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California fans can likely catch Major League Baseball games in person when the season begins in April, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday. The Democratic governor said his administration is in the midst of "advanced" talks with MLB and county health officials about some fans attending games at outdoor ballparks. He said that could begin by opening day in April if California continues on its downward infection trajectory. (White, 3/3)

Gov. Ron DeSantis formally launched the 2021 legislative session Tuesday with a State of the State address that touted the state’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and touched on hot-button issues that lawmakers will face over the next 60 days. DeSantis did not announce major new initiatives during the 28-minute speech but tried to contrast Florida with what he described as a “calamitous reality” in other states of closed schools and shuttered businesses. (Saunders, 3/3)

KHN: Reopening Of Long-Term Care Facilities Is ‘An Absolute Necessity For Our Well-Being’ 

For nearly a year, nursing homes and assisted living centers have been mostly closed to visitors. Now, it’s time for them to open back up and relieve residents of crushing isolation, according to a growing chorus of long-term care experts, caregivers, consumer groups and physicians. They’re calling for federal health authorities to relax visitation restrictions in long-term care institutions, replacing guidance that’s been in place since September. And they want both federal and state authorities to grant special status to “essential caregivers” — family members or friends who provide critically important hands-on care — so they have the opportunity to tend to relatives in need. (Graham, 3/4)

Mississippi legislators have passed a bill that would ban transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams in schools and universities -- one of over two dozen similar measures proposed by state lawmakers nationwide this year. The state House voted 81-28 Wednesday to pass the so-called Mississippi Fairness Act. It passed the state Senate last month, 34-9. The bill now heads to Gov. Tate Reeves for approval. (Deliso, 3/3)

Residents of Stockton, Calif., who received $500 a month from a first-of-its-kind guaranteed-income program were more likely to find full-time jobs, be happy and stay healthy, according to a year-long study published Wednesday. Supporters of universal income programs — which provide regular, unconditional payments from the government to people — say the findings should dispel common criticisms of the idea, such as that money with no strings attached disincentivizes people to work or encourages them to spend it on drugs and alcohol. (Kornfield, 3/3)

About 100 people gathered Wednesday outside OHSU’s administrative offices and chanted “We believe you!” in support of the woman who has filed a harassment and sexual assault complaint against a former resident who became an internet star as the TikTok Doc. Doctors, professors, pharmacists, radiologists, medical students and other employees called for a cultural change in how leaders at Oregon Health & Science University respond to sexual misconduct allegations on campus. (Bernstein, 3/4)