Friday, May 6, 2022 – California Healthline

San Francisco Chronicle: Judge Who Overturned California’s Prop. 8 Blasts Draft Roe V. Wade Opinion: ‘It Makes The Justices Look Like Politicians’
Retired Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker has harsh words to describe the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade: “It’s just not a very impressive piece of work.” Walker, who famously overturned California’s Proposition 8 in a 2010 ruling that struck down a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, said a leaked version of the draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito has many flaws, but the most obvious is its lack of a clear rationale to undo a 50-year established legal precedent of a woman’s right to obtain an abortion. (Gardiner, 5/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: As Women React To Roe V. Wade News, Their Ages Color Their Outlooks
Growing up during America’s deeply polarizing and increasingly vitriolic debates about Roe v. Wade, Emma Dauplaise, 27, a law student at Santa Clara University, always had a lingering fear that abortion rights could be revoked. Now her fear is on the brink of coming true with the leaked revelation that the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark ruling. (Said, 5/6)

CalMatters: Abortion Rights: The Defining Issue In 2022 Election?
By Wednesday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is running for re-election this year, had already cut a new campaign ad about “reproductive freedom under attack.” In a tweet unveiling the ad, he framed defeating “anti-choice Republicans” as the “defining issue of the 2022 election.” As the stark reality has sunk in that the landmark Roe v. Wade decision is unlikely to make it to its 50th birthday, many Democrats are leaning forcefully into abortion rights as a key election issue. With decades of public polling indicating that a majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, it could be the party’s most potent counterweight in a campaign cycle in which Republicans seem poised to capitalize on voter frustration over inflation and crime. (Koseff, 5/5)

Los Angeles Times: False Claim About Reproductive Health Bill Goes Viral 
As The Times has reported, California intends to become a haven for those seeking reproductive health care in America if the U.S. Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion overturning Roe vs. Wade becomes the law of the land. This may make the state a target, as it has been in the past for its progressive laws on immigration, the environment and other policy areas. One way that people can attack the state is through misinformation and disinformation. A misinterpretation of a California bill has already gone viral online. (Ray, 5/5)

Los Angeles Times: Why Did Federal Police Confront Abortion Rights Protesters? 
An abortion rights protest had been going on peacefully for hours in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday when a “help call” suddenly went out over police radios about 9 p.m. The SOS didn’t come from Los Angeles police officers, but a small group of federal officers with the Department of Homeland Security. They claimed, according to a statement by the LAPD, that they had come “under attack” from protesters while in their patrol cars near the intersection of 5th and Hill streets — about a half-mile away from the federal courthouse where the protest had begun and where federal officers have jurisdiction. (Rector, 5/5)

CapRadio: Interview: What It Would Take For The U.S. Senate To Pass A Federal Right To An Abortion 
California is gearing up for a fight for abortion rights after a leaked draft opinion revealed that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion. State lawmakers said this week they’re planning to introduce a constitutional amendment to enshrine access to abortions in California. Nationally, the U.S. House of Representatives in September passed a law that would guarantee those rights in all states, and the Senate is looking to vote on the bill soon. California U.S. Senator Alex Padilla is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and spoke with CapRadio Insight host Vicki Gonzalez about co-sponsoring the bill and what it would take to pass. (Gonzalez, 5/5)

The New York Times: Democrats Plan A Bid To Codify Roe, But Lack The Votes To Succeed 
Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, moved on Thursday to set up a vote next week on a bill to codify abortion rights into federal law, acting quickly in the wake of a leaked Supreme Court draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade, despite clear evidence that the measure lacks the support to be enacted. The plan is little more than an effort to send a political message before the midterm elections and a seismic ruling that could have major legal, cultural and electoral consequences, with deep significance for voters across the political spectrum. (Karni, 5/5)

The Hill: Democrats Worry They Lack A Plan To Fight Back On Roe V. Wade
Democrats are worried their party lacks a clear plan to push back at what is certain to be an onslaught of abortion restrictions in the wake of a Supreme Court draft ruling striking down Roe v. Wade. While Democrat after Democrat has cried out over the possibility a conservative Supreme Court could eviscerate abortion rights, strategists say little is being offered in terms of a clear way to fight back.  Some also say the party wasn’t ready for something that was clearly coming down the pike. (Chalfant and Parnes, 5/6)

Orange County Register: The Supreme Court Overturning Roe Won’t Boost Democrats’ Chances In The Midterms 
In light of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicating that Roe v. Wade is set to be overturned, some Democrats are optimistic that the political landscape will shift in their favor ahead of what most have anticipated will be a red-wave midterm election. While the Supreme Court’s ruling — if and when it comes — overturning Roe v. Wade would give Democrats a cohesive midterm message after months of uncertainty, it likely will not produce the seismic shift in the political landscape that many party leaders are hoping for. (Douglas Schoen, 5/6)

AP: Once Conflicted, Biden Embraces Role As Abortion Defender
Although Biden called for protecting Roe v. Wade in his State of the Union speech in March, since becoming president he had never publicly uttered the word “abortion” until this week, when the draft court decision leaked. And he still prefers to frame the issue around privacy and people’s ability to make their own decisions free from government interference. “This is about a lot more than abortion,” he said Wednesday at the White House. He often references other court decisions on same sex marriage or birth control. “What are the next things that are going to be attacked?” It’s the kind of rhetoric that he deployed successfully during the 1987 confirmation hearings for Robert Bork, President Ronald Reagan’s nominee to the Supreme Court. (Megerian, 5/5)

Politico: Trump Set The Stage For Roe’s Demise. For Now, He Doesn’t Wanna Talk About It. 
It should be Donald Trump’s crowning achievement, one that fulfilled the deepest wish many conservatives have held for generations. Three of the Supreme Court justices appointed by the former president signed onto the initial draft opinion that appears to signal the end of the landmark abortions right case, Roe v. Wade. … The former president, never one to shy away from taking credit for accomplishments, real or imagined, has yet to crow about the majority draft opinion. And when asked about it in interviews, he steered clear of anything resembling a victory lap. Instead, he expressed displeasure that the draft leaked and sidestepped weighing in on the issue of abortion rights. On Wednesday night at Mar-a-Lago, he told POLITICO he was waiting to see “finality” in the case. (McGraw and Lemire, 5/5)

CNN: John Roberts Calls Supreme Court Leak ‘Absolutely Appalling’ 
Roberts was speaking at a meeting of lawyers and judges at the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference, while the court is on a brief recess. The justices will meet together again during their closed-door conference in Washington on May 12. … Roberts did not want to completely overturn Roe v. Wade, meaning he would have dissented from part of the opinion, sources tell CNN, likely with the court’s three liberals. The court has confirmed the authenticity of the draft opinion, but stressed that it was not final and did not reflect the final position of any member of the court. (de Vogue and Cartaya, 5/5)

The Washington Post: Chief Justice John Roberts Says Supreme Court Leak Won’t Alter Deliberations 
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told a crowd of judges and lawyers Thursday that the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade is “absolutely appalling,” but will not affect the final outcome of the court’s historic deliberations on the abortion issue. “A leak of this sort — let’s assume that’s what it is — is absolutely appalling, and if the people behind it, or person behind it, thinks that it’s going to have an effect on our decision process, that’s absolutely foolish,” Roberts told the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference meeting here. (Barnes, 5/5)

The Wall Street Journal: Supreme Court Hunt For Who Leaked Draft Roe V. Wade Opinion Has No Road Map 
The Supreme Court marshal tasked with finding out who leaked a draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 abortion-rights case, is a retired Army colonel with untested investigative powers to uncover the breach, which was extraordinary but might not be criminal. Gail Curley, whose public duties include calling the court to order with “Oyez, Oyez, Oyez,” will seek to determine the source who shared the draft, which was published Monday by Politico. (Gurman, 5/5)

Newsweek: Writers Guild Asks Hollywood Not To Film In States That Ban Abortions
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) has urged Hollywood not to shoot films and TV shows in states that ban abortions. The guild’s announcement came after a draft Supreme Court opinion leaked on Monday revealed that the court’s majority was prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade. “In light of the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion rights, we want to reaffirm our Guild’s commitment to fighting on our members’ behalf against inequality and discrimination,” the labor union said on Twitter Wednesday. WGAW represents writers in film, television, radio and internet programming. (Bartov, 5/5)

Newsweek: Roe V. Wade Protesters Are Mailing Coat Hangers To The Supreme Court
Abortion-rights advocates are sending coat hangers to the Supreme Court after a leaked document indicated a majority of the justices plan to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which effectively legalized access to abortions across the U.S. After the draft document leaked earlier this week, many people took to social media platforms and forums, including TikTok and Reddit, in which they claimed to have sent coat hangers to the high court in Washington D.C. (Anglesey, 5/5)

NBC News: Anti-Abortion Latinos Look Forward To Future Without Roe V. Wade
The leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark law that legalized abortion nationwide, has emboldened Latinos who are fighting to end abortions in the U.S. “It gives me a lot of hope. … This is the way that I was hoping it would go,” said Maria Oswalt, 27, of Rehumanize International, a nonprofit organization that opposes abortion. “It was shocking, in a good way, to see that the opinion was very unapologetically overturning Roe V. Wade.” (Acevedo and Sesin, 5/6)

NBC News: ‘All Hands On Deck’: Some States Brace For Influx Of Patients If Roe Is Struck Down
In southern Illinois, a few miles from the Missouri border, a clinic that provides abortion procedures is preparing for a deluge. The Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights is surrounded by “trigger law” states that would immediately ban abortions if Roe v. Wade is struck down. If that happens, the clinic could see upward of 15,000 more patients a year, about half of the additional patients expected to flow to Illinois. It’s trying to get ahead of the inundation. The clinic has posted five new positions, and it’s considering operating seven days a week, up from six, with 12-hour day and nighttime shifts.  (Ali, 5/5)

NPR: Governments Have Undercounted The COVID-19 Death Toll By Millions, WHO Says
The COVID-19 pandemic directly or indirectly caused 14.9 million deaths in 2020 and 2021, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, in its newest attempt to quantify the outbreak’s terrible toll. That’s around 2.7 times more than the 5.42 million COVID-19 deaths the WHO says were previously reported through official channels in the same 2-year period. (Chappell, 5/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: 214,000 American Children Lost Parents To COVID. They Have ‘A Lifetime Of Grief Ahead Of Them’
As the United States prepares to mark the grim milestone of one million dead from COVID-19, a close inspection of the data reveals one of the pandemic’s most heart-wrenching tolls: At least 32,500 children in California and more than 214,400 nationwide — more than one out of every 360 — have lost at least one parent or primary caregiver to the virus, according to a report from the University of Pennsylvania. At least 16,800 lost their sole parent or caregiver. “COVID orphans” is the term used to describe these children, whether they lost one caregiver or two. More than 70% are 13 or younger. (Said, 5/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: COVID-19 Numbers Are On The Rise In San Diego County 
A steady increase in the amount of virus detected in wastewater, combined with more than two weeks of evidence that the pandemic is once again growing, suggest that the coronavirus has remained active in the community this spring even as the impact on hospitals so far remains low. (Sisson, 5/5)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Workplaces, Schools See Rising Coronavirus Cases
Coronavirus cases are on the rise at Los Angeles County workplaces and schools, underscoring the need to take additional precautions to prevent outbreaks, officials said. The additional infections documented in these settings reflect what’s been a steady, weekslong increase in coronavirus activity countywide. But officials say schools and worksites can be at higher risk of transmission, as both are typically places where people gather indoors in close proximity for hours at a time. (Lin II and Money, 5/5)

Sacramento Bee: COVID Outbreaks Reported At Sacramento Schools After Proms 
At least six Sacramento-area schools have reported significant upticks in COVID-19 infections within two weeks of holding large school dance events. Outbreaks are occurring throughout the state. The case rate is two or three times compared to one month ago. Last month, a Bay Area high school reported 90 virus cases after about 600 students went to prom. (McGough and Morrar, 5/6)

Sacramento Bee: How Can CA Schools Limit COVID Cases At Prom, Graduation? 
Prom season is here and at least six Sacramento-area schools have reported significant upticks in COVID-19 infections within two weeks of holding large school dance events. Schools could not definitively determine where transmissions took place, due to “high numbers of overlapping social and school contacts,” according to Sacramento City Unified officials. But health officials said that precautions will help prevent spread. Here are some useful tips that could help prevent the spread of COVID-19 at proms and dances. (Morrar, 5/6)

The New York Times: Can Covid Lead To Impotence? 
For a respiratory disease, Covid-19 causes some peculiar symptoms. It can diminish the senses of smell and taste, leave patients with discolored “Covid toes,” or even cause a swollen, bumpy “Covid tongue.” Now scientists are examining a possible link to an altogether unexpected consequence of Covid: erectile dysfunction. A connection has been reported in hundreds of papers by scientists in Europe and North America, as well as in Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Thailand. (Rabin, 5/5)

Reuters: Evidence Mounts For Need To Study Pfizer’s Paxlovid For Long COVID, Researchers Say 
Additional reports of patients with long COVID who were helped by Pfizer Inc’s oral antiviral treatment Paxlovid offer fresh impetus for conducting clinical trials to test the medicine for the debilitating condition, U.S. researchers said on Thursday. Three new case studies follow earlier reports of long COVID patients who experienced relief of their symptoms after taking the treatment, which is currently only authorized for high-risk people early after onset of COVID symptoms. (Steenhuysen, 5/5)

AP: COVID Coverage For All Dries Up Even As Hospital Costs Rise
For the first time, the U.S. came close to providing health care for all during the coronavirus pandemic — but for just one condition, COVID-19. Now, things are reverting to the way they were as federal money for COVID care of the uninsured dries up, creating a potential barrier to timely access. … “We haven’t turned anybody away yet,” said Dr. Mark Loafman, chair of family and community medicine at Cook County Health in Chicago. “But I think it’s just a matter of time … People don’t get cancer treatment or blood pressure treatment every day in America because they can’t afford it.” (Hollingsworth and Alonso-Zaldivar, 5/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Here’s How Many San Francisco Police Officers Have Been Fired For Refusing To Get COVID Vaccines
Ten San Francisco police officers have been fired to date for failing to receive COVID-19 vaccines, and 13 others may soon follow, according to records provided by the city’s Department of Human Resources. The potential 23 firings represents only about 1% of the department’s roughly 1,723 sworn members, but comes at a time when police officials say they’re facing staffing shortages. (Cassidy, 5/5)

San Diego Union-Tribune: San Diego Comic-Con Will Require Masks This Year. Here Are Some Costume Ideas 
Comic-Con International is finally back after two years but the organization is still conscious of COVID-19 with new health protocols. It recently updated its website to say attendees must wear a mask throughout the convention, and show proof of vaccination or be able to show a negative test within 72 hours. (Molnar, 5/5)

Politico: FDA Dramatically Narrows Use Of Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 Vaccine 
The Food and Drug Administration has restricted the use of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine to adults who are unable or unwilling to get the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA shots. The decision comes after the agency completed an updated risk analysis of developing thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome, or TTS, a rare and possibly fatal combination of blood clots and low platelet counts one to two weeks after receiving the vaccine, the agency said Thursday. (Foley and Gardner, 5/5)

AP: FDA Restricts J&J’s COVID-19 Vaccine Due To Blood Clot Risk 
The Food and Drug Administration said the shot should only be given to adults who cannot receive a different vaccine or specifically request J&J’s vaccine. U.S. authorities for months have recommended that Americans get Pfizer or Moderna shots instead of J&J’s vaccine. FDA’s vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said the agency decided to restrict the vaccine after taking another look at the data on the risks of life-threatening blood clots and concluding that they are limited to J&J’s vaccine. … The problem occurs in the first two weeks after vaccination, he added: “So if you had the vaccine six months ago you can sleep soundly tonight knowing this isn’t an issue.” (Perrone and Neergaard, 5/6)

CIDRAP: Two Doses Of J&J, Pfizer Vaccines Effective Against Omicron Variant
A study of more than 160,000 COVID-19 tests of South African healthcare workers concludes that two doses of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are about 71% effective against hospitalization caused by Omicron 1 to 2 months after the second dose, with little waning at 5 months or longer. (5/5)

CIDRAP: Studies Show Promise For 2 New COVID Vaccine Platforms
Two studies based on phase 3 clinical trials published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine show promising results for two novel COVID-19 vaccine platforms—a plant-based coronavirus-like particle vaccine, and a receptor-binding domain (RBD)–dimer-based vaccine. And neither vaccine requires extreme cold chain storage, which makes them appealing candidates for low- and middle-income countries, a key component of global COVID-19 vaccination efforts. (Soucheray, 5/5)

Los Angeles Times: CDC Chief Promotes How To Boost COVID-19 Vaccine On Visit To L.A. 
Just after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, 7-year-old Allan Fernandez turned around for a hearty high-five. The recipient was a surprise guest at the impromptu inoculation: Dr. Rochelle Walensky, one of the nation’s leading public health officials. Walensky stopped by the vaccination site at Ted Watkins Memorial Park on Thursday afternoon as part of her first official visit to Los Angeles since becoming director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention early last year. (Money and Lin II, 5/5)

Stat: White House Documents Detail A Looming Squeeze On Covid-19 Boosters
The White House could run out of Covid-19 vaccines if it moves forward with plans to encourage all adults to get a second Covid-19 vaccine booster dose by roughly Sept. 1, according to a tranche of budget documents sent to Congress that have not previously been made public. Although Food and Drug Administration officials have hinted that all American adults may be encouraged to get second boosters this fall, right now, second booster doses are only available to people over the age of 50. The budget documents make it clear that if the administration does want to push second boosters, it will need more money to make it happen: it needs at least 87 million more vaccines for adult boosters, and another 5 million more for first boosters for kids. (Cohrs, 5/6)

Los Angeles Times: City Council Orders Testing Near Lincoln Heights Development 
In response to community outcry, the Los Angeles City Council has ordered that additional testing for potential toxic waste be performed outside the boundary of an embattled housing and retail development in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood. In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the City Council directed the Bureau of Sanitation to test the soil, storm water and wastewater surrounding the the development site on Avenue 34. Testing has already been conducted within the project site, but residents have called for additional testing on property near their homes. (Valdez, 5/6)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Community Organization Working To Expand Health Care Services In Southeastern San Diego 
The Urban Collaborative Project is leading the charge to make sure that southeastern San Diegans get access to after-hours health care. Currently, many residents in the region lack sufficient access to care because they often have to travel outside of their communities to get medical attention after normal business hours or on weekends, when urgent-care centers in the area are closed, according to the collaborative. (Alvarenga, 5/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Wildfires: Here’s When Experts Think Fire Danger Will Peak In Northern California
Northern California firefighters are preparing for what could be “the absolute worst” fire season this year, with the potential for significant blazes expected to increase in July, Cal Fire officials said Thursday. The potential for significant fires in the Bay Area and other parts of Northern California is expected to increase in June and last through August, according to the latest monthly and seasonal outlook from the National Interagency Fire Center. (Flores, 5/5)

KQED: Systemic Racism Fuels Violence Against AAPI Community More Than COVID And Politics, New Report Says 
This week, an annual report called the STAATUS Index, for Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S., showed that around 70% of AAPI respondents said they’re discriminated against in the U.S. today — far more than white Americans. The report also points to increased attacks against people in the AAPI community, and attributes this rise to systemic racism. Last year, a study released from the California-based coalition Stop AAPI Hate and another from UCLA found that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are experiencing alarmingly high rates of hate incidents at their jobs, in addition to an overwhelming fear of being targeted at their jobs. (Gonzalez and Watt, 5/5)

CalMatters: Bill Would Put Homeless Courts Where The Unhoused Live 
California already has more than 450 homeless courts across 19 counties, but the Redondo Beach court organizers say their model works better. Here, court convenes in a central location where the unhoused tend to congregate – in this case, close to a food donation center and two religious homeless outreach organizations. Now organizers want to take that concept and apply it statewide. (Duara, 5/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F.’s Tenderloin Has A New Supervisor. Can Dean Preston Tackle The District’s Homelessness And Drug Crisis?
Dean Preston must play a leading role in confronting the Tenderloin’s homelessness and crime and rampant public drug dealing and use. He will do so amid a tense battle over how best to improve the neighborhood, with many moderates advocating for tougher law enforcement and progressives like Preston saying the focus must be on addressing the causes of crime, poverty and addiction. (Morris, 5/5)

The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Once Hailed As A Model Solution For Homelessness, Poor Conditions Threaten The Mission At Santa Rosa’s Palms Inn
William Woodard had just checked out of the hospital after an asthma attack left him gasping for breath. Back at his room at the Palms Inn, a converted motel that now provides housing for formerly homeless people, Woodard pointed toward splotches of dark mold on his ceiling and around his doorway. After moving in six months ago, his breathing problems got worse, Woodard said, and he feared mold spores were the cause. (Varian and Graham, 5/5)

KQED: Staff At A San Francisco Hotel Battle An Overdose Crisis 
About 400 unhoused people stay at Hotel Whitcomb, and many deal with substance use disorders. That reality has meant staff who work at the hotel are fighting to keep guests alive. Eldridge Cruse is a supervisor at Hotel Whitcomb; he works for Five Keys Schools and Programs, the nonprofit overseeing the hotel. Cruse says he’s seen more deaths up close in the last two years than in his entire life. “It’s frightening, it’s upsetting, it’s disturbing, to see human life hang in the balance,” he said. “You don’t know if this person is going to make it, if they’re going to come back.” (McDede, 5/5)

The Mercury News: Abortion Draft Is Right-Wing GOP Politics Masquerading As Law
Although it is shocking that someone in the Supreme Court leaked a purported draft of the opinion overruling Roe v. Wade, no one should be the least bit surprised that it is what the justices are about to do. The confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett meant that there were five justices who were almost certain votes to overrule Roe. The oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health on Dec. 1 erased any doubt when Justices Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh made clear that is how they would vote, joining Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch to overrule the 49 year-old precedent that protects a woman’s right to abortion. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 5/6)

Modesto Bee: Overturn Roe V. Wade To Right A Grievous Wrong 
Because of Roe v. Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, we live in a nation where abortion laws are among the most liberal among the Western democracies. If the “leaked” opinion is correct and the court is prepared to reverse both Roe v Wade and Casey v. Planned Parenthood, the court will finally correct two wrongly decided decisions. As University of Notre Dame law professor O. Carter Snead noted: “The court’s abortion jurisprudence has for decades imposed on the nation, without constitutional justification, an extreme, incoherent and deeply unjust regime pursuant to specious reasoning and constantly changing rules, standards and rationales.” (Archbishop Thomas Wenski, 5/5)

Los Angeles Daily News: SCOTUS Leak Raises Divisive Questions 
The leak of a draft United States Supreme Court ruling written by Justice Samuel Alito in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which would overturn past court precedents in favor of leaving abortion laws to the states, has ignited intense political debate over the future of abortion laws and the institution of the Supreme Court itself. (5/5)

Los Angeles Times: I’ve Had An Illegal Abortion And A Legal Abortion. The Experiences Couldn’t Have Been More Different 
There is a huge difference between illegal and legal abortions. I know. I had one of each. In 1960 when I was 19 and living with my boyfriend, a medical resident at Yale University hospital, I got pregnant. Thirteen years before Roe vs. Wade, in Connecticut the only ground for abortion was if the mother’s life were endangered. My boyfriend knew a doctor in his hometown of Philadelphia who agreed to perform a midnight abortion, and so he drove me through darkened streets late one evening. He dropped me at the door of the shuttered office. The doctor was alone, brusque, clearly uncomfortable. This was not a procedure he did regularly but was performing as a favor. (Joan Lester, 5/5)

San Francisco Chronicle: Black Women Saw Roe’s End ‘A Long Time Ago,’ As Right-Wingers Peddled Racial Myths
In the now-confirmed 98-page draft opinion that could overturn Roe v. Wade, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito argues that the Constitution “makes no reference to abortion,” thus the Roe decision was “egregiously wrong” and has had “damaging consequences.” The latter can be said about the myths — rooted in right-wing propaganda about abortion and the Black population — Alito evoked in one of the draft’s footnotes. (Justin Phillips, 5/5)

Los Angeles Times: Texas Woman Needing An Abortion Found ‘Love’ In California 
The first sign of Stephanie’s pregnancy was nausea, as it so often is — that particular debilitating queasiness that knocked her off her feet, sometimes all day, days at a time. It kept Stephanie, who asked me not to use her real name for all the obvious reasons, from working. She runs her own business in Austin, Texas, braiding hair, a skill she learned as a teenager. (Anita Chabria, 5/6)

Capital & Main: High-Deductible Health Plans Make Income Inequality Worse
Anyone holding a high-deductible health plan understands the dynamic: When it costs more for people to access health care, they’re going to think twice before using it. It’s a system designed to hold down costs by discouraging service. But there’s something even more insidious about such plans. For lower income California families already living paycheck to paycheck, a single medical need can sink them deeper into financial peril. This type of health care keeps poor people poor. (Mark Kreidler, 5/5)

Los Angeles Daily News: Three Letters That Explain Why Single-Payer Fails In California: EDD 
It takes only three letters to explain why the idea of single payer health insurance keeps getting shot down quickly in the California Legislature: EDD. No program in state, city or local government has shown itself less competent over the last few years than the state Employment Development Department’s unemployment insurance system, which lost a reported $20 billion to fraudulent claims during the first 18 months or so of the coronavirus pandemic. (Thomas D. Elias, 5/5)

Bloomberg: Better Vaccines Are In Sight — For The Next Pandemic 
Arcturus Therapeutics, a San Diego biotech company, may have just laid out a template for how to make vaccines for the next pandemic. Its new vaccine, which uses self-copying mRNA, appears to work well against current strains of Covid. It’s just that the product is coming in too late to matter in the current pandemic. (Lisa Jarvis, 5/2)

Orange County Register: Banning The Sale Of Menthol Cigarettes May Do More Harm Than Good 
The Food and Drug Administration has announced plans to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes. According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 81% of Black and 51% of Hispanic smokers preferred menthol cigarettes. The proposal is aimed at reducing smoking-related health problems in a community that already suffers from health inequities. But a closer look at the data, along with experiences in countries with menthol bans, suggests the ban may do more harm than good. Research finds menthol smokers consume fewer cigarettes per day. Multiple studies, including one by FDA researchers, found no evidence that menthol cigarettes provide any greater risk for lung cancer than non-menthol. (Jeffrey Singer, 5/6)