- California Healthline Original Stories 3
- Lawmakers Push To Protect Patients And Counter Trump
- Low-Income Californians Feel Twice The Burn From Wildfires
- A Texas Lawsuit Being Heard This Week Could Mean Life Or Death For The ACA
- Sacramento Watch 2
- California Poised To Ban 'Junk' Short-Term Health Plans In Push-Back Against Trump Administration
- Law Granting Judges Power To Compel Some Homeless Into Care Of County Approved By Legislature
- Hospital Roundup 1
- Struggling California Hospital Chain That LA Billionaire Tried To Save Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
- The Opioid Crisis 1
- California Tribes' Struggle With Opioids An Echo Of The Decline Of River That Once Was Their Nourishment
Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Lawmakers Push To Protect Patients And Counter Trump
California legislators approved some significant health care proposals in their rush to meet the Friday end-of-session deadline. They tackled controversial topics, such as making abortion pills available on college campuses, and adopted measures countering Trump administration attacks on the Affordable Care Act. (Samantha Young, )
Low-Income Californians Feel Twice The Burn From Wildfires
People living near highways and agricultural and industrial zones get hit with a “double whammy” when smoke blows into their neighborhoods, where the air is often polluted already. (Ana B. Ibarra, )
A Texas Lawsuit Being Heard This Week Could Mean Life Or Death For The ACA
On Wednesday, a federal judge in Fort Worth, Texas, is set to hear arguments from Republican attorneys general who want him to strike down the federal health law and from Democratic counterparts who say the law is constitutional and should remain. (Julie Rovner, )
More News From Across The State
California Poised To Ban 'Junk' Short-Term Health Plans In Push-Back Against Trump Administration
"These plans can bankrupt people," said state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa). "They're junk. It's a huge threat." Gov. Jerry Brown has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill.
Sacramento Bee:
California Health Care Bills Would Blunt Trump’s Actions
California is poised to become the first state in the nation to ban cheap, short-term health insurance plans pushed by the Trump administration as a low-cost alternative to Obamacare. New federal rules, finalized Aug. 1, allow insurers to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and institute annual and lifetime caps on how much money they are required to spend on covered benefits over the course of a year or the life of a plan. (Hart, 9/4)
California Healthline:
Lawmakers Push To Protect Patients And Counter Trump
California lawmakers this year played offense and defense on health care, adopting bills to give patients more access to care and medications, while defending Californians against Trump administration attacks on the Affordable Care Act. As they raced toward their Friday deadline to pass bills, legislators voted to make the abortion pill available to students on public college campuses, and to stop hospitals from discharging homeless patients onto the streets. (Young, 9/4)
Also out of Sacramento —
Los Angeles Times:
California Legislator Shelves Bill To Ban Paid 'Gay Conversion Therapy' For Adults
The author of a high-profile measure to curb paid “conversion therapy,” which purports to change a person’s sexual orientation, said he is shelving his bill Friday in hopes of finding consensus with religious communities that vigorously opposed the proposal. The bill by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), which would have designated paid “conversion therapy” services as a fraudulent business practice under the state’s consumer protection law, easily cleared prior legislative hurdles thanks to large Democratic majorities in both chambers, as well as a handful of Republican votes. (Mason, 8/31)
Law Granting Judges Power To Compel Some Homeless Into Care Of County Approved By Legislature
The law is geared toward extreme cases, such as "someone who is sleeping in his or her feces, someone who is running out in the middle of the street yelling at cars,” said the bill's author Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). Lawmakers also passed legislation to create a local agency to finance homes for people.
KQED:
Legislature Approves Measure Aimed At Helping Homeless With Serious Mental Health Problems
Hoping to empower cities to take a more active approach in helping homeless residents with severe mental illness and substance abuse issues, the state Legislature approved a bill that would allow three counties to expand conservatorship. Judges in San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles counties would be given new power to compel certain homeless residents into the care of the county. (Shafer and Marzorati, 8/31)
Los Angeles Times:
Legislators Push O.C. Homeless Bill Forward
A bill to create a regional Orange County agency to finance 2,700 homes for homeless people recently cleared the state Legislature — on the same day one of the leading advocates who helped get the bill passed suddenly left her job. Heather Stratman, who officials and advocates say led the effort to get the bill passed, stepped down from her job as the chief executive of O.C. cities on Aug. 23 — the same day the bill had its final, unanimous vote on the floor of the state Assembly. (Gerda, 9/1)
And in other news —
KPBS:
San Diego Councilman Ward: Discharged Homeless Patients Need More Places To Recover
Recuperative care facilities offer sick or injured homeless people a safe and healing place to go after they are discharged from the hospital. But in San Diego County, the facilities are almost nonexistent, said San Diego Councilman Chris Ward, who gathered with other community leaders in Hillcrest to urge action. (Murphy, 8/31)
San Francisco Chronicle:
San Francisco Rolls Out Long-Awaited System To Track, Help Homeless
For the past two years, program managers in San Francisco have been quietly crafting a system to closely track every homeless man, woman and child. The purpose is two-fold: to tailor housing, rehab and other services to them, but also to eliminate wasteful — and costly — duplication of efforts. ... The rollout began last month for logging individuals into what’s been dubbed the One System, and counselors hope to have the entire system up and running by early 2019. So far, more than 1,000 homeless people are logged in, putting the teams well on the way toward meeting their goal of registering 2,000 by the end of October. (Fagan, 9/1)
Patrick Soon-Shiong had vowed to turn the Verity Health hospital system around, but over the past year, it continued to struggle.
Reuters:
California Hospital Chain With Ties To Billionaire Files For Bankruptcy
Verity Health System of California Inc, a non-profit operator of six California hospitals managed by billionaire former surgeon Patrick Soon-Shiong's NantWorks LLC, filed for bankruptcy on Friday to help resolve a cash crunch while it seeks a buyer. (8/31)
Politico:
Los Angeles Billionaire's Hospital System Declares Bankruptcy
The filing was meant to "facilitate a court-supervised sale of some or all of the hospitals" while addressing debts and claims that have built up over two decades, CEO Rich Adcock said in a letter. Verity is struggling under long-term debt of $500 million, according to recent financial disclosures. Soon-Shiong took over management of the system in July 2017, promising to provide "the highest level of care with the best outcomes at lowest cost for all Californians." (Tahir, 8/31)
San Jose Mercury News:
Owner Of Four Struggling Bay Area Hospitals Seeks Bankruptcy Protection
“After a diligent process of assessing all possible options alongside our financial and legal advisors, Verity Health has made the best strategic decision for all of our patients, employees and other stakeholders,” Verity CEO Rich Adcock said in a statement posted online Friday. “Despite many efforts over the last decade to create opportunities for success,” Adcock continued, “we can no longer swim against the tide of our operating reality.” He blamed “a legacy burden” of more than a billion dollars of bond debt and unfunded pension liabilities, a need for significant expensive seismic upgrades and an aging infrastructure.(Woolfolk, 8/31)
Los Angeles Times:
Verity Health Files For Bankruptcy Protection. Its Six California Hospitals Will Stay Open
The hospitals were originally owned and operated by Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The system had struggled financially for years and was approaching bankruptcy when it began looking for a buyer in 2014. Integrity Healthcare, a company created by New York hedge fund BlueMountain Capital Management, took over the hospitals in July 2015. (Petersen, 8/31)
As the Klamath River has struggled, so has the health of Native American tribes that live along its Northern California waters. Now, it's hard to find anyone among the Yurok, the Karuk and the Hoopa Indians who has not been touched by the heroin epidemic.
The New York Times:
Sick River: Can These California Tribes Beat Heroin And History?
For thousands of years, the Klamath River has been a source of nourishment for the Northern California tribes that live on its banks. Its fish fed dozens of Indian villages along its winding path, and its waters cleansed their spirits, as promised in their creation stories. But now a crisis of opioid addiction is gripping this remote region. At the same time, the Klamath’s once-abundant salmon runs have declined to historic lows, the culmination of 100 years of development and dam building along the river. (Del Real, 9/4)
In other news on the crisis —
Orange County Register:
Rehab Riviera: 3 Clean-Up Bills Defy Odds And Hit Governor’s Desk, But Are They Tough Enough?
A bill by Sen. Pat Bates, inspired by successful reforms in scandal-plagued Florida, would have kick-started a wholesale revamp of California’s notoriously lax regulation of addiction treatment. Instead, her bill languishes in suspended animation in a committee file. It essentially is dead. Another bill, by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, tried to place a state inspector in Orange County, ground zero of the Rehab Riviera. It was gutted and now addresses police training and racial profiling. California’s Legislative session ended Friday, Aug. 31, with just a few surviving rehab reform bills making it through both chambers and advancing to the governor’s desk. (Sforza and Saavedra, 9/2)
Orange County Register:
Candlelight Vigil Held In Laguna Niguel For Victims Of Opioid Overdoses
Family members and friends held up photos of loved ones lost to opioid overdose during a candlelight vigil at The Club at Rancho Niguel the night of Friday, Aug. 31. The event, organized by Laguna Niguel resident Jodi Barber who lost her son, Jarrod, to a prescription drug overdose in 2010, aims to promote awareness about the danger of over-prescribing opioids. ...According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, there were 7,457 opioid overdose cases treated in emergency departments between 2011 and 2015. Also, seven out of every 10 overdose deaths investigated by the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner during that period involved opioids. (Bharath, 9/1)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Safe-Injection Legal Battle Brewing In SF — Health Intervention Or Drug Den?
If Gov. Jerry Brown goes along, San Francisco plans to establish what could be the nation’s first legal, supervised safe injection site for drug users. But there’s a potentially serious legal obstacle: a 3-decade-old federal law that was directed at shutting down dens of crack cocaine dealers and users. (Egelko, 9/2)
California Leads The Way On Reducing Maternal Deaths
By forming a committee to create guidelines and toolkits for hospitals to follow, California made huge strides in reducing maternal complications, where that rate has risen nationwide. In other public health news: aid-in-dying, firefighters' health, a later start to school, and marijuana.
Modern Healthcare:
Better Data Needed To Tackle Maternal Mortality
Back in 2006, state officials and providers in California were alarmed by the rising maternal mortality rates being reported nationally. The problem was California didn't have the data to understand how the issue was playing out in its own state. There was no uniform system tracking maternal mortality. So, with grant funding, the state formed a review committee called the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative that has played a critical role in state efforts to reduce maternal mortality. (Castellucci, 9/1)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Man With Terminal Illness Defends End Of Life Option Act In Top Medical Journal
Faced with a hopeless diagnosis, Michael Danielson of San Diego took solace in the knowledge that he, not the fatal disease swallowing his life, would get to choose the moment when the indignities of terminal illness become unacceptable. As a lawsuit threatens to take California’s End of Life Option Act off the table, Danielson speaks out Tuesday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, one of the nation’s most influential medical journals, with an essay that strives to make clear the sense of comfort and autonomy that the law has given to those living with a dire prognosis. (Sisson, 9/3)
The Associated Press:
Study Shows Health, Reaction-Time Declines In Firefighters
Randy Brooks' son had a request three years ago: What could his dad do to make wildland firefighting safer? To Brooks, a professor at the University of Idaho's College of Natural Resources who deals with wildland firefighting, it was more of a command. His son, Bo Brooks, is a wildland firefighter who a few days earlier during that 2015 fire season fled a wall of flames that killed three of his fellow firefighters in eastern Washington. (9/1)
The Mercury News:
Schools May Start Classes Later Under New California Bill
Many middle and high schools in the Bay Area eventually will have to change their class schedules to start later in the morning if a bill passed by the California Legislature late Friday night is signed by the governor. Senate Bill 328 would prevent middle and high schools from starting classes until at least 8:30 a.m. Numerous districts start the regular school day some time between 8 and 8:30 a.m. (Sciacca, 8/31)
The Mercury News:
CBD Industry Grows In California Even As Confusion Swirls Over Local, State Laws
Marijuana businesses are now heavily taxed and regulated in California since they deal with products that contain THC, a compound that can make consumers high. But businesses that deal in CBD products made from hemp, a strain of cannabis plant with less than 0.3 percent THC, have so far been largely left to their own devices. The industry is growing despite a number of hurdles, including federal bans, a lack of clarity in California law, and a confusing patchwork of local policies. (Staggs, 9/1)
Members of the California Nursing Association want California Department of Justice officials to require Dignity to keep all its California hospitals open for 15 years.
Sacramento Bee:
Why Dignity Nurses Are Challenging Merger With Catholic Health Care Giant
The California Department of Justice will take comment Thursday in Woodland on whether it should approve the pending merger of San Francisco-based Dignity Health with health-care giant Catholic Health Initiatives, and this meeting, like others before it, is expected to draw a sea of red-shirted Dignity nurses opposing the deal. (Anderson, 9/1)
In other news from across the state —
The Washington Post:
Claire Wineland, Who Inspired Millions On YouTube Chronicling Her Cystic Fibrosis Battle, Has Died After A Lung Transplant
Claire Wineland spent nearly every hour of her two decades alive preparing for the end. The California native was diagnosed at birth with cystic fibrosis, a genetic condition that overloads the organs with an excess of mucus. The illness meant a life of painful treatment, hospital stays, and likely a premature death. But instead of wallowing in her situation, Wineland used social media platforms, like Instagram and YouTube, to pipe out the difficult details of her life to the public. Her videos and posts pulled in millions of viewers drawn to the magnetic teenager’s plucky humor and candor about living on the edge of death. (Swenson, 9/4)
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Lawsuit Accuses Santa Rosa Oncologist Of Affair With Woman Under His Care
An oncologist in the Sutter Health network is being sued by a Santa Rosa woman who claims he had an emotionally and physically abusive relationship with her while she was under his medical care. The 20-page lawsuit, filed Thursday in Sonoma County Superior Court, accuses Dr. Peter Brett, who is part of Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods, alleges he used his authority as a physician to manipulate the woman, Sandi Gaytan, into a “co-dependent and sexual relationship,” taking advantage of Gaytan at a time when she was isolated and in poor physical and mental health. (Espinoza, 8/31)
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Timing Could Be Flexible For Tri-City Psychiatric Repairs
If they can show they’re taking patient safety seriously and have solid action plans in place to address hanging risks in their psychiatric units, hospitals are getting more time to comply from the federal government, according to a top executive at The Joint Commission, the organization that accredits nearly 21,000 hospitals nationwide. Possible citations under new federal “ligature” guidelines are among the main reasons why Tri-City Medical Center directors have said they must indefinitely suspend the Oceanside hospital’s inpatient behavioral health units on Oct. 2. (Sisson, 9/3)
San Francisco Chronicle:
State Prison Officials Investigating Inmate Construction Project For San Quentin Executive
California prison officials are “investigating the circumstances” surrounding a construction project that used inmate labor to build a family playhouse for a high-level official on San Quentin State Prison grounds. The canary yellow, Victorian-styled structure sits next door to the on-site home of the prison’s health care chief, Stephen Harris. (Cassidy, 8/31)
At These Tech Startups, You Don't Even Have To Leave Work To Go To The Doctor
Many big tech companies are adding clinics to their campuses, but smaller places can utilize the "doctor on demand" model for things such as having a physician come in for the day to give annual physicals.
San Francisco Chronicle:
Latest Perk For Tech Companies: Doctor Visits At Work
Not only are companies providing in-office meals for their employees, but they’re also bringing in doctors — so nobody has to leave work to get examined. ...They usually handle non-emergencies, like physicals, allergic reactions or minor wounds — conditions that typically might send patients to an urgent care clinic. (Ho, 9/3)
Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination hearings will play out over the next four days, with opening statements on Tuesday by senators and Kavanaugh, followed by two days of questioning and a final day of testimony from outside witnesses. Democrats have focused on Kavanaugh's threat to health care and women's rights, but have failed to muster much public outrage over the nomination. Media outlets break down what you need to know for this upcoming week.
The New York Times:
An Advocate For Women Or A Threat? As Hearings Begin, Differing Views Of Kavanaugh Emerge
Two wildly different portraits of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh are set to emerge on Tuesday when he appears on Capitol Hill for the opening of his Supreme Court confirmation hearings. One is a champion for women; the other a threat to women’s rights. Republicans will present Judge Kavanaugh to the nation as an experienced, independent-minded jurist with a sparkling résumé, and as an advocate and mentor for women in the judiciary. Among the cases they will cite: his 2009 ruling in favor of Emily’s List, the group that backs Democratic women who support abortion rights. (Stolberg, 9/3)
The Washington Post:
Hours Before Kavanaugh Nomination Hearings, Bush Lawyer Releases 42,000 Pages Of Documents To Judiciary Committee
Hours before the start of hearings on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, the lawyer for former president George W. Bush turned over 42,000 pages of documents from the nominee’s service in the Bush White House, angering Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who issued what is certain to be a futile call to delay the proceedings. “Not a single senator will be able to review these records before tomorrow,” Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted Monday evening. (Barbash and Kim, 9/3)
The Associated Press:
What To Watch For As Senators Consider Kavanaugh Nomination
Republicans who mostly back President Donald Trump's pick are focusing on Kavanaugh's 12-year career as an appellate court judge, which has produced more than 300 opinions. Democrats are expected to take a more pointed tack, grilling the 53-year-old conservative on hot-button issues that could swing the court's majority rightward. Four days of hearings begin Tuesday. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer fumed Monday night over the committee receiving more than 42,000 pages of documents about Kavanaugh's years with the Bush administration the night before the hearings get underway. He called for a delay until Kavanaugh's records could be reviewed. (9/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
Key Question In Senate Hearings: Would Kavanaugh Overturn Supreme Court Precedents?
With Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings set to begin Tuesday, partisans on both sides are focusing on one of the most consequential questions surrounding his nomination: Whether he would stand firm with precedents set by landmark rulings or be willing to overturn them. Liberals warn that key rulings on abortion, affirmative action and gay rights could be weakened or reversed by a court that leans further to the right. Many conservatives, on the other hand, hope those precedents will be limited by future rulings and eventually crumble, even if Judge Kavanaugh moves carefully rather than tearing through established doctrine. (Kendall, 9/3)
Politico:
Democrats’ Last Shot At Stopping Trump’s Supreme Court Pick
The long-shot path to killing Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination runs through the heart of the American health care system — and right into the November midterm elections. Senate Democrats prepping for this week’s marathon confirmation hearings are zeroing in on the health care views of the man who could pull the nation’s high court to the right for a generation — and determine the fate of abortion rights, the social safety net and Obamacare itself, possibly within months. (Cancryn, 9/3)
Politico:
Keeping Up With Kavanaugh's Confirmation: Top Buzzwords Decoded
Opponents of the conservative judge so far do not appear poised to block him from receiving the 50 Senate votes he needs to win confirmation to a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. So Democrats are hoping to find fodder during the hearings to convince abortion-rights supporters in both parties to oppose President Donald Trump's nominee. (9/4)
Politico:
Dems Hunt For A Win As They Struggle In Kavanaugh Battle
"This game is a long way from over," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said in an interview last week. “In fact, we haven’t really gone out on the field yet." Republicans are likely to have a 51-49 margin in the Senate by the time Kavanaugh comes to a final vote, thanks to the imminent announcement of a replacement for the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). That would mean Democrats have to stay united and pick off two GOP votes in order to defeat Kavanaugh — a tall order, despite their success in driving down public polling on the nominee. (Schor, 9/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
Key Things To Watch For In Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Nomination Hearings
Here are some facts about the hearings and things to watch. (Tau, 9/4)
The Washington Post:
Who Is Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump’s Pick For Supreme Court?
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday begins what is expected to be a four-day hearing on President Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to be the Supreme Court’s 114th justice. The senators and Kavanaugh will make opening statements on Tuesday. Kavanaugh will answer questions the next two days. And those supporting and opposing his nomination will testify after that. (Barnes, 9/3)
The Associated Press:
Kavanaugh's Life Seems Scripted For A Supreme Court Role
Judge Brett Kavanaugh's life seems as carefully constructed as the Supreme Court arguments he will hear if he is confirmed to the high court. He checks all the boxes of the ways of Washington, or at least the way Washington used to be. He's a team player — the conservative team — stepping up to make a play at key moments in politics, government and the law dating to the Bill Clinton era and the salacious dramas of that time. (9/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
Brett Kavanaugh’s Record Shows Push To Restrain The Regulatory State
A look at [Kavanaugh's] writings reveals what senators will likely find: a consistent push to restrain the regulatory state. That was clear in a Senate questionnaire item asking him to list his most significant opinions as a federal judge. Judge Kavanaugh, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, chose a 2008 dissent in which he suggested the high court erred in its unanimous 1935 decision upholding the constitutionality of independent agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission. (Bravin and Kendall, 8/31)
Republicans Brace For Political Fallout As Lawsuit Challenging Health Law Heads For Its Day In Court
The suit challenging the health law's constitutionality is based out of Texas, where a group of Republican attorneys general are set to face off against a group of Democratic attorneys general. But even Republicans are worried about the impact a ruling could have on midterms. “There's no question it complicates things for Republicans if a decision comes down in October," said Rodney Whitlock, a Washington healthcare strategist and former GOP Senate staffer.
Modern Healthcare:
ACA Court Case Causing Jitters In D.C. And Beyond
For months, congressional Republicans have ignored the Texas-led lawsuit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act. With the midterm elections looming, talk of the case threatened to reopen wounds from failed attempts to repeal the law. Not to mention that legal experts have been panning the basis of the suit. But that's all changing as the ACA faces its day in court … again. The queasy feeling of uncertainty that surrounded the law just one year ago is back. The level of panic setting in for the industry and lawmakers is pinned to oral arguments set for Sept. 5 in Texas vs. Azar. (Luthi, 8/31)
In other national health care news —
NPR:
Analysts Predict Health Care Marketplace Premiums Will Stabilize In 2019
Consumers who buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act markets may be pleasantly surprised this fall as average premiums are forecast to rise much less than in recent years. The price of a 2019 policy sold on the ACA exchanges will increase less than 4 percent according to an analysis of preliminary filings from insurers in all 50 states by ACASignups.net, a web site and blog run by analyst Charles Gaba that tracks ACA enrollment and insurer participation. (Kodjak, 9/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
Voters Focus On Economy, Health Care And Immigration In Midterms
When Lou Hurst heads to the polls this November, two issues will be at the top of her mind as she casts her vote in the 2018 midterm election: the economy and health care. While she acknowledges that a low unemployment rate and other indicators point to a strong economy, Ms. Hurst said she is worried about wealth inequality and stagnant wage growth. She also is concerned that Republicans, if they keep total control of Congress, would again try to repeal or gut the Affordable Care Act. (Duehren, 9/3)
Politico:
GOP Leaders Scramble To Avoid Pre-Election Day Shutdown
Congressional Republicans return to Washington on Tuesday with a singular goal for September: avoid a government shutdown. But with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, that’s easier said than done. (Bade and Bresnahan, 9/3)
Politico:
Immigrants, Fearing Trump Crackdown, Drop Out Of Nutrition Programs
Immigrants are turning down government help to buy infant formula and healthy food for their young children because they’re afraid the Trump administration could bar them from getting a green card if they take federal aid. Local health providers say they’ve received panicked phone calls from both documented and undocumented immigrant families demanding to be dropped from the rolls of WIC, a federal nutrition program aimed at pregnant women and children, after news reports that the White House is potentially planning to deny legal status to immigrants who’ve used public benefits. Agencies in at least 18 states say they’ve seen drops of up to 20 percent in enrollment, and they attribute the change largely to fears about the immigration policy. (Bottemiller Evich, 9/3)
Los Angeles Times:
Caught In A Political Echo Chamber? Listening To The Opposition Can Make Partisanship Even Worse
Dwelling in a political echo chamber — where you only encounter people who agree with you — is hardly conducive to a healthy democracy. But it turns out that broadening your horizons by perusing opposing points of view on social media may just make the partisan divide worse. That’s the depressing result of an unusual experiment involving 909 Democrats and 751 Republicans who spend a lot of time on Twitter. (Kaplan, 8/31)
Stat:
Berkshire Hathaway Investors See Another Blockbuster For Warren Buffett
Inside Berkshire Hathaway, some investors think legendary CEO Warren Buffett may be laying the groundwork for a blockbuster business opportunity, spawned from the health care venture he recently formed with the leaders of Amazon and JPMorgan Chase. While most of the national discussion about the high-profile venture has focused on its potential to reshape the U.S. health care system, interviews with two long-time Berkshire shareholders show that within Buffett World, it’s also seen as a chance to develop profit-making lines of business and new investment ideas. (Ross, 9/4)
The New York Times:
Scientists Are Retooling Bacteria To Cure Disease
In a study carried out over the summer, a group of volunteers drank a white, peppermint-ish concoction laced with billions of bacteria. The microbes had been engineered to break down a naturally occurring toxin in the blood. The vast majority of us can do this without any help. But for those who cannot, these microbes may someday become a living medicine. (Zimmer, 9/4)
The New York Times:
From 0 To 10 Million: Vaping Takes Off In The U.S.
Some experts have suggested that e-cigarettes can help wean people off regular cigarettes; others believe that they reinforce the smoking habit and increase the user’s exposure to nicotine. But there’s no dispute that e-cigarettes have grown popular since their introduction in 2004. Now a nationwide survey has found that 10.8 million adults in the United States are vaping. (Bakalar, 8/31)
The New York Times:
A Debate Over ‘Rational Suicide’
On a March morning in 1989, Robert Shoots was found dead in his garage in Weir, Kan. He had run a tube from the tailpipe of his beloved old Chrysler to the front seat, where he sat with a bottle of Wild Turkey. He was 80. His daughter wishes he had mentioned this plan when they spoke by phone the night before, because she didn’t get to say a satisfying goodbye. But she would not have tried to dissuade him from suicide. Years earlier, he had told her of his intentions. (Span, 8/31)