Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Three-Year Abortion Trends Vary Dramatically by State
About 930,000 abortions occurred in the U.S. in 2020, an 8% increase from 2017. But that nationwide figure belies dramatic variation among states — disparities expected to magnify in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade. (Phillip Reese, )
Abortion Amendment Will Be On November Ballot: California voters will decide in November whether to enshrine the right to abortion and contraception in the state constitution — making the Golden State the first to put reproductive rights on the ballot after a watershed U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down the federal constitutional right to an abortion. Read more from CalMatters, the Los Angeles Times, and San Francisco Chronicle. Scroll down for more abortion news.
Medi-Cal Expansion Will Cover All Low-Income, Undocumented Residents: California will become the first state to remove immigration status as a barrier to health care, making all low-income undocumented residents eligible for state-subsidized insurance regardless of age. Read more from The Sacramento Bee and KCRA. Coverage of the California budget continues below.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
Los Angeles Times:
Organizers Call For ‘Day Of Mass Disruption’ As Abortion Rights Protests Continue
Days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, removing federal protections for abortion access across the country, protesters continued to gather in downtown Los Angeles voicing their outrage and vowing to continue fighting for abortion rights. Protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse on West 1st Street along green fencing separating them from the building. They passed out posters stating “Abortion Demand Without Apology” and displayed the names of women who have died or been imprisoned for self-induced abortion. (Yee, Schneid and Martinez, 6/27)
SFGate:
What Can Californians Do To Support Abortion Rights?
Shannon Olivieri Hovis, the director of NARAL Pro-Choice California, was trying to get back to sleep early Friday morning after being woken up by her fussy infant, when her phone buzzed with the news she'd been dreading for weeks — the United States Supreme Court had dropped its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutional right to abortion after nearly 50 years. "The first thing I did was just hug her — and then breathe," Hovis, who was born in San Francisco and raised in the Bay Area, told SFGATE over the phone. "And then I cried." (Graff, 6/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Kamala Harris Warns Abortion Rights Are Only The Beginning
Vice President Kamala Harris said Monday that the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark decision legalizing abortion, is likely to endanger other rights, including those of gay marriage and birth control. She said Justice Clarence Thomas, who cast doubt on those rights in a concurring opinion, was merely saying “the quiet part out loud” as the court’s conservative wing increasingly asserts itself. (Brewster, 6/27)
Politico:
Democratic Exasperation Builds At Biden's Slow Roll On Roe
When it comes to protecting abortion rights, Democrats want Joe Biden to get aggressive. And fast. Frustration is building among liberals over what some see as a slow executive response from the president, despite weeks to prepare following POLITICO’s publication of a draft majority opinion forecasting the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. White House officials contend that things are more complicated than they seem, but that’s doing little to turn down the temperature in the party. (Everett, Ferris, Cancryn and Lemire, 6/27)
NBC News:
There's Another War Between The States Coming Over Abortion
The Supreme Court’s abortion decision is likely to set off a wave of legal and political disputes among states and the federal government unlike anything seen since the years before the Civil War, legal experts say. With some states allowing private lawsuits against out-of-state abortion providers — and other states prohibiting cooperation with abortion investigations — the abortion issue is likely to pit state law enforcement agencies and court systems against one another in dramatic fashion. The federal government, meanwhile, faces a choice over how to deal with states that seek to ban Food and Drug Administration-approved abortion medication, now used in about half of pregnancy terminations. And whatever the Biden administration does, federal policy could change dramatically if the Republicans take the White House. (Dilanian, 6/27)
NBC News:
In Wake Of Roe Reversal, Some American Jews See Attack On Religious Liberty
The Supreme Court decision reversing Roe v. Wade answered the prayers of conservative Christians across the U.S. who rallied against the landmark 1973 ruling for nearly half a century. But many American Jews are dismayed, and some Jewish leaders view restrictions on reproductive rights as an attack on religious liberty. In statements following the release of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the ruling that overruled Roe, organizations such as the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, Hillel International and the Women's Rabbinic Network expressed deep anguish. (Arkin, 6/27)
Los Angeles Times:
After Abortion Decision, Religious Leaders Vow To Help Women
For Southern Baptists across the nation, Friday was a day of triumph, rejoicing and praising God. But even as millions of Southern Baptists celebrated what they regard as a historic victory, their president, Bart Barber, was already telling the denomination’s 47,000 member churches that it was time to roll up their sleeves and get to work, especially those in states like Texas, where a trigger law made abortions illegal the moment the court decision was announced. (Netburn, 6/27)
USA Today:
Abortion Bans May Leave Some OB-GYN Residents With Poor Training
With the overturning of Roe v. Wade on Friday, almost half of the nation's medical residents in obstetrics and gynecology are certain or likely to lack access to in-state abortion training. That opens questions about how those programs can be accredited when a procedure required to be taught is illegal where they are based. "Part of being an OB-GYN is being able to safely remove a pregnancy to save someone's life. It's our job as educators to ensure that everybody has those skills," said Dr. Jody Steinauer, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. "What's going to happen when we have 44% of medical residents in states where it's illegal?" (Weise, 6/27)
CBS News:
Google Tells U.S. Workers They Can Move To States Where Abortion Is Legal: Report
Technology giant Google says workers who live in parts of the country where abortion is no longer legal after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade may relocate to states where their rights are protected, no questions asked, according to reports. Google's health insurance will also cover the cost of employees' out-of-state abortion procedures for workers who travel across state lines to seek care. (Cerullo, 6/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong Vows To Renounce His Citizenship After Roe Reversal
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong doesn’t wanna be an American idiot. At a London Stadium concert on Friday, the Oakland-born singer and guitarist vowed to renounce his United States citizenship shortly after the Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision. (Carras, 6/27)
Contraceptives and Abortion Pills
Politico:
Top Biden Officials Press Insurers On Contraceptive Coverage
Two Cabinet secretaries met with insurers Monday to ensure they provide contraceptives without cost to enrollees. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh convened the meeting with 14 major health insurers and payer groups days after a Supreme Court decision overturned Roe v. Wade leaving states to decide abortion’s legality. In a concurrent opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should reconsider its 1965 ruling that established a right to contraception. (Owermohle, 6/27)
Bloomberg:
CVS, Rite Aid Ration Contraceptive Pills As Demand Surges
CVS Health Corp. and Rite Aid Corp. pharmacies are limiting purchases of emergency contraceptive pills as demand for the medication surged following the US Supreme Court decision that struck down the constitutional right to abortion. CVS is temporarily limiting purchases to three pills per customer to ensure equitable access and consistent supply on store shelves, a spokesperson said Monday. The pharmacy chain has ample supply of the emergency contraceptives Plan B and Aftera, both online and in store, the spokesperson said. Rite Aid is also limiting purchases of Plan B to three per customer due to increased demand, a spokesperson for the company said. (Rutherford and Nicole Smith, 6/27)
AP:
Instagram And Facebook Remove Posts Offering Abortion Pills
Facebook and Instagram have begun promptly removing posts that offer abortion pills to women who may not be able to access them following a Supreme Court decision that stripped away constitutional protections for the procedure. Such social media posts ostensibly aimed to help women living in states where preexisting laws banning abortion suddenly snapped into effect on Friday. That’s when the high court overruled Roe v. Wade, its 1973 decision that declared access to abortion a constitutional right. (Seitz, 6/28)
CalMatters:
California Budget: What To Know About The Record Deal
California lawmakers are set to adopt a $300 billion budget this week that will provide refunds to most taxpayers in the state, pour resources into expanding abortion access and extend health care to more undocumented immigrants. (Koseff, 6/27)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Health Care Workers To Get COVID Essential Worker Bonuses
Taxypayer-funded retention bonuses are indeed coming to California’s frontline health care workers after Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders reached a budget deal Monday setting aside money to thank medical professionals who have worked through the COVID-19 pandemic. Full-time workers stand to get the biggest potential payments, up to $1,500: up to $1,000 from the state of California and up to $500 in a match from their employers, according to the text of Assembly Bill 184. (Anderson, 6/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Legislators Use Texas’ Anti-Abortion Playbook To Target Illegal Weapons. But The Supreme Court Might Not Approve
Legislators in the California Assembly ripped a page out of Texas’ anti-abortion playbook on Monday when they passed a measure designed to clamp down on gun violence by letting private citizens sue the makers and sellers of assault weapons and parts for untraceable ghost guns. But the effort could face a major obstacle in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last week, in which the court’s conservative majority signaled its willingness to strike down stringent state firearm laws. (Gardiner, 6/27)
Sacramento Bee:
CA Marijuana Industry Voices Frustration With Proposed Budget
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers are poised to eliminate the tax on marijuana growers, in a bid to provide relief to the flagging industry. However, some in the cannabis industry say that the tax cut doesn’t go far enough, with industry advocates arguing that they were shut out of the process. (Sheeler, 6/28)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Court Upholds California Law Requiring Landlords To Pay Evicted Tenants One Month’s Rent
A federal appeals court has upheld a California law requiring a property owner who legally evicts a tenant to pay one month of the tenant's rent in order to reduce the costs of relocation. The law, sponsored by then-Assembly Member David Chiu, D-San Francisco, took effect in 2020. In addition to limiting rent increases to 10% a year in areas without local rent control, the law provided some financial assistance to renters who were evicted because the owner was moving into the property, converting it to a condominium or demolishing it. The owner must either repay a month’s rent to the tenant or cancel the final month’s payment. (Egelko, 6/27)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Easier To Get, Harder To Avoid In California
The number of coronavirus cases reported in California is on the brink of crossing 10 million, a milestone that probably undercounts the total significantly yet still carries an increasing sense of inevitability. Since the hyper-transmissible Omicron variant stormed onto the scene in early December, the virus has wormed its way into seemingly every family and social circle. Residents who for years escaped infection were swept up in the resulting tidal wave of cases, though for many, the severity of illness has been lessened by vaccines, the availability of therapeutics and other factors. (Money, 6/28)
Modesto Bee:
COVID-19 Infections Reach Highest Level In Stanislaus County
The risk of catching COVID-19 is at the highest level in Stanislaus County as the state continues to deal with the omicron strain subvariants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks the spread of COVID-19 illness and measures the risk level as low, medium or high. (Carlson, 6/27)
San Francisco Chronicle:
What COVID-19's Evolution Means For Our Future
SARS-CoV-2 has very quickly become one of the most infectious human pathogens. COVID-19 has surpassed the expectations of health experts and scientists as it's been able to evade immunity and become more infectious with each mutation. (6/28)
AP:
US Grapples With Whether To Modify COVID Vaccine For Fall
U.S. health authorities are facing a critical decision: whether to offer new COVID-19 booster shots this fall that are modified to better match recent changes of the shape-shifting coronavirus. Moderna and Pfizer have tested updated shots against the super-contagious omicron variant, and advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will debate Tuesday if it’s time to make a switch — setting the stage for similar moves by other countries. “This is science at its toughest,” FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks told The Associated Press, adding that a final decision is expected within days of the advisory panel’s recommendation. (Neergaard, 6/27)
Fox News:
COVID-19 May Increase Risk Of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Stroke: Study
A new Danish study found COVID-19 outpatients had a higher risk of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, stroke and bleeding into the brain when compared with COVID-19 negative patients, but most neurological disorders were not more frequent after COVID-19 than after other respiratory infections, according to a recent study published in Frontiers in Neurology this June. "More than two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the precise nature and evolution of the effects of COVID-19 on neurological disorders remained uncharacterized," said lead author Dr. Pardis Zarifkar, member of the Department of Neurology at Rigshospitalet hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Sudhakar, 6/27)
CIDRAP:
People With Down Syndrome At Higher Risk For Severe COVID-19
The Journal of Infectious Diseases has published studies demonstrating lower COVID-19 incidence—but a higher risk of severe disease—in people with Down syndrome (DS), and a lower COVID vaccine immune response. ... People with DS were 32% less likely to contract COVID-19 than non-DS matches, but they had severe COVID-19 six times more often. (6/27)
AP:
Court Revives Block Of Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers
In a reversal for President Joe Biden, a federal appeals court in New Orleans on Monday agreed to reconsider its own April ruling that allowed the administration to require federal employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The new order from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans vacates an earlier ruling by a three-judge panel that upheld the mandate. The new order means a block on the mandate imposed in January by a Texas-based federal judge remains in effect, while the full court’s 17 judges take up the appeal. (McGill, 6/27)
CapRadio:
Interview: Infectious Outbreaks May Lead To Discrimination. Here’s Why We Should Avoid That.
The current monkeypox outbreak can remind us of historically harmful lessons we’ve learned from past public health crises, such as when politicians and media outlets unfairly blamed the HIV-AIDS epidemic on the LGBTQ community. These scars still hurt the community today. Sometimes when a new or rare disease starts to spread, communication around it can become negative, causing stigmatization in certain groups. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic found people often targeting Asian communities in the U.S., which shows us that as a society, we may not be past blaming some communities for disease outbreak. (Manata and Gonzalez, 6/27)
Live Science:
Monkeypox May Present With Unusual Symptoms, CDC Warns
Doctors diagnosing monkeypox should be on the lookout for symptoms that don't quite match the typical descriptions of the disease, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned June 14. The monkeypox virus belongs to the same family and genus as the virus that causes smallpox and triggers similar, but milder, symptoms, according to the CDC ... At the start of the infection, people usually develop fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and fatigue. Then the characteristic rashes associated with monkeypox begin to appear. These rashes typically progress through several stages, initially looking like discolored patches of skin then raised bumps, then blisters and finally large, pus-filled pimples; eventually, these skin lesions scab over and fall off. (Lanese, 6/28)
Stat:
Supreme Court Says Intent Matters In Prosecuting Doctors In Opioid Cases
The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously ruled that prosecutors need to prove that doctors knowingly prescribed drugs in aberrant ways to win convictions against them for unlawful distribution of controlled medicines. The decision came in a case brought by two doctors who were sentenced to decades in prison for unlawfully prescribing opioids. The doctors had argued they were acting in “good faith” trying to provide care for their patients. (Joseph, 6/27)
San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
Pharmacists Seek Increased Staffing, Higher Pay To Ensure Patient/Employee Safety
Pharmacists employed by the Ralphs and Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions supermarket chains rallied Monday, June 27 in Long Beach, claiming they’re understaffed, overworked, underpaid and facing potential security risks. Some 100 pharmacists, along with grocery workers and community supporters, converged on a Ralphs at 6290 Pacific Coast Highway to get their message out. (Smith, 6/27)
AP:
1 Dead In Brushfire As Heat Wave Grips Much Of California
Temperatures topped 100 degrees in some California areas and one man died in a Sonoma County brushfire as the state sweltered Monday under a ridge of high pressure. The National Weather Service said it hit 108 degrees on Monday at the Paso Robles airport and there were other triple-digit highs elsewhere. (6/28)
Los Angeles Daily News:
Southern California Heat Advisory Extended As Triple-Digit Temperatures Persist In Inland Areas
A heat advisory for much of Southern California was extended through Tuesday evening, June 28, as a heat wave featuring triple-digit temperatures again dominated many inland valleys Monday. The advisory, which was previously slated to expire at 8 p.m. on Monday, June 27, was extended an additional 24 hours to caution residents that temperatures well above seasonal averages were expected to persist, the National Weather Service said Monday. (Quinn, 6/27)
Sacramento Bee:
How Much Does Rattlesnake Antivenom Cost? What To Know In CA
Rattlesnakes are a common nuisance in California, and treatment requires a costly antivenom. The two FDA approved rattlesnake antivenom distributors are ANAVIP and CroFab, according to the federal administration. The dosage information sent to medical professionals dictates CroFab’s initial dose would be four to six vials, and 10 for ANAVIP. Depending on the case, more vials might be needed. (Aguilar, 6/28)