First Edition: November 4, 2019
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Return To Sender: A Single Undeliverable Letter Can Mean Losing Medicaid
Forty-two boxes of returned mail lined a wall of the El Paso County Department of Human Services office on a recent fall morning. There used to be three times as many. Every week, the U.S. Postal Service brings anywhere from four to 15 trays to the office, each containing more than 250 letters that it could not deliver to county residents enrolled in Medicaid or other public assistance programs. This plays out the same way in counties across the state. Colorado estimates about 15% of the 12 million letters from public assistance programs to 1.3 million members statewide are returned — some 1.8 million pieces of undelivered mail each year. (Hawryluk, 11/4)
Kaiser Health News:
Cigarettes Vs. Vaping: That’s The ‘Wrong Comparison,’ Says Inhalation Researcher
Ilona Jaspers initially approached the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses with a clinical curiosity. As an inhalation toxicologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jaspers has for nearly 20 years studied the health effects of many substances that can be inhaled. Seven of those years involved researching e-cigarettes. She had been following cases of patients with symptoms similar to those seen in the outbreak through academic articles since 2016. (Heredia Rodriguez, 11/4)
The New York Times:
Billionaires Only? Warren Errs In Saying Whom Her Health Plan Would Tax
When Senator Elizabeth Warren laid out her plan for “Medicare for all” on Friday, she said she would raise taxes on the top 1 percent of households to help pay for it. The middle class, she said, would not pay “one penny” more. On Saturday night, Ms. Warren presented an even narrower description of who would face higher taxes under her plan. She told reporters that billionaires would be the only people to see their taxes go up — a misstatement of what she had proposed a day earlier. “It doesn’t raise taxes on anybody but billionaires,” Ms. Warren told reporters in Dubuque, Iowa, when asked what income bracket she defined as “middle class.” (Kaplan, 11/3)
The New York Times:
Elizabeth Warren’s ‘Medicare For All’ Math
The Warren plan includes several key assumptions, including starkly lower prescription drug prices, minimal administrative spending and health care costs that grow at a significantly slower pace. Warren backers describe these cuts as ambitious and assertive, contending that the American health system — which has the highest prices in the developed world — could weather the change. Other health care experts call the ideas unrealistic, given the revenue that American doctors, hospitals and drug companies have become accustomed to earning. The key question in this debate is, how quickly can the United States tamp down its sky-high health care prices? (Sanger-Katz and Kliff, 11/1)
The New York Times:
Warren Health Plan Tightens Democrats’ Embrace Of Tax Increases
Three years after President Trump rode a wave of populist anger into office, some of his top Democratic challengers are calling for a fundamental reordering of American capitalism, arguing that voters will embrace bold plans to reverse decades of rising inequality by raising taxes on corporations and the rich. The $20.5 trillion proposal for “Medicare for all” released by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts on Friday is the most prominent example of how a party that once bet on centrist economic policies to win elections is moving toward far more ambitious efforts to redistribute wealth and expand the government’s role in the economy. (Tankersley, 11/2)
Reuters:
Warren's Big Healthcare Plan Relies On Big Assumptions
"The plan makes a lot of assumptions about how seamlessly this could be enacted and implemented," said Larry Levitt, a health policy expert at Kaiser Family Foundation, adding that there was no precedent for such a large overhaul. Not only would medical businesses large and small resist decisions by the government to pay less for drugs and services, the plan could paradoxically underfund an expanded health insurance bureaucracy, said Linda Blumberg, an economist at the Urban Institute's Health Policy Center. (Lange and Becker, 11/1)
The Washington Post:
How Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare-For-All Plan Would Work
Warren's plan adopts virtually in its entirety the vision for American health care set out by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in his Medicare-for-all legislation. It would place all Americans on a single government insurer, virtually eradicating more than 150 million private health insurance plans, while levying more than $15 trillion in new taxes on businesses and the rich to fund a generous and universal benefits package. Warren, who criticized “single-payer” as recently as 2012, had already embraced this part of Medicare-for-all in her 2020 presidential election bid. But unlike Sanders, she has now specified exactly how she envisions to pay for such a radical shift -- a move that could both earn her praise for precision but also open her up to new lines of attack. (Stein, 11/1)
The Associated Press:
Biden Defends His 'Vision' Against Warren's Indirect Attacks
Bristling at Elizabeth Warren's suggestions that he's a milquetoast moderate with small ideas, presidential candidate Joe Biden countered Saturday that he offers a "bold" vision for the country and warned that Democratic primary voters should not get distracted by the party's increasingly tense battle over ideological labels. It was a departure from Biden's usual campaign speech and signaled perhaps a new phase of Democrats' search for a nominee to take on President Donald Trump, with Warren, the leading progressive candidate, and Biden, the top choice for most moderates and establishment liberals, ratcheting up the intensity three months ahead of the Iowa caucuses. (Barrow, 11/2)
The Associated Press:
How Warren And Sanders Pay For Medicare For All
Here's a look at Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren's proposals to pay for Medicare for All and how they compare to financing options identified by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Both are running to be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2020. (11/1)
The Washington Post:
Sanders, Warren, Seek To Clarify Their Differences
Sanders said his approach to funding Medicare-for-all, which includes raising taxes on middle-class families, is “far more progressive” than Warren’s method, a stinging comment calculated to solidify his role as the only pure progressive in the race. Sanders took issue specifically with Warren’s proposal that businesses would redirect their current health-care payments to the Medicare program, which Sanders said would hurt job growth. (Janes, Sullivan and Stanley-Becker, 11/3)
Reuters:
Warren's Medicare For All Plan Attacked, Parodied By Republicans, Democrats And 'SNL' Show
Another Democratic presidential contender, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, said the plan's elimination of private insurance was too inflexible. "This my way or the highway idea, that either you're for kicking everybody off their private plans in four years or you're for business as usual, it's just not true," Buttigieg said on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. (Timmons, 11/3)
The Washington Post:
SNL Tackles Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare-For-All Plan In Cold Open
Kate McKinnon reprised her role as the Democratic presidential contender from Massachusetts, pacing back and forth on the stage in black pants, a black shirt and a bright red cardigan a la Warren. The setting was a mock town hall in Iowa, which hosted a fall fundraising dinner for the Democratic candidates on Friday and where Warren has recently emerged as the candidate to beat. With sleeves rolled up and brimming with energy, McKinnon’s Warren started by introducing herself — “Look at me, I’m in my natural habitat: a public school on a weekend” — then offered to “pour one out” for former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas, who left the race Friday. (Hawkins, 11/3)
The Associated Press:
What Do 2020 Democrats Say About California Fires? Not Much.
California Democrats hoped they would finally bask in the attention of presidential candidates when they moved their primary to the front of the calendar. But as the state battles the twin disasters of wildfires and mass power outages, White House hopefuls are nowhere to be found. In a field of nearly 20 candidates, no one has traveled to California to visit residents displaced from their homes or commend first responders who have worked around the clock. (Ronayne, 11/1)
The Associated Press:
Widespread Glitches Occur On 1st Day Of 'Obamacare' Sign-Ups
Trump administration officials say they're working to resolve problems with HealthCare.gov following reports of widespread technical glitches on the first day of "Obamacare" sign-ups. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said in a statement Friday that it's aware that some consumers trying to sign up for health insurance have received error messages from the online system. The agency said its "highest priority" is to fix the issues quickly to provide a "seamless consumer experience." (11/1)
NPR:
Open Enrollment Is Here: 6 Tips For Choosing A Health Insurance Plan
It's the season to roll up your sleeves, gather your documents, and pick a health insurance plan for 2020. For those shopping for their own plans, HealthCare.gov and the other state exchanges are open for enrollment as of November 1. Despite the rhetoric about the implosion of the Affordable Care Act, the individual mandate going away, and other attempts to hobble the law, the marketplaces are still alive and well. And many people are eligible for subsidies to bring their costs down. (Simmons-Duffin, 11/1)
The Associated Press:
Trump Picks Cancer Specialist From Texas Hospital To Run FDA
President Donald Trump on Friday picked a cancer specialist and hospital executive to lead the Food and Drug Administration. If confirmed, Dr. Stephen Hahn of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston would inherit a raft of high-profile public health issues, including leading the government's response to the problem of underage vaping and the prescription opioid epidemic. (Perrone, 11/1)
The New York Times:
Trump To Nominate Stephen Hahn, Cancer Researcher, To Head F.D.A.
If he is confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Hahn would fill the vacancy left by Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who stepped down as commissioner in April. In doing so, he passed over the acting commissioner, Dr. Norman E. Sharpless, who had the support of previous commissioners and an array of patient groups. The Department of Health and Human Services said Friday that Dr. Sharpless would be returning to his role as director of the National Cancer Institute, which he previously held before taking over as acting commissioner. Dr. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary for health, will fulfill the duties of acting commissioner while Dr. Hahn goes through the confirmation process. (Thomas, 11/1)
The Washington Post:
Trump Nominates Oncologist Stephen Hahn Of MD Anderson For FDA Commissioner
The movement on Hahn’s nomination is occurring at a critical time for the agency, which is at the center of a debate about banning almost all flavors in e-cigarettes — an action intended to stem sharp increases in youth vaping. Trump announced plans for a broad ban in September, but the agency has not yet issued its final policy. Recently, two people familiar with the discussions said the White House is considering excluding menthol and possibly mint from the ban because of concerns about political backlash from vaping supporters. (McGinley, 11/1)
Politico:
Trump Bets On Washington Outsider To Lead FDA Amid Political Battles
“Whether Dr. Hahn aggressively tackles e-cigarettes will be one of the defining issues for which he is known,” said Matthew Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. “What he does and whether he succeeds in stemming the youth e-cigarette epidemic will inevitably be his legacy.” As part of his campaign pledge to lower drug prices, Trump at the same time is trying to open the door to importing cheaper drugs from Canada, an arduous undertaking that's raised a string of FDA-related safety concerns. And though the FDA doesn’t set drug prices, its polices could influence which drugs reach the market and how much competition they face. (Cancryn and Owermohle, 11/1)
The New York Times:
Scientists With Links To China May Be Stealing Biomedical Research, U.S. Says
The scientist at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston was hardly discreet. “Here is the bones and meet of what you want,” he wrote in a misspelled email to researchers in China. Attached was a confidential research proposal, according to administrators at the center. The scientist had access to the document only because he had been asked to review it for the National Institutes of Health — and the center had examined his email because federal officials had asked them to investigate him. (Kolata, 11/4)
The Associated Press:
US Judge Blocks Trump's Health Insurance Rule For Immigrants
A federal judge in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday put on hold a Trump administration rule requiring immigrants prove they will have health insurance or can pay for medical care before they can get visas. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon granted a temporary restraining order that prevents the rule from going into effect Sunday. It's not clear when he will rule on the merits of the case. (11/2)
Reuters:
Judge Blocks Trump Rule Requiring Prospective Immigrants Have Health Insurance
Judge Michael Simon in U.S. District Court in Portland, Oregon, granted a 28-day temporary restraining order that prevents the rule from taking effect on Nov. 3. The legal challenge against it will continue. In an 18-page order, Simon said the potential damage to would-be immigrants and their families justified a nationwide block. “Facing a likely risk of being separated from their family members and a delay in obtaining a visa to which family members would otherwise be entitled is irreparable harm,” he wrote. (11/2)
The Washington Post:
Judge Temporarily Blocks Trump Order Requiring Would-Be Immigrants To Prove They Have Health Insurance
President Trump’s October proclamation required that prospective immigrants demonstrate they could obtain health insurance within 30 days of arriving in the United States — a demand that immigration and health experts said would be particularly onerous for low-income immigrants who may not already have lined up jobs with health insurance or may be unable to pay for “reasonably foreseeable medical costs,” as the rule states. Experts warned that the policy would favor the wealthy and prevent many U.S. citizens from bringing family members into the country. (Abutaleb, Stein and Epstein, 11/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Health-Care Requirement For New Immigrants
Immigrant advocates said the policy would effectively ban poor immigrants. President Trump issued the order using the same authority as his executive order blocking citizens of several Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S. Mr. Trump has frequently criticized the nation’s legal immigration system, which allots most visas to family members of U.S. citizens and awards 50,000 green cards each year to foreigners in countries with low numbers of immigrants in the U.S., many of them in Africa and Asia. (Hackman, 11/3)
The New York Times:
Adoption Groups Could Turn Away L.G.B.T. Families Under Proposed Rule
A proposed rule by the Trump administration would allow foster care and adoption agencies to deny their services to L.G.B.T. families on faith-based grounds. The proposal would have “enormous” effects and touch the lives of a large number of people, Denise Brogan-Kator, chief policy officer at Family Equality, an advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families, said on Saturday. (Taylor, 11/2)
The Associated Press:
Rule Would Let Faith-Based Groups Exclude LGBT Parents
The Trump administration on Friday proposed a rule that would allow faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to continue getting taxpayer funding even if they exclude LGBT families and others from their services based on religious beliefs. The announcement generated a sharp backlash from some Democratic lawmakers and LGBT advocacy groups. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said the Trump administration was working overtime to "implement cruel and discriminatory policies, and wasting taxpayer dollars in its obsessive pursuit." (11/1)
The Washington Post:
Proposed HHS Rule Would Strip Obama-Era Protections For LGBTQ Individuals
The draft says HHS will remove language introduced during the Obama administration that “no person otherwise eligible will be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination” based on a long list of characteristics including race, age, gender identity and sexual orientation. In its place, the agency would guarantee protections required by federal statute. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and others provide protections for everything on the Obama-era list except for sexual orientation and gender identity. Efforts to get Congress to add these protections over the years have stalled. The most recent attempt, the Equality Act, passed the Democratic-controlled House in May but has not moved in the Republican-controlled Senate. (Cha, 11/1)
NPR:
Proposed Work Requirements For Medicaid In Montana Worry Seasonal Workers
People on Medicaid who work rural seasonal jobs in Montana are wondering about the future of their access to health coverage. Montana recently passed a law that, if it gains federal approval and goes into effect as planned in January, would require many Medicaid recipients to prove they work a set number of hours each month. Kate Clyatt is one of those seasonal workers. She's 28 and works as a ranch hand in the unincorporated community of Helmville, Mont., where there's a saloon, rodeo grounds, two churches, a K-8 public school and a post office. In the sweeping ranchland surrounded by mountains, there are also a lot of cows. (Cates-Carney, 11/3)
The New York Times:
China Effectively Bans Online Sales Of E-Cigarettes
China issued its starkest warning yet over electronic cigarettes, calling on the industry on Friday to stop selling and advertising the products online. Citing health concerns for minors, a Chinese regulator and the state tobacco monopoly jointly urged manufacturers and sellers to shut down websites related to the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes, in what could amount to an effective ban. (Chen and Stevenson, 11/1)
The Associated Press:
San Francisco: Mayor Has Easy Reelection; Vaping On Ballot
After a bruising fight last year to become San Francisco's mayor, London Breed faces token opposition on Tuesday's ballot as she struggles to find solutions to the city's homelessness crisis, drug epidemic and a housing shortfall that have put the politically liberal city in the national spotlight. The former president of the Board of Supervisors and San Francisco native narrowly won a special June 2018 election to fill the seat left vacant by the sudden death of Mayor Ed Lee. (Har, 11/3)
ProPublica:
How One Employer Stuck A New Mom With A $898,984 Bill For Her Premature Baby
Lauren Bard opened the hospital bill this month and her body went numb. In bold block letters it said, “AMOUNT DUE: $898,984.57.” Last fall, Bard’s daughter, Sadie, had arrived about three months prematurely; and as a nurse herself, Bard knew the costs for Sadie’s care would be high. But she’d assumed the bulk would be covered by the organization that owned the hospital where she worked: Dignity Health, whose marketing motto is “Hello humankindness.” She would be wrong. (Allen, 11/4)
The New York Times:
These Machines Can Put You In Jail. Don’t Trust Them.
A million Americans a year are arrested for drunken driving, and most stops begin the same way: flashing blue lights in the rearview mirror, then a battery of tests that might include standing on one foot or reciting the alphabet. What matters most, though, happens next. By the side of the road or at the police station, the drivers blow into a miniature science lab that estimates the concentration of alcohol in their blood. If the level is 0.08 or higher, they are all but certain to be convicted of a crime. (Cowley and Silver-Greenberg, 11/3)
The New York Times:
From The First Drunken Driving Case To Modern Challenges
Read the documents The Times gathered to understand breath-testing machines, and the problems that have caused tens of thousands of tests to be thrown out. (Cowley and Silver-Greenberg, 11/3)
The Associated Press:
One Big Step: Google Buys Fitbit For $2.1 Billion
Google, the company that helped make it fun to just sit around surfing the web, is jumping into the fitness-tracker business with both feet, buying Fitbit for about $2.1 billion. The deal could put Google in direct competition with Apple and Samsung in the highly competitive market for smartwatches and other wearable electronics. But it also raises questions about privacy and Google's dominance in the tech industry. (O'Brien, 11/1)
The New York Times:
Google To Buy Fitbit For $2.1 Billion
The acquisition is likely to face regulatory scrutiny from agencies already investigating Google for antitrust concerns, because Fitbit collects sensitive information from users through the device. In an effort to head off that potentially thorny point, Google said it would not use health data gleaned from Fitbit devices in its core advertising business. “You will always be in control of your data, and we will remain transparent about the data we collect and why,” Fitbit’s chief executive, James Park, said in an email to his company’s customers on Friday morning. “We never sell your personal information, and Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.” (Wakabayashi and Satariano, 11/1)
Stat:
Trump Nominates MD Anderson’s Stephen Hahn To Lead FDA
It is not immediately clear when the Senate will take up Hahn’s nomination. If confirmed, Hahn would become the fourth agency leader in seven months. Ned Sharpless, the former National Cancer Institute head, has led the FDA in an acting capacity since Scott Gottlieb’s departure in April. (Facher, 11/1)
Reuters:
Healthineers Forecasts Growth On Demand For Hospital Equipment
Siemens Healthineers said it expected strong growth to continue next year, as the German maker of medical imaging machines and diagnostic equipment reported better than expected fourth-quarter sales on Monday. Healthineers' shares jumped 8% in early morning trade to its highest level on record. (11/4)
The Washington Post:
School Lunches Have Become More Nutritious Despite Many Challenges, A Look At Eight Elementary Schools Shows
For as long as public schools have been feeding kids lunch, grown-ups have been arguing about it. Everything from what goes on the plate to who should pay the bill to whether ketchup is a vegetable has prompted heated debate. But far from the halls of Congress, where the National School Lunch Program is as much a political issue as an educational concern, cafeteria staff grapple with very different challenges: making cauliflower and beets appealing to 8-year-olds; putting whole grains, a healthy entree, a vegetable and fresh fruit on a plate for a couple of bucks; hiring good workers when the starting wage may be less than the pay at a big-box store. (Levine and Rogers, 10/28)
PBS NewsHour:
How A Proposed Rule Change Could Affect Free Lunch For Some Kids In Need
For years, the Trump administration has prioritized efforts to scale back food stamp benefits to combat alleged fraud and abuse, despite a “historic high” in pay accuracy, according to the federal government’s own assessment. But after tremendous public pushback, the Trump administration reopened the comment period for a proposed rule that could alter categorical eligibility for food stamp benefits and cut off aid for an estimated 3 million Americans. (Santhanam, 10/31)
The Washington Post:
‘Hit Them In Their Heart’: These Parents Lost Kids To Hazing. They’re Trying To Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen Again.
The auditorium at the College of New Jersey was filled with hundreds of fraternity and sorority members, on a night during Greek Week. The event had sounded all too familiar to many: Go hear some adults tell you about the dangers of hazing. Again. But their chatter had died away and their phones were in their pockets as Evelyn and Jim Piazza showed them photos of their tall, grinning son and told them how, after a gantlet of drinks and a headfirst fall down a flight of stairs at his Pennsylvania State University fraternity house, Tim Piazza was put in an ambulance, alone. (Svrluga, 11/3)
Stat:
FDA: Zantac Does Not Form A Carcinogen, But Some Pills Should Be Recalled
After running simulated testing, the Food and Drug Administration says it has not found evidence that Zantac and similar heartburn medicines form a possible carcinogen in patient stomachs or small intestines. Nonetheless, the agency also indicated some of the medicines contain higher than acceptable levels of NDMA, and asked manufacturers to voluntarily withdraw those pills. The move marks the first time the FDA has suggested drug makers should recall their heartburn medicines, which are called ranitidines, after opening a probe several weeks ago. (Silverman, 11/1)
The Washington Post:
Science Author Digs Into The Story About A Revolutionary Cancer Treatment Used In Immunotherapy
In 2017, CAR-T therapy made waves as the first gene therapy to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In a fascinating article for Undark, Ilana Yurkiewicz, a physician at Stanford University, plunges into the fraught history and future of a cancer treatment that’s as radical as it is risky. Unlike chemotherapy or radiation, which attack cancer directly, CAR-T engineers patients’ immune cells so they can do it themselves. (Blakemore, 11/2)
The New York Times:
Armed With A New Laptop, He Is On A Path To A Degree
When he was growing up, Warren Williams wanted nothing more than to play baseball and watch “Scooby-Doo.” “I just wanted to be normal, like other kids,” he said. But his health often took the joy out of his childhood. Mr. Williams, 26, was born with H.I.V. One of his earliest memories is from when he was 4: A mass had developed in his chest and he was rushed to a hospital to have open-heart surgery. The doctors gave him a stuffed Barney the dinosaur to keep by his side on the operating table. (Aridi, 11/3)
The Associated Press:
Scientists Retract Study Suggesting Mutation Shortens Life
Scientists have retracted a study that appeared to show people may live shortened lives if they carry a DNA mutation that reduces their chance of HIV infection. The study focused on people who carry a specific mutation in both copies of a gene called CCR5. It was published in June in the journal Nature Medicine and covered by news outlets including The Associated Press. (11/1)
The Washington Post:
Ali Meyer Records Breast Cancer Diagnosis Live On Facebook For KFOR News
Ali Meyer live-streamed her first mammogram with other women in mind. The veteran journalist was wary of “making herself the center of the story,” she remembers, but she wanted to remind people to schedule their own appointments — so they could catch breast cancer early. Then a nurse came in to say the radiologist would prefer to see Meyer with the camera off. In private, the doctor told Meyer she would need more imaging. At 40 years old, she realized, she might have cancer. (Knowles, 11/2)
The Associated Press:
Health Officials Disclose Another Romaine Outbreak, Now Over
U.S. health officials disclosed another food poisoning outbreak linked to romaine lettuce, but they said it appears to be over. The disclosure late Thursday comes after the produce industry said it was stepping up safety measures following a series of outbreaks , including one last year that sickened more than 200 people and killed five. It's not clear why romaine keeps sickening people, but experts note the difficulty of eliminating risk posed by raw vegetables grown in open fields. (11/1)
The Washington Post:
The FDA Learned Of An E. Coli Outbreak In September. Six Weeks Later, The Agency Finally Announced It.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified the FDA of the outbreak in mid-September and suspected leafy greens were the culprit on Sept. 19, according to Brian Katzowitz, a health communication specialist at the CDC. Both agencies determined romaine was the likely cause on Oct. 2. Asked why the agencies waited until Halloween to make a public announcement, Katzowitz told The Washington Post that “there are a few variables to consider when posting an outbreak, but the CDC generally posts outbreak warnings when there is something actionable for consumers to do.” (Brice-Saddler, 11/1)
Politico:
Trump Threatens To End Federal Aid To California In Tweets Slamming Gov. Gavin Newsom
Just days after Gov. Gavin Newsom praised the federal government for its response to catastrophic wildfires and power outages affecting millions, President Donald Trump on Sunday slammed the California Democrat — and threatened to cut off future federal funding to the fire-battered state. Trump, in a spate of postings on Twitter, lambasted what he called Newsom’s “terrible job” regarding the state’s forest management practices, saying that the governor should stop listening to environmentalist “bosses” and “clean” the forest floors. (Marinucci, 11/3)
Los Angeles Times:
California Wildfires Are Mostly Under Control, But Fire Risk Remains High
The California wildfires that scorched thousands of acres and prompted mass evacuations across the state in recent weeks are largely under control, but experts warn that hot and dry conditions will continue to elevate fire risk throughout the week. The Maria fire, which broke out atop South Mountain just south of Santa Paula in Ventura County on Thursday night and spread to nearly 10,000 acres, was 70% contained as of Sunday evening, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted Saturday. (Newberry, 11/3)
Colorado Sun:
Colorado’s Reinsurance Program Has Been Lauded As A Way To Reduce Health Care Costs. Here’s The Fine Print.
For months, Gov. Jared Polis and state health officials have been talking about how Colorado’s new reinsurance program is going to lower insurance prices across the state for people who purchase coverage on their own. But, as open enrollment kicks off Friday, two new analyses show that tens of thousands of people could end up paying more for their coverage next year as a result of the reinsurance program unless they shop around for a new plan — and some might still pay more even if they do. (Ingold, 11/1)
The Associated Press:
Parkland Commission Urges Boost In Mental Health Funding
A commission investigating the Parkland school shooting is calling for improved mental health services, including more funding, to help schoolchildren deal with the stresses in their lives — a strategy the commission hopes will help prevent more violence from erupting at other Florida campuses. The commission released its second report to lawmakers Friday, 10 months after an initial report urged immediate improvements to school safety following killings of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School last year. (Caina Calvan, 11/1)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Voided Old Tickets, Warrants. It Won't Help Homeless People
When Los Angeles officials decided to toss out millions of citations and warrants in early October, they hailed it as a boon for homeless people. The purge, they said, would “unclog” the court system and stop the cycle of debt and arrests that has made it harder for the poorest Angelenos to land jobs and housing. But weeks after the announcement by L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey and LAPD Chief Michel Moore, it has become clear that their amnesty program is unlikely to end the criminal consequences for low-level offenses by people who live outdoors. (Holland, 11/4)
Modern Healthcare:
Pa. High Court Tosses Seven-Year Medical Malpractice Limit
UPMC faces a medical malpractice suit stemming from a liver transplant in 2003 after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court threw out a state law barring malpractice lawsuits after seven years. In a 4-3 decision Thursday, the state ruled that the statute of repose, passed in 2002, unconstitutionally violates the right of access to the courts and lacks any substantial relationship to the legislative goal of controlling malpractice insurance costs and premiums. (Meyer, 11/1)
The Associated Press:
Inmate Says He Was Told To Wash, Reuse Disposable Catheters
Brad Vanzant uses a wheelchair, has one kidney, and since 2015 has relied on catheters to drain his bladder. He's also an Idaho prison inmate, which means his medical supplies must be approved and provided by the state's private health care contractor, Corizon Health. (11/1)