Today’s Headlines: Senate Democrats pass bill to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs

By Elvia Limón, Laura Blasey and Amy Hubbard

Hello, it’s Monday, Aug. 8, and here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:

TOP STORIES

Senate Democrats pass a sweeping healthcare, tax and climate bill

Senate Democrats passed a sweeping healthcare, tax and climate change bill that will allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug costs. The Democrats’ bill, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, would also establish incentives to combat the climate crisis, impose new taxes on corporations and provide $4 billion for the Bureau of Reclamation to combat drought in the West.

The bill, approved via a fast-track legislative procedure that didn’t allow for a Republican filibuster, passed on a 50-50 vote, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. No Republicans supported the bill. It will now go before the House, where a vote is expected Friday.

More politics

• Vice President Kamala Harris has tried to turn what many Democrats deem a crisis — the overturning of Roe vs. Wade — into a political opportunity.
• Wisconsin’s secretary of state has no role in elections, but that could change if Republicans are able to flip the seat this year and pass a law that would empower the office with far more responsibilities.
• The Biden administration and one of Indiana’s largest employers have condemned the state’s new ban on abortions.

Sign up for our California Politics newsletter to get the best of The Times’ state politics reporting and the latest action in Sacramento.

Why it’s taking so long to get a negative COVID test

Health officials recommend that anyone infected with the coronavirus isolate for at least five days. But for many, that timeline is becoming overly optimistic. The isolation period, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shortened in December from 10 days to five, is more a starting point than a hard-and-fast rule in California.

According to the state Department of Public Health, exiting isolation after five days requires a negative result from a rapid test on or after the fifth day following the onset of symptoms or first positive test — a step not included in federal guidelines. But many people don’t start testing negative that early.

More coronavirus news

• As summer vacation draws to a close, health officials are urging parents to get their children vaccinated against COVID-19, with some warning that the start of the school year could bring an increase in cases.

Stay up to date on variant developments, case counts and vaccine news with Coronavirus Today.

An Arizona haven in the post-Roe vs. Wade U.S.

People keep showing up and waiting outside Camelback Family Planning — sometimes for hours — to seek an appointment at the only abortion clinic in Arizona still offering surgical procedures up to 23 weeks and six days of pregnancy.

The clinic — run by a crew of defiant women who don’t suffer fools and have a penchant for breaking into spontaneous dance — has become a haven in the post-Roe United States. It’s a last resort for desperate and pregnant people who desire abortions but won’t or can’t travel out of state, because they don’t have time, child care or money.

Asian Americans sue Siskiyou County and its sheriff

Four Asian American residents have filed a class-action lawsuit against Siskiyou County and its sheriff, alleging widespread racism in traffic stops, access to water and enforcement of cannabis-related property liens.

In the lawsuit, filed in federal court in Sacramento, the plaintiffs accuse Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue and other county officials of “a sweeping campaign to harass and intimidate Hmong and other Asian Americans.” They also allege that they have been wrongly blamed for criminal activity involving cannabis cultivation.

A uranium ‘ghost town’ in the making

As a nurse, Elaine Borchert saw many uranium miners suffer serious illnesses.

(Mauricio Rodríguez Pons / ProPublica)

The “death map” tells the story of decades of sickness in the small northwest New Mexico communities of Murray Acres and Broadview Acres. Neighbors built the map a decade ago after watching relatives and friends fall ill and die.

Dominating the top right corner of the map, less than half a mile from the cluster of colorful arrows, sits what residents believe is the cause of their sickness: 22.2 million tons of uranium waste left over from milling ore to supply power plants and nuclear bombs.

State and federal regulators knew a uranium mill owned by Homestake Mining Co. of California was polluting groundwater almost immediately after it started operating, but years passed before they informed residents and demanded fixes.

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

‘We forgive her,’ a victim’s sister says of the driver in the Windsor Hills crash. Investigators arrested Nicole Lorraine Linton, 37, a registered nurse, in connection with the high-speed crash, which left five people dead. Asherey Ryan, a 23-year-old pregnant woman, was among the victims, along with her 1-year-old son and boyfriend.

Sex pods? Long sleeves? Californians try to cut monkeypox risk while waiting for shots. LGBTQ men and others are changing how they are socialize, celebrate and seek love. The virus can spread through skin-to-skin contact with lesions, scabs or infected fluids, as well as through contaminated clothing or bedding. Health officials say it can also travel through respiratory droplets. The illness is rarely fatal, but can be excruciatingly painful, leave enduring scars, and force people to isolate for weeks.

Proposed abortion ban dies in San Clemente after heated City Council meeting. A proposal to declare San Clemente an abortion-free city has died after an emotional meeting where dozens of residents spoke on both sides of the issue. In heavily Democratic California, the proposal’s effect would have been largely symbolic.

CALIFORNIA

After an alleged rape near San Diego State, one investigation ends and another begins. Too little, too late? In late July, the now 18-year-old went public with her story, speaking to media outlets, sharing details of what she said happened that night and the months that followed with no word from investigators or school officials.

The fourth set of human remains was found at drought-stricken Lake Mead. The fourth set of remains was found at the lake where water levels have dramatically receded in recent years because of a lingering drought, authorities said. Authorities provided no additional information about the discovery.

Destructive rain in Death Valley and flooded Vegas casinos mark a summer of extreme weather. More analysis will be needed to determine whether climate change helped drive the storm’s intensity. But its extreme nature is consistent with what can be expected as global temperatures rise, experts said.

Irvine police arrest a dermatologist whose husband says she poisoned him. Police interviewed the doctor and served a search warrant at the couple’s home in Irvine before booking her into Orange County Jail. Her husband “sustained significant internal injuries but is expected to recover,” police said.

NATION-WORLD

Ex-rebel takes oath as Colombia’s president in a historic shift. Sen. Gustavo Petro, a former member of Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla group, is part of a growing group of leftist politicians and political outsiders who have been winning elections in Latin America since the pandemic broke out and hurt incumbents who struggled with its economic aftershocks.

‘Not little adults’: Children need special protection during scorching heat waves. Cases of heat-related illness are rising with average air temperatures, and experts say almost half of those getting sick are children. The reason is twofold: Children’s bodies have more trouble regulating temperature than those of adults, and they rely on adults to help protect them from overheating.

China keeps up pressure on Taiwan with a fourth day of drills. The People’s Liberation Army said the exercises focused on testing its long-range air and ground strikes. Taiwan said that it continued to detect several batches of Chinese aircraft, ships and drones operating around the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island and mainland China, and “simulating attacks on the island of Taiwan and our ships at sea.”

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

‘Bullet Train’ chugs to the top of the domestic box office. The Brad Pitt-led action flick’s performance aligned with early expectations as the summer movie season is coming to a close. Directed by David Leitch, “Bullet Train” centers on an assassin (Pitt) who encounters a number of enemies while on assignment aboard a fast-moving train in Japan.

Yass queens: Listen to Beyoncé and Madonna team up on ‘Break My Soul’ remix. Days after releasing a four-track EP of edits to her “Renaissance” single, Bey takes another turn under the disco ball with “The Queens Remix,” which features her fellow house-inspired pop luminary Madonna.

A new doc shines a light on the Rolling Stones as individuals, not just as a band. “My Life as a Rolling Stone,” premiering on Epix, gives Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood and the late Charlie Watts an episode each.

‘iCarly’ alumna Jennette McCurdy alleges Nickelodeon offered her hush money. But an excerpt published by Vanity Fair (and also reviewed by The Times) shares her account about “the Creator,” who she claims pressured her to drink while underage and massaged her while making promises about her show. McCurdy, 30, also alleges that Nickelodeon offered her $300,000 to keep quiet about it.

BUSINESS

California DMV accuses Tesla of falsely advertising Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features. The agency alleges the electric-car maker misled customers with advertising language on its website describing Autopilot and Full Self-Driving technologies as more capable than they actually are.

OPINION

The #Free Britney movement revives an overdue conservatorship system reform. There are thousands of conservatorships in California. How many thousands is a mystery, since the state relies on reports from each of the 58 superior courts. Many courts don’t file their reports.

Ban encampments near schools? Another L.A. restriction that doesn’t help fix homelessness. Whatever the impact of those encampments may be, enforcing a ban on setting up tents near schools does nothing to alleviate the bigger, always looming problem of homelessness.

SPORTS

Tyler Anderson dominates as the Dodgers sweep the Padres for their eighth consecutive win. The Dodgers continued their dominance over the Padres, winning 4-0 on Sunday to complete a three-game weekend sweep.

Matthew Stafford isn’t too concerned about his ‘abnormal’ elbow soreness. The Rams quarterback attempted to quell the controversy that erupted when coach Sean McVay said the 14th-year pro was working through a condition that is “abnormal” for a quarterback.

Pete Rose dismisses sexual misconduct questions at Phillies fete. Rose brusquely responded to a question from a baseball writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer before the game — and apologized to her following the ceremony after initially saying, “ Will you forgive me if I sign 1,000 baseballs for you?“ — and was just as combative on the topic after the pregame celebration.

ONLY IN L.A.

Trek or treat? Do both. It’s essential to stay hydrated (and find shady respites) whether you’re hiking on the trails or cycling across Los Angeles, and it’s also nice to reward yourself when you’re done.

As a constant seeker of icy cold drinks and snacks, The Wild newsletter writer Matt Pawlik compiled a list of seven hikes and nature walks, along with refreshing rewards nearby.

Head to Monrovia’s Hillside Wilderness Preserve, a far less popular option than neighboring Monrovia Canyon. Post-hike, venture to the city’s charming old town for a treat at Cup of Cha, which has an incredible variety of boba tea and slushes. Or visit the oldest park in L.A., the 600-acre Elysian Park, before heading to Oakobing in Koreatown for some of the best (and biggest) bingsu around.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

President Nixon raised his arms in a “V” for victory gesture as he addressed a rally at the Anaheim Convention Center in 1970.

(Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times )

Richard Nixon resigned as president of the United States 48 years ago — the first to do so in the republic’s history. The Nixon administration’s involvement in the Watergate scandal, a break-in at Democratic headquarters two years earlier, ultimately led to his downfall.

In a televised speech on his resignation, Nixon said he no longer had “a strong enough political base in the Congress” to continue fighting against his impeachment.

He died in 1994 at the age of 81. He had a massive stroke and was in a coma at the time of his death. Many never forgave him for the activities that forced him from office as an unindicted co-conspirator of the Watergate scandal. Yet after a decade of shadowy, self-imposed exile, he had reclaimed a place on the national stage as a wise man of foreign policy, The Times wrote.

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