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<p><strong>UPDATE: 9:54 p.m., Jan. 19</strong></p><p>The phrase "stunning upset" doesn't even begin to capture the national political shockwaves as Republican Scott Brown <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/01/20/repu…; Martha Coakley for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat. The "what happens to health reform now?" political analysis below remains relevant. In the meantime, here's a quick roundup of the latest coverage and analysis:</p>
<p>Some new research and reporting on global mental health and mental health disparities has me thinking about these topics in a new way. This is the kind of context that can add more nuance and sophistication to your reporting on mental health, particularly in ethnic minority and immigrant communities, so read on:</p>
<p>California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed 2010-2011 <a href="http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/">state budget</a>, released Jan. 8, met with <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_14156535">the usual outrage</a> from the state’s Democratic leaders for its dramatic cuts to health and social safety net programs. California Healthline offers a nice round-up of the media coverage <a href="http://www.californiahealthline.org/articles/2010/1/11/governors-budget…;
<p>I wrote <a href="../../../../../../../../blogs/drug-resistance-ap-investigates-globe-health-threat">earlier this week</a> about "When Drugs Stop Working," a new series of articles on drug resistance around the world based on a six-month investigation by Associated Press reporters Margie Mason and Martha Mendoza.
<p>Drug-resistant infections are one of the world’s biggest emerging health problems, but they don’t seem to get much sustained media attention except when there’s an outbreak of MRSA. That’s why a new series of articles on drug resistance around the world, based on a six-month investigation by Associated Press reporters Margie Mason and Martha Mendoza, is so welcome.
<p>From health disparities to depression, “food deserts” to prison medical care, the broadcast projects of our recent California Endowment Health Journalism Fellows covered a wide variety of critical health issues. Here’s a sampling of their work:</p>
<p>On Tuesday, I posted <a href="../../../../../../../../blogs/health-journalism-2009-some-years-most-noteworthy-stories">the first half</a> of my “Top 10 list” of noteworthy health journalism. Here’s the second half. It bears repeating: this definitely isn’t a best-of list, and admittedly, it’s print-centric. There’s lots of excellent work out there that I didn’t have a chance to read or view or listen to. But the five stories below are worth reading, and learning from.</p>
<p>ReportingonHealth’s Antidote blogger, William Heisel, recently <a href="../../../../../../../../blogs/bad-nurses-bad-doctors-and-bad-seeds-part-2-favorite-health-stories-2009">posted</a> his 10 favorite stories of the year. Most of them had an investigative bent. Now, it’s my turn.</p>
<p>A few recent stories on how health reform might affect Californians are worth your time: The Los Angeles Times' Lisa Girion's Dec. 18 <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-health-insure17-2009dec17,0,22041…; and Nov. 16 <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mandates16-2009nov16,0,2437457.st…; on the implications of less-stringent federal consumer protections for Californians, who now enjoy greater protections.
<p>Robert Steinback is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former Miami Herald columnist who was laid off in 2008. His COBRA health insurance ends in January, and, because he has diabetes, no insurer will offer him an individual policy. Other alternatives, such as a HIPAA policy, are prohibitive