Los Angeles Times: Hospice Reforms To Become Law After Times Investigation
Decades of unchecked growth in the California hospice industry will come to a halt Jan. 1, when a moratorium on new licenses takes effect along with reforms aimed at curbing widespread fraud in end-of-life care. The licensing moratorium and a crackdown on kickbacks and patient-recruiting schemes are at the heart of legislative reforms outlined in two bills largely spurred by a Los Angeles Times investigation of the state’s booming hospice business last year. (Christensen and Poston, 10/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: New California Law Lets Survivors Sue For Pain And Suffering In Assault And Medical Mistreatment Cases
George Sweikhart was diagnosed with mesothelioma after 30 years of working for Southern California auto companies on brakes and other parts that can contain cancer-causing asbestos. The pandemic delayed a lawsuit he and his wife Christina filed, but it finally was about to go to trial in February when Sweikhart died at age 75. Under California law, his widow and family could sue his employer for financial losses, but not for the pain he suffered before his death. Now that law, a restriction imposed by only four other states, is about to change. SB447, backed by consumer groups and unions, and opposed by medical organizations, applies to survivors of victims of assault, medical mistreatment or other wrongfully inflicted harm in California. If such a person dies, survivors now will be allowed to seek damages for all harm caused by injuries to the victim — including pain, suffering and disfigurement — as well as economic losses. Previously, damages were limited to economic loss. (Egelko, 10/4)

Los Angeles Times: California Will Impose New Vaping Tax To Help Curb Teen Use 
Amid concern over widespread teen vaping, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday approved a new 12.5% excise tax on electronic cigarettes to be paid by California consumers to boost public health and education programs. The aim of the legislation is to discourage vaping by minors and bring taxes on e-cigarettes more in line with levies on other tobacco products, said state Sen. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), who authored Senate Bill 395. (McGreevy, 10/4)

City News Service: COVID-19 Hospitalizations Still Dropping In LA County 
The number of COVID-19-positive patients in Los Angeles County hospitals tumbled again on Monday, Oct. 4, but health officials warned that transmission of the virus remains at a high level. According to state figures, there were 768 COVID-positive patients hospitalized in the county as of Monday, down from 790 on Sunday. There were 227 of those patients in intensive care, down from 228 a day earlier. (10/4)

The Bakersfield Californian: Latest National Guard Dispatch Boosts Deployment At Kern Hospitals To 38 
Fourteen members of the California National Guard started work in Bakersfield Monday as part of an effort to address hospital staffing shortages during the pandemic, raising the number of local medical centers now receiving such help to three and the total deployed in the city to 38. A group composed mostly of medics trained all weekend at Adventist Health Bakersfield after arriving in town Friday. Adventist's local president said the National Guard members began treating people Monday with medical problems like COVID-19, broken arms, heart attacks and strokes. (Cox, 10/4)

CalMatters: Shlomo Rechnitz Nursing Home Suit Reflects ‘Broken’ Licensing
The state’s largest nursing home owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, is facing a lawsuit alleging that one of his homes is responsible for the COVID-related deaths of some 24 elderly and dependent residents. The catch? Five years ago, the state denied Rechnitz and his companies a license to operate the place, the state’s own records show. (Wiener, 10/4)

The Hill: FDA Authorizes New Rapid COVID-19 Test, Says Capacity Will Double
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorized a new rapid, at-home COVID-19 test, in a move it said is expected to double the availability of such tests in the coming weeks. The FDA said it has authorized a coronavirus test from the company ACON Laboratories. It is not the first authorization of such a test, which can deliver results in as little as 15 minutes, but, amid supply shortages, the move could be key in boosting their availability. (Sullivan, 10/4)

Modern Healthcare: FDA Approves Labcorp's Combo COVID-19/Flu Home Collection Kit 
Laboratory Corporation of America has received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a combined home collection kit for molecular testing for COVID-19 and influenza A/B. The kit is intended for individuals two years of age and older and is available at no upfront cost to those who meet clinical guidelines, which include individuals experiencing symptoms, those who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or those who have been recommended for testing by a healthcare provider. The kit will become available in early October and can be ordered by an individual's physician. (10/4)

Sacramento Bee: COVID-19 Vaccines Prevented 3,800 Deaths Among Seniors In CA
A new government report has found that 22,000 California senior citizens were shielded from being infected with the coronavirus because they were vaccinated against COVID-19, 9,700 were saved from being hospitalized, and 3,800 avoided death. The Department of Health and Human Services report, set to be released on Tuesday, found that California was the top state that benefited most in raw numbers from the vaccine shots. (Wilner, 10/4)

Los Angeles Times: Pfizer Vaccine Wanes Over Time, And Not Due To Delta, Study Says 
Research conducted in Southern California has confirmed the dramatic erosion of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine’s protection against “breakthrough” coronavirus infections. The new study, one of the largest and longest to track the effectiveness of a vaccine in Americans, found that the vaccine’s ability to protect against infection stood at 88% in its first month, then fell to 47% after just five months. (Healy, 10/4)

The Bakersfield Californian: Kern District Attorney Warns Against Fake COVID-19 Vaccination Cards 
The Kern County District Attorney's office has issued a consumer alert: Don't print fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, and don't buy a counterfeit card from people trying to sell them. “Our office is aware of counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination record cards advertised on social media websites, e-commerce platforms, and blogs, as a way for individuals to misrepresent themselves as vaccinated,” District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said in a news release. “These counterfeit records are illegal and undermine the health and safety of our community. Please do not purchase a fraudulent vaccination record card, do not make your own, and do not fill in blank vaccination record cards with false information.” (10/4)

AP: Pentagon Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine For Civilian Workers
All civilians who work for the Defense Department and the military services must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Nov. 22, under new guidelines released Monday. A memo signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Friday said the new mandate is in line with the presidential directive issued last month requiring federal agencies to implement vaccine requirements. (Baldor, 10/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID In California: Oakland City Employees Must Get Vaccinated By Nov. 29
All Oakland city employees must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 29 as a condition of employment, unless they’ve applied for an exemption, under a new policy effective Monday. Employees have until Nov. 15 to report and verify their vaccination statuses. The new mandate applies to all city staff, volunteers and interns. The city is hosting three free vaccination clinics at City Hall, and workers get two hours paid time to get their shots. “Vaccinations are safe and effective and, at this point, essential; they are free and easy to get. I firmly believe the most responsible action for us to take as an employer — particularly a public employer — is to require our employees to be vaccinated,” said City Administrator Ed Reiskin. (Vaziri, Beamish, Ravani, Asimov, Buchmann and Fracassa, 10/4)

Modesto Bee: Patterson Requires COVID Vaccination For Council Meetings 
Anyone attending a Patterson City Council meeting in person must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test result starting Tuesday. Patterson is the first Stanislaus County city to require such documentation and City Manager Ken Irwin said the council feels it is the safest way to physically open meetings. (Lam, 10/4)

City News Service: Five LA County Employees Sue Over Vaccine Mandate 
Five Los Angeles County employees are suing their employer, alleging the vaccine mandate for county workers issued by executive order in August and ratified by the Board of Supervisors is unconstitutional. The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also alleges the directive exceeds the county’s power under the Emergency Services Act and was implemented during proceedings that violated the state’s open-meeting law. (10/4)

Sacramento Bee: Sacramento State: Most Students Complied With Vaccine Policy
California State University, Sacramento, announced that nearly 100% of its students have either been vaccinated against COVID-19, granted an exemption or decided not to return to campus. Only 80 students have yet to comply with the university’s vaccine policy. Two weeks ago, the university that serves more than 31,000 students, identified about 4,000 students who were not in compliance. (Morrar, 10/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: 'I Guess You Don't Own Your Body'; Warriors' Andrew Wiggins On Finally Getting Vaccinated
When many of his Warriors teammates got vaccinated against the coronavirus last spring, Andrew Wiggins insisted that he wouldn’t receive the shot unless he was forced. And he stayed true to his word. Not until Friday, the last possible day for him to get vaccinated without missing any home games, did Wiggins finally get the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. When he spoke to reporters Monday night for the first time since then, he was still frustrated that he had to get vaccinated to do his job. San Francisco will begin requiring full COVID-19 vaccination Oct. 13 for anyone age 12 and older who attends large indoor events. Had Wiggins remained unvaccinated, he would have lost more than $350,000 for each home game he missed. (Letourneau, 10/4)

The Bakersfield Californian: 'A Seed Of Hope': CSUB Receives $6 Million To Expand Its Nursing And Health Care Programs 
Yamilette Iniguez has been working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as a nurse in an emergency room. She has comforted grieving families, all while dealing with a critical shortage of nurses and health care professionals. During that time, she has been working on a master's degree to become a nurse practitioner through Cal State Bakersfield and it's given her a reason for optimism. "I see the desperate need in our region for primary health care providers, but I also see hope," she said. (Gallegos, 10/4)

Modesto Bee: Turlock Doctor Agrees To Repay Insurers In Billing Fraud Case 
Federal charges against a Turlock physician have been dismissed after the doctor complied with a deferred prosecution agreement in the health care billing fraud case. Dr. Basil Hantash was charged in May 2017 with eight counts of health care billing fraud. The dermatologist is president and medical director of Advanced Skin Institute on Geer Road in Turlock. (Carlson, 10/4)

Fox Business: Facebook Whistleblower To Appear Before Senate, Compare Company To Big Tobacco 
The Facebook employee who stepped forward as the source in a Wall Street Journal investigation into the social media giant will testify in front of US lawmakers on Tuesday, just a day after accusing her former employer of "tearing our societies apart." Fox Business, citing a source, reported last month that the whistleblower, who was later identified as Frances Haugen, planned to reveal their identity as part of an agreement to cooperate with Congress. Haugen is expected to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee Consumer protection panel. (10/5)

Roll Call: Whistleblower Testifies As Lawmakers Take Aim At Facebook Again
Congress has had little success reining in Big Tech, whether it’s curbing the spread of misinformation, stopping foreign interference in elections or breaking up monopolies. But as social media companies take aim at America’s children, apoplectic lawmakers are vowing to act. On Tuesday, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee is set to hear from Frances Haugen, a former Facebook manager turned whistleblower whose explosive leaks revealed the company’s attempts to target young children on Instagram — despite knowing the app leads some teen girls to consider suicide. Instagram is owned by Facebook. (Ratnam, 10/5)

CNN: Instagram Promoted Pages Glorifying Eating Disorders To Teen Accounts 
"I have to be thin," "Eternally starved," "I want to be perfect." These are the names of accounts Instagram's algorithms promoted to an account registered as belonging to a 13-year-old girl who expressed interest in weight loss and dieting. Proof that Instagram is not only failing to crack down on accounts promoting extreme dieting and eating disorders, but actively promotes those accounts, comes as Instagram and its parent company Facebook (FB) are facing intense scrutiny over the impact they have on young people's mental health. (O'Sullivan, Duffy and Jorgensen, 10/4)

Slate: Facebook Knows Instagram Is Harming Teens. But Is Anything Going to Change?
I spoke with Georgia Wells, a tech reporter for the Wall Street Journal who co-wrote the story, about what Instagram does to teens, what Facebook knew, and whether people have finally had enough. (O'Leary, 10/4)

AP: Hollywood’s Behind-The-Scenes Crews Vote To Authorize Strike
Film and television production in North America is in jeopardy of coming to a standstill after its behind-the-scenes workers overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike for the first time in its 128-year history. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said Monday that nearly 99% of registered members who participated, or 52,706 people, voted in support of a strike over the weekend. At issue is a contract standstill over requests for more reasonable conditions for the craftspeople, technicians and laborers working for streaming companies like Netflix, Apple and Amazon, including better pay, reasonable rest periods, safer hours and guaranteed meal breaks. (Bahr, 10/5)

CapRadio: Our Investigation, 'Dangerous Air' Prompts Lawmaker Calls For Worker Protections, Fire Prevention Investments
State and federal lawmakers plan to introduce legislation and hold at least one oversight hearing in response to Dangerous Air, an investigation from the California Newsroom, which showed smoke from western wildfires is choking vast swaths of the country, from Los Angeles to Boston. “This investigation confirms what we’ve known for years: as wildfires become more frequent due to climate change, the health of our communities will suffer,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-San Jose), who chairs the U.S. House Oversight Subcommittee on Environment, in an emailed statement. “I will have a hearing on wildfires, smoke pollution, and commercial logging practices that may be making the problem worse. This is a matter of public health, environmental justice, and Congress has no option but to act.” (Rodd, 10/4)

The Bakersfield Californian: Air Quality Alert Extended Through Thursday 
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has extended an air quality alert through Thursday because of smoke from the Windy and KNP Complex fires in Tulare County and high pressure and poor dispersion. The air district is warning residents to remain indoors to reduce their exposure to particulate matter emissions, which can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate chronic bronchitis, and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. (10/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: How UCSF Scientists Made One Woman's Severe Depression Disappear
A woman with severe, treatment-resistant depression has been nearly symptom-free for a year after a team of UCSF scientists implanted a device in her brain that senses when she’s having depressive thoughts or impulses and interrupts them with a burst of electrical stimulation. The case is the first to demonstrate that scientists studying brain activity can identify the exact location of dysfunction in a person with depression and potentially correct it with highly targeted stimulation. (Allday, 10/4)

Stat: In Research First, Jolts From A Customized Brain Implant Provided Immediate Relief To A Severely Depressed Patient, Scientists Say
When Sarah, 36 years old and severely depressed, sat down in a lab with a head full of surgically implanted sensors last year, the last thing she expected was to spontaneously cackle. She hadn’t laughed like that — a real, unforced laugh — in five years. But something had happened: A subtle electrical shock deep in her brain had interfered with the dark anxious spirals her depression had sent her on since she was a child. Sarah laughed, and the whole room was taken aback, researchers recalled. (Cueto, 10/4)

USA Today: Targeted Electrical Brain Circuit Stimulation A Hope For Depression
Sarah, who asked to be identified by her first name, is the only person to ever be treated with electrodes implanted deep in her brain that send quick energy bursts when they detect activity in a brain circuit involved in her depression. Those 6-second zaps – as many as 300 a day – have transformed her life and provided new insights into the biological nature of depression. What she's been through is way too complicated to replicate for the millions of people who suffer from deep, unrelenting despair, but her success may suggest new ways to address one of the most hard-to-reach mental illnesses. (Weintraub, 10/4)

Bay Area News Group: Santa Clara University Students Demand Action From School After Sexual Assault Allegations
Santa Clara University students say there have been 30 sexual assaults or incidents involving a date rape drug since the school year resumed last month. Hundreds turned out for a rally on Friday, holding signs that read “Support survivors” and “Stop protecting rapists,” to demand action from the university. Student body president Abigail Alvarez sent an email to the Santa Clara University community on September 24, saying that Greek life leaders held a meeting the previous day and estimated that at least 30 cases of drugging or sexual assault were brought up to them in the past week. Alvarez said date rape drugs and roofies were also used “at a higher rate” that week “than ever before.” (Lin, 10/4)

San Francisco Chronicle: How Many More People Became Homeless In S.F. During The Pandemic? New Count Will Reveal Data
San Francisco will conduct its next formal count of homeless people in January 2022, a citywide effort that will finally give officials a sense of how the pandemic has affected the number of people living on the streets. The biennial “Point in Time Count,” which is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in nearly every major community, was canceled this year due to the pandemic. San Francisco’s latest homeless tally is from 2019, an outdated figure that doesn’t capture the tumult of the past 18 months. (Thadani, 10/4)

Bay Area News Group: Santa Clara County Seeks To End Family Homelessness By 2025
Santa Clara County officials on Monday announced an ambitious plan to house every homeless family in the area, using a large influx of federal and state resources to take a significant bite out of a problem that has plagued the region for years. The “Heading Home” campaign seeks to house 1,200 families with children in the next year, and 600 annually thereafter. By 2025, local officials think they can reach “functional zero” — meaning there will be more housing placements available than the number of families who become homeless. As a result, families should receive help immediately, without having to spend prolonged periods in emergency shelters, on the street, inside cars or in other unsafe situations. (Kendall, 10/4)