CNN: Pfizer And BioNTech Seek Full FDA Approval For Their Covid-19 Vaccine 
Pfizer/BioNTech has initiated its application to the US Food and Drug Administration for full FDA approval of its Covid-19 vaccine for people ages 16 and older, the companies said Friday. This is the first Covid-19 vaccine in the United States to be assessed for full approval from the FDA. Pfizer's mRNA two-shot vaccine is currently being used in the US under emergency use authorization (EUA) from the FDA. The companies say 170 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed across the US to date. (Mascarenhas and Firger, 5/7)

CNBC: Pfizer And BioNTech Begin The Process Of Seeking Full U.S. Approval For Their Covid Vaccine
Pfizer will have to demonstrate that it can reliably produce the vaccines to win full clearance. If approved, the companies could market their shots directly to consumers and possibly change the pricing of the doses. It also allows the shot to stay on the market once the pandemic is over and the U.S. is no longer considered in an “emergency.” (Kopecki, 5/7)

NBC News: Pfizer, BioNTech Ask FDA For Full Approval Of Covid-19 Vaccine
The vaccine was the first to be granted an emergency use authorization, or EUA, in December, for use in the U.S. ... Last year, the FDA said that in order to apply for an EUA for a Covid-19 vaccine, a drugmaker needed to provide two months of safety and efficacy data. A biologics license application — needed for full approval of a drug or vaccine — requires six months of data. “We are proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made since December in delivering vaccines to millions of Americans, in collaboration with the U.S. Government,” Pfizer chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement Friday announcing the application. (Edwards, 5/7)

The Washington Post: ‘It’s Pretty Marginal': Experts Say Biden’s Vaccine Waiver Unlikely To Boost Supply Quickly 
The Biden administration’s support of a petition to ease patent protections for vaccines elevated the global battle against the coronavirus as a central plank of U.S. foreign policy, but myriad hurdles remain before that stance could become international policy — if ever. As a result, it could be months, or longer, before the World Trade Organization reaches an agreement to temporarily waive the protections and years before countries build factories and amass the materials and expertise to produce the vaccines, experts say. (Pager, Diamond and Stein, 5/6)

NBC News: U.S. Reversal On Vaccine Patents Offers Countries In Crisis Hope, But Hurdles Persist
The Biden administration's decision to support waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines was hailed by activists and health officials Thursday as a decisive move that could upend the cozy relationship between rich countries and pharmaceutical giants and mark a crucial step toward addressing global vaccine inequality. The move drew strong criticism, however, from leading drugmakers and some experts, who are skeptical about its impact on the world's efforts to fight the coronavirus. And the dramatic shift from Washington also raised questions about what comes next, with focus turning to whether others will follow the United States' lead. (Smith, 5/6)

Reuters: U.S. Move To Loosen Vaccine Patents Will Draw Drug Companies To Bargain - Lawyers 
U.S. support for waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines could be a tactic to convince drugmakers to back less drastic steps like sharing technology and expanding joint ventures to quickly boost global production, lawyers said on Thursday. "I think the end result that most players are looking for here is not IP waiver in particular, it’s expanded global access to the vaccines," said Professor Lisa Ouellette of Stanford Law School. (Erman and Brittain, 5/7)

Stat: U.S. Opened Pandora’s Box On IP Waivers For Covid Vaccines. What Now?
In a surprising move, the Biden administration has said it will support a controversial proposal to temporarily waive intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines in a bid to increase global supplies of desperately needed doses. The proposal, which was introduced before the World Trade Organization last fall by South Africa and India, would cover patents, industrial designs, copyrights, and protection of trade secrets. Ultimately, a waiver would make it easier for countries that permit compulsory licensing to allow a manufacturer to export vaccines. (Silverman, 5/6)

Other nations and groups respond to the news —

The Boston Globe: Moderna’s CEO Says He ‘Didn’t Lose A Minute Of Sleep’ Over Potential Waiver Of Vaccine Patents
Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel on Thursday shrugged off the Biden administration’s support for suspending patents for coronavirus vaccines, saying drug firms in other countries would struggle to mass-produce a rival to the blockbuster vaccine that has made his company a household name. Speaking during a first-quarter earnings call, the head of the Cambridge biotech said he “didn’t lose a minute of sleep” after the administration said it would endorse the temporary waiver of patents to bolster vaccine production in developing nations as a way to hasten an end to the pandemic. (Saltzman, 5/6)

Axios: Mixed Response In Europe To Biden's Vaccine Patents Bombshell 
The Biden administration surprised the world last night by coming out in favor of waiving patents for coronavirus vaccines — but Europe is divided on the issue. European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said Brussels would be willing to discuss it; French President Emmanuel Macron said he backed the U.S. position, but a German government spokesman said the proposal would cause "severe complications" for vaccine production. (Lawler, 5/6)

Axios: Germany Opposes Biden's Support For Waiving Vaccine Patents 
The Biden administration's support for a proposal to waive certain patent protections for coronavirus vaccines would create “severe complications” for vaccine production, a German government spokesperson said Thursday, according to Bloomberg. The patent waiver proposal, which proponents say will help increase vaccine production and deliver doses to the developing world, is working its way through the World Trade Organization and all 164 member countries will have to consent to the decision, according to Reuters. (Knutson, 5/6)

In related news —

KHN: This Small Canadian Drugmaker Wants To Make J&J Vaccines For Poor Nations. It Needs More Than A Patent Waiver.
Biolyse Pharma Corp., which makes injectable cancer drugs, was gearing up to start making generic biologic drugs, made from living organisms. Then the pandemic hit. Watching the covid death toll climb, the company decided its new production lines and equipment could be converted to making vaccines for poorer countries without the means to do so. (Tribble and Allen, 5/6)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Sharing Vaccines With The World 
The Biden administration — keeping a campaign promise — announced it would back a temporary waiver of patent protections for the covid-19 vaccines, arousing the ire of the drug industry. The administration is also picking a fight with tobacco companies, as the Food and Drug Administration prepares to ban menthol flavorings in cigarettes and small cigars. Tobacco makers have long promoted menthol products to the African American community, and the action is controversial. (5/6)

USA Today: Moderna Says Its Vaccine Shows A 96% Effectiveness Rate For Kids
Encouraging data on the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for kids is a welcome sign for summer vaccinations and the 2021-22 school year that will begin in little more than three months for some of the nation's districts. The good numbers also could ignite much-needed momentum in the lagging national vaccination effort, experts say. Moderna reported Thursday that its vaccine is showing a 96% effectiveness rate in Phase 2/3 testing of adolescents ages 12 to 17. Pfizer has reported its COVID-19 vaccine was 100% effective in a study of adolescents ages 12 to 15. Emergency use authorization for its vaccine is expected soon. (Bacon, 5/6)

Los Angeles Times: Studies Of Hospital Workers Suggest COVID-19 Vaccines Really Do Prevent Coronavirus Infections
The COVID-19 vaccines being administered in the U.S. were authorized for use because they dramatically reduced the risk of getting the disease when tested in clinical trials. However, those trials didn’t test the vaccines’ ability to prevent a coronavirus infection — the first step on the road to COVID-19. Scientists suspect the vaccines do thwart infections to some extent. Two new studies bolster their case. Both studies compare coronavirus infection rates among vaccinated and unvaccinated people who work at a single medical center. And in both cases, being vaccinated was indeed associated with a significantly lower risk of testing positive for an infection. (Kaplan, 5/6)

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Vaccination Reduces Asymptomatic Infection Risk
Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination dramatically reduces the chances of contracting the virus, either in symptomatic or asymptomatic form.That's according to new research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital published in JAMA on Thursday. Almost 8,000 hospital workers—both vaccinated and unvaccinated—were regularly tested between Dec. 2019 to March 2020. The results come as demand for the vaccine slows in part due to hesitency, and a recent White House push to get at least 70% of U.S. adults one dose by July 4th. (Gillespie, 5/6)

In updates on AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson —

CIDRAP: Clotting, Bleeding Issues Uncommon With AstraZeneca COVID-19 Vaccine
The AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine is associated with some increases in bleeding and clotting events, according to a BMJ study yesterday, but experts say the benefits outweigh the risks. The researchers compared 28-day post-vaccination comorbidities in 291,264 Danish and Norwegian adults under 65 with the general population. Most (79.0%) were women, with a median age for all patients of 44 to 45. People who had experienced any adverse events in the past year were excluded. (5/6)

Axios: Countries Testing J&J Vaccine Doses After Contamination At Baltimore Plant 
The European Union, Canada and South Africa are withholding Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines produced at an Emergent BioSolutions plant in Baltimore, Maryland, for safety testing after quality-control problems, according to the New York Times. Johnson & Johnson said in March that workers at the Emergent facility, which had been producing Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, had ruined about 15 million doses of its vaccine by contaminating a batch with ingredients used in the AstraZeneca vaccine. (Knutson, 5/6)

The New York Times: Parents Are Reluctant To Get Their Children Vaccinated For Covid-19, Poll Shows
The Pfizer vaccine is expected to be authorized for children ages 12 through 15 within days. Among parents who were surveyed, three in 10 said they would get their children vaccinated right away, and 26 percent said they wanted to wait to see how the vaccine was working. Those figures largely mirrored the eagerness with which those parents themselves sought to get vaccinated. (Hoffman, 5/6)

In related pediatric news —

ABC News: California Mayor Offers Scholarship Raffle For Vaccinated Teens 
The mayor of Lancaster, California, is offering a raffle for scholarships, including a grand prize of $10,000, for teens who get the COVID-19 vaccine. The raffle is the city’s effort to combat vaccine hesitancy among young people as the state reports declining vaccinations over the last few weeks. (Lenthang, 5/6)

CNBC: Covid Vaccine Will Likely Be Encouraged But Not Required For School
Once children over age 12 are eligible for Pfizer’s Covid vaccine, the question of whether they will have to get it before going back to school in the fall will remain. “Like everything with Covid, this is going to be a school district by school district decision,” said Sharon Masling, a partner at Washington, D.C.-based law firm Morgan Lewis. Masling has been advising high schools and colleges on how to handle the desire to have students vaccinated before returning to the classroom. (Dickler, 5/6)

Health News Florida: Nova Southeastern Reverses Vaccine Mandate In Wake Of New Law 
Nova Southeastern University said Wednesday it was no longer mandating that students, faculty and staff receive a COVID-19 vaccination before fall classes. The reversal of the vaccine requirement announced April 1 comes in the wake of a new Florida law that will not permit businesses, schools and governments to require proof of vaccinations. “NSU always follows the letter and spirit of the law and we must do that as the law goes into effect on July 1, 2021,” university president and CEO George L. Hanbury II wrote in a post on the school’s website. (Mayer, 5/6)

WUSF 89.7: Florida's Universities Expect Return To 'Pre-COVID Operations' 
Florida’s state universities are expected to return to pre-coronavirus operations during the upcoming school year, including at athletic and social events, top system officials said Wednesday. An early evening news release signed by Syd Kitson, chairman of the university system’s Board of Governors, and Marshall Criser, chancellor of the system, said the 12 public universities “expect to increase classroom occupancy to pre-COVID capacity by the 2021-22 academic year and return to pre-COVID operations." (5/6)

The Hill: Utah Governor Says State Won't Mandate Masks In Schools This Fall
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) said Thursday that he won't force students to wear masks in public schools this fall as in-person classes resume across the state. Citing rising vaccination rates and the high availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, Cox told The Associated Press that those with concerns about their children contracting COVID-19 had ample resources to ensure that their children were protected. (Bowden, 5/6)

Axios: Education Secretary: All Schools Expected To Be Fully In-Person This Fall 
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told MSNBC on Thursday he expects "all schools to be open full-time in-person for all students" by September. A survey released Thursday by the Department of Education suggests Biden has met his goal of having "most" elementary and middle open for full-time in-person learning by the end of his first 100 days in office, according to AP. (Allassan, 5/6)

The Wall Street Journal: New York City To Offer Covid-19 Vaccine Jabs To Tourists 
New York City plans to offer tourists a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine as part of a push to draw more foot traffic to city attractions, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. Mobile vans would be set up to jab visitors at Central Park, the Empire State Building and other sight-seeing locations, the Democratic mayor said at a press conference. Tourists would be offered the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Mr. de Blasio said the vaccinations would offer a positive message to people looking to travel to the city, which saw tourism plummet during the pandemic. (Honan, 5/6)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Get Out the Vax Campaign Enters Third Weekend With 49% Vaccinated
This weekend is the first of two in May for a full-on Get Out the Vax campaign, where Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky health care organizations, community groups and private businesses are encouraging people to get COVID-19 vaccines. Free public transit will be available again as part of the goal to get 80% of people in the region who qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine inoculated by July 4. As of Wednesday, 49% were vaccinated, according to the Health Collaborative, the region's consortium of health systems. (DeMio, 5/6)

Carroll County Times: ‘We Just Want To Make It Easy’: COVID Vaccines Now Available At TownMall Of Westminster Via Health Department 
Commissioner Stephen Wantz said it feels like just yesterday when Carroll County officials were trying to figure out how to get more COVID-19 vaccine and then ways to get it to the people. That’s all changed. “Now you can just walk in to the mall, where there’s plenty of parking ... and just do this,” Wantz said during Thursday’s Board of Commissioners open session. “You get your shot, wait for 15 [minutes] and then you’re out. It’s just so easy and it’s going to get us back to normal so much more rapidly.” (Blubaugh, 5/6)

Bloomberg: From Beer To Cash, Cities Dangle Vaccination Perks
Though West Virginia got a fast start on its vaccination rollout and expanded Covid-19 vaccine eligibility to residents as young as 16 on March 22, the pace of vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks, especially among young adults. With less than half of its eligible population one dose in, this cohort represents a major threat to tamping down disease — and a barrier to reaching Governor Jim Justice’s goal of inoculating more than 70% of the state. “West Virginians from 16 to 35 years of age are transmitting this thing faster than anyone,” Justice said in a press conference on April 28. “How many people are we going to have to put in body bags? How many people are going to have to die?” (Holder, 5/6)

In other news on the vaccine rollout —

Houston Chronicle: A Half-Million Texans Haven't Returned For Their Second COVID-19 Vaccine Dose. Why?
As of late last month, roughly 51,000 people who received their first inoculation through the Houston Health Department were “overdue” for their second dose. The department’s number is preliminary but includes any person who has gone at least 42 days since their first round without returning for a second shot. Statewide, more than 630,000 of the roughly 11 million people who’ve received one dose are more than six weeks overdue, the Texas Department of State Health Services told the Houston Chronicle. (Downen, 5/6)

Los Angeles Times: O.C., Other California Sites Closing Mass COVID Vaccine Hubs
Officials in Orange County and elsewhere in California are preparing to close a number of COVID-19 mass vaccination sites as bookings for appointments continue to drop dramatically and authorities look to shift doses to mobile vaccine clinics, pharmacies and doctor’s offices. Orange County officials said the demand for first doses has dropped by over 75% since the end of April. As a result, efforts will be made to boost vaccine clinics in neighborhoods. The county said that on June 6, it will close mass vaccination sites at the Anaheim Convention Center, OC Fair & Event Center, Soka University and Santa Ana College. (Lin II, 5/6)

WUSF 89.7: In Florida, Some Mass Vaccination Sites Closing, Consolidating 
As more smaller vaccination sites become available and interest in the vaccine wanes, several Florida counties are making plans to scale back their vaccination sites. Maggie Hall with the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County said when the sites first opened, there was big demand to vaccinate many people as quickly and efficiently as possible. “As you have more availability of sites, there's less of a need for huge, larger site to be there to provide vaccines,” Hall said. (Miller, 5/6)

Axios: True COVID-19 Death Toll Is Double The Official Numbers, Study Finds 
There have been twice as many deaths from COVID-19 around the world as have been reported, according to the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), which analyzed excess mortality and other factors. The U.S. has undercounted by over 300,000 deaths, while the death tolls in India and Mexico — second and third on the list, respectively — are nearly three times the official numbers, according to the analysis. (Lawler, 5/6)

CNN: Forecast Predicts 185 Million People Vaccinated By September. But It Warns About A Winter Surge 
The US will likely reach its Covid-19 vaccination goals for the summer, but vaccine hesitancy and variants could still cause a surge in the winter, according to an influential model forecast released Thursday. President Joe Biden announced a plan Tuesday for the administration of at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine to 70% of the nation's adult population by July 4. (Holcombe, 5/7)

In other updates on the spread of the coronavirus —

Fox News: Over Quarter Of New Coronavirus Cases In Colorado Involve Kids, Data Shows
Over a quarter of new coronavirus cases in Colorado at the end of last month occurred in kids and teens through age 19. The 0-19 age bracket accounted for more cases than the 40-59 group, but it was the 20-39 bracket that saw the majority of cases 38.09%. The 26.36% of new cases that occurred in the 0-19 population is the greatest amount seen since September 2020, when the bracket accounted for 26.92% of new cases. The trend of new cases in younger age groups is not unlike those seen in other parts of the country as greater numbers of older age brackets become fully vaccinated. (Hein, 5/6)

The Baltimore Sun: Young Adults Are The Biggest Source Of Maryland COVID Cases. Officials Say It’s Critical That More Of Them Get Vaccinated. 
They had Zoom calls all winter, moved outdoors when it got warmer and now, occasionally, go to public places so long as there is outside seating and there aren’t big crowds. But Monica Duro, a 24-year-old Odenton woman, and her friends know other young adults no longer take so many COVID-19 precautions. Lifting restrictions on bars and restaurants likely sent a message about “normalcy,” she said. (Cohn and Miller, 5/7)

AP: Kentucky Governor Relaxing Virus-Related Capacity Limits
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday laid out the next phase for relaxing pandemic-related restrictions and said he hopes to lift any remaining capacity limits on gatherings this summer. “We’re very close to the end of this,” the Democratic governor said. (Schreiner, 5/6)

The New York Times: Covid Pandemic Forces Families To Rethink Nursing Home Care 
The pandemic’s toll on nursing homes drove occupancy down significantly — not just from the 132,000 deaths but also because of a decline in admissions. The 14,000 skilled nursing facilities in the United States now have on average a vacancy rate of slightly more than 25 percent, according to figures from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care. But as immunization campaigns inside them began taking priority in the winter this year, with nearly three million residents and staff members fully vaccinated, the outlook improved somewhat. Nursing homes point to the steep decrease in Covid-related deaths, saying they have dropped by 91 percent since December. (Abelson, 5/6)

Modern Healthcare: HealthCare.Gov Sign-Ups Spike During Special Enrollment
Nearly one million people have signed up for insurance through HealthCare.gov and premiums have fallen for many enrollees during the current special enrollment period, according to HHS on Thursday. The 940,000 new enrollees on HealthCare.gov from February 15 through April 30 represents an approximately 549,000 enrollee increase from the same period in 2020. HHS credited the American Rescue Plan for creating a special enrollment period. Those figures represent 36 states using the federal healthcare exchange platform. (Gellman, 5/6)

Axios: Biden Administration Announces 940,000 ACA Sign-Ups So Far This Year 
About 940,000 people have signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act since February, the Biden administration announced Thursday. There was a surge in sign-ups of about 470,000 people in the month of April alone. New subsidies and stimulus began April 1. (Fernandez, 5/6)

CNN: Almost A Million People Signed Up For Obamacare Coverage Through April After Biden Reopened Exchanges 
Almost a million people signed up for 2021 health insurance coverage on the federal Affordable Care Act exchange during the first 10 weeks of President Joe Biden's special enrollment period, according to data released Thursday from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That's well over double the number who turned to the exchange in the same period over the past two years, when enrollment was limited to those losing job-based policies and experiencing other major life events, such as divorce. (Luhby, 5/6)

Axios: Enrollment Surge May Help Democrats' Push For ACA Changes 
Democrats’ big investments in the Affordable Care Act appear to be paying off. Almost 1 million Americans have signed up for ACA coverage since February, roughly half of them in April alone, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said yesterday. The strong enrollment numbers could help Democrats make the case that some of their changes to the ACA should become permanent. (Fernandez, 5/7)

MSNBC: Biden's ACA Special Enrollment Period Continues To Pay Off
Last spring, as the coronavirus crisis first started to intensify, the Trump administration considered creating a special open-enrollment period through the Affordable Care Act. As regular readers know, this was generally seen as a no-brainer, but the Republican White House balked anyway, to the surprise of nearly everyone involved in the process. As Politico reported at the time, the decision appeared to be largely political: Team Trump didn't want to turn to "Obamacare" to help people in a crisis. That was then; this is now. (Benen, 5/6)

Axios: 1 In 6 Workers Say Health Benefits Are Stopping Them From Leaving Their Job 
One in six U.S. workers with employer insurance are staying in a job they may otherwise leave because they're afraid of losing their health benefits, according to a new West Health-Gallup survey. Black and low-income workers are particularly likely to say they're staying at their job for the health benefits it provides. More than half of respondents said they were concerned that the costs of health care services and prescription drugs will continue to rise until they're unaffordable. (Owens, 5/6)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Unemployment Claims Reach New Covid-19 Pandemic Low
Worker filings for unemployment benefits in the U.S. reached a new low since the Covid-19 pandemic began more than a year ago—the latest sign that the labor-market rebound is gathering force. Jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell 92,000 last week to 498,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. That brings the four-week average of initial claims, which smooths out volatility in weekly data, to the lowest point since the pandemic took hold, though still well above pre-pandemic levels. (Guilford, 5/6)

Politico: Hunger Rates Plummet After Two Rounds Of Stimulus
The percentage of Americans struggling with hunger is now at its lowest level since the pandemic began, suggesting the recent flood in aid from Washington is making a significant difference to families struggling economically. Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau this week shows the percentage of adults living in households that sometimes or often did not have enough to eat dipped to just over 8 percent late last month, down from nearly 11 percent in March. That is a substantial drop, and it came after hundreds of billions in stimulus checks went out. (Bottemiller Evich, 5/7)

In related news on covid's economic toll —

CNN: South Carolina And Montana To End All Pandemic Unemployment Benefits For Jobless Residents 
South Carolina is joining Montana in ending federal pandemic unemployment benefits for its residents next month. The Republican governors of both states say the enhanced jobless programs are dissuading people from returning to the workforce and are creating labor shortages. They are the first two states to halt participation in the historic federal expansion of jobless benefits, which Congress enacted last spring as the coronavirus pandemic began upending the national economy and costing millions of Americans their jobs. (Luhby, 5/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Fed Says Covid Is Major Financial Risk, Asset Prices Vulnerable To ‘Significant Declines’ 
The Covid-19 pandemic remains one of the biggest near-term risks to the stability of the financial system, the Federal Reserve said, while noting that asset prices are vulnerable to significant declines if investor sentiment shifts. (Kiernan, 5/6)

Politico: Millions Head Back To Work Amid Employer Confusion Over Masks, Vaccines 
Millions of people are flooding back to work as the coronavirus ebbs, but businesses say the federal government's failure to answer pressing questions over masks and vaccinations are complicating their reopening efforts. Despite President Joe Biden’s new goal of getting 70 percent of Americans vaccinated by July 4, and his call for every employer to offer paid time off for workers to recover from the shot, the government has yet to answer whether it’s legal for businesses to offer vaccine incentives to their staff. (Rainey, 5/6)

The Hill: House To Consider Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Bill, Protections For Pregnant Workers This Month 
The House is set to vote this month on bills to ensure workplace protections for pregnant employees, reform debt collection practices and combat a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Thursday. ... The House will take up bills next week to bolster mental health services, particularly for underserved and high-poverty communities, as well as a package to reform the debt collection industry.   (Marcos, 5/6)

Los Angeles Times: Black Moms Are More Likely To Die In Childbirth. Will Congress Do Anything About It?
Lawmakers pushing to address the nation’s rising maternal death rate — particularly among Black women — heard testimony Thursday on what Congress can do to address the problem. The rate of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. is the worst of any industrialized country, and the number of such deaths has steadily risen over the last 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Wire, 5/6)

Roll Call: Lawmakers Push For Action To Reduce Maternal Deaths 
Growing concern over maternal health disparities is prompting a flurry of congressional action, with lawmakers moving closer to consideration of policies that they say could reduce the rising number of maternal deaths. The House Oversight and Reform Committee at a hearing Thursday examined ways to expand the perinatal workforce, collect data and reduce the effects of racism on Black maternal health in the United States. (Raman, 5/6)

Los Angeles Times: Black Moms Are More Likely To Die In Childbirth. Will Congress Do Anything About It?
Lawmakers pushing to address the nation’s rising maternal death rate — particularly among Black women — heard testimony Thursday on what Congress can do to address the problem. The rate of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. is the worst of any industrialized country, and the number of such deaths has steadily risen over the last 30 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2019, the most recent year for which data are available, the maternal mortality rate in the U.S. was 20.1 per 100,000 live births, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. (Wire, 5/6)

Axios: Illinois Congresswoman: U.S. Health Care System Has Racism "In Its Foundation" 
The high maternal mortality rate for Black women in the U.S. is part of the systemic racism that permeates the country's health care system, Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Ill.) told Axios at virtual event on Thursday. The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rates in the developed world, largely due to high mortality rates among Black mothers, according to research by Commonwealth Fund. (5/6)

In related news about health and race —

Billings Gazette: Helpline Provides Faster Mental Health Care For Women In Perinatal Period
In an effort to connect women in the weeks before and after pregnancy with responsive mental health care, the state health department and a collaborative virtual psychiatry practice are partnering up to provide consultation with clinicians statewide. For the last three months, the groups have been piloting a project called PRISM, which stands for Psychiatric Referrals, Intervention, and Support in Montana. The program is made up of a free consultation phone line or website where clinicians treating a woman in the perinatal period can call to get psychiatric teleconsultation services from Frontier Psychiatry, a virtual practice based in Billings. (Michels, 5/6)

NPR: How Systemic Racism Continues To Determine Black Health And Wealth In Chicago
There is a 30-year gap in the life expectancies of Black and white Chicagoans depending on their ZIP code. On average, residents of the Streeterville neighborhood, which is 73% white, live to be 90 years old. Nine miles south, the residents of Englewood, which is nearly 95% Black, have a life expectancy of 60. Journalist Linda Villarosa says the disparity in life expectancies has its roots in government-sanctioned policies that systematically extracted wealth from Black neighborhoods — and eroded the health of generations of people. She writes about her family's own story in The New York Times Magazine article "Black Lives Are Shorter in Chicago. My Family's History Shows Why." (Gross, 5/6)

CBS News: The Asian American Foundation Launches New Campaign To Fight Anti-Asian Hate 
The Asian American Foundation is launching a new campaign in an effort to fight anti-Asian bias and "expand support" for the Asian community. The "See Us Unite" campaign will use culture and history to help educate about what it means to be Asian American. The campaign's messaging will be launched on social media, featuring Asian American celebrities such as actor Daniel Dae Kim, tennis star Naomi Osaka and Olympian skater Michelle Kwan. MTV, a division of ViacomCBS, will also air a special exploring the historic contributions Asian Americans have made to the country. The special, which airs May 21, will include performances from rapper Saweetie and singers Jhene Aiko and Sting. (Jones, 5/6)

ABC News: Man Charged With Premeditated Attempted Murder In Stabbing Of 2 Asian American Women 
The man who allegedly stabbed two elderly Asian women in San Francisco earlier this week is now facing multiple charges, including premeditated attempted murder, prosecutors announced Thursday. Patrick Thompson, 54, was charged with two counts of premeditated attempted murder and two counts of elder abuse, with enhancements for great bodily injury, great bodily injury on elders and personal use of a deadly weapon, in the "brutal" knife attack, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin said. (Shapiro and Deliso, 5/6)

NBC News: Trump Signed Off On Last-Minute Medicaid Changes. Now Biden Faces The Legal Challenges
Some now say TennCare is under threat because of changes made by the Trump administration that will last for a decade. Less than two weeks before President Joe Biden came into office, the Trump administration provided Tennessee a 10-year waiver that caps the state’s Medicaid funding. It also allows Tennessee lawmakers to use a portion of any federal cash they save from the program in other areas of the state. (McCausland, 5/7)

WKOW: GOP Guts Evers Budget, Rejects Medicaid Expansion Once More
As they pledged to do for months, legislative Republicans tore apart [Wisconsin] Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' proposed 2021-22 budget. In a single vote Thursday, GOP members on the budget-writing Joint Finance Committee voted 12-4 on a party-line vote to remove more than 380 items from the governor's budget. ... For much of the meeting, the two sides traded barbs over a Democratic motion to restore the Medicaid expansion, which in this budget cycle, would give the state an additional $1.6 billion in federal dollars. (5/6)

North Carolina Health News: NC Medicaid Is Moving To Managed Care 
North Carolina’s Medicaid program is shifting roughly two-thirds of its enrollees into managed care this summer, starting on July 1. In the process, thousands of enrollees — some of whom have never had to choose health insurance or a network — were thrust into a process that they many have found difficult and confusing. (Engel-Smith, 5/7)

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota Supreme Court Rejects Medicaid Supporters' Ballot Argument
A group that is seeking to expand Medicaid in South Dakota has lost its bid to refer a measure passed by the South Dakota Legislature aimed at making Medicaid expansion more difficult. The South Dakota Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Dakotans for Health cannot refer House Joint Resolution 5003 for a vote of the people because it is not a law. South Dakotans have the ability to refer laws passed by the Legislature to a vote, but the resolution doesn’t qualify, the court ruled. (Ellis and Sneve, 5/6)

In Medicare news —

Modern Healthcare: CMS Boosts Medicare Payments For COVID Antibody Treatment
CMS on Thursday increased Medicare payments for administering monoclonal antibodies to treat beneficiaries with COVID-19. According to the agency, Medicare's national average payment rate will increase from $310 to $450 for most healthcare settings. In addition, CMS will pay providers $750 for in-home monoclonal antibody infusions. The changes take effect immediately. (Brady, 5/6)

Stat: Amazon Care Signs First Customer For Burgeoning Health Business
Amazon Care signed its first enterprise customer this week, a significant milestone as the virtual-first health care platform looks to expand its footprint. The client, Precor, is a fitness business that was recently acquired by fitness technology company Peloton for $420 million in cash. Although small financially, the deal is a significant opener for Care, which in recent months has laid the groundwork for a national expansion, as STAT first reported in March. (Brodwin, 5/6)

Georgia Health News: Mercy Care Is Receiving $22 Million Boost For Atlanta Health Center
On any given day, Mercy Care’s facility in Atlanta gets more walk-in traffic from patients seeking dental care than the health center can handle. Getting a behavioral health appointment can take months, and if patients need vision care, they are referred to Mercy Care’s Chamblee facility. The Atlanta safety-net provider is getting an injection of $22 million to resolve these and other needs. (Miller, 5/6)

Houston Chronicle: Houston Methodist To Bring New Hospital To Cypress
The new hospital — to be modeled after Houston Methodist West and The Woodlands locations — is expected to have 400 beds, as well as medical office buildings and room for expansion. “We look forward to bringing our promise of leading medicine by adding a hospital to a rapidly growing area, and we understand the importance of offering comprehensive services in areas such as cancer, heart, neurosciences, woman’s services, orthopedics and sports medicine,” Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist, said in the press release. “The population of this area is predicted to grow almost 9% over the next five years, and we are committed to providing the highest quality care, like we have for more than 100 years.” (Feuk, 5/6)

The Boston Globe: Mass General Brigham’s Plan For Surgical Centers In Suburbs Stirs Controversy
An ambitious plan by Mass General Brigham to expand into affluent suburbs miles from Boston has set off a fight about the future of outpatient health care in Massachusetts. A group of rival health care companies has mounted an opposition campaign to block the expansion plan, worried that the state’s biggest health care provider will become even more powerful at their expense. They argue that Mass General Brigham’s plan to build outpatient surgery centers in Westborough, Westwood, and Woburn will encroach on the turf of important community health care providers and raise costs for the state by drawing patients away from these less expensive providers. (Dayal McCluskey, 5/6)

Modern Healthcare: Providers Fear HIPAA Changes Conflict With Interoperability, Info Blocking Rules
Providers, patient advocates and app developers broadly support a Trump-era rule that would make it easier to share patient health information, but they remain divided over how far the changes should go and concerned about inconsistencies across regulations, according to comments on the proposed rule due Thursday. Hospitals and medical groups said that easing the exchange of health information and allowing patients greater access to and control of their health records could enable better care coordination and management. But they're worried about giving more access to smartphone apps and other entities that aren't covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. (Brady, 5/6)

In other health care industry news —

The Baltimore Sun: Johns Hopkins University, Health System To Increase Minimum Wage To $15 An Hour 
Johns Hopkins, Baltimore’s largest private employer, will increase the minimum wage at its university and health system to $15 an hour. The hike affects some 6,000 Maryland workers — 1,700 in Johns Hopkins Health System and 4,834 at the Johns Hopkins University — and about 300 workers in Florida at Hopkins’ All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, the institutions announced Thursday. (Mirabella and Miller, 5/6)

NPR: Some Call Hospital Visitation Bans During Pandemic Too Strict
Kenneth Newton never imagined his mom would die alone. He lives in Petaluma, Calif. Last winter his mother developed a tumor while she was living in a nursing home in Tennessee. Her health declined quickly. Newton longed to visit, but it was against the rules. His mom saw people who delivered food and those who made sure she took her medicine. But otherwise she was alone, though Newton and his four siblings talked with her regularly. Then, last January, they received the dreaded call. His mom had died at age 92 without any family present. (McClurg, 5/6)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Louisiana House OKs Bill To Let Nurse Practitioners Work Without Doctors
The Louisiana House of Representatives has paved the way for nurse practitioners to practice independently of doctors, approving a bill Wednesday to keep in place an emergency executive order that Gov. John Bel Edwards issued earlier in the pandemic. The bill passed with a 60-41 vote and will proceed to the Senate. House Bill 495 has divided medical professionals. Doctors say patient safety is at stake, and nurses say they already practice relatively independently and that giving them more leeway will fill a worrisome gap in a state with a shortage of physicians. (Woodruff, 5/6)

NBC News: Nurse Burnout Remains A Serious Problem, Putting Patients In Danger, Experts Say
Joanna Engman always believed a career in nursing was her calling ."I loved working in the hospital," said Engman, a nurse in Colorado who entered the health care field a decade ago. "I wanted to be at the bedside of the disadvantaged, the sick, the dying, to be present with them in their most vulnerable times. "But Engman said that when Covid-19 reached the U.S. last year, her love of nursing came under unprecedented strain. "It's almost like you're in ethical warfare," Engman said of treating critically ill Covid-19 patients. "You're seeing someone who is scared and suffering, and you're not able to be present with them because you're so overworked." (Plum, 5/6)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Tossed Medical Records Spur Suit
Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge filed a lawsuit this week against two chiropractic clinics, claiming they discarded patients' personal information in a park near Mayflower. In the lawsuit filed Wednesday in Faulkner County, Rutledge alleged two chiropractic clinics, 501 Pain & Rehab, LLC in Conway and 501 Pain and Rehab Family Clinic of Russellville, LLC, violated the Personal Information Protection Act by dumping files with their patients' personal information. The lawsuit names Dr. John D'Onofrio, a chiropractic physician, and Donny McCuien, an officer and a manager at 501 Pain & Rehab Conway, according to the complaint. (Earley, 5/7)

Modern Healthcare: Hospital Outpatient Payment Rates Vary Wildly Across States
The patchwork of state regulations on hospital outpatient reimbursement has led to a wide variation in healthcare costs, according to a new report. The average workers' compensation payment for similar knee and shoulder surgeries performed in 2019 at hospital-owned outpatient departments in the highest-cost state, Alabama, was more than seven times the level paid in Nevada, the lowest-cost state, according to the Workers Compensation Research Institute's latest annual report. The variation between the average workers compensation payment and Medicare rates for those procedures were even greater, reaching a low of 38% (or $2,294) below Medicare in Nevada to a high of 502% (or $24,758) above Medicare in Alabama. (Kacik, 5/6)

KHN: Covid Testing Has Turned Into A Financial Windfall For Hospitals And Other Providers 
Pamela Valfer needed multiple covid tests after repeatedly visiting the hospital last fall to see her mother, who was being treated for cancer. Beds there were filling with covid patients. Valfer heard the tests would be free. So, she was surprised when the testing company billed her insurer $250 for each swab. She feared she might receive a bill herself. And that amount is toward the low end of what some hospitals and doctors have collected. (Hancock and Norman, 5/7)

Bloomberg: McKinsey Targeted By School Districts Over Opioid-Related Costs
McKinsey & Co. faces Kentucky and West Virginia school districts’ lawsuits alleging the company’s work for opioid makers fed an epidemic that harmed children and drove up educational costs, in the first such cases by educators against the consulting firm. McKinsey’s advice to opioid makers such as Purdue Pharma LP on ramping up sales of the highly addictive painkillers made it the “primary architect” of marketing campaigns that resulted in millions of opioid users’ addictions over the last 20 years, the suit on behalf of more than 170 Kentucky school districts says. (Feeley, 5/6)

Stat: Mass. Sues Publicis Over 'Marketing Schemes' To Boost OxyContin Sales
The Massachusetts attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Publicis Health, one of the world’s largest health care communications companies, for allegedly designing and placing unfair and deceptive “marketing schemes” to help Purdue Pharma sell more of its OxyContin painkiller. The state claimed that, from 2010 through 2019, Publicis (PUBGY) collected more than $50 million in exchange for creating plans that convinced doctors to prescribe Purdue opioids to more patients — and at higher doses for longer periods of time. (Silverman, 5/6)

AP: Family Of Chris Cornell Settles With Doctor Over His Death
The family of Chris Cornell and a doctor who they alleged over-prescribed him drugs before he died have agreed to a settle a lawsuit. Court documents filed by attorneys for the rock singer’s widow, Vicky Cornell, and their children, Toni and Christopher Nicholas Cornell, said a confidential settlement had been reached. The documents were filed in April, but they had gone unnoticed before City News Service reported on them Thursday. (Dalton, 5/7)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

Stat: Incyte Pays $12.6 Million To Resolve Charity Kickback Claims
Incyte (INCY) agreed to pay $12.6 million to settle allegations that donations amounted to kickbacks paid to Medicare patients as a way to cover their out-of-pocket costs, the latest in a growing list of drug makers to reach such a deal with the U.S. government. At issue is a federal law known as the Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits pharmaceutical companies from offering or paying — whether directly or indirectly — money or anything else of value to induce Medicare or other federal programs to purchase their drugs. The Department of Justice has previously alleged some charities made it possible for drug companies to evade the law. (Silverman, 5/6)

Stat: CRISPR Therapeutics, Nkarta To Develop Engineered Natural Killer Cells
Off-the-shelf treatments for cancer made from genetically engineered T cells and natural killer, or NK, cells have each shown promise in clinical trials. On Thursday, two biotech companies — Nkarta and CRISPR Therapeutics — announced a partnership that aims to merge the two immune-cell approaches together. (Feuerstein, 5/6)

Boston Globe: Dyno Raises $100 Million To Bring Artificial Intelligence To Gene Therapy
Dyno Therapeutics, a Cambridge biotech that uses artificial intelligence techniques to develop gene therapies, said Thursday that it has raised $100 million from investors. The company uses machine learning to design a type of gene therapy “vector,” or carrier, aiming to make treatments that are easier to deliver and more effective. Dyno said the funding would speed up the development of its vectors, which can be used to target liver, muscle, eye, and central nervous system diseases. The company also plans to explore new disease areas, including those that affect the heart and lungs. (Anissa Gardizy, 5/6)

CNBC: Norwegian Cruise CEO Says U.S. Ships Are Unlikely To Sail This Summer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is allowing cruise ships to resume operations this summer, but Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio says that will be unlikely given the agency’s tough requirements. “I seriously doubt we will be able to stand up a vessel out of a U.S. port in July. August is also in jeopardy and it’s all because of the disjointed guidelines from the CDC,” Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio said on CNBC’s Closing Bell. “What we received yesterday was anything but a clear path to restarting.” (El-Bawab, 5/6)

CNN: Norwegian Cruise Line May Avoid Florida If State Doesn't Permit Covid-19 Vaccination Checks, CEO Says
Florida's new law prohibiting businesses from asking whether employees or customers have been vaccinated against Covid-19 may take a toll on its cruise business. The CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. said Thursday it could cause the company to suspend Florida departures and move its ships elsewhere. (Kallingal and Rose, 5/7)

In other public health news —

Stat: Experts Brace For A Long-Term Impact On Mental Health After The Pandemic
The end of the emergency phase of the pandemic is in sight in the United States, at least for now. But as the weight of the crisis is lifted, experts are also anticipating a long-term impact on people’s mental health. For some people, the feelings of anxiety and depression that emerged during the pandemic will resolve as routines resume — people go back to the office, social connections are reformed, the seeming danger of activities dissipates. But others will face new or worse mental health issues that persist or even appear down the road, a number that could be quite large given the magnitude of despair and disruption. (Joseph, 5/7)

NPR: Why We Feel Exhausted And Irritable And Lack Focus During The Pandemic
In recent weeks, Dr. Kali Cyrus has struggled with periods of exhaustion. "I am taking a nap in between patients," says Cyrus, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University. "I'm going to bed earlier. It's hard to even just get out of bed. I don't feel like being active again." Exhaustion is also one of the top complaints she hears from her patients these days. They say things like, "It's just so hard to get out of bed" or "I've been misplacing things more often," she says. Some patients tell Cyrus they've been making mistakes at work. Some tell her they can "barely turn on the TV. 'All I want to do is stare at the ceiling.' " Others say they are more irritable. (Chatterjee, 5/6)

KHN: ‘I Just Feel Like Myself’: A Nonbinary Child In Their Own Words 
It’s 7:30 a.m. on a school day. Two parents are racing to get their three young children dressed, fed, packed for the day, into coats and out the door when 6-year-old Hallel runs downstairs, crying. Ari, Hallel’s father, is the first to ask “What’s wrong?” The answer launched a journey these parents never envisioned, described by words they’d not heard and questions they never thought they’d ask. (We’re using only first names for the family members in this story due to Hallel’s age.) (Bebinger, 5/7)

CBS News: Overcrowding Reduced At Largest Border Facility For Migrant Children, But Challenges Remain
Conditions inside U.S. Border Patrol's largest holding facility for migrant children have changed dramatically over the past several weeks. In March and early April, the Donna complex was acutely overcrowded, at one point surpassing 1,600% of its pandemic-era capacity. On April 2, for example, there were about 4,300 migrants held there, including 3,700 unaccompanied minors, the Border Patrol chief in Texas' Rio Grande Valley told reporters Thursday. On Thursday, when a small group of journalists were allowed to tour the Donna tents, the facility was holding about 800 migrants, including 330 unaccompanied children — an 80% drop, according to Brian Hastings, the Border Patrol chief. (Montoya-Galvez, 5/6)

In other news from the states —

USA Today: Alabama Lawmakers Approve Medical Marijuana Bill After Historic Votes
The Alabama Legislature Thursday gave final approval to a bill that would create a statewide medical marijuana program, following two historic votes and a House debate spanning more than two days. Alabama's House of Representatives voted 68 to 34 to approve the measure, sponsored by state Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, despite a lengthy filibuster from about a half-dozen dedicated opponents that delayed a vote on the bill on Tuesday. The state Senate concurred in changes to the bill late Thursday on a 20 to 9 vote. (Lyman, 5/6)

Bay Area News Group: CA Sues Mariner Nursing Homes For Poor Care, Dumping Patients
The state and four district attorneys have sued the operator of 19 nursing homes, including several in the Bay Area where dozens of patients and employees died of COVID-19, accusing it of “trading people for profits at every turn.” Mariner Health Care Services has “siphoned off funds necessary for appropriate staffing,” according to the lawsuit filed by the California Department of Justice and the district attorneys of  Alameda, Marin, Santa Cruz and Los Angeles counties. The unacceptably low staffing levels have resulted in insufficient care, leading to unnecessary leg amputations, bone ulcers, spread of infections and unreported sexual and physical assaults, the suit says. (Sciacca, 5/6)

Health News Florida: DeSantis: $1,000 Bonuses For First Responders Expected This Summer 
Gov. Ron DeSantis said he expects distribution “throughout the summer” of $1,000 bonuses that will go to first responders across the state for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bonuses, funded with federal-stimulus money, are tied to a record $101.5 billion state budget that lawmakers approved last week. The budget has not formally gone to DeSantis. (5/6)

The Washington Post: North Carolina’s 20-Week Abortion Ban Challenged In Federal Court
North Carolina abortion providers and abortion rights advocates asked a federal appeals court Thursday to invalidate a state statute that generally bars women from terminating their pregnancies after 20 weeks, a law similar to those on the books in more than a dozen states. Two of the three judges on the panel expressed doubts about the state’s defense that the lawsuit is a case without a controversy because no abortion providers in North Carolina have ever been prosecuted under the decades-old law. (Marimow, 5/6)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Can’t Fine Addiction Treatment Facilities That Break Rules. Some Lawmakers Want To Change That
On his drive to and from the state Capitol, state Rep. Mark Gillen often sees a state trooper’s vehicle.“ They usually don’t yell out the window to slow down,” said Gillen, a Berks County Republican. “If you’re going too fast, you’re going to get stopped, and you’re going to get fined, and it changes behavior.” That’s the argument Gillen is making as he tries to convince fellow lawmakers to give the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs the power to fine licensed addiction treatment facilities for violating state rules. (Mahon, 5/7)

KHN: 5 Things To Know About Health Care Changes In Montana
The 2021 Montana legislative session will be remembered as one of the state’s most consequential as a Republican-led legislature and governor’s office passed new laws restricting abortions, lowering taxes and regulating marijuana. But the debate over those and other highly publicized issues may have caused other meaningful legislation related to health care to slip off the public’s radar. Here are five substantial health-related policies that emerged from the recently ended session. They include bills that Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed or is expected to sign into law. (Volz, 5/7)

In mental health news from Maryland, New Mexico and Indiana —

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Gov. Hogan Announces $25 Million Project To Help Children Reverse Effects Of COVID Pandemic 
Maryland is launching “Project Bounce Back,” an effort to help kids recover from the stress and isolation of the coronavirus pandemic, funded by $25 million in federal aid. Gov. Larry Hogan visited a Boys & Girls Club in West Baltimore Thursday to announce the initiative to help young people recover from the “devastating” impacts of the pandemic, challenges that he said could have lasting effects on children. (Wood and Mann, 5/6)

Albuquerque Journal: Peer-Driven Teams To Respond To Mental Health, Drug Abuse Calls
Bernalillo County officials on Monday presented a check of $523,542 to Youth Development Inc., to assemble a trio of community engagement teams to help individuals and families “cope with the effects of living with mental illness and substance abuse disorders in the comfort of their homes and communities.” Bernalillo County Commission Chairwoman Charlene Pyskoty gave that description during a news conference, explaining that the CETs, will respond to people in the community, “and work to connect them to the support they need to be healthy and successful.” (Nathanson, 5/6)

Indianapolis Star: FedEx Shooting Prompts Exam Of Indiana's Mental Health System
The details differ with each tragic incident. A man in Milwaukee who killed five coworkers after lunch one day in the brewery where he worked. A man in a Boulder grocery store who killed 10 people inside. Most recently, and closest to home, a former FedEx employee who returned to the place he worked months before and opened fire, killing eight people. But in the aftermath of each of these events, all of which occurred in the past 15 months, two common threads emerged. Each of these mass shooters had legally purchased their guns and each had some past indication of mental illness. (Rudavsky, 5/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer, BioNTech To Donate Covid Vaccines To Tokyo Olympics Athletes 
Participants in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will have access to donated doses of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccines, the International Olympic Committee said Thursday, as the Games’ organizers attempt to boost the prospects of a giant global event whose status remains uncertain. The vaccines are approved for use in less than half the nations around the world, however, and some public health advocates believe they are coming too late to make a significant difference. (Bachman and Radnofsky, 5/6)

Reuters: Unused COVID Shots Piling Up In Japan Amid Slow Rollout
Unused COVID-19 vaccines in Japan are set to reach tens of millions of doses, as the country is poised to approve two more shots in coming weeks and the pace of its inoculation campaign remains slow due to manpower and logistical bottlenecks. Japan imported 28 million doses of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) COVID-19 vaccine through late April, but has so far used only 15% of the stockpile, with the remaining 24 million doses sitting in freezers. (Swift, 5/7)

In other global developments —

The Washington Post: Europe's Vaccine Campaign Is Accelerating. It Expects To Match The U.S. By July. 
After months of supply shortages and embarrassing blunders, Europe's coronavirus vaccine campaign is at last sprinting ahead, renewing hopes that the continent might meet its initial inoculation goals and tame the virus even while relaxing restrictions. Across the European Union, countries are touting new daily vaccination records. Supply concerns have eased. The E.U. is now administering roughly the same number of daily per capita doses as the United States, trending up while America trends down. (Harlan and Birnbaum, 5/6)

The New York Times: Baltimore Vaccine Plant’s Troubles Ripple Across Africa, Europe And Canada 
Quality-control problems at a Baltimore plant manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines have led health officials on three continents to pause the distribution of millions of Johnson & Johnson doses, as the troubles of a politically connected U.S. contractor ripple across the world. Doses made at the plant owned by Emergent BioSolutions have not been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States, and the Biden administration has repeatedly assured Americans that none of the Johnson & Johnson shots administered domestically were made there. (Hamby, LaFraniere and Stolberg, 5/6)

CNN: Sinopharm: As China Awaits WHO Approval For Its Covid Vaccines, The Philippines Is Sending Theirs Back
When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte live-streamed himself receiving a first dose of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine on Monday, it was supposed to encourage reluctant Filipinos to follow his lead and protect themselves against Covid-19. Instead, it drew a firestorm of criticism against Duterte -- for choosing a vaccine not yet approved by the country's regulators. (Gan and Griffiths, 5/7)

Bloomberg: Hong Kong Residents Revolt Against Covid-19 Quarantine Camp
It’s becoming a growing fear in Hong Kong: being sent to a spartan quarantine camp for as many as three weeks if a Covid-19 case is found in your apartment block. Now some residents are rebelling against the order. The government allowed “dozens” of people to remain in their homes Thursday night after they resisted an evacuation order, the South China Morning Post reported. Jonathan Cummings, a resident of the Royalton 1 building in Pok Fu Lam, said he and some neighbors had sent a letter to health chief Sophia Chan requesting they be allowed to quarantine in their homes, the SCMP reported. (Frost, 5/7)

Also —

The Washington Post: After Another Leak, EPA Probes Whether Limetree Refinery Poses ‘An Imminent Risk To People’s Health’ On St. Croix 
The Environmental Protection Agency said Thursday that it was weighing whether a controversial refinery on St. Croix posed “an imminent risk to people’s health” after a third accident in the span of three months sickened local residents and forced three schools to close. Residents across the island — some living as far as 10 miles away from Limetree Bay Refining’s operations on the south shore — began reporting feeling nauseous and ill on Wednesday after gaseous fumes started leaking from one of its oil refining units. The leak persisted Thursday, prompting the closure of two primary schools and a technical educational center. (Eilperin and Fears, 5/6)

Stat: In Belgium, Many Trial Sponsors Waffle About Reporting Required Results
The results of more than one-fifth of clinical trials that were conducted in Belgium have not been reported to a European database more than a year after the studies were completed, according to a new analysis that adds to the evidence of problems with clinical trial transparency. More than a dozen of the largest trial sponsors based in the country have registered 1,098 studies of investigative medicines on the European Union Clinical Trial Register. Of those, 292 trials were completed more than a year ago, but results were missing for 64, or 22%. (Silverman, 5/6)

AP: India Cases Hit New Record As Calls Grow For Strict Lockdown
With coronavirus cases surging to record levels, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is facing growing pressure to impose a harsh nationwide lockdown amid a debate whether restrictions imposed by individual states are enough. Many medical experts, opposition leaders and some of the Supreme Court judges have suggested the lockdown seems to be the only option with the virus raging in cities and towns, where hospitals are forced to turn patients away while relatives scramble to find oxygen. Crematoriums and burial grounds are struggling to handle the dead. (Mehrotra and Sharma, 5/7)

PBS NewsHour: How Social Media Is Saving Lives During India’s COVID Crisis
In the midst of a brutal second wave and a shortage of crucial life saving supplies, India’s COVID-19 patients and their loved ones are turning to social media to save lives. As India set a grim global record with multiple daily case counts of over 400,000, its underfunded health system has struggled to handle the rising number of people in desperate need for help. Searching madly for hospitals with open beds, flowing oxygen and antiviral drugs, Indian citizens and even hospitals themselves have taken to Twitter to plead for supplies. (Sharma, 5/6)

ABC News: New Jersey Doctor Who Was 'Giant' In Field Of Infectious Diseases Dies Of COVID-19 In India 
A distinguished New Jersey doctor considered a "giant in the field of infectious diseases" has died of COVID-19.Dr. Rajendra Kapila was a professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and was a founding member of the New Jersey Infectious Disease Society. The 81-year-old died in India on April 28, nearly three weeks after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Hindustan Times. (Shapiro, 5/6)

In other news about India's covid crisis —

AP: Personal Ties: Harris' Family In India Where COVID Rages
G. Balachandran turned 80 this spring — a milestone of a birthday in India, where he lives. If not for the coronavirus pandemic, he would have been surrounded by family members who gathered to celebrate with him. But with the virus ravaging his homeland, Balachandran had to settle for congratulatory phone calls. Including one from his rather famous niece: Vice President Kamala Harris. (Jaffe, 5/7)

Reuters: Australia To Reopen Door To India, Local COVID-19 Cluster Appears Contained
Australia will lift a ban on its citizens returning from COVID-ravaged India next week, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, as state officials reported that an outbreak in Sydney appeared to be contained. Morrison stood by his decision to impose a biosecurity order last month barring all travel to and from India, a policy that drew heavy criticism from lawmakers, expatriates and the Indian diaspora. (Packham, 5/7)

CNBC: JetSetGo CEO: India's Rich Are Not The Only Ones Fleeing Covid Crisis
Tycoons and Bollywood stars may be among the most high profile residents fleeing India’s shores on private jets as the coronavirus crisis escalates — but they are by no means the only ones, according to private jet charter company JetSetGo. The situation in India has become so dire that even upper-middle class families are pooling their resources to make an escape, its co-founder and CEO Kanika Tekriwal told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia.” (Gilchrist, 5/6)

ProPublica: A Crisis Of Undiagnosed Cancers Is Emerging In The Pandemic’s Second Year 
In the shadows of COVID-19, another crisis has emerged. With the pandemic in its second year and hope intermittently arriving along with vaccine vials, it’s as if a violent flood has begun to recede, exposing the wreckage left in its wake. Amid the damage is an untold number of cancers that went undiagnosed or untreated as patients postponed annual screenings, and as cancer clinics and hospitals suspended biopsies and chemotherapy and radiation treatments. (Eldeib and Gallardo, 5/4)

The Washington Post: The Worst Coronavirus Predictions 
An emerging target is a difficult one to hit. When something like the coronavirus comes on the scene, there’s plenty of (hopefully informed) guesswork involved. We saw that repeatedly in the early days of the pandemic, with some health officials downplaying the threat, warning people against using masks and generally giving advice that, even within a few months, became rather dated. But while some have criticized such comments and used them to question the advice of officials such as top federal infectious-disease expert Anthony S. Fauci, most of the worst punditry on this issue came later on, after the gravity of the situation became clear to those officials. (Blake, 5/4)

NBC News: Once A Covid Hotspot, Italian Village Now Intrigues Researchers With 'Super-Immune' Cases
Paola Bezzon thought her sniffles in December were just a seasonal cold until a serology test months later found coronavirus antibodies in her blood. And not just normal levels of antibodies. Researchers say she is "super-immune" — a person whose body seems to make more antibodies than normal. "I don't know why I have all these antibodies, but they are such a lifeline for me," she said. "They make me feel safe even though I haven't had the vaccine yet." (Vitalone, 4/29)

Also —

PBS NewsHour: Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Targets Lead Pipes That Threaten Public Health Across The U.S.
President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan includes a proposal to upgrade the U.S. drinking water distribution system by removing and replacing dangerous lead pipes. As a geochemist and environmental health researcher who has studied the heartbreaking impacts of lead poisoning in children for decades, I am happy to see due attention paid to this silent killer, which disproportionately affects poor communities of color. Biden’s proposal includes US$45 billion to eliminate all lead pipes and service lines nationwide. The funding would go to programs administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (Filippelli, 5/4)

USA Today: Embryo Research: 14-Day Rule Under Review, Raising Ethical Questions
For more than 30 years, scientists have followed a rule they imposed on themselves to avoid growing a human embryo in a lab dish for more than 14 days. Until recently, the "14-day rule" was largely academic. Scientists couldn't grow them for that long if they wanted to. But in 2016, two teams of researchers reached 12 days, and in 2019, another group grew monkey embryos for 19 days. These advances have spurred some scientists to argue in two recent papers that the 14-day rule should be modified or dropped. There's a lot to be learned by pushing embryos out to 28 days, they say. (Weintraub, 5/2)

The Washington Post: Book Review: A Blow-By-Blow History Of The Obamacare Wars
President Barack Obama had just been inaugurated when he began gathering aides in the White House’s Roosevelt Room for conversations about whether to try for health-care reform right away. On one of those winter days in 2009, his vice president, Joe Biden, unleashed what one person in the room called a tirade against giving immediate priority to health care. This treacherous policy terrain had been undermining presidencies for decades, Biden argued, and Obama shouldn’t jeopardize his time in office so soon.The scene, less than a paragraph long, is one of the most intriguing in “The Ten Year War,” an account by journalist Jonathan Cohn of the forces that gave birth to the Affordable Care Act and the forces that have tried to get rid of the law ever since. It is a striking image and not well known: the new second-in-command talking down the idea of attempting the very health-care changes that would, barely a decade later, become a central tenet of his own successful presidential campaign. (Goldstein, 4/30)

Miami Herald: Parents Want Justice For Birth Injuries. Hospitals Want To Strip Them Of The Right To Make That Decision
Ashley Lamendola was still a teen when medical staff at St. Petersburg General Hospital delivered the awful news that would change her life forever: Her newborn son, Hunter, had suffered profound brain damage and would do little more than breathe without help. “It was like an atomic bomb went off in my life,” she said. Lamendola believed the hospital was partly responsible for Hunter’s birth injuries. But Florida is one of two states that shield doctors and hospitals from most legal actions arising from births that go catastrophically wrong. Lamendola filed a lawsuit against St. Petersburg General anyway, and when it appeared she was gaining traction, the hospital advanced an extraordinary argument. (Marbin Miller and Chang, 4/29)

Also —

The New York Times: Operating Rooms Go Under The Knife 
If you ask Dr. Scott T. Reeves, operating rooms resemble an airplane cockpit. There is sophisticated equipment, tight spaces, blinking lights and a cacophony of sound. On top of that, “they’re often cluttered, people can trip, surgeons and nurses can stick themselves with needles, and side infections from dust and other contaminations are a growing problem,” said Dr. Reeves, chair of the department of anesthesia and perioperative medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. (Rosen, 5/5)

The New York Times: The Robot Surgeon Will See You Now 
Sitting on a stool several feet from a long-armed robot, Dr. Danyal Fer wrapped his fingers around two metal handles near his chest. As he moved the handles — up and down, left and right — the robot mimicked each small motion with its own two arms. Then, when he pinched his thumb and forefinger together, one of the robot’s tiny claws did much the same. This is how surgeons like Dr. Fer have long used robots when operating on patients. They can remove a prostate from a patient while sitting at a computer console across the room. (Metz, 4/30)

The New York Times: How To Forget Something 
Memory relies on what cognitive scientists call retrieval cues. Say you’re trying not to think about a painful breakup, but then the same type of blue Prius your ex drove pulls up next to you at a red light. Memories flood in. If you’re trying to forget something, become attuned to that memory’s retrieval cues so you can reshape the way your brain responds to them. You can try to avoid such triggers, but that strategy rarely works. A Vietnam War veteran might take care to shun anything reminiscent of warfare and still get yanked back into combat imagery while trying to order dinner at a restaurant. “How could you anticipate that a bamboo place mat would remind you of war?” says Michael Anderson, a professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Cambridge who studies memory. (Wollan, 5/4)

The New York Times: The Biology Of Grief 
In 1987, when my 18-year-old son was killed in a train accident, a chaplain and two detectives came to my house to notify me. I didn’t cry then, but a wall came down in my mind and I could do nothing except be polite and make the necessary decisions. When friends and relatives showed up, I was still polite, but the wall had now become an infinite darkness and I was obviously in shock, so they took over, helping me to eat and notify people and write death notices. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the more than 565,000 people who have died from Covid-19 in the United States. Each of them has left, on average, nine people grieving. That’s more than five million people going through the long process of grief. (Finkbeiner, 4/22)

The Washington Post: Why BMI Is A Flawed Health Standard, Especially For People Of Color
BMI has long been controversial among obesity experts, dietitians and the public. Many experts debate its effectiveness for people of all races and ethnicities — and criticize how it has become overinterpreted as a catchall proxy for body fat, nutritional status and health risk. (Stern, 5/5)

The New York Times: Psychiatry Confronts Its Racist Past, And Tries To Make Amends 
Dr. Benjamin Rush, the 18th-century doctor who is often called the “father” of American psychiatry, held the racist belief that Black skin was the result of a mild form of leprosy. He called the condition “negritude.” His onetime apprentice, Dr. Samuel Cartwright, spread the falsehood throughout the antebellum South that enslaved people who experienced an unyielding desire to be free were in the grip of a mental illness he called “drapetomania,” or “the disease causing Negroes to run away.” (Warner, 4/30)

The New York Times: Researchers Discover A Pregnant Egyptian Mummy 
An Egyptian mummy that for decades was thought to be a male priest was recently discovered to have been a pregnant woman, making it the first known case of its kind, scientists said. Scientists in Poland made the discovery while conducting a comprehensive study, which started in 2015, of more than 40 mummies at the National Museum in Warsaw, said Wojciech Ejsmond, an archaeologist and a director of the Warsaw Mummy Project, which led the research. (Waller, 5/2)

Bloomberg: Autism Is Difficult Enough For Children And Families. Then Came Covid-19 
In retrospect, the autism warning signs were all there. A calm, easy baby from birth, around the age of two my middle son appeared to stall. He had a magpie eye for complicated words and entire Peppa Pig episodes, repetitions I now recognize as echolalia. He had no interest in role-playing games and hated getting his hands dirty. Eventually, his hand-and-leg-flapping — so jerky that we thought he was having convulsions — triggered alarm bells, visits to the neurologist and some answers. I wonder today how that might have played out had it been 2020, with no school or playgroup to highlight differences, longer waiting lists for health services in many places, and plenty of Covid-19 restrictions. We might have waited months to be referred to a specialist, and not accessed speech and occupational therapy until even later, delaying support that has been instrumental in his development into a cheery middle-schooler. (Clara Ferreira Marques, 5/6)

NBC News: Texas Anti-Abortion Legislation Paves Way For Every Right-To-Lifer To Sue Abortion Doctors
Texas has spent years attacking access to abortion. After the state exploited the Covid-19 crisis last spring to try to close abortion clinics, it was hard to imagine it could get more extreme. But the Texas Legislature is poised to do just that, by approving legislation being billed as the first of its kind for the tactics it uses to prevent access to abortion. The measure has already been passed by the state Senate and is set to clear a House procedural vote on Thursday. The reconciled version is expected to get the governor’s approval when it reaches his desk. (Marina Garrett, 5/6)

Houston Chronicle: Most Texans Don't Want The Extreme Abortion Restrictions The Legislature Passed
On Wednesday, the Texas House approved Senate Bill 8, one of the most extreme anti-abortion bills in the country. If signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, this bill will ban abortion as early as six weeks, after the detection of what Republicans are incorrectly calling a heartbeat, with no exception for rape or incest. This is essentially an unconstitutional, total ban on abortion because most Texans don’t even know that they are pregnant by the six-week mark. After being elected by a bipartisan coalition, Speaker Dade Phelan has taken every opportunity to pave the way for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s radically conservative agenda to become law. This year, anti-abortion zealots introduced more than 50 bills that would further restrict or outright ban abortion care in Texas. SB 8 is one of the most radical bans we have ever seen in the nation. (Caroline Duble, 5/7)

The Boston Globe: State Must Close The Loophole That Permits Unvaccinated Children Into Schools 
Coronavirus has altered our lives forever. Public health experts agree that the only way past the current crisis is with widespread COVID-19 immunization and continued practice of COVID safety protocols. Currently about 146 million US adults, or 56 percent, have received at least one dose of a vaccine, and nearly 41 percent are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While COVID-19 has shown us what life is like without one vaccine, there is still the issue of acceptance of other vaccines we have had for years. Vaccines are safe and effective. They are the most thoroughly tested medicines administered across all fields of medical practice. They are more tested than insulin preparations for diabetes and asthma medications. According to the World Health Organization, we now have vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, which has had a major impact on survival and quality of life. Immunization currently prevents 2 million to 3 million deaths every year from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, influenza, and measles. (Jonathan Davis and Shetal Shah, 5/6)

Modern Healthcare: How The Industry Can Commit To Healthcare Workplace Safety
Our nation owes healthcare team members enormous gratitude. Throughout the pandemic, they have been a strong line of defense against COVID-19. Despite the demands of providing patient care for a disease unknown to modern medicine, with rapidly evolving information and new safety protocols, they came together to care for patients. They provided the best possible clinical care, and supported patients, families and each other in so many ways, whether their role was to keep hospitals clean, deliver food and nutrition, innovate to adapt care environments to improve safety, or provide administrative support. (Dr. Anne Klibanski, 5/6)

Stat: Pharma Should Collaborate On Efforts To Improve The QALY 
A key element in the long-simmering debate on reining in drug prices in the United States is how to ensure that prices are affordable, represent a sufficient reward to industry for the innovation it provides, and reflect the benefit that patients get from the medications they take. Higher prices should mean better health, right? (Dan Ollendorf, 5/7)

Stat: Faster Approval Of Complex Generics Is Central To Affordable Care 
The push to improve Americans’ use of effective and less-expensive generic medications is getting a much-needed push from the Generic Drug User Fee Act currently being negotiated between the Food and Drug Administration and the generics industry. This act can help improve access to complex generic medicines. That’s important for people with almost any condition, and is especially important for those with asthma and allergies, who I represent as president and CEO of the Allergy & Asthma Network. (Tonya Winders, 5/6)

CNN: Biden Strikes A Blow For Fairness In Sharing Vaccine Knowledge 
This week, the Biden administration took the unprecedented step of supporting a waiver of intellectual property protections on Covid-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic. Katherine Tai, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), said in a statement: "This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures. The Administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines." (Meenakshi Narula Ahamed, 5/7)

The Washington Post: We Could See A Winter Comeback Of Covid-19 If We Don’t Get More Americans Vaccinated Now 
After a long plateau that for a time looked like the start of a fourth surge, coronavirus infections are finally declining in the United States. More than half of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and adolescents 12 to 15 years old may be able to get inoculated as soon as next week. As Americans resume many aspects of pre-pandemic life, there is a sense that the worst is behind us. I share this optimism, but I also worry about what could be in store for us after a relatively calm summer. (Leana S. Wen, 5/6)

Scientific American: COVID's Outsized Impact On Asian Americans Is Being Ignored 
Headlines, health experts and policy makers rarely talk about COVID and Asian American disparities. Yet reports show that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) suffer from disproportionately high COVID death rates and hospitalizations. To make matters worse, their suffering remains largely overlooked in a form of invisible but deadly racial bias. In an analysis of 50 million U.S. patients, Asians were most likely to die from COVID and to be hospitalized compared to white patients, according to a September 2020 report from Kaiser Family Foundation and Epic Health Research Network. (Amy Yee, 5/6)

The Boston Globe: Vaccine Hesitancy, Or Obstinacy? 
Massachusetts vaulted over another milestone this week, closing in early on its goal of getting 4.1 million people vaccinated against COVID-19 by July. Most of New England is stepping up, with some of the highest vaccination rates in the country. But even here, demand for the shots has softened, and state health officials are worried that without a significant uptick, the dream of herd immunity from the deadly virus may be forever out of reach. After the initial rush, the work of vaccinating the public is getting slower and harder. Helpfully, most of the state’s universities, including the public UMass system, are requiring that students be vaccinated as a condition of living or studying on campus this fall. And many private companies expect to require employees to be vaccinated if they return to in-office work. But Massachusetts won’t be mandating vaccines for its executive branch employees. That’s thousands of workers — including prison guards, state troopers, social workers, and more who have close encounters with the public — who won’t be required to protect themselves and others. (Renee Loth, 5/7)

The New York Times: Our Pathetic Herd Immunity Failure 
Could today’s version of America have been able to win World War II? It hardly seems possible.That victory required national cohesion, voluntary sacrifice for the common good and trust in institutions and each other. America’s response to Covid-19 suggests that we no longer have sufficient quantities of any of those things. In 2020 Americans failed to socially distance and test for the coronavirus and suffered among the highest infection and death rates in the developed world. Millions decided that wearing a mask infringed their individual liberty. (David Brooks, 5/6)

USA Today: COVID Vaccine For Teens: Kids At High Risk Should Be A Top Priority
Last October, a large study from the United Kingdom revealed that when it comes to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, people with Down syndrome are "four times more likely to be hospitalized – and 10 times more likely to die – than the general population." My son, an autistic boy with Down syndrome, was 13 at the time and I remember the spike of dread that I felt when I read those numbers, confirming everything that I feared. A few weeks later, in early November, word came from school that he had been exposed to COVID. Then he got a low fever that just wouldn’t go away. My wife got a positive COVID test and a much higher fever. We spent half the month in terror that things would get worse, though thankfully they didn’t. (David M. Perry, 5/6)

The Baltimore Sun: Should We Still Get Outraged By Masklessness Indoors?
Rewind one year, and the ethics of mask wearing was distinctly black and white. Back then, it was perfectly justifiable to lambaste someone for not wearing a mask within an indoor public space. In fact, it was almost a civic responsibility. For example, take the Uber driver who arrived at a pickup, mask dangling beneath the chin and air teeming with their own respiratory fingerprint. Or the person in the Dunkin’ Donuts line sans mask and without so much as an effort to stretch their shirt to cover their nose and mouth. And what about the guy running maskless on the treadmill in the small gym in your apartment building’s basement? If they received a bit of a verbal shakedown, they deserved it! (Eric Dessner, 5/6)