NBC News: 'On The Move': Biden Urges Congress To Turn 'Crisis' Into 'Opportunity'
President Joe Biden painted a nation on the mend, recovering from the pandemic but still in need of a boost from the federal government, in his first address to Congress on Wednesday as he seeks to shift his focus beyond the coronavirus pandemic nearly 100 days into his administration. Biden said he was there to speak to Congress not just about "crisis" but also about "opportunity," pitching $4 trillion of ambitious investments in the economy and social safety net programs that he argued were necessary to compete on the global stage and said would reduce deficits in the long run. (Egan, 4/29)

The New York Times: Biden Seeks Shift In How The Nation Serves Its People 
President Biden laid out an ambitious agenda on Wednesday night to rewrite the American social compact by vastly expanding family leave, child care, health care, preschool and college education for millions of people to be financed with increased taxes on the wealthiest earners. Invoking the legacy of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Mr. Biden unveiled a $1.8 trillion social spending plan to accompany previous proposals to build roads and bridges, expand other social programs and combat climate change, representing a fundamental reorientation of the role of government not seen since the days of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society and Roosevelt’s New Deal. (Baker, 4/28)

AP: Biden's Declaration: America's Democracy 'Is Rising Anew'
While the ceremonial setting of the Capitol was the same as usual, the visual images were unlike any previous presidential address. Members of Congress wore masks and were seated apart because of pandemic restrictions. Outside the grounds were still surrounded by fencing after insurrectionists in January protesting Biden’s election stormed to the doors of the House chamber where he gave his address. “America is ready for takeoff. We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America,” Biden said. (LeMire and Boak, 4/29)

The New York Times: Biden’s $4 Trillion Economic Plan, In One Chart 
President Biden released the second portion of his economic plan on Wednesday: $1.8 trillion in new spending and tax cuts over 10 years for workers, families and children. That’s on top of the $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan he released at the end of March. Together, here’s what’s included. (Parlapiano, 4/28)

Biden on vaccines —

The Hill: Biden Vows US Will Be 'Arsenal Of Vaccination' For Other Countries 
President Biden on Wednesday vowed that the United States will become an "arsenal of vaccination" for the rest of the world to fight COVID-19."As our own vaccine supply grows to meet our needs — and we are meeting them — we will become an arsenal of vaccines for other countries, just as America was the arsenal of democracy in World War 2," Biden said in a speech before a joint session of Congress. But Biden said that won't happen until "every American" has access to a vaccine. (Weixel, 4/28)

Bloomberg: Biden’s Speech Urges Vaccines, Skips Over Masks And Pivots From Covid
President Joe Biden’s speech to Congress focused heavily on the promise of a post-pandemic rebound, with only brief warnings of the virus’s staying power and slowing vaccination rates, and no mention of masks. Biden’s first speech to Congress on Wednesday was centered on policies designed to lead America out of the pandemic, including trillions of dollars in new spending designed to propel the recovery. But, as he touted his recovery plan, Biden didn’t dwell on the pandemic that has fueled the crisis in the first place. He took note of its toll and pleaded with Americans to get their vaccine doses, but didn’t reprise any public health advice on masks or other measures and then pivoted swiftly to other policy initiatives. (Wingrove and Chen, 4/29)

More takeaways and fact checks —

The New York Times: Biden’s Speech To Congress: Full Transcript 
President Biden delivered an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Because of the pandemic, Mr. Biden spoke to a socially distanced audience of less than 200 lawmakers and officials, a small fraction of the packed audience that typically attends such an address. The following is a transcript of his remarks. (4/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden’s Joint Address To Congress: Key Takeaways
Mr. Biden touted the pace of vaccinations in his first 100 days and the passage of the $1.9 trillion Covid-relief package that sent payments to qualifying Americans. He said his administration’s handling of the pandemic was “one of the greatest logistical achievements the country’s ever seen.” (Parti, 4/28)

NBC News: Five Takeaways From Biden's First Big Speech To Congress
In his first big speech to Congress on Wednesday, President Joe Biden repeatedly spoke off the cuff and made a populist pitch to "forgotten" voters, urging lawmakers to pass his multitrillion-dollar economic agenda. Biden sought to strike a balance between optimism and pragmatism, celebrating the progress in the battle against Covid-19, attributed to the widespread availability of vaccines and economic aid to struggling Americans, while emphasizing the magnitude of the task that lies ahead. (Kapur, 4/28)

The Washington Post: Fact-Checking Biden’s 2021 Address To Congress 
In his 64-minute address to a joint session of Congress, President Biden was on mostly factual ground when he stuck to the script. But he got in trouble when he ad-libbed some lines that stretched the truth. Here’s a roundup of nine claims that caught our attention. (Kessler, Rizzo and Usero, 4/28)

AP: AP FACT CHECK: Biden Skews Record On Migrants; GOP On Virus
Taking a swipe at his predecessor, President Joe Biden gave a distorted account of the historical forces driving migrants to the U.S. border, glossing over the multitudes who were desperate to escape poverty in their homelands when he was vice president. In his speech to Congress on Wednesday night, Biden also made his spending plans sound more broadly supported in Washington than they are. The Republican response to Biden’s speech departed from reality particularly on the subject of the pandemic. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina tried to give the Trump administration credit for turning the tide on the coronavirus in what was actually the deadliest phase. (Spagat and Boak, 4/29)

KHN: A ‘Dose Of Hope’? Fact-Checking President Joe Biden’s First Speech To Congress 
In his first speech before Congress, President Joe Biden argued it was time to turn the coronavirus pandemic into a historic opportunity to expand government for the benefit of a wider range of Americans, urging investments in jobs, climate change, child care, infrastructure and more. Biden said that taxes should be increased on corporations and the wealthy to pay for new spending, as well as to address escalating inequality. “My fellow Americans, trickle-down economics has never worked. It’s time to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out,” Biden said. (Jacobson, Sherman, Valverde and Knight, 4/29)

Stat: Biden Called For Drug Pricing Reform This Year. But It’s An Empty Call
President Biden told Congress Wednesday to let Medicare negotiate drug prices this year. But it’s an empty call to action. “Let’s give Medicare the power to save hundreds of billions of dollars by negotiating lower prices for prescription drugs. That won’t just help people on Medicare – it will lower prescription drug costs for everyone,” Biden said in his address. “Let’s get it done this year.” (Cohrs, 4/28)

The Hill: Biden Calls On Congress To Pass Drug Pricing Legislation This Year
However, Biden notably did not include a drug pricing component in his American Families Plan unveiled earlier Wednesday, a major legislative package with proposals on paid leave and child care. The absence of a drug pricing plan, despite pressure from congressional Democrats to include one, has raised questions about Biden's commitment to moving forward on the legislation. Still, Biden made forceful remarks in Wednesday's speech, while presenting health care as a separate topic from the Families Plan. (Sullivan, 4/28)

The Washington Examiner: Biden Endorses Controversial Drug Pricing Plan To Pay For Obamacare
House Democrats first passed the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now legislation, or H.R. 3, in December 2019, but it stalled before getting a vote in the majority-GOP Senate. The sweeping drug pricing reform package would allow the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare. The bill would also require a drug’s price to be set at or below 120% of the average price across six high-income countries — Australia, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. (Morrison, 4/28)

Modern Healthcare: Biden Won't Pull The Plug On Price Transparency, Experts Say
CMS' plan to stop requiring hospitals to report their median payer-specific negotiated charges with Medicare Advantage insurers is a win for hospitals. Experts said that it's an easy way for the Biden administration to reduce administrative work for providers without giving up much in price transparency. But it probably doesn't say much about the Biden administration's thoughts on price transparency, according to Avalere Health consultant Tom Kornfield. "I wouldn't read anything more into this than a push for some administrative simplicity," Loren Adler, associate director of the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy, said in an email. (Brady, 4/28)

Also —

CNBC: Biden American Families Plan Excludes Medicare Expansion, Drug Price Cuts
President Joe Biden’s new plan to boost the social safety net would not expand Medicare coverage, an omission that could irk dozens of Democratic lawmakers who urged him to extend the program to more Americans. The White House on Wednesday outlined the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, the second piece of the president’s more than $4 trillion economic recovery program. It calls to expand paid leave and free pre-K, make child care and higher education more affordable, and extend tax credits for families passed as part of the coronavirus relief bill this year. (Pramuk, 4/28)

CNBC: Biden Wants To Permanently Extend Enhanced Obamacare Premium Subsidies
A temporary federal policy aimed at making health insurance more affordable for tens of millions of Americans could become permanent. Under President Joe Biden’s $1.8 trillion plan to help families and children, which he will propose to Congress on Wednesday night, he would permanently extend recently expanded premium subsidies available for private health insurance through the public marketplace. The $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill enacted in March made the subsidies more generous for two years and expanded who can qualify for them. (O'Brien, 4/28)

Stat: Biden Pitches A New Health Agency To Help 'End Cancer As We Know It'
In one of the most emotional moments of his first major address to Congress, President Biden on Wednesday called on lawmakers to help him “end cancer as we know it.” The bold pledge came after Biden gave a high-profile endorsement of his administration’s proposal to create a new biomedical research agency aimed at developing “breakthrough” treatments for conditions including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. (Facher, 4/28)

CBS News: Biden Says It's "Within Our Power" To End Cancer And Pushes For More Visionary Health Research 
President Biden on Wednesday told the nation that it's "within our power" to end cancer, as part of a larger argument for creating an advanced health research agency similar to the Defense Department's DARPA. The president grew emotional when discussing the disease, which claimed the life of his son Beau Biden in 2015. (Albert, 4/28)

The Washington Examiner: 'I Know Of Nothing That Is More Bipartisan' Than Curing Cancer, Biden Says During Joint Address 
President Joe Biden said that ending cancer was a bipartisan issue during his joint address to Congress on Wednesday. ... The Biden administration will dedicate a high-risk, high-reward federal scientific research agency known as ARPA-H as part of his 2021 budget allocation request. While details about the new agency are scarce, researchers will first focus on developing treatments for cancer and Alzheimer's disease. (Morrison, 4/28)

NBC News: Biden Veers Off Script To Thank McConnell But Makes Few Other Bipartisan Overtures
In a House Chamber mostly empty because of Covid-19 restrictions, Republicans stood to applaud only a handful of times, such as when Biden called for defeating cancer and said most police officers "serve their communities honorably." "I know of nothing that is more bipartisan, so let's end cancer as we know it. It's within our power to do it," Biden said as lawmakers from both parties stood to cheer. (Seitz-Wald, 4/28)

The New York Times: Biden Proposes Free Community College For All Americans 
Proponents of the idea say it will relieve some of the burdens saddling low-income and working-class college students, many of whom struggle to cover tuition costs while at the same time paying for rent, food and other basic needs. Juan Salgado, chancellor of the 70,000-student City Colleges of Chicago system, said that by providing some free secondary education, Mr. Biden’s plan would bring education into the 21st century. (Saul and Goldstein, 4/28)

The New York Times: What’s In Biden’s Spending Plan: Free Preschool And National Paid Leave 
President Biden’s $1.8 trillion spending and tax plan is aimed at bolstering the United States’ social safety net by expanding access to education, reducing the cost of child care and supporting women in the work force. Like the $2 trillion infrastructure plan that preceded it, Mr. Biden’s latest proposal is funded by raising taxes on wealthier Americans, and it is likely to encounter Republican resistance for that reason. (Karni, 4/28)

Politico: Biden Embraces His Inner Robin Hood 
Biden called for adding two years of universal preschool for every 3- and 4-year-old in America; two years of free community college; and increasing Pell Grants. He pushed to guarantee that low- to middle-income families pay no more than 7 percent of their income for care for children up to the age of 5; and to provide up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. “No one should have to choose between a job and paycheck or taking care of themselves and a loved one — a parent, spouse, or child,” Biden said, casting his sweeping agenda a once-in-a-generation investment “in America itself.” (Korecki and Cadelago, 4/28)

Biden also addressed the economy and gun control —

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Pushes Broad Economic Agenda In Speech To Congress 
The president also called for Congress to back a slew of Democratic priorities, including raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, closing the gender pay gap and strengthening worker bargaining rights. He called for expanding access to healthcare and reducing prescription drug prices. (Lucey and Siddiqui, 4/28)

The Hill: Biden Calls For Congress To Pass Gun Control Bills: 'Don't Tell Me It Can't Be Done' 
President Biden on Wednesday evening urged Congress to pass gun legislation, calling on Senate Republicans to support House-passed bills on the matter. During a speech made to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber, Biden called the problem of gun violence an American problem, rather than a partisan issue. He called on GOP lawmakers in the upper chamber to enact gun reform legislation.  (Gangitano, 4/28)

CBS News: In Republican Response, Tim Scott Dismisses Biden's Infrastructure Plan As "Big Government Waste" 
Republican Senator Tim Scott delivered a speech responding to President Joe Biden's first address before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening. The response provides an opportunity for Scott, a rising star in the Republican Party, to outline an alternative to the president's ambitious legislative agenda. Scott began his speech by saying that Mr. Biden "seems like a good man," but argued that his policies were divisive. "Our president seems like a good man. His speech was full of good words. But President Biden promised you a specific kind of leadership," Scott said. "Our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes. We need policies and progress that bring us closer together. But three months in, the actions of the president and his party are pulling us further and further apart." (Segers, 4/28)

Forbes: From Cutting Child Poverty To Praising Middle Class, Republicans Meet Biden’s Easy Applause Lines With Silence
Republican members of Congress, during President Joe Biden’s address to Congress on Wednesday, maintained the ritual of selective applause from opposition lawmakers and then some, with many even going so far as to stay seated and refuse to clap for lines that likely have near-universal support from voters. (Solender, 4/28)

USA Today: Amid Infighting, Republicans Unite To Bash Joe Biden's Speech
Taking a break from infighting over Donald Trump, Republican leaders found something to agree on Wednesday: bashing President Joe Biden and the massive economic program he outlined in his prime-time speech to Congress. GOP leaders denounced Biden's plans to spend trillions on COVID-19 and economic relief, and to increase taxes on the wealthy to help pay for them. Republicans also hit Biden's border polices and accused the new president of spending his first 100 days in thrall to the left wing of the Democratic Party. (Jackson, 4/29)

NBC News: Offering A Stark Choice For GOP, Biden Revealed Limit To His Patience
President Joe Biden framed the choice he sees for Republicans subtly but starkly Wednesday: enact his agenda or sabotage the country. "America is moving, moving forward, but we can't stop now," Biden said as he addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time as president. "From my perspective, doing nothing is not an option." (Allen, 4/29)

CNN: Fact-Checking GOP Response To Biden's Joint Address 
In the Republican response to President Joe Biden's joint address to Congress, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said Biden and Democrats were "pulling" the US apart and took time to praise former President Donald Trump. Scott's nearly 15-minute rebuttal to Biden's hour-long speech was largely accurate, but some of his claims could have benefited from additional context. (4/29)

In other news about President Biden's speech —

The Hill: White House Provides ASL Interpretation Of President's Joint Address For First Time 
The White House livestream of President Biden’s joint address to Congress on Wednesday evening included an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, the first time in history an administration has provided ASL interpretation for such a congressional address. Prior to his address on Wednesday, Biden announced on Twitter that the White House livestream would include ASL interpretation to make the speech “accessible for all Americans.” (Schnell, 4/28)

The Hill: Biden Offers Traditional Address In Eerie Setting
The highly anticipated speech, typically an adrenalized affair in a room teeming with lawmakers and other Washington luminaries, was much sleepier this year, reflecting the unprecedented precautions put in place in response to the threat of two very different hazards: outside violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. At an event that usually features 1,600 people, only about 200 were in attendance. And the eerie emptiness of the night — on stark display every time the C-SPAN cameras panned over the chamber — was instantly recognized by lawmakers in both parties.  (Wong and Lillis, 4/28)

CBS News: CBS News Poll: Most Viewers Approve Of Biden's Speech
Most viewers who tuned in to watch President Biden's speech liked what they heard and came away feeling optimistic about America. Speech viewers described the president as "Presidential, "Caring," "Inspiring" and "Bold." ... Eighty-five percent of Americans who watched Mr. Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress overwhelmingly approve of his speech. Fifteen percent disapprove. (De Pinto, Khanna, Backus and Salvanto, 4/29)

The Hill: Biden Praised For Delivering 'The Most Honest Closing Line Of Any Presidential Speech'
President Biden received praise Wednesday night for the closing line to his first address to a joint session of Congress in which he said, "Thank you for your patience." (Choi, 4/28)

CNBC: CDC: Pfizer, Moderna Covid Vaccines 94% Effective At Preventing Elderly Hospitalizations
The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines are 94% effective at preventing hospitalizations among fully vaccinated adults ages 65 and older, according to a real-world study published Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The two-dose mRNA vaccines were also found in the study to be 64% effective at preventing hospitalizations in the elderly who received just one shot. The study evaluated 417 hospitalized adults across 14 states from January to March. The U.S. agency said the findings were consistent with those found in clinical trials. (Lovelace Jr., 4/28)

Axios: Pfizer, Moderna Vaccines 94% Effective In Preventing Hospitalization In Adults 65 And Older 
The research, which studied 417 hospitalized adults in 14 states between January and March, adds real-world evidence from the clinical trials that vaccination protects against severe illness and hospitalization. "These data suggest that continuing to rapidly vaccinate U.S. adults against COVID-19 will likely have a marked impact on COVID-19 hospitalization and might lead to commensurate reductions in post-COVID conditions and deaths," the report reads. (Fernandez, 4/28)

In other news from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna —

Reuters: BioNTech Expects Vaccine Trial Results For Babies By September 
BioNTech expects results by September from trials testing the COVID-19 vaccine that it and Pfizer have developed in babies as young as six months old, German magazine Spiegel cited the company's CEO as saying. "In July, the first results could be available for the five to 12 year olds, in September for the younger children," BioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin told Spiegel. He added it takes about four to six weeks to evaluate the data. (Dowson, 4/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Moderna To Boost Covid-19 Vaccine Production To Meet Rising Global Demand 
Moderna Inc. plans to spend billions of dollars to boost production of Covid-19 vaccines and potentially triple its yearly output of doses in 2022, as the company seeks to meet rising global demand. The Cambridge, Mass., biotech company said Thursday it could produce up to three billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines in 2022, compared with a projected output of up to one billion this year. (Loftus, 4/29)

CNBC: Moderna Covid Vaccine Can Remain Stable At Refrigerated Temperatures For 3 Months, Company Says
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine can remain stable at temperatures found in refrigerators for 3 months, the company said Thursday, citing new data. The mRNA vaccine is currently approved to be stored in the refrigerator between 36 and 46 degrees Fahrenheit for up to 30 days and up to seven months in the freezer at minus 4 Fahrenheit, according to the company. But Moderna said Thursday it now has data that could support a three-month refrigerated shelf life for the vaccine. (Lovelace Jr., 4/29)

In updates on the Novavax vaccine —

Axios: Why Novavax Is The "Dark-Horse" COVID-19 Vaccine 
Novavax's shot could become the next coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. arsenal, potentially jumping ahead of AstraZeneca in the line for U.S. authorization, Politico reports. The vaccine proved to be just as effective as Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines in a U.K. clinical trial, and could become a crucial tool in the global vaccination effort. (Owens, 4/28)

AP: Arkansas Governor Signs Bills Banning Vaccine Requirements
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday signed into law measures preventing state and local governments from requiring the coronavirus vaccine or proof of vaccination in order to access services. The ban on requiring a vaccine would also prohibit it as a condition of unemployment. The measure includes some exceptions, such as state-owned medical facilities, if approved by Legislative Council. (4/29)

AP: Colorado's Main Public Universities Requiring Vaccinations
Colorado’s biggest public universities will require students, faculty and staff to receive COVID-19 vaccinations before the beginning of the fall semester, school leaders announced Wednesday. The University of Colorado system’s four campuses will require the shots along with the Colorado State University system, the University of Northern Colorado and Metropolitan State University of Denver, The Denver Post reported. (4/28)

In other news about the vaccine rollout —

CBS News: Some Are Opting To Get The COVID-19 Shot At Bars Instead Of Vaccination Sites: "Every Idea Is Worth Considering" 
The "Shots for Shots" program is run by Relief, a telehealth company. Bartender Kurtis Johnson had a Moderna shot waiting for him when he went to work for his shift. "Well, the convenience is what spoke to me most today. The fact that it's literally five feet away from me. I work late nights. So I've just never found the time or been too exhausted to go out," he said. That type of convenience makes a difference in reaching the unvaccinated, said Relief CEO Vishal Vasanji. (4/28)

Houston Chronicle: Altuve Bobblehead Anyone? Harris County Approves $250K In Spending For Vaccine Freebies
To increase the rate of vaccinations, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved giving incentives to citizens. At Wednesday’s commissioners court meeting, the court authorized for up to $250,000 for gift cards, events and other incentive programs, to increase vaccine participation among Harris County citizens. The money will come from the county’s Public Improvement Contingency fund. (Garcia, 4/28)

AP: Some Californians Can't Get Vaccine Despite Surge In Supply
Hearing of excess vaccine and unfilled appointments frustrates Dr. Aaron Roland, a family physician who has been lobbying for doses to inoculate his patients, many of whom are low-income, immigrants or elderly. The San Francisco Bay Area doctor has more than 200 patients who have inquired when he will offer inoculations against the coronavirus. One patient, who is 67, said he walked into a Safeway supermarket because signs said doses were available. (Har, 4/29)

KHN: Some County Jail Inmates See Vaccination As Ticket To A Better Life — In The State Pen
The inmates huddled near the front or lingered on the bunk beds lining both sides of their narrow, crowded dorm at the Men’s Central Jail, listening as Lt. Sheriff Dwight Miley and nurse practitioner Marissa Negrete offered them covid vaccinations and answered their questions. Those who wanted the vaccine should line up at the door, Miley and Negrete said. They’d be taken into a short, cramped hallway where medical workers waited with loaded syringes. (Wolfson and de Marco, 4/29)

Bloomberg: Uber App Offers Covid-19 Vaccine Appointments At Walgreens
Uber Technologies Inc. will let customers schedule Covid-19 vaccine appointments through the app at nearby Walgreens pharmacies in the U.S., a program that reflects the importance of inoculations to the ride-hailing business. When booking a shot through the app starting Wednesday, customers can then schedule transportation to and from the pharmacy. It will do the same for a follow-up appointment at Walgreens locations that administer vaccines requiring two shots. (Chapman, 4/28)

Charleston Gazette-Mail: 'Vaccine Wall' Complicated Pandemic Response
West Virginia now ranks near the bottom of vaccination rates in U.S. states and territories, according to a New York Times project tracking the data. For weeks, state leaders have warned people about hitting “a wall” with vaccinations. As of Tuesday, only six counties — Logan, Monongalia, Kanawha, Ohio, Hancock and Tucker — had administered at least one dose to 50% of eligible residents (those older than 16). Tucker is the state’s lone county with more than half its eligible residents fully vaccinated. Morgan County, in the Eastern Panhandle, has the state’s lowest vaccination rate, with more than 71% of eligible residents completely unvaccinated. Mingo County, in the southern coalfields, closely trails Morgan at 70% unvaccinated. Statewide, vaccination rates are lowest among young West Virginians. (Coyne, 4/28)

CNN: Covid Vaccine Myths Debunked: These Reasons For Not Getting A Shot Don't Hold Up. In Fact, They'll Set The US Back 
Americans have an easy way to crush Covid-19 -- one that would let businesses fully reopen safely, ditch the need for social distancing and restore a mask-free return to normalcy. But many Americans don't want to get vaccinated as myths and misunderstandings spread. "Facebook runs a survey every day ... and that's shown that vaccine confidence in the US has been slowly but steadily going down since February," said Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. (Yan, 4/28)

And in vaccine news from the federal government —

The Washington Post: Fed Says Vaccinations And Strong Policies Are Helping Economy As Inflation Rises 
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell on Wednesday said that more widespread access to vaccines and “strong policy support” are helping economic activity and employment, with sectors hardest hit by the pandemic showing signs of improvement. Inflation is also rising in certain areas, but Powell said that those increases aren’t expected to persist through the entire economy. Fed leaders say they expect to see temporary price bumps if the economy rebounds strongly this year, buoyed by President Biden’s stimulus package and progress controlling the pandemic. (Siegel, 4/28)

Roll Call: FEMA’s Tasks Pit COVID-19 Vaccinations Against Hurricane Prep 
Staffing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency is at critical lows as the agency has been fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, which experts say is setting back preparations for hurricanes. With about five weeks to prepare for hurricane season, 77 percent of staff are already deployed, according to a memo released at a short daily briefing Sunday. The United States saw a similar level of depletion of FEMA staff in reserve in 2017, when three Category 4 hurricanes made landfall and wildfires raged. (Kopp, 4/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Vaccines Appear To Be Slowing Spread Of Covid-19 Infections 
Vaccines appear to be starting to curb new Covid-19 infections in the U.S., a breakthrough that could help people return to more normal activities as infection worries fade, public-health officials say. By Tuesday, 37.3% of U.S. adults were fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with about 2.7 million shots each day. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows the seven-day average for new U.S. cases has fallen below the 14-day average for more than a week, which epidemiologists said is a strong signal that cases are starting to slide again after a recent upswing. When the seven-day average is higher than the 14-day average, it suggests new cases are accelerating. (Whelan and Kamp, 4/28)

Axios: Coronavirus Cases Fall As More Americans Get Vaccinated 
New coronavirus infections fell by roughly 16% over the past week in the U.S. — a big improvement after weeks of stasis. More than half of American adults have gotten at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and that seems to finally be putting a dent in the size of the country’s outbreak. (Baker and Witherspoon, 4/29)

The New York Times: In U.S., Virus Cases Have Recently Dropped In Over Half Of States 
More than half of U.S. states have seen a significant decline in new coronavirus cases over the past two weeks, as federal health officials suggest that the virus’s trajectory is improving. Still, the uneven distribution of vaccinations point to the challenge of persuading reluctant Americans to get vaccinated. As of Wednesday, the United States was averaging over 52,000 new cases a day, a 26 percent decline from two weeks ago, and comparable to the level of cases reported in mid-October before the deadly winter surge, according to a New York Times database. Since peaking in January, cases, hospitalizations and deaths nationwide have drastically declined. (4/29)

In related news about the spread of the coronavirus —

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Reports More Than 500 More New Cases Of COVID-19, And Four More Utahns Have Died From The Virus
On the same day that Utah passed the 900,000 mark for people fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the state also reported 518 new cases of the coronavirus and four more deaths. That’s the second day in a row the number of new cases has exceeded 500, and the most deaths in a single day in a month. The Utah Department of Health last reported four deaths on March 27. Roughly 39% of eligible Utahns age 16 and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, receiving either both doses of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines or the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (That’s based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 estimate of Utah’s population.) (Pierce and Means, 4/28)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Reports 34 COVID-19 Deaths, Highest Mark In Over Two Months
The Department of Health Services reported 34 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday, the highest mark since Feb. 16. "The 34 deaths have been added since yesterday, but the deaths didn’t necessarily occur yesterday. The number recorded reflects when COVID-19 deaths are confirmed and reported," said Jennifer Miller, Department of Health Services spokesperson. The reported high counts from last week combined with Wednesday's death count brings the seven-day average of daily deaths to 12, up nine deaths from a month ago. (Bentley, 4/28)

Axios: NYT: Cuomo Aides Blocked Officials From Releasing COVID Nursing Home Death Toll 
Senior aides to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) engaged in a sustained campaign over several months to keep state health officials from releasing the full nursing home death toll caused by the coronavirus, the New York Times reports. The FBI is investigating Cuomo's office following a probe by New York Attorney General Letitia James, also a Democrat, that found his administration undercounted deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50%. (Rummier, 4/28)

In news about covid testing —

The Wall Street Journal: At-Home Covid-19 Tests Might Cost Too Much For Regular Use 
Covid-19 tests for people to use to get quick results at home are finally becoming available to buy at pharmacies and retailers. Yet an obstacle might stand in the way of regular use: cost. Many health authorities have been looking forward to the introduction of the fast-acting tests, which people could take at home to see if they are infected. The paper-strip tests also could help curb the spread of the coronavirus, supporters say, if people used them a few times a week. (Abbott, 4/28)

CBS News: States Test At-Home COVID-19 Testing Program 
Federal health officials have sent thousands of at-home COVID-19 tests to residents in North Carolina and Tennessee as part of a larger study focused on how the coronavirus spreads. The free testing kits, distributed by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, arrived earlier this month to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Pitt County, North Carolina. Researchers at those agencies want to see if the spread of COVID-19 will be reduced if more people are given quick access to at-home testing. (Brooks, 4/28)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: New Orleans Keeps Mask Mandate, Pushes Inoculation: 'This Is A Race Between Variants And The Vaccine”
New Orleans officials are keeping the COVID-19 mask mandate in place until vaccination rates increase, unlike other parts of the state. Coinciding with the ongoing mask requirement, Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office is expected to loosen some restrictions tomorrow. Gov. John Bel Edwards eased up on previous restrictions, including removing the statewide mask mandate and leaving the decision of whether to require face coverings up to local leaders. (Ravits, 4/28)

The Charlotte Observer: NC Lifts Outdoor Mask Requirements As Charlotte-Area Businesses Look Toward Summer
Life in Charlotte is closer to “normal” as more coronavirus-related restrictions will be phased out starting Friday. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said masks will no longer be required outdoors, and mass gathering limits will increase to 100 people indoors and to 200 outdoors. The new mandate comes a week after Cooper announced he expects to end many COVID-19 restrictions starting June 1. (Muccigrosso, Marusak and Smoot, 4/28)

The Washington Post: Maryland Lifts Outdoor Mask Mandate, Limits On Outdoor Bar Service 
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Wednesday repealed the state’s outdoor masking mandate with the exception of large-scale ticketed venues such as concerts or sporting events, citing the latest guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hogan (R) also said restaurants could drop social distancing and capacity requirements for outdoor dining and outdoor stand-up bar service starting Saturday. (Cox, 4/28)

In other news about masks —

Fox News: Multi-Layered Cloth Masks As Effective As Surgical Mask, Study Suggests
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that fully vaccinated people can go without masks while outdoors, officials noted that there are still many instances in which a mask is necessary, including in crowded settings. As such, research continues into which face coverings are most effective, with a recent finding suggesting that multi-layered cloth masks are as viable as surgical masks. The team, made up of researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Surrey, went so far as to say that if both an infected person and a healthy individual are both wearing well-fitted masks, cloth or surgical, there is a 94% less chance of coronavirus exposure. (Hein, 4/28)

New York Magazine: The Best Masks To Wear On An Airplane
To find out which masks are best to wear both on the plane and at the gate, we spoke with four experts: Kullar; Dr. Purvi Parikh, an immunologist with NYU Langone Health; Dr. Aaron Glatt, the chair of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America; and Dr. Waleed Javaid, the director of infection prevention and control at Mount Sinai Downtown. Javaid says he gets this question all the time. “Everybody asks me, should we really have an N95? Should we have this and that?” His answer: “You should have whichever mask you’re going to keep wearing.” According to all of the doctors we spoke to, that mask should have multiple layers and be comfortable enough that you can breathe, and you won’t be tempted to take it off. (Corsillo, 4/28)

CNN: YouTubers Face Deportation From Bali Over Fake Mask Stunt 
Two YouTubers are facing deportation from Bali after they made a prank video that depicted one of them breaking local mask laws. Josh Paler Lin and Leia Se have reportedly had their passports seized by local government and risk being forced to leave Indonesia as a result of the video. In the clip, Se attempts to enter a grocery store, only to be turned away because she isn't wearing a face mask. Lin then paints a fake mask on her face and she is able to go into the shop. (Marcus, 4/28)

The Washington Post: Masks Outdoors: The CDC Changed Its Mask Guidance. Other Countries Are Taking Different Approaches. 
Masks — and requirements to don them — have prompted debate around the world since the start of the pandemic. Widely accepted in some places, they have been protested or completely forgone in others. In the United States, federal guidelines have shifted over time, and individual states have imposed different requirements. Mask-wearing became highly politicized, complicating efforts to enforce usage. But in places like Hong Kong and Japan, face coverings were widely worn even before the pandemic, so everyday mask-wearing easily became routine. (Parker, 4/28)

Stat: Americans Paid Up To Four Times More For Some Drugs As In Three Other Countries
Amid national angst over the cost of prescription drugs, a new analysis finds that U.S. consumers and insurers last year paid anywhere from two to four times as much for 20 brand-name medicines than what were paid in Australia, Canada, and France. For instance, the cost for a one-month supply of the Xarelto, which is used to combat blood clots, was $272 in the U.S. for those with some form of health insurance, but between $64 and $78 in the other countries. A three-month supply of the Imbruvica cancer pill cost an estimated $13,809 in the U.S., while cancer patients in the other three countries paid between $6,011 and $7,120. (Silverman, 4/28)

Stat: The FDA May Fine Its First Drug Maker For Failing To Post Clinical Trial Results
The Food and Drug Administration is threatening to fine Acceleron Pharma (XLRN) for failing to submit required information about a clinical trial to a federal registry, the first time the agency has taken such a step in response to ongoing calls for greater transparency into clinical studies. In an April 27 letter sent to the drug maker, the FDA noted the results of a Phase 2 clinical trial that was run to test a pair of drugs for treating advanced kidney cancer had not been posted, even though the agency contacted the company last July about the issue. Acceleron now has until May 27 to post the data and an Acceleron spokesman wrote us that the company plans to do so. (Silverman, 4/28)

Stat: Trillium Moves 'Don't Eat Me' Cancer Drug Into New Studies
Trillium Therapeutics on Wednesday is announcing an expanded slate of clinical trials meant to advance the development of two cancer drugs that work by blocking a “don’t eat me” signal used by tumors to evade the immune system. But updated results from earlier studies, also presented Wednesday, show higher doses of the Trillium drugs did not result in improved tumor-response rates — a potential disappointment in a crowded field of similar medicines. (Feuerstein, 4/28)

Stat: Tumor-Munching Immune Cells Show New CAR-T Therapy's Promise 
Wendell Lim stared at the video playing on his computer screen in amazement. In the inky dark, a yellow blob pulsed: a brain tumor lit up with fluorescent tags. From the edges of the frame, T cells glowing blue crept toward it. When they reached the blob, a switch seemed to flip, and the blue cells turned green. Lim is a biophysical chemist at the University of California, San Francisco. But what he really does is hack cells. (Molteni, 4/28)

In biotech news —

Philadelphia Inquirer: Custom 3D Printed Casts Offer A Telemedicine Solution For Some Orthopedic Injuries
Umpire Pat Hoberg was behind the plate at Citizens Bank Park last July when he was struck by a broken bat. In just the second inning, the Phillies trainer taped Hoberg’s split and bruising hand, allowing him to finish the game. The next day Michael Rivlin, a hand specialist at Rothman Orthopaedics, determined Hoberg’s knuckle was fractured but he didn’t need surgery. “Dr. Rivlin took x-rays and put me in a splint,” recalled Hoberg, who lives in Phoenix, Ariz., and travels between Major League baseball cities from March through October. His injury would need monitoring, but during the pandemic, Hoberg was mostly sequestered in his hotel or the stadium due to COVID-19 safety guidelines. So getting back to Philadelphia for regular follow-up visits would be nearly impossible. (Akman, 4/29)

USA Today: Kids Mental Health Problems Linked To Prenatal Exposures, Study Says
Doctors have long known that unplanned pregnancies in women with certain chronic health problems and exposure in the womb to substances like drugs and alcohol can lead to a child's increased risk for psychiatric or behavioral problems. But a study published Wednesday by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital found the combined exposure of two or more specific risk factors significantly increases that likelihood. “While individually these factors had previously been associated with similar risks in prior, often smaller studies, this is the first time that we were able to gauge the effect of cumulative exposures, which were fairly dramatic,” said lead author Dr. Joshua Roffman, director of the Massachusetts General Early Brain Development Initiative. (Rodriguez, 4/28)

In other public health news —

Axios: Study: Air Pollution Disproportionately Kills Americans Of Color 
Americans of color are disproportionally and pervasively affected by fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5), the nation's most deadly pollutant, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. PM2.5 exposure in the U.S. causes roughly 85,000 to 200,000 more deaths of all Americans than anticipated, the study notes. (Saric, 4/29)

The Wall Street Journal: Cruise Lines Could Start U.S. Sailings By Mid-July, CDC Says 
Cruise operators could restart sailings out of the U.S. by mid-July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, paving the way to resume operations that have been suspended for longer than a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The CDC, in a letter to cruise-industry leaders Wednesday evening, also said cruise ships can proceed to passenger sailings without test cruises if they attest that 98% of crew members and 95% of passengers are fully vaccinated. The move was a result of twice-weekly meetings with cruise representatives over the past month, the agency said. (Sebastian, 4/29)

CIDRAP: Study Finds Low Uptake Of HPV Vaccine In Young US Men
A research letter yesterday in JAMA shows that less than 20% of US men 18 to 21 years old have had at least one dose of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, was based on data collected during the 2010 through 2018 National Health Interview Surveys. Only 16.2% of men ages 18 to 21 during any year of the survey said they had received one or more doses of the HPV vaccine, compared with 42% of women in that age-group. (4/28)

AP: Advocates Detail 'Shadow Pandemic' Of Violence Against Women
Cases of domestic violence against Indigenous women and children and instances of sexual assault increased over the past year as nonprofit groups and social workers scrambled to meet the added challenges that stemmed from the coronavirus pandemic, advocates said Tuesday. Their testimony came in the opening session of a two-day summit focused on ending violence against Indigenous women and children. Native American leaders from pueblos throughout New Mexico and from the Navajo Nation gathered virtually for the event. (Bryan, 4/28)

WLRN 91.3 FM: Nation's First Trial Of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes Starts In Florida Keys 
Boxes containing the eggs of genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, water and a little food are being placed in six locations in the Lower and Middle Keys this week — in a trial that will be the first of its kind in the United States. The genetic modification is intended so that female offspring won't survive. Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite and can transmit diseases like dengue and Zika. (Klingener, 4/27)

CBS News: Bud Light Is Giving Away 100,000 Sports Tickets And Free Beer 
Sports fans and lovers of live music could have their next tickets paid for by Bud Light under a new promotional campaign. Bud Light said Tuesday it will pay for and give away 100,000 sports tickets so people can attend professional baseball, basketball, hockey, football and soccer games this year. The Anheuser-Busch subsidiary is also giving away an undetermined amount of concert tickets. People over age 21 who attend a game or concert will get a Bud Light for free, the company said. Bud Light and its $10 million promotion aims to get Americans back outside and attending events where people frequently consume alcohol. (Brooks, 4/27)

KHN: Covid Forces Cohousing Communities To Examine Shared Values And Relationships 
Tensions were running high at PDX Commons, a cohousing community for adults 55 and older in Portland, Oregon. Several people wanted to keep visitors off-site until all 35 residents were vaccinated. Others wanted to open to family and friends for the first time in a year. How do communities with dozens of members decide what to do during a public health crisis when members have varying tolerance for risk and different opinions about safe practices? (Graham, 4/29)

Stat: Report Finds Drop In Black Male, Native American Medical Students 
In what some are calling a “persistent failure” of medical schools to improve diversity, a comprehensive new analysis going back 40 years shows the number of students from the most underrepresented groups in medicine —  Black males and Native American and Alaskan Native men and women — has declined. While Black male medical students accounted for 3.1% of the national medical student body in 1978, in 2019 they accounted for just 2.9%. Without the contribution of historically Black medical schools, just 2.4% would be Black men. The number of Native American students also declined, accounting for just a fraction of 1% of the nation’s roughly 22,000 medical students in 2019. (McFarling, 4/28)

In other health care industry news —

Stat: Uber Names A New Head Of Its Growing Health Business
Uber hailed a new lead for its expanding health business on Thursday, naming Caitlin Donovan its newest general manager and head of health. Donovan comes to the ride-sharing company from orthodontist platform myOrthos, where she served as chief operating officer. She’ll step into a role first helmed by Dan Trigub, who steered Uber Health through a period of rapid growth centered around non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT). (Brodwin, 4/29)

Modern Healthcare: Primary-Care Practitioners Lean Toward Potentially Excessive Care, Study Shows
Primary-care practitioners tend to overestimate the risk of common conditions based on symptoms and test results, leading to potentially excessive and harmful care, a new study shows. Residents, attending physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants estimated a 70% likelihood of cardiac ischemia in patients who had a positive stress test when the actual likelihood is 2% to 11%, researcher's analysis of 533 practitioners found. Survey respondents also estimated a 50% risk of breast cancer after a positive finding on a mammogram when evidence shows only a 3% to 9% risk. (Kacik, 4/28)

Stat: 5 Startups Racing To Shake Up The Electronic Health Record Industry
The road to shake up the health record industry is littered with failures. But a new group of startups are giving it another go — and there are reasons to believe companies may find success where others fell short. Chief among them is the recent introduction of a federal rule that bars data blocking and, for the first time, lets patients access their health information using apps. (Brodwin, 4/29)

Georgia Health News: Possible Sale Of Hospital Could Shake Up Rome 
Speculation is swirling in Rome about the possible sale of Redmond Regional Medical Center, owned by HCA, to AdventHealth, a Florida-based health system. Redmond CEO John Quinlivan declined to comment Wednesday about a potential deal. The potential for a sale could be part of a larger strategy by HCA Healthcare, a Tennessee-based hospital chain. Talk among industry officials has centered on HCA selling other Georgia hospitals as well. (Bailey and Miller, 4/28)

Modern Healthcare: Acute-Care Hospitals See Higher Star Ratings On New CMS Methodology
Nearly one-third of hospitals scored higher star ratings under CMS' new methodology that's meant to create a clearer picture of quality and safety, according to data released Wednesday. It's the first time CMS has applied the new methodology, and 45% of hospitals received the same star rating as before. Nearly a quarter, 22.7% of acute-care hospitals, had worse ratings. (Gillespie, 4/28)

Crain's Detroit Business: Michigan Provider Uses 'Recharge Rooms' To Alleviate Staff Stress, Prevent Burnout
Michigan Medicine has opened three "recharge rooms" at its 1,043-bed Ann Arbor medical center in an effort to alleviate staff stress and reduce burnout that a recent survey found was widespread before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Michigan Medicine and the University of Michigan School of Nursing partnered with Studio Elsewhere, a New York-based design and technology company, to license the AI-powered environments. The virtual reality technology creates environments that stimulate the senses through light, sound and scent. The purpose is to relax and improve the cognitive performance of the viewer. (Greene, 4/28)

Modern Healthcare: Ways & Means Reps. Bullish On Telehealth, But Say Questions Remain
Ensuring telehealth policies don't exacerbate existing health disparities proved a major point of concern among lawmakers during a House Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Health hearing Wednesday. Most lawmakers at the nearly three-hour hearing on the future of telehealth were bullish on telehealth's potential, citing how virtual technologies can make healthcare more accessible for patients who face barriers like lack of affordable childcare and lack of transportation that make it difficult to attend in-person appointments, as well as potential cost savings. "This is a real opportunity—I think we all sense that—to make a big difference," said Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) at the hearing. (Kim Cohen, 4/28)

Modern Healthcare: CHS Reports Q1 Net Loss As COVID-19 Continues To Dent Admissions
Community Health Systems reported a net loss in the first quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to dent admissions, the hospital chain announced late Wednesday. The Franklin, Tenn.-based system reported a net loss attributable to shareholders of $64 million on operating revenue of $3.01 billion for the quarter ended March 31, down from a net income attributable to shareholders of $18 million on operating revenue of $3.03 billion from the same prior-year period. That was, in part, due to a 7.2% decline in same-store adjusted admission year over year. (Kacik, 4/28)

KHN: What A Difference A Year Makes In Colorado’s Case For A Public Option Plan 
Before the pandemic, Colorado looked set to become the second state to pass what’s known as a “public option” health insurance plan, which would have forced hospitals that lawmakers said were raking in obscene profits to accept lower payments. But when covid-19 struck, legislators hit pause. Now, after a year of much public lionizing of doctors and other health professionals on the front lines of the covid fight, it’s a lot harder to make the case hospitals are fleecing patients. (Hawryluk, 4/29)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Lawmakers Push To Take Transgender Children From Parents Who Help Them Transition Medically
Parents who help transgender children transition with the use of drugs, hormones or other medical procedures could face child abuse charges and lose their parental rights under a bill that cleared the Texas Senate on Wednesday. By an 18-12 vote, senators voted to pass the bill and send it to the Texas House. If the House approves it, it would go to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature. The move comes less than 48 hours after the American Medical Association came out firmly in opposition to such bills, warning that “forgoing gender-affirming care can have tragic health consequences, both mental and physical.” (Wallace, 4/28)

AP: No Big Backlash For States Passing Anti-Transgender Laws
Five states have passed laws or implemented executive orders this year limiting the ability of transgender youths to play sports or receive certain medical treatment. There’s been a vehement outcry from supporters of transgender rights – but little in the way of tangible repercussions for those states. It’s a striking contrast to the fate of North Carolina a few years ago. When its Legislature passed a bill in March 2016 limiting which public restrooms transgender people could use, there was a swift and powerful backlash. The NBA and NCAA relocated events; some companies scrapped expansion plans. By March 2017, the bill’s bathroom provisions were repealed. (Crary, 4/27)

In news about marijuana —

Detroit Free Press: Lawmaker Wants To Create A Marijuana Blood-Level Limit For Drivers
A Michigan lawmaker wants to specify how much of the intoxicating chemical contained in marijuana can be in someone's blood in order for that person to be deemed a dangerous driver. The measure introduced Wednesday by Rep. Pamela Hornberger, R-Chesterfield Township, is a controversial move that contradicts the recommendations of a state commission created under former Gov. Rick Snyder that studied the concept of THC blood levels and intoxication. (Boucher, 4/28)

Dallas Morning News: Texas House Gives Preliminary Green Light To Medical Marijuana Expansion
The Texas House gave preliminary approval to a bill Wednesday that would considerably expand the Texas Compassionate Use Program for the medical use of low-THC cannabis by including several additional groups of Texans while raising the THC limit from .5% to 5%. Fort Worth Republican Rep. Stephanie Klick’s House Bill 1535 would include patients with PTSD, not just in veterans as originally filed, chronic pain that would otherwise be treated with an opioid and patients with any type of cancer. (Briseno, 4/28)

In other news from the states —

AP: Missouri Senate Votes Down Funding For Medicaid Expansion
The Missouri Senate on Wednesday voted against paying to expand Medicaid as called for by voters last year. The late-night Senate vote locked in the House’s decision to refuse funding for the program, likely setting up a court battle with supporters of greater access to health care. The vote divided Republicans and came after hours of sometimes-heated debate. (Ballentine, 4/29)

CBS News: Why New York City's Homeless Rates Skyrocketed For Single Adults But Dropped For Families During The Pandemic 
A new report shows the rate of homeless, single adults in New York City reached record levels during the pandemic, while the number of homeless families declined. Experts say the trend is tied to short-term pandemic relief, like eviction moratoriums, but is likely not sustainable.  An all-time high of 20,822 single adults slept in New York City shelters each night in February, according to an annual report released Wednesday by the nonprofit Coalition for the Homeless. (Kendall, 4/28)

AP: 'Fetal Heartbeat' In Abortion Laws Taps Emotion, Not Science
Dr. Michael Cackovic has treated his share of pregnant women. So when Republican lawmakers across the U.S. began passing bans on abortion at what they term “the first detectable fetal heartbeat,” he was exasperated.That’s because at the point where advanced technology can detect that first flutter, as early as six weeks, the embryo isn’t yet a fetus and it doesn’t have a heart. An embryo is termed a fetus beginning in the 11th week of pregnancy, medical experts say. “You cannot hear this ‘flutter,’ it is only seen on ultrasound,” said Cackovic, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, where some 5,300 babies are born each year. (Smyth and Kruesi, 4/28)

Albuquerque Journal: State Will Prod Unemployed To Return To Work, Governor Says
New Mexico has been among the states with the highest unemployment rates for months – only New York and Hawaii had higher jobless rates as of last month – and business owners have expressed frustration about getting employees to return to work. Some have said they are struggling to compete against expanded unemployment benefits, saying referral bonuses, sign-on bonuses and other incentives have yet to attract a large applicant pool. But some advocacy groups have countered that essential workers should not be blamed for not wanting to put their family’s health at risk for low-paying jobs that offer minimal benefits. (Boyd, 4/28)

AP: Largest Firefighting Plane May Be Sold For COVID-19 Response 
As Western states prepare for this year’s wildfire season, the world’s largest firefighting plane has been grounded and could be converted to help fight against another crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic. After investing tens of millions into upgrading the Global SuperTanker and its technology, the revenue coming mostly from contracts with the U.S. government and California did not produce enough profit for the company to continue the funding the tanker, said Roger Miller, managing director at Alterna Capital Partners LLC, the investment company that owns the plane. (Nieberg, 4/27)

KHN: In Poisoned Montana Town, Warren Buffett-Owned Railroad Accuses Clinic Of Medicare Fraud 
Patricia Denny and her husband, Jeff, had hoped to one day get an RV and travel the country. Instead, Jeff has been forced into retirement at age 54 by a lung disease caused by the asbestos that’s polluted the small town of Libby, Montana, for decades. Jeff Denny’s lungs are damaged from the asbestos he breathed while participating in an Environmental Protection Agency-run cleanup of the asbestos contamination caused by the vermiculite mine that closed 30 years ago in this community in the Cabinet Mountains. Patricia Denny is afraid she will get asbestos-related disease as well, given how many residents of the town have become sick. Barbed fibers, a byproduct of vermiculite, attach to the lungs when breathed in. (Reardon, 4/29)

The Washington Post: U.S. Coronavirus Aid To Begin Arriving In India Amid Record Surge, White House Says 
U.S. flights carrying urgent coronavirus aid for India will begin arriving on Thursday, the White House said in a statement, as health officials there reported another record number of new cases and deaths. The U.S. government will deliver more than $100 million worth of supplies for overstretched hospitals and front-line health care workers, the White House said late Wednesday, including oxygen support, personal protective equipment, therapeutics and rapid diagnostic tests. (Cunningham, 4/29)

Axios: U.S. Sends India $100 Million In Aid Amid COVID Record 
The White House announced the U.S. is sending more than $100 million worth of supplies to India — which set new records for COVID-19 cases and deaths in a single day on Thursday. Coronavirus cases are surging in India amid a widespread oxygen shortage and slow vaccine rollout. The country's pandemic death toll surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday, amid reports that COVID fatalities and cases are going uncounted. (Falconer, 4/29)

Bloomberg: Blackstone, Amazon Join Global Race To Fight India Covid Crisis
As Indian authorities and hospitals struggle to cope with record Covid-19 infections and deaths, companies ranging from the nation’s biggest conglomerate to global giants like Amazon.com Inc. are stepping in to help ease the crisis. Reliance Industries Ltd., controlled by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, the Tata group, global drug giants like Gilead Sciences Inc., technology titans such as Alphabet Inc. are all rushing in supplies and funds. Blackstone Group Inc.’s Chairman Stephen Schwarzman said his private equity firm is committing $5 million to support India’s Covid relief and vaccination services to “marginalized communities.” (Rai, 4/28)

Bloomberg: US Tells Citizens To Leave India As Soon As Possible Due To Covid-19 Crisis
The U.S. told its citizens to get out of India as soon as possible as the country’s Covid-19 crisis worsens at an astonishing pace. In a Level 4 travel advisory --- the highest of its kind issued by the State Department -- U.S. citizens were told “not to travel to India or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so.” There are 14 direct daily flights between India and the U.S. and other services that connect through Europe, the department said. (Whitley, 4/29)

Also —

AP: India Adds Another 379K Virus Cases, Tries To Vaccinate More
India set another global record in new virus cases Thursday, as millions of people in one state cast votes despite rising infections and the country geared up to open its vaccination rollout to all adults amid snags. With 379,257 new infections, India now has reported more than 18.3 million cases, second only to the United States. The Health Ministry also reported 3,645 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 204,832. Experts believe both figures are an undercount, but it’s unclear by how much. (Pathi and Saaliq, 4/29)

The New York Times: India Blames Covid-19 Variant For Its Pandemic Crisis 
At Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, a huge facility in the middle of India’s capital, 37 fully vaccinated doctors came down with Covid-19 earlier this month. The infections left most with mild symptoms, but it added to their growing fears that the virus behind India’s catastrophic second wave is different. They wonder if a more contagious variant that dodges the immune system could be fueling the epidemic inside the world’s hardest-hit nation. (Gettleman, Venugopal and Mandavilli, 4/28)

The Washington Post: In Desperate Hunt For Oxygen And Hospital Beds, India Turns To Twitter
With India’s coronavirus crisis becoming increasingly more desperate and beds, medicine and oxygen supplies scarce, people in cities across the country are relying on Twitter and the kindness of strangers for help during a time of national upheaval. About 360,000 new cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours alone. Some are using the platform to share locations where gas cylinders, which are in limited supply, can be refilled. Others are posting details about patients in urgent need of help. Some posts advertise which hospitals have empty beds and others ask for blood plasma donors. There are tweets that offer advice on how to stay safe and others that beg for ambulances before it is too late. (Hassan, 4/28)

CNBC: India Covid Crisis: Zydus Cadila Plans To Seek Approval In Mid-May
India could soon have its second domestically developed coronavirus vaccine even as a deadly second wave shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Drugmaker Cadila Healthcare, also known as Zydus Cadila, is conducting phase three clinical trials on 28,000 people, including those above 75 and children between ages 12 and 18, for its DNA-based vaccine candidate. (Choudhury, 4/29)

NPR: Athletes At Tokyo Olympics To Be Tested Daily For Coronavirus
The organizers of Japan's Summer Olympics, due to start just weeks from now, say they will administer daily coronavirus tests to athletes and will decide in June on what is a safe number of spectators. At a virtual meeting on Wednesday, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and representatives of the other organizers discussed measures to keep the coronavirus in check during the games, which begin July 23. "The IOC is fully committed to the successful and safe delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020," Bach said in his opening remarks. (Neuman, 4/28)

The Wall Street Journal: Japan’s Top Covid Adviser Urges Caution About Proceeding With Tokyo Games
The Japanese government’s top medical adviser on Covid-19 urged caution about going ahead with the Summer Olympics in Tokyo as highly contagious variants of the coronavirus drive a surge in new infections in Japan. “It’s time for the organizers and other related parties to thoroughly consider the level of infection and the strain on the medical system,” Shigeru Omi, the head of the government’s advisory panel on the coronavirus, said in a parliamentary committee. (Gale and Radnofsky, 4/28)

In other global developments —

Bloomberg: BioNTech Weighs Making Covid Shots In Africa To Expand Reach
BioNTech SE is discussing the possibility of Covid-19 vaccine production sites in Africa to expand the company’s supply network in regions around the world, Chief Executive Officer Ugur Sahin said. “I can imagine a production network in South America and for Africa,” Sahin said at a briefing with members of Germany’s foreign press association. “We are also talking about African production sites.” (Kresge and Sguazzin, 4/28)

CBS News: Scientists Back Brazil's Move To Ban Import Of Russian "Sputnik V" COVID Vaccine 
Scientists have backed the Brazilian drug regulator's decision to stop the import of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, on the basis that batches they tested carried a live version of a common cold-causing virus. Top virologist Angela Rasmussen told AFP the finding "raises questions about the integrity of the manufacturing processes" and could be a safety issue for people with weaker immune systems if the problem were found to be widespread. (4/29)

The New York Times: German Intelligence To Surveil Coronavirus Deniers
Germany’s domestic intelligence service said on Wednesday that it would surveil members of the increasingly aggressive coronavirus denier movement because they posed a risk of undermining the state. The movement — fueled in part by wild conspiracy theories — has grown from criticizing coronavirus lockdown measures and hygiene rules to targeting the state itself, its leaders, businesses, the press and globalism, to name a few. Over the past year, demonstrators have attacked police officers, defied civil authorities and in one widely publicized episode scaled the steps of Parliament. (Schuetze, 4/28)

Bloomberg: Brazil Hunts For Vaccines In World Of New Outbreaks, Shortages
Brazil is struggling to find vaccines to tackle one of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks as resurgent outbreaks and supply shortages among top providers slow the pace of deliveries. Foreign Minister Carlos Franca told lawmakers Wednesday he’s seeking vaccines from a variety of partners, including 30 million doses from China’s Sinopharm, plus 8 million doses of the India-produced AstraZeneca shot as well as any U.S. surplus. The problem, he added, is the pandemic’s upsurge in India and tight supplies globally have left Brazil scrambling for doses. (Adghirni, 4/29)

Also —

NBC News: Canadian Diplomats Say Their Government Is Withholding Info On More 'Havana Syndrome' Brain Injury Cases
A group of Canadian diplomats is accusing Canada's government of withholding information about what the diplomats say are three new cases of brain injury resulting from "Havana Syndrome" that have been identified in the past two years. In a letter obtained by NBC News, the diplomats said "at least three additional cases were identified in 2019 and 2020" of the mysterious illness that also affected U.S. personnel in Cuba. In its most recent public update about new cases, in January 2019, Canada's government said "the last confirmed case of unusual health symptoms" had been in 2018. (Lederman, 4/28)

NPR: An Unexpected Pandemic Side Effect In Peru: A Comeback For TB
COVID-19 has overwhelmed health-care systems and disrupted TB care all over the world. Peru in particular has struggled to secure sufficient personal protective equipment and continue medical services during the pandemic. "Public health systems in most countries have not made adequate adjustments to care for people with TB in the context of COVID," says Carole Mitnick, a professor of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School. Unless major changes occur, she adds, "we're going to see the effects of this pandemic for generations." (Blades, 4/28)

JAMA Network: SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Risk Among National Basketball Association Players, Staff, And Vendors Exposed To Individuals With Positive Test Results After COVID-19 Recovery During The 2020 Regular And Postseason 
Do individuals who have clinically recovered from COVID-19 but continue to test positive still transmit SARS-CoV-2? In this cohort study of 3648 participants, data were collected during the resumption of the 2020 National Basketball Association season in a closed environment. Individuals who recovered clinically from COVID-19 but continued to test positive did not transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others, despite close proximity with susceptible individuals. (Mack et al, 4/22)

CIDRAP: Pediatric Diabetes Complications Rose During Pandemic In LA Hospital
Pediatric rates of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a complication of type 2 diabetes that can lead to death, rose during the pandemic at Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), according to a study published yesterday in Diabetes Care. The researchers compared medical records from March to August in 2018, 2019, and 2020, and found that DKA in new-onset type 2 diabetes increased by 20% in 2020, compared with 9% in 2018 and 3% in 2019. Overall, 44, 66, and 82 children had new-onset type 2 diabetes in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, and DKA was found in 4, 2, and 16, respectively. Age at diagnosis, sex, and high BMI were not significant variables. (4/27)

CIDRAP: Phase 2 Trial Shows High Efficacy For Malaria Vaccine Candidate
The results of a phase 2b clinical trial indicate 77% efficacy over 12 months of follow-up for a vaccine that targets malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, according to a preprint study published this week in The Lancet. (4/23)

New England Journal of Medicine: Tranexamic Acid For The Prevention Of Blood Loss After Cesarean Delivery 
Prophylactic administration of tranexamic acid has been associated with reduced postpartum blood loss after cesarean delivery in several small trials, but evidence of its benefit in this clinical context remains inconclusive. (Sentilhes et al, 4/29)

CIDRAP: CARB-X To Fund Development Rapid Diagnostic Test For Sepsis
CARB-X announced today that it is awarding up to $3 million to GenomeKey of Bristol, United Kingdom, to develop an innovative rapid diagnostic test for sepsis. GenomeKey's diagnostic project uses technology that combines innovative methods to separate bacterial DNA from human DNA in whole blood with next-generation DNA sequencing and machine learning to interpret antimicrobial susceptibility. The aim is determine, within 4 hours, what bacteria are causing the infection in sepsis patients and which antibiotics would be most effective. Conventional laboratory tests take 24 to 73 hours to produce results. 4/27)

The Baltimore Sun: President Joe Biden Strikes Right Tone In Speech, Reaching Out To Both TV Viewers And Congress 
It is hard enough to simultaneously address a TV audience of millions and an in-person group of several hundred and keep both engaged with your speech. It is even more difficult when the in-person group is in a large room like a chamber of Congress built to accommodate as many as 1,400, but only 200 are on hand. But President Joe Biden managed to hit just the right personal tone to do just that Wednesday night in a speech to a joint session of Congress as he outlined his accomplishments in the first 100 days of his administration and delineated an agenda that if realized will put him in league with Lyndon Johnson, if not Franklin Roosevelt. (David Zurawik, 4/28)

The Washington Post: With Masks And Distancing, Biden’s Speech Sent The Wrong Message About The Power Of Our Vaccines 
With his speech before a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, President Biden missed his biggest opportunity to reduce vaccine hesitancy.The problem wasn’t the content of his speech — it was the setting. The 200 attendees entered the 1,600-person-capacity House chamber spaced apart and wearing masks. Some appeared to be double-masked. They were asked not to make physical contact, though some still fist-bumped or shook hands. There were markers indicating which seats could be occupied, with numerous empty spaces in between. As the president spoke, the vice president and speaker of the House sat behind him, both clad in masks. (Leana S. Wen, 4/29)

USA Today: Joe Biden's First 100 Days: COVID Vaccination Rate A Heroic Success
Two hundred million shots in President Joe Biden’s first 100 days when only 100 million shots were initially promised. This is the president’s proudest and greatest accomplishment so far. It involves a massive effective co-ordination with the states, the pharmacies, and temporary vaccine centers all across the country. Now, 50% of American adults have received at least one shot of a COVID vaccine, and the death rate from COVID among our seniors (80% have received at least one shot), is down dramatically. This is a heroic accomplishment, which, if it continues, will end the pandemic. Since the rate of vaccination needs to exceed the rate of spread of the more easily transmissible variants which are emerging, especially the B117 from the United Kingdom which has begun to predominate, it is very important that this impressive rate of vaccination (close to 3 million doses per day) continue. (Dr. Marc Siegel, 4/29)

Modern Healthcare: High Drug Costs Are A Threat To Americans' Health
As President Joe Biden approaches his 100th day in office this week, it's clear his administration's main focus is ending the COVID-19 pandemic. But there's another crisis mounting beneath the surface: the persistent unaffordability of prescription drugs. The cost of retail prescription drugs increased by 5.7% in 2019, up from 3.8% in 2018, according to CMS, and costs are projected to increase by 31% between 2020 and 2025—reaching $471 billion. Meanwhile, the prices of highly utilized specialty drugs have been arbitrarily inflated over time by pharmaceutical manufacturers, and the specialty drug pipeline is only growing. (Richard Migliori, 4/28)

The Washington Examiner: Biden Talks Like He's Defeated The Pandemic But Then Tells Us To Keep Wearing Masks And Social Distancing
Every time President Joe Biden crawls out of his tomb in the White House, he has an update on the tremendous progress his administration has had defeating the coronavirus. And yet every time, he tells us that we will still have to keep a mask (preferably two) plastered to our faces and continue avoiding anyone outside our immediate households. He did it again Wednesday during his address to the joint session of Congress. "After just 100 days, I can report to the nation, America is on the move again," he said. Later, he said, "After 100 days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for a takeoff, in my view." (Eddie Scarry, 4/28)

Deseret News: Joe Biden’s Speech: There’s A Focus On Families, But It Comes At A Cost 
At least people in Washington are talking about families again. If any part of President Joe Biden’s speech Wednesday night should make Utahns feel good, that’s it. It’s been a long time since family values dominated any party platform in the capital. Of course, the family measures Biden outlined in his American Families Plan would cost $1.8 trillion, added onto his $2.3 trillion “infrastructure” plan, which would be added onto the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill he already got Congress to pass, which was added to earlier stimulus bills, which … you get the idea. (Jay Evensen, 4/28)

Kansas City Star: Parents Not Having Their Sick Kids Tested For COVID 
After a relatively quiet winter at Pediatric Partners in Overland Park, the sick kids have come roaring back this spring. They’re coughing. They have fevers. Their throats hurt. Could they have COVID-19? Pediatrician Kristen Stuppy says she doesn’t know: Many parents are refusing to have their sick children tested for the virus. (Lisa Gutoerrez, 4/28)

Los Angeles Times: There Is No Absolute Right To Refuse COVID Vaccination 
More than half of American (and Californian) adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly a third are fully vaccinated. Vaccination has now been opened to everyone 16 and older. Our biggest worry in the coming months isn’t whether we’ll be able to deliver enough doses; it’s whether enough people will seek them. We’re getting closer to the point where every American who wants to be vaccinated will have gotten their needle stick. A quarter of Americans say they don’t plan to be vaccinated; in vaccine-friendlier California, that’s 1 in 5. (2/28)

Chicago Tribune: We Need A COVID-19 Memorial, Committed Public Health Funding 
A century from now, will the grief and pain of the coronavirus pandemic be remembered by descendants of the dead? Epidemic deaths can cause long-lasting trauma for future generations. Reminiscing about her relatives a few years ago, tears fell down my mother’s face as she told me about two little girls who had died in a diphtheria epidemic. My mom wept for children who had died over 100 years earlier — two generations before her. (Leslie J. Reagan, 4/28)

The New York Times: The Math That Explains The End Of The Pandemic
The United States has vaccinated more than half of its adults against Covid-19, but it could be months until the country has vaccinated enough people to put herd immunity within reach (and much of the world is still desperately waiting for access to vaccines). Places with rising vaccination rates, like the United States, can look forward to case numbers coming down a lot in the meantime. And sooner than you might think. That’s because cases decline via the principle of exponential decay. (Zoe M. McLaren, 4/29)

The New York Times: What The Smallpox Vaccine Can Teach Us About The Covid Vaccine 
Almost 14 months into the coronavirus pandemic, vaccines are, for most of us, the key to getting out of lockdown and returning to lives that we recognize. And with more than a billion doses administered worldwide, there are reasons for hope — even if that hope is not spread evenly. But for vaccines to work, we need enough people who are willing to take them. There are growing concerns that the United States might soon reach what some experts call the “vaccine wall,” when the problem stops being how to supply enough and starts being how to convince the holdouts — a recent NPR/Maris poll found that one in four Americans would refuse a vaccine if offered. In France, a December poll found that only 40 percent of the population intended to receive one. And rates vary widely around the world. (David Motadel, 4/28)

USA Today: COVID Vaccine: We Need Republican Heroes To Risk Careers To Save Lives
There has never ever been a better time for the "pro-life" movement of America to act urgently to, well, save some lives. America's supply of COVID-19 vaccines will soon surpass demand. Meanwhile Israel, with the most aggressive (yet imperfect) vaccine rollout in the world, has recorded multiple days with zero pandemic-related deaths for the first time in 10 months — suggesting that a comprehensive national vaccination program could contain the killer virus that has already killed nearly 575,000 Americans. Still, some Americans seem to be eager to stand in the way of any hope of what scientists call "herd immunity.” Who are those Americans? Mostly Republican men and white evangelicals — aka the people who’ve spent the past 40 years or so telling us they are much more concerned about “life” than everyone else. (Jason Sattler, 4/27)

The Washington Post: The Vaccines Are Working. So Is The Virus. 
Welcome proof that vaccines are working comes from those who have received them. In Britain, Israel and the United States, coronavirus infections have plummeted among older people who were first to get the shots. This does not mean that the United States or the rest of the world has turned the corner against the pandemic. But it does show the power of vaccines as a tool if they can be administered widely enough — a goal that demands maximum effort everywhere. (4/28)

Houston Chronicle: Anti-Trans Bill Passed By Texas Senate Would Make Parents Like Me Criminals
Texas is my home. Since moving here 15 years ago, my husband and I have raised our two children, built careers, made friends and put down roots. But in the last few weeks, we have been slipping out of our children’s earshot to whisper about something I never imagined: deciding where will move if we have to leave the state. We, and other families of trans kids, are fearfully debating our limited options while the Texas Legislature considers a raft of anti-trans bills that would prevent us from caring for or protecting our children. These bills can be grouped into four major categories: bills that criminalize parents’ consent to gender-affirming medical care for trans children, bills that prohibit doctors from providing such care, bills that stigmatize trans children playing in school sports and a religious exemption bill that normalizes discrimination. (Jane Robinson, 4/29)

Stat: Needed: An Operation Warp Speed For The Opioid Epidemic 
Despite early challenges in scaling diagnostic testing for Covid-19 and a halting start to the vaccine rollout, the U.S.’s rapid response to the pandemic has highlighted the importance of coordination between the government, private business, and citizen mobilization. Those efforts, orchestrated in part by Operation Warp Speed, delivered multiple effective vaccines in an unprecedented time frame. But even as the country rightfully focused on the pandemic, a record number of individuals in the U.S. have died from drug overdoses. Adults between the ages of 25 and 44 years have been more than twice as likely to die from opioid overdose than from Covid-19, yet no coordinated effort in the mold of an Operation Warp Speed exists to stop this epidemic. (Thomas McLellan and Jacob Crothers, 4/29)

Stat: Congress: Stop Dialysis Providers From Gaming Reimbursement 
The Covid-19 relief bill that President Joe Biden signed into law in March temporarily expanded the subsidies available to people who buy their health insurance through marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act, and the administration has proposed to make those subsidies permanent as part of the American Families Plan. To help pay for that effort, Congress should end a game that big dialysis companies play with insurance to pad their profits at federal expense. (Erin E. Trish, Eugene Lin and Matthew Fiedler, 4/29)

Scientific American: Penicillin Wasn't Alexander Fleming's First Major Discovery 
The development of COVID vaccines has spotlighted the ingenuity of 21st-century science. In a matter of months, researchers pinpointed the coronavirus’s spike protein, figured out how to provoke an immune response and produced vaccine candidates for trial. The inoculation, in its several forms, is being hailed as one of the greatest achievements in scientific history. But as we celebrate the power of targeted molecular biology, we should also continue to honor one of the most important pillars of scientific discovery: serendipity. (Claudia Kalb, 4/27)

Newsweek: Medicare For All Would Put Even More Strain On Doctors 
Medicare for All is back on Congress's agenda. More than 100 House Democrats, led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Debbie Dingell of Michigan, are behind a bill that would outlaw private insurance and enroll every American in a government-run health plan within two years. They're joined by a surprisingly large share of health care professionals. National Nurses United, Physicians for a National Health Program and the American College of Physicians—the nation's second-largest doctors' group—have all come out in favor of a government takeover of the country's health insurance system. (Sally C. Pipes. 4/28)

New England Journal of Medicine: Medical School Admissions — A Movable Barrier To Ending Health Care Disparities? 
Disparities in health and access to care in the United States have been thrown into sharp relief by the disproportionate and deadly effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic on underserved communities of color and by the grassroots movement toward a racial reckoning that began in earnest in the spring of 2020. Over the past 30 years, an enormous body of literature has been devoted to health disparities. National committees have heard expert testimony, parsed the issues, and published recommendations — prominent among them, expanding and diversifying the physician workforce, beginning with initiatives to increase racial diversity in medical school classes. (Winfred W. Williams, 4/29)