Becker's Hospital Review: Children's Hospital Oakland Workers OK Open-Ended Strike
UCSF Children’s Hospital Oakland (Calif.) and its satellite clinics are bracing for an open-ended strike set to begin June 18. Representing more than 1,300 employees, the National Union of Healthcare Workers recently approved the action in a bid to halt the University of California’s planned integration of the hospital with San Francisco-based UCSF Health, according to a union news release shared with Becker’s. Union members contend the plan would cancel their union contracts, force workers into UC unions and reduce their take-home pay by about $10,000 annually on average, primarily due to higher health and retirement benefit costs. They also argue the move would leave patients with fewer caregivers. (Gooch, 6/10)

Bloomberg: Coinbase’s Ehrsam Hires Neuralink Employees For Brain Startup Nudge
Coinbase Global Inc. co-founder Fred Ehrsam has become the latest Silicon Valley billionaire to jump into the brain-health business, with his startup hiring at least eight people who used to work at Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Unlike Musk’s company, which inserts a chip in the brain, Ehrsam’s Nudge aims to build a consumer headset-like product using ultrasound technology that Ehrsam hopes will treat brain diseases, improve your mood and help you sleep with the push of a button. (Swetlitz and Carson, 6/10)

Fierce Healthcare: Mukkamala Sworn In As AMA President, Underwood President-Elect
The American Medical Association underwent its annual leadership change on Tuesday, inaugurating otolaryngologist Bobby Mukkamala, M.D. as the 180th president of the nation’s largest physician association. The organization’s House of Delegates, composed of its member physicians and residents, also chose urologic surgeon William Underwood III, M.D., as its president-elect. Underwood will assume the presidency in June 2026. (Beavins, 6/10)

Stat: CHAI And The Joint Commission Will Write ‘Playbooks’ For Using AI
The Joint Commission, the nation’s oldest health care accreditation organization, is forming a partnership with the Coalition for Health AI to develop guidelines for responsible use of health AI, and a new certification program, STAT has learned. (Trang, 6/10)

The New York Times: F.D.A. To Use A.I. In Drug Approvals To ‘Radically Increase Efficiency’ 
The Food and Drug Administration is planning to use artificial intelligence to “radically increase efficiency” in deciding whether to approve new drugs and devices, one of several top priorities laid out in an article published Tuesday in JAMA. Another initiative involves a review of chemicals and other “concerning ingredients” that appear in U.S. food but not in the food of other developed nations. (Jewett, 6/10)

Stat: Congressional Report: Organ Transplant Groups Use Loophole To Boost Ratings
A bipartisan congressional report to be released publicly Tuesday alleges that the organizations responsible for recovering donated organs for transplantation use a federal loophole to miscount the number of organs to boost performance ratings and stay certified. (Cirruzzo, 6/10)

KQED: San José Council Approves Mahan’s Shelter Enforcement Plan
The San José City Council approved a controversial plan to potentially arrest unhoused people who refuse multiple offers of shelter — part of a series of votes Tuesday that delivered a sweeping victory for San José Mayor Matt Mahan and his agenda for reducing homelessness in the city. With city finances on a stable course, Mahan used the budget process to advance ambitious policy priorities, particularly a more aggressive, shelter-focused approach. That included the shelter-or-arrest plan and an effort to prioritize city homeless funding for temporary housing. (Marzorati, 6/10)

Berkeleyside: Judge Lets Berkeley Evict Some Residents Of Homeless Encampment
A federal judge on Tuesday opened the door for Berkeley to evict some unhoused residents from a large encampment at the intersection of Eighth and Harrison streets. But Judge Edward Chen temporarily barred the city from launching a sweep of the entire camp — like the one it attempted last week — by ordering Berkeley officials to work out accommodations for encampment residents who have physical and mental disabilities. (Savidge, 6/10)

Voice of OC: Irvine Looks To Increase Enforcement For Sober Living Homes
Sober living homes in Irvine could be facing increased regulation as city council members look to enhance enforcement on the facilities that provide residential space for people battling alcoholism or drug addiction. It’s a trend that’s been spreading across the county after the city of Costa Mesa won a legal battle that paved the way for jurisdictions to maintain local control over sober living and group homes. (Hicks, 6/11)

The Intersection: Amid Area Anti-LGBTQ+ ‘Hate Incidents’ And Hostile Federal Policy, What Pride Means In The Valley This Year
As the Central Valley LGBTQ+ community began its Pride Month celebrations this June, supporters received a stark reminder of why the annual event still matters. The Stockton Police Department confirmed a string of anti-LGBTQ+ “hate incidents” that started the first week of Pride. The city’s two queer advocacy centers – Central Valley Gender Health & Wellness and the San Joaquin Pride Center – were both vandalized, with a brick thrown through the former’s window and a pride flag ripped down at the latter. (Rowland, 6/11)

Politico: House GOP Finalizes Tweaks To Keep Megabill On Track In Senate
House Republicans have finalized changes to the party-line tax and spending package the chamber passed last month — necessary to keep the bill in compliance with Senate rules. The amendment, which House Republicans teed up in the Rules Committee Tuesday evening and plan to adopt on the floor Wednesday, would among other things nix a policy cracking down on the fraud-plagued employee retention tax credit created during the pandemic. Republicans were relying on this provision to recoup $6.3 billion in savings to offset the massive legislation. (Scholtes, Hill and Tully-McManus, 6/10)

Military Times: House Panel Pushes Ahead $453 Billion Funding Plan For VA Next Year
House Republican appropriators early Wednesday advanced a $453 billion budget plan for Veterans Affairs next year despite hours of objections from Democrats that looming reforms at the department could blunt the impact of the record funding levels for veterans programs. The plan — which now moves to the full House for consideration — is the first portion of the annual federal budget approved by either chamber’s appropriations committee. (Shane III, 6/11)

The Hill: Senators Grill NIH Director In Budget Hearing: 4 Takeaways
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya faced questions from senators during an Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday, as the federal government agency has taken hits to its staffing levels and grant-making ability since under President Trump. Senators focused on the Trump administration’s requested 2026 budget, which calls for cutting NIH’s funding by $18 billion from 2025 levels. (O’Connell-Domenech, 6/10)

The Hill: Noah Wyle Pushes For Mental Health Funds For Health Workers
Noah Wyle is heading to the pit of political power, with a visit to Capitol Hill to push for funding for programs aimed at improving mental health services for health care workers. “The Pitt” and former “ER” star will touch down in Washington on Thursday to lead a panel discussion at the Cannon House Office Building focused on the “daily mental health, financial, and bureaucratic challenges for doctors and nurses today.” Wyle will be joined by his mom, Marjorie Speer, a retired nurse, along with more than a dozen health care professionals. (Kurtz, 6/10)

San Diego Union-Tribune: 200 San Diego Positions Will Be Cut As Trump Administration Seeks To End Job Training Program
San Diego Job Corps contractor Management and Training Corp. told California labor officials some of the positions that would be cut include cooks, counselors, academic instructors, security guards, supervisors and drivers. In its letter to the state, its layoff list included instructors who  specialize in math, reading, career preparation, nursing, computer programming, culinary, hotel and lodging, pharmacy positions and welding. (Molnar, 6/10)

The Guardian: Trump Administration To Cut All USAID Overseas Roles In Dramatic Restructuring 
The Trump administration will eliminate all USAID overseas positions worldwide by Sept. 30 in a dramatic restructuring of remaining US foreign aid operations. In a Tuesday state department cable obtained by the Guardian, secretary of state Marco Rubio ordered the abolishment of the agency’s entire international workforce, transferring control of foreign assistance programs directly to the state department. (Gedeon and Tait, 6/10)

Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Says He Won’t Put Anti-Vaxxers On Key Vaccine Panel
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to bring in “highly credentialed physicians” and “not anti-vaxxers” to fill newly vacant slots on an influential committee that advises the US government on vaccine policy. Kennedy made the remarks roughly 24 hours after he abruptly dismissed all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in an unprecedented move he said was needed to restore public confidence in vaccine science. The new members will be in place before the panel’s next scheduled meeting that starts June 25, Kennedy said Tuesday. (Cohrs Zhang, 6/10)

Stat: Ousted CDC Vaccine Adviser Says RFK Jr.’s Message Is Clear: ‘Scientific Expertise Is No Longer Of Use’
Helen Chu went through a multi-year process to finally gain a seat on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccines experts panel, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. There was a lengthy application process, and extensive conflict-of-interest vetting, followed by training about how the committee conducts its operations. Chu, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Washington, was appointed last year to a four-year term on the committee. (Branswell, 6/10)

MedPage Today: AMA Calls For Senate Investigation Of RFK Jr.
Physicians called on HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to immediately reverse his decision to fire all 17 sitting members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and called for a Senate investigation into his actions. Less than 24 hours after Kennedy announced that HHS had removed all of CDC's vaccine advisors, American Medical Association (AMA) delegates passed an emergency resolution urging Kennedy to reverse this move during their annual meeting. (Firth, 6/10)

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID Mental Recovery Can Take 9 Months, Study Finds
A new study from UCLA researchers has found that while people with COVID-19 symptoms typically recovered physically within three months, many continued to struggle with mental well-being for up to nine months. Even a year later, 1 in 5 participants still reported poor overall health. Published Tuesday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, the study tracked more than 1,400 individuals who experienced COVID-like symptoms between December 2020 and August 2022. About 75% of the participants tested positive for the virus. Over a year, researchers surveyed them every three months on key aspects of health-related quality of life, including sleep, fatigue, cognitive function and social engagement. (Vaziri, 6/10)

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID Still Affecting Theater In 2025. Here's The Latest Postponement
COVID is still delaying theatrical productions, even in 2025.Marin Theatre was scheduled to open “Do You Feel Anger?” on Tuesday, June 10. But five hours before the curtain was supposed to rise on Mara Nelson-Greenberg’s office satire, the theater announced the night’s show was canceled. Publicist Carla Befera told the Chronicle that the show’s star tested positive for COVID. ... The move comes as a new, highly transmissible COVID variant, NB.1.8.1, entered California late last month. (Janiak, 6/10)

CalMatters: CA Restaurants Would Identify Food Allergens Under This Law
If Kim Nickols eats dairy, peanuts or wheat, her blood pressure drops and she loses consciousness. When Amy Lewis touches shellfish, hives erupt on her body and her throat swells. And if Addie Lao consumes even small amounts of dairy, nuts or sesame, she vomits for hours. Suffering severe, life-threatening food allergies, all three avoid eating in restaurants because the risk of exposure to an allergen is too great. (Hwang, 6/11)

CNN: Spinach, Strawberries Top New ‘Dirty Dozen’ List Of Pesticide-Laden Produce 
More than 90% of samples of a dozen fruits and vegetables tested positive for potentially harmful pesticide residues, according to the 2025 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Dubbed the “Dirty Dozen,” the list is compiled from the latest government testing data on nonorganic produce by the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a health advocacy organization that has produced the annual report since 2004. (LaMotte, 6/11)

The Guardian: Scientists Warn Against Attempts To Change Definition Of ‘Forever Chemicals’ 
A group of 20 internationally renowned scientists have issued a strong warning against attempts to narrow the definition of “forever chemicals” in what they describe as a politically or economically motivated effort to weaken regulation of the potentially harmful chemicals. (Salvidge, 6/10)

Bloomberg: Trump Poised To Repeal Biden Curbs On Power Plant Pollution
The Trump administration will propose scrapping Biden-era climate mandates requiring the nation’s power plants to curb planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions as soon as Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter. The Environmental Protection Agency is also set to advance a plan for easing limits on mercury and other toxic air pollution from the facilities, said the people, who asked not to be named because the measures aren’t yet public. (Natter and Dlouhy, 6/10)