain convinced that meaningful board change is required at Depomed. … There has been no change to our intention to vigorously continue our pursuit of replacing the existing board with a slate of experienced, diverse and independent director candidates that we believe will better serve the company and better protect the rights and best interests of all shareholders." (Leuty, 4/18)

In other news —

The San Francisco Business Times: Bay Area-Based BioCardia Withdraws Plans To Go Public
Regenerative medicine startup BioCardia on Friday formally withdrew plans for an IPO that it filed for last year. The San Carlos company headed by CEO Peter Altman is developing treatments for heart failure based on a patient's own bone marrow. It had hoped to raise up to $62 million last summer but withdrew its offering in a volatile market when it couldn't find enough interest in its stock. (Schubarth, 4/18)

Reuters: California Governor, Agencies Face Legal Claims In Gas Blowout
Hundreds of Los Angeles homeowners who live near the site of the worst U.S. methane leak have filed claims against state regulators and the governor, seeking $3.5 million each in damages for government failures they blame for the gas blowout. Those cases marked the first batch of more than 3,000 such claims expected by the end of this week, opening a new front in litigation stemming from the accident at the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage field, said an attorney for the claimants on Monday. (Gorman, 4/18)

KTLA5: Another Leak Reported At SoCal Gas’ Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Field
Another aging natural gas well at the Aliso Canyon storage field above Porter Ranch was found to have a leak over the weekend. Southern California Gas Co., which spent months working to shut down a leaking well that prompted thousands of residents to relocate, told customers about the leak in a brief email. (Pamer, 4/18)

KPCC: 6 Of 8 LA Pregnancy Centers Defy Abortion Notice Law
Six out of eight Los Angeles-area "pregnancy centers" visited by KPCC are not complying with a new state law requiring them to notify their clients that the state offers access to low-cost and free abortions. KPCC also found that authorities are not aggressively enforcing the law, which took effect Jan. 1. Some cities are deferring to the state, while others are waiting to receive complaints about pregnancy centers before investigating them. (Plevin, 4/19)

The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento County Fentanyl-Related Fatalities At 12, Could Grow
The number of fentanyl-related fatalities reported in Sacramento and Yolo counties rose to 12 on Monday after county officials said a previously undetermined death was reclassified as caused by the painkiller. That brings the total number of fentanyl-linked overdoses to 52, attributed to street sales of counterfeit prescription pills, often masquerading as Norco tablets. Of the dozen deaths, 11 were in Sacramento County and one in Yolo County. (Buck, 4/18)

Meanwhile, as the Coachella music festival rages on, an unofficial meet-up group at the event helps those struggling with addiction stay sober —

San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Coachella 2016: Sobriety Group Helps Former Addicts At Music Festival
At Coachella, some find happiness in the roar of the crowd, at the drop of a beat or in the embrace of a festival fling. Others find it at the bottom of a glass and in the chemical release of a pill. In years past, Erik N. used heroin to try to keep his moments of bliss from slipping away, he said. But this year, it was different. He did Coachella sober. (Henry, 4/18)

Capital Public Radio: Few Psychiatric Beds For Tens Of Thousands In Need
For people struggling with their mental health, there are an increasing number of opportunities to get help. But, the groups working to expand resources in the Sacramento area say the system is hamstrung by the lack of adequate treatment facilities. "It's a shell game right now," says Officer Michelle Lazark. She's with the Sacramento Police Department's psychiatric services unit. She says officers do their best to connect people in crisis with the best treatment options, for examples, veterans to veterans groups and the elderly to adult protective services. It all depends on a treatment provider's available space. (Moffitt, 4/19)

Los Angeles Times: Doctors' Message To Asian Americans: Watch Out For Diabetes Even If You're Young And Thin
The Silicon Valley techies visiting his office were typically slender Asian Americans in their 30s who worked out regularly and ate healthy meals. But, as Sinha repeatedly found, they either already had or were about to get diabetes. "It was such a discordance from what I'd learned about in medical school," Sinha said. "Maybe, I thought, this is just an anomaly." It wasn't. What Sinha noticed a decade ago is now supported by a growing body of scientific research: Asians, in part for genetic reasons, are disproportionately likely to develop diabetes. They get the disease at younger ages and lower weights than others, experts say. (Karlamangla, 4/19)

The Los Angeles Daily News: San Fernando Valley Mosquitoes Test Positive For West Nile Virus
California’s first West Nile virus-positive mosquitoes of the year were found in the San Fernando Valley, vector control officials announced Monday. The sample of infected mosquitoes was collected in a trap in Sun Valley, according to the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District. (Abram, 4/18)

KPCC: Recuperative Care Offers A Safe, Clean Place To Recover For Sick Homeless
As the number of deaths among Orange County's homeless increases, advocates believe giving homeless people a safe, clean place to recover from injury or illness may slow the uptick in those dying on the streets. (Aguilar, 4/18)

The Ventura County Star: Los Robles Says Pediatric ICU Will Open In May
A long-awaited intensive care unit for children will open at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks on May 3, officials said. The four-bed unit, expected to open last year, is designed for children who may have been injured in accidents or have conditions where they require ventilators or constant monitoring. (Kisken, 4/18)

The Ventura County Star: Three Charged In Ojai Medical Marijuana Case Plead Not Guilty
Three men charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors in connection with the operation of an Ojai medical marijuana pleaded not guilty Monday. All three were arrested Thursday. Kroll, 65, is facing 34 criminal counts, including manufacturing concentrated cannabis, child endangerment, money laundering and felony failure to file an income tax return. (Hernandez, 4/18)

The New York Times: Panel Would Make Insurers Help Contain Rising Drug Costs
An influential federal advisory panel is calling for Congress to force private insurers to rein in rapid increases in prescription drug costs — by cutting some Medicare payments to insurance companies while shielding older Americans from higher out-of-pocket expenses. The recommendations by the nonpartisan Medicare Payment Advisory Commission would squeeze private insurers and drug makers alike, creating strong new incentives for insurance companies to manage the use of prescription medicines by beneficiaries and negotiate larger price discounts with pharmaceutical manufacturers. The Obama administration agrees with the reasoning. (Pear, 4/18)

USA Today: Feds Should Negotiate Medicare Prices With Drugmakers, Seniors Say
The federal government should negotiate drug prices for Medicare and force drugmakers to explain how they set drug prices, according to a survey out Tuesday of people 50 and older by AARP, the nation’s largest organization of people this age. The survey showed more than 93% of adults 50 and older said they favored the Medicare price negotiations, a policy advocated by presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. President Obama included such price negotiation authority for drugs known as biologics and "high-cost drugs" in his recent budget proposals. (O'Donnell, 4/19)

In other national health news —

The Associated Press: Study Backs Pancreas Cell Transplants For Severe Diabetes
Transplants of insulin-producing pancreas cells are a long hoped-for treatment for diabetes — and a new study shows they can protect the most seriously ill patients from a life-threatening complication of the disease, an important step toward U.S. approval. These transplants are used in some countries but in the U.S. they're available only through research studies. Armed with Monday's findings, researchers hope to license them for use in a small number of people with Type 1 diabetes who are most at risk for drops in blood sugar so severe they can lead to seizures, even death. (4/19)

The Associated Press: Appeals Court Upholds $1B NFL Concussion Settlement
A federal appeals court has upheld an estimated $1 billion plan by the NFL to settle thousands of concussion lawsuits filed by former players, potentially ending a troubled chapter in league history. The decision released Monday comes nearly a year after a district judge approved the revised settlement. If there are no further appeals — either to a full panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia within two weeks, or the Supreme Court within 90 days — former players already diagnosed with brain injuries linked to repeated concussions could begin receiving benefits within 3-4 months, a plaintiffs’ attorney said. (Dale, 4/18)