The Washington Post: Pfizer-BioNTech Coronavirus Vaccine For Children Under 5 Could Be Available By The End Of February, People With Knowledge Say 
Coronavirus vaccines for children younger than 5 could be available far sooner than expected — perhaps by the end of February — under a plan that would lead to the potential authorization of a two-shot regimen in the coming weeks, people briefed on the situation said Monday. Pfizer and its partner, BioNTech, the manufacturers of the vaccine, are expected to submit to the Food and Drug Administration as early as Tuesday a request for emergency-use authorization for the vaccine for children 6 months to 5 years old, which would make it the first vaccine available for that age group. Older children already can receive the shot. (McGinley, Sun and Johnson, 1/31)

The New York Times: Covid Updates: Pfizer Vaccine Could Be Given To Children Under 5 By End Of February 
Kathrin Jansen, Pfizer’s head of vaccine research, said in December that the company would seek F.D.A. clearance for three doses for young children, a strategy that she said would allow for “a consistent three-dose vaccine approach for all ages.” The company switched its plan because the F.D.A. was pressing for more urgent action, two people said. If authorized, young children will receive their second dose three weeks after the first, and a third dose two months after that. (LaFraniere and Weiland, 2/1)

NPR: COVID Vaccine For Young Kids Could Be Ready This Month
"The key question is whether the parents of younger children will get their kids vaccinated," Dr. Celine Gounder, a clinical assistant professor at NYU Langone Health, said . "Parents are relatively more hesitant to get their young children vaccinated than themselves." (Granitz and Stein, 2/1)

CBS News: Novavax Could Offer Unvaccinated Americans A New Option, If Regulators Agree
Following a long-awaited submission of data to the Food and Drug Administration last month, Novavax announced Monday that it had formally filed a request for emergency use authorization of its protein-based COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.  If greenlighted by the FDA, Novavax's shots could be the first COVID-19 doses available in the U.S. based on a kind of "protein subunit" technology that has been used for decades in other routine vaccinations. Officials say having this option could help persuade some remaining vaccine holdouts to get the shots, as well as boost the Biden administration's international vaccine donation goals. (Tin, 1/31)

WTOP: Gaithersburg’s Novavax Officially Files For FDA Vaccine Approval 
Gaithersburg, Maryland-based Novavax, which began developing its protein-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate almost two years ago, has officially filed for approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its use in the U.S. The final FDA filing Monday comes months after Novavax had originally intended, and, while it may seem the company is late to the vaccine game, it sees its vaccine filling a void, particularly internationally. It does not require sub-zero storage, making it potentially more accessible to developing countries and remote areas. (Clabaugh, 1/31)

NBC News: Covid Vaccine: Novavax Asks FDA To Authorize For Adults
The Novavax vaccine is already available for use in at least 170 countries, but if cleared for emergency use in the United States, it would provide an alternative to the popular mRNA-based shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. For certain groups of people — particularly young men — the mRNA vaccines carry a slightly elevated risk of a heart condition called myocarditis. Novavax's vaccine has not been linked to myocarditis. (Lovelace Jr., 1/31)

CNN: Novavax Seeks FDA Emergency Use Authorization Of Its Coronavirus Vaccine 
The vaccine can be stored at normal refrigeration temperatures, between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius (about 35 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit), and has a shelf life of about nine months, according to the company. Stanley Erck, Novavax's president and chief executive officer, told CNN in November that if the FDA gives the green light for the EUA, the first 100 million doses of the protein-based vaccine will be ready to ship. (Howard, 1/31)

Stat: Moderna Wins Full Approval For Its Covid-19 Vaccine
The ever-evolving landscape of Covid-19 vaccines shifted again on Monday, with Moderna winning full approval for its jab from the Food and Drug Administration, and Novavax submitting a long-awaited application to the agency for an emergency use authorization for its vaccine. The approval of Moderna’s vaccine, Spikevax, makes it the country’s second fully licensed vaccine to protect against SARS-CoV-2. It’s also the first product the Cambridge, Mass., biotech has brought through licensure in the United States. The Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine, Comirnaty, became the first to be fully approved in August. (Branswell, 1/31)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Fully Approves Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine
Moderna completed its application for full approval of Spikevax in August 2021, which included results of a 30,000-person clinical trial. A final analysis of that trial found the vaccine, given as two doses 28 days apart, was 93% effective at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 disease, and that efficacy remained durable six months after the second dose. (Loftus, Fidler and Sylvers, 1/31)

Politico: FDA Gives Full Approval To Moderna's Covid-19 Shot 
The approval for people ages 18 and older will make it easier for schools and workplaces to require vaccination against the virus, now that there are two approved products to choose from, including Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid shot. It will also allow Moderna to market its vaccine directly to consumers. (Foley, 1/31)

CNBC: The Omicron Subvariant Is More Contagious, But Vaccinated People Are Less Likely To Spread It, Study Finds
The omicron BA.2 subvariant is inherently more contagious and better at evading vaccines than any other Covid strain, but vaccinated people don’t transmit it as easily as the unvaccinated, according to a Danish study published Sunday. The new subvariant, which has rapidly become dominant in Denmark, spread more easily across all groups regardless of sex, age, household size and vaccination status, the study found. (Kimball, 1/31)

CIDRAP: Study Suggests BA.2 COVID-19 Subvariant More Contagious 
Frederik Plesner Lyngse, PhD, the study's first author who is with the University of Copenhagen and Denmark's Statens Serum Institute, said on Twitter that it's important to sort out the difference between the two Omicron variants, because BA.2 is very different than BA.1, differing by about 40 mutations. (Schnirring, 1/31)

In related news about omicron's spread —

Bloomberg: Fast-Spreading Omicron Variant Less Likely To Stop Reinfection
New studies are emerging that suggest the latest version of the highly-infectious omicron variant is transmitting even faster than the original, and mild cases of the first may not offer much protection against future infections. The findings cast doubt on hopes that the wave of omicron that’s sweeping the world may help hasten the end of the pandemic. Calls for governments to treat Covid-19 as endemic like influenza are rising globally as people grow tired of pandemic restrictions, vaccines become more accessible and deaths remain relatively low. (Matsuyama, 2/1)

In news about ivermectin —

Newsweek: Reuters Corrects Report That Ivermectin Has Anti-Viral Effect Against Omicron In Humans
On Monday, Reuters reported that Ivermectin had been shown to have an "antiviral effect" against the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in phase III trials—which are conducted in humans—citing a press release by Japanese pharmaceutical company Kowa. However, Reuters later published a correction to this claim explaining that this statement was not true, and that what Kowa had actually found was that ivermectin had an antiviral effect against COVID-19 in non-clinical research. (Browne, 2/1)

Reuters: Fact Check: Mexico No Longer Including Ivermectin In Home COVID-19 Care Kits, Contrary To Claims On Social Media
Social media users have recently circulated an image allegedly showing a home COVID-19 care kit delivered by the Mexican government that contains ivermectin. “This is the Ivermectin Kit the Mexican Government is giving its Citizens for Free,” reads a tweet from Jan. 17 that has garnered more than 20,700 retweets. Starting Jan. 4, 2022, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) stopped including ivermectin in their home COVID-19 care kits for ambulatory patients, the IMSS Directorate of Medical Benefits told Reuters. (1/26)

AP: Pennsylvania Adding Long-Term Care Beds To Ease COVID Crunch 
Pennsylvania is setting up four regional support sites with as many as 120 beds to help hospitals and nursing homes under strain from COVID-19, state officials said Monday. The temporary sites will be located in existing skilled nursing facilities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as well as in Blair and Clarion counties, and will allow hospitals to more rapidly discharge patients in need of long-term care. (1/31)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Hospitals Strained By COVID Getting Help From Overflow Sites
Overflow units will open at four Pennsylvania nursing homes, including one in Philadelphia, in the state’s latest effort to ease the burden on hospitals pushed to the brink by an influx of patients infected with omicron, a nationwide staffing shortage, and workers out sick with the virus, the Department of Health announced Monday. Up to 30 additional beds for patients will open at Springs at the Watermark in Philadelphia, as well as at facilities in Pittsburgh, Blair County, and Clarion County, acting Health Secretary Keara Klinepeter said, to “allow for more rapid discharge of patients from hospitals.” (McCarthy and McDaniel, 1/31)

In related news about the spread of covid —

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Reports More Than 10,000 New COVID-19 Cases Monday
As a statewide test shortage continues to obscure true case counts, Utah reported 10,272 new COVID-19 diagnoses Monday, as well a near-record number of patients hospitalized with the virus. Since Friday, daily diagnoses have reached their lowest point in recent weeks, but it’s not clear whether that’s due to lower transmission levels or Utahns following state officials’ recommendation not to get tested after an influx of patients overwhelmed the state’s testing sites in mid-January. (Alberty, 1/31)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi's COVID-19 Cases, Fueled By Omicron, Remain High
There were 9,752 COVID-19 cases in Mississippi from Friday to Sunday, according the Mississippi State Department of Health. The omicron variant’s high transmission rate, the state’s low vaccination rate and holiday gatherings served as a breeding ground for the rapidly spreading omicron variant, state health officials said. The single-day count record was set Jan. 13 with 9,300 new COVID-19 cases. (Haselhorst, 1/31)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia COVID Deaths Rising As U.S. Deaths From Omicron Surpass Delta
The highly contagious omicron variant has pushed the daily average U.S. COVID-19 death toll higher than last fall’s delta wave as the nation nears a chilling milestone of 900,000 coronavirus deaths. The average number of deaths reported each day in Georgia has been growing, too. But it remains unclear if Georgia will surpass the peak that followed the devastating surge of the earlier delta variant. Two health experts interviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday seemed divided on whether the state has yet to reach its peak number of deaths or if the death toll has already begun to wane. (Trubey and Oliviero, 2/1)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: More Contagious, Detectable Omicron Subvariant Found In Wisconsin
A subvariant of omicron that could spread more rapidly than the original omicron has been detected in Wisconsin. A case of the subvariant, known as BA.2, was detected the week of Jan. 16 in Wisconsin, according to an online dashboard maintained by the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The subvariant has been found in more than half of U.S. states, with at least 194 known cases nationwide as of Sunday, according to a global database that tracks COVID-19 variants. (Volpenhein, 1/31)

Also —

American Homefront Project: In COVID-Weary New York, The National Guard Is Getting Medical Training To Help In Nursing Homes 
Just a few weeks ago, Robert Coleman was working at his civilian job as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service in Freeport on Long Island. Now, he’s one of 80 New York National Guard members in a pilot program that will train him to become a certified Emergency Medical Technician. Coleman and the other troops — most with no health care background — were placed into a four-week course to prepare them for the state EMT exam. The plan is to deploy them to nursing homes. For Coleman, this is just his latest pandemic relief mission on a list that keeps growing longer. (D'lorio, 1/31)

Appleton Post-Crescent: COVID-19 Is Leading Cause Of Death For Wisconsin Police, Firefighters
Since the pandemic began, the virus has been cited in more line-of-duty deaths among police officers and firefighters in Wisconsin than any other cause. By the end of 2021, at least five police officers and 10 firefighters in the state had died of COVID-19 in the line of duty, according to their employers. Those left behind continue to face challenges every day. Many have been sick themselves, unable to avoid the virus at a job that requires frequent face-to-face contact with the public. As the pandemic enters a third calendar year, more than 1.3 million people in Wisconsin have had COVID-19. More than 10,000 people have died. Those numbers continue to climb daily. (Mueller, 1/31)

Politico: Navy Secretary Del Toro Tests Positive For Covid 
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro has tested positive for coronavirus, according to a statement released Monday. Del Toro returned from official travel on Friday afternoon, the statement said, and had received negative tests on Jan. 21 and the morning of Jan. 28. He was Pascagoula, Miss., last week, where he toured Ingalls Shipbuilding. Mississippi Republican Rep. Steven Palazzo and Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith also took part in the shipyard tour. (Ward, 1/31)

The Washington Post: Coronavirus Vaccine Mandates Appear On Way Out At Virginia’s Public Universities After Attorney General’s Opinion
One by one, Virginia’s public universities appear to be falling into line with an opinion from the state’s new Republican attorney general, Jason Miyares, that they are not legally authorized to require students to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. On Monday, Virginia Tech announced it would no longer make coronavirus vaccination a condition of student enrollment. The University of Virginia, meanwhile, said it would no longer threaten to disenroll students this semester who do not get a vaccine booster shot. (Anderson and Lumpkin, 1/31)

In related news about vaccine mandates —

AP: Youngkin, Justice Seek Relief From Health Worker Vax Rule
Warning of hospitals and other health providers facing “an urgent staffing crisis,” the Republican governors of Virginia and West Virginia on Monday asked the Biden administration for a limited waiver to the federal vaccine mandate for health care workers. (Raby and Rankin, 1/31)

Charleston Gazette-Mail: Bill To Slash Unemployment Benefits Sidelined After Vaccine Amendment Adopted
A Senate bill aiming to reduce the number of weeks a person can receive state unemployment benefits was sidelined Monday after West Virginia lawmakers adopted a vaccine exemption amendment to the bill. Legislators left last Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee meeting with Sen. Mark Maynard, R-Wayne, proposing an amendment to Senate Bill 2 that would extend unemployment benefits to employees who are fired after refusing a COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Maynard spoke again Monday afternoon before discussion of the bill, saying he was going to withdraw his amendment because it could derail the bill’s intentions entirely. (Severino, 1/31)

AP: Austin To Governors: Guard Troops Must Get COVID-19 Vaccine 
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in letters to seven governors, is reaffirming the need for members of their states’ Army and Air National Guards to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccine or lose their Guard status. In nearly identical letters signed late last week, Austin tells the governors that the virus “takes our service members out of the fight, temporarily or permanently, and jeopardizes our ability to meet mission requirements,” according to copies obtained Monday by The Associated Press. (Baldor, 1/31)

AP: Mandate To Vaccinate New Orleans Schoolchildren Kicking In 
As school systems across the U.S. struggle to keep classrooms open amid the pandemic, New Orleans is set to become the nation’s first major district to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for children 5 and up, though state regulations will allow parents to opt out easily. Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, many schools in the city have been holding vaccination events, including one at KIPP Believe school. (Santana, 1/31)

The Boston Globe: After Much Fanfare, Other Cities Balk At Following Boston’s Proof-Of-Vaccination Mandate
When Mayor Michelle Wu announced in December that she would put in place a proof-of-vaccination mandate for Boston restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues, officials from several other Massachusetts cities stood with her in a show of support. “I’m so grateful to have regional mayors and municipal health officials here, city councilors, state representatives,” Wu said during a City Hall event, “because fighting this pandemic will require shared action and partnership.” But her call for unity has produced mixed results. (Gardizy, 1/31)

Also —

Hearst Television: Man With Kidney Failure Removed From Organ Transplant List For Not Getting COVID-19 Vaccine
A South Carolina man has been declared inactive on a kidney transplant list after he said he has no plans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Jason Wilson has had kidney failure since he was 10 years old. For a while, his condition improved, he said. But about two years ago, he began dialysis and was placed on Medical University of South Carolina Health's list for a kidney transplant. It was on Nov. 1 that he got a letter from the health system that said he would be moved to inactive status if he didn't get the COVID-19 vaccine by Jan. 1, 2022. "If you do not wish to be vaccinated, we will move you to inactive status until we are able to verify proof of completed vaccination," it read, in part. (1/31)

In news about protests —

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Anti-Vaccination Forces Push For Ouster Of Missouri’s Public Health Chief 
Anti-vaccination activists are attempting to block the confirmation of Gov. Mike Parson’s health chief, falsely alleging he wants to force all Missourians to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In a rally Monday, the group urged the Senate to vote down the appointment of Donald Kauerauf as director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Despite evidence to the contrary, the opponents argued that Kauerauf would attempt to require all Missourians to get vaccinated against a respiratory disease that has killed more than 17,000 Missourians. (Erickson, 1/31)

Politico: Medical Boards Get Pushback As They Try To Punish Doctors For Covid Misinformation 
Medical boards and other regulators across the country are scrambling to penalize doctors who spread misinformation about vaccines or promote unproven cures for Covid-19. But they are unsure whether they’ll prevail over actions by state lawmakers who believe the boards are overreaching. In Maui, the state medical board filed complaints against the state's chief health officer and another physician after they supported Covid-19 treatments federal health officials warned against. In Florida, the nominee for state surgeon general refused to directly answer on the effectiveness and safety of the coronavirus vaccine — and that’s after a local doctor filed a complaint to the state’s medical boards. In Idaho, local GOP officials appointed a pathologist who promoted unproven virus treatments to a local public health board, despite complaints from his peers to state regulators. (Tahir, 2/1)

The Washington Post: Joe Rogan Says He’ll Do Better Research On Covid, Give Listeners Opposing Views: ‘I Don’t Always Get It Right’
As a growing number of musicians yanked their work from the streaming service Spotify over misinformation about coronavirus vaccines, podcaster Joe Rogan posted a video this weekend admitting he could do more to better inform his millions of listeners, particularly when it comes to covid-19. Rogan, in a nearly 10-minute video Sunday night on Instagram, said he’ll make two changes to his show, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” to accomplish that. The first: have mainstream experts give their viewpoints after guests espousing more fringe opinions. (Edwards, 1/31)

Los Angeles Times: Science Podcasters Call Spotify's Support Of Joe Rogan A 'Slap In The Face'
Key people behind a popular science podcast on Spotify said Monday they were upset by the way Spotify has handled misinformation on Joe Rogan’s podcast and plan to limit their production on new episodes. “Spotify’s support of Joe Rogan’s podcast has felt like a slap in the face,” Wendy Zukerman, host and executive producer of “Science Vs” and Blythe Terrell, Science Vs’ editor, wrote in a letter to Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek. Zukerman and Terrell said they believe Spotify’s rules regarding misinformation do not go far enough. (Lee, 1/31)

AP: All-Out Effort To Keep Biden COVID-Free; No 'Normal' Yet
When President Joe Biden met with U.S. governors at the White House on Monday, he was the only one given a glass of water — lest anyone else remove their mask to take a drink. The president was seated more than 10 feet from everyone, including Vice President Kamala Harris and members of his Cabinet. A White House staffer who was wearing a surgical mask when Biden entered the room was quickly handed an N95 version. (Miller, 1/31)

In other news about mask-wearing —

Bloomberg: Denver To End Mask Mandate For Businesses This Week, Mayor Says
Denver will end its mask mandate for businesses Feb. 4 as Covid-19 cases decline, Mayor Michael B. Hancock said Monday, while cautioning “this is still a public health emergency.” Masks are still required at city schools, on public transit and at Denver International Airport, Hancock said during an online briefing. He also appealed for “a little less anger and petulance” over the ongoing restrictions. Scientific modeling suggests “omicron has run out of fuel in our community,” said Bob McDonald, director of the city’s department of public health and environment. (Del Giudice, 1/31)

WKRN: Free N95 Masks Now Available At Kroger
Need an N95 mask? Major regional grocery store Kroger now has them in stock. Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, Kroger now has N95 masks in stock and every person can get up to three free of charge as part of measures taken by the federal government to reduce further spread of the COVID-19. Most stores across Kroger’s Nashville division now have the masks and those that don’t should have them by Tuesday, Feb. 1. (Stilwell, 1/310

EdSource: What Are The Best Masks For Children To Wear At School During The Omicron Surge? 
The state Office of Emergency Services is currently distributing a total of 6 million child-size KN95 masks to county offices of education, which will distribute them to schools. For students who don’t have access to those masks, California public health officials advise wearing a surgical mask or a surgical mask with a cloth mask on top. Students who wear fabric masks are advised to opt for ones with three or more cloth layers. Any mask worn comfortably by a student is better than no mask at all, public health officials said. (Tadayon, 1/31)

Politico: Newsom Defends Maskless Photo At NFL Playoff Game 
California Gov. Gavin Newsom defended himself on Monday amid outrage over a maskless photo he took Sunday with basketball legend Magic Johnson at an NFL playoff game in Los Angeles where all spectators were required to wear masks. "I was trying to be gracious, and I made a mist — you know, I mean, I was trying to be gracious," the governor told reporters at a news conference on state mental health initiatives. "I took the mask off for a brief second. But I encourage people to continue to wear them." (Luthi, 1/31)

New York Post: Trump Supporter Asked To Remove 'Let's Go Brandon' Mask On Flight
A passenger aboard a Spirit Airlines flight claimed he was forced to remove his electronic face mask featuring the glowing slogan, “Let’s go Brandon,” along with the letters FJB — the code for “F— Joe Biden.” Adam Radogna, a supporter of former President Donald Trump flying from Cleveland, Ohio, to Tampa, Florida, on Friday, posted a viral video showing him being handed a surgical mask to replace the one he was wearing. (Steinbuch, 1/31)

Seattle Times: COVID Testing Company Faked Test Results, Lied To Patients, WA AG Lawsuit Says
An Illinois-based coronavirus testing company with at least 13 sites in Washington, faked or delayed test results (or provided none at all), lied to patients and failed to properly store test samples, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, describes how the company, Center for COVID Control, expanded to about 300 U.S. locations and allegedly took advantage of residents at a time when frequent testing was in high demand as a “critical tool in the fight against COVID-19.” (Takahama, 1/31)

In other testing news —

Lansing State Journal: Meijer To Offer Free At-Home PCR Testing At Pharmacy Locations
Meijer announced plans Monday to offer at-home COVID-19 PCR tests free to customers throughout the Midwest at its locations with pharmacies. The Grand Rapids-based grocery store chain is partnering with eTrueNorth, a Texas-based health care technology company, to provide at-home versions of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which experts believe to be the most accurate COVID-19 exam. According to a press release, Meijer is the first retail pharmacy to offer PCR tests at no charge. (Weber, 1/31)

ABC News: New York City Will Offer Free, At-Home Delivery Of COVID-19 Antiviral Pills
New York City has begun offering free, same day at-home delivery of COVID-19 antiviral pills to eligible residents although supplies remain limited. The program was announced by Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference Sunday at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. (Kekatos, 1/31)

The Mercury News: Santa Clara County Officials Announce Stricter Testing Rules For Healthcare Providers
Santa Clara County on Monday began requiring healthcare providers to offer patients a COVID-19 test within 24 hours in an attempt to shift more testing responsibility to hospitals and clinics who the county says haven’t been doing their part. “The county has been carrying a disproportionate burden of testing throughout the pandemic,” said Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody at a press conference Monday. “By a very wide margin.” The new stricter guideline narrows the county’s previous rules in September 2020 that required providers to get back to members by the end of the following day after a request for a test. (Greschler, 1/31)

NPR: When A Positive COVID Tests Means Losing Work, There's Little Incentive To Test 
A major public health tenet is that testing is critical for controlling viral spread, but Cristina San Martin could have found plenty of reasons not to test for COVID-19. At-home rapid tests have been sold out, and lines at lab testing sites have wrapped around the block and booked a week in advance. As a dog washer at a grooming salon, San Martin can't afford $150 to test at an urgent-care site. (Noguchi, 2/1)

Also, how incomplete data has hurt pandemic response efforts —

The Boston Globe: How Patchy COVID Data Hampered The Pandemic Response
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control reported more than half a million new positive cases of COVID, a daily figure that serves as a crucial barometer for a nation muddling its way through the Omicron wave. But the actual number of new infections, which may well be higher, is a mystery — just like the overall number of people who have been infected so far. Two years after COVID began spreading in this country, the United States is operating with patchy and incomplete data about the virus, a problem experts say has hampered the response to one variant after another and leaves the country just as vulnerable to the next one. (Bidgood, 2/1)

Stat: More Democrats Flag ‘Questions’ About Biden’s FDA Pick Califf 
Nearly a dozen Democratic senators aren’t yet willing to publicly support President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration pick, Robert Califf, despite his sailing through a key health committee vote earlier this month. It’s a surprising level of uncertainty for Califf, who earned almost unanimous support when he was confirmed to lead the same agency in 2016. And it’s surprising, too, given the power that the FDA has to shape the response to the Covid-19 pandemic — a response for which Biden is increasingly being criticized. The FDA, which is responsible for evaluating the safety of Covid-19 tests, vaccines, and therapeutics, has been without a Senate-confirmed leader for more than a year. (Florko and Cohrs, 2/1)

Politico: Biden’s FDA Pick Makes Major Ethics Pledges To Win Over Elizabeth Warren 
President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Food and Drug Administration is making major ethics concessions to Sen. Elizabeth Warren as he tries to lock down critical confirmation votes. Robert Califf, who was first nominated more than two months ago, is agreeing to not seek employment or compensation from any pharmaceutical or medical device company that he interacts with “for four years” following his time in government, according to a letter he sent to the Massachusetts Democrat and obtained by POLITICO. (Barron-Lopez and Cancryn, 1/31)

Meanwhile, White House officials are reportedly unhappy with Heath and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra —

The Washington Post: White House Frustrations Grow Over Health Chief Becerra’s Handling Of Pandemic
White House officials have grown so frustrated with top health official Xavier Becerra as the pandemic rages on that they have openly mused about who might be better in the job, although political considerations have stopped them from taking steps to replace him, officials involved in the discussions said. ... dissatisfaction has escalated in recent months as the omicron variant has sickened millions of Americans in a fifth pandemic wave amid confusing and sometimes conflicting messages from top health officials that brought scrutiny to Biden’s strategy, according to three senior administration officials and two outside advisers with direct knowledge of the conversations. (Diamond, Abutaleb and Pager, 1/31)

And in news from the EPA —

AP: EPA Restores Rule To Limit Power-Plant Mercury Emissions
In yet another reversal of a Trump-era action, the Environmental Protection Agency said Monday it will resume enforcement of a rule that limits power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants. The EPA action restores a 2012 rule imposed under President Barack Obama that was credited with curbing mercury’s devastating neurological damage to children and prevented thousands of premature deaths while reducing the risk of heart attacks and cancer, among other public health benefits. (Daly, 1/31)

The Wall Street Journal: EPA Moves To Restore Obama-Era Rules On Power Plants
The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday moved to restore a federal determination that allowed it to regulate mercury, lead and other toxic metals from coal-fired and oil-fired power plants. Under the Obama administration, the EPA said it had the authority to regulate emissions of mercury and other toxic metals from power plant emissions under the Clean Air Act as long as EPA officials determined it was “appropriate and necessary. ”In 2020, the Trump administration withdrew that determination, saying that regulators made errors when calculating the costs and benefits of the rules. (Stech Ferek, 1/31)

In other news from the Biden administration —

The Hill: Biden To Relaunch 'Cancer Moonshot' Effort At Wednesday Event
President Biden on Wednesday will host a relaunch of the "cancer moonshot" project he oversaw during the Obama administration. Biden will be joined by Vice President Harris and first lady Jill Biden for the event at the White House. Additional details were not immediately available. (Samuels, 1/31)

Bloomberg: Biden White House Appoints Czar To Tackle Homelessness
The White House has named a point person in the Biden administration’s efforts to reverse the alarming rise of homelessness across the U.S. Jeff Olivet will serve as the executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, an office that coordinates the work of 19 federal agencies to address the housing crisis. Olivet is the cofounder of an anti-racist consultancy, Racial Equity Partners. He is also the former chief executive officer of the Center for Social Innovation (now C4 Innovations), a company that provides training and technical guidance for housing groups and social providers to confront racism and other systemic issues. Olivet has experience working directly with homeless people as a street outreach worker, case manager and housing coordinator. (Capps, 1/31)

Los Angeles Times: Single-Payer Healthcare Bill Dies In California Assembly
Lawmakers declined to vote on a high-profile effort to overhaul California’s healthcare system on Monday, putting an end to a proposal that would have guaranteed medical coverage to every resident by levying billions in new taxes. Assembly Bill 1400 by Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) did not have the necessary votes to move forward ahead of a key deadline Monday. Instead of forcing a vote that could be politically damaging for some of his Democratic colleagues, Kalra opted to let the bill die, angering the California Nurses Assn. that has championed single-payer for years. (Gutierrez, 1/31)

The Wall Street Journal: California Single-Payer Healthcare Plan Shelved At Last Minute
A bill that would have established the first single-payer healthcare system in the U.S. was pulled from consideration hours before a planned vote in the California Assembly Monday after its author concluded there wasn’t enough support for it to pass. The bill would have eliminated most private insurance in the nation’s most populous state in favor of a system called CalCare that would cover all residents, regardless of income or immigration status. A companion bill to fund the program, which now won’t be voted on, would have raised an estimated $163 billion from increased payroll taxes and income taxes on the wealthy, as well as a tax on gross receipts for certain businesses. (Mai-Duc, 1/31)

In other health news from California —

AP: California Moves To Toughen State's Nursing Home Oversight 
California lawmakers on Monday moved to strengthen the state’s oversight of nursing homes, barring anyone from operating a skilled nursing facility without a license. Democratic Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi said his bill would give the California Department of Public Health stronger authority to block unqualified and unethical owners by shutting down what he said is an increasing number of for-profit nursing home chains operating unlicensed nursing homes. (Thompson, 1/31)

Los Angeles Times: California Moves Forward On Plans To Shut Down Death Row
Nearly three years after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order that halted executions in California, the state is accelerating an effort to move incarcerated people off death row and into other prisons. California voters in 2016 approved Proposition 66, an initiative to speed up executions in the state’s complicated death row system. Another provision of the ballot measure allowed for death row inmates to be housed in other prisons, where they are required to work and pay 70% of their income to registered victims. (Wiley and Winton, 1/31)

AP: US Military To Appeal Hawaii's Order To Drain Fuel Tanks 
A top U.S. military official said Monday the Defense Department will appeal Hawaii’s order that it drain fuel from a massive tank farm that leaked petroleum into the Navy’s water system and contaminated Pearl Harbor’s tap water. Even so, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said in a statement the military continues to take actions “consistent with” Hawaii’s order to drain the tanks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. (McAvoy, 2/1)

In other environmental news from Maine and Pennsylvania —

Bangor Daily News: Maine May Have To Spend Tens Of Millions Per Year To Fight ‘Forever Chemicals’
Maine may need to spend $20 million annually to fight harmful “forever chemicals” increasingly being found in land and water here, top state officials said Monday. The finding from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection was just the estimated cost of remediating places polluted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are typically referred to as PFAS. It does not include other costs to the state, which could include reimbursing property owners or farmers whose livelihoods are affected by the chemicals. (Andrews, 1/31)

Yale Environment 360: For Low-Income Pittsburgh, Clean Air Remains An Elusive Goal
Still, more than 50 years after the passage of the landmark federal legislation, the region’s air remains among the most polluted in the country. Allegheny County, which includes the city and the surrounding area, is in the top 1 percent of U.S. counties for cancer risk from toxic air pollutants released from stationary sources, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The county still struggles to meet federal health standards for pollutants, including particulates and ground-level ozone, resulting in some of America’s highest rates of asthma, COPD, and cardiovascular disease, especially among the low-income communities of color that are the most exposed. (Hurdle, 1/31)

In other news from across the U.S. —

AP: Bill To Put Teachers On State Health Insurance Advances 
Legislation allowing Idaho K-12 teachers and other school workers to take home more of their paychecks by giving school districts an opportunity to leave private health care carriers and join the state’s self-funded health insurance plan cleared a Senate panel on Monday and headed to the full Senate. The Senate Education Committee voted to approve the plan that backers said is needed to help the state hire and retain teachers and other school workers by reducing premiums and lowering deductibles. Backers also said it could reduce reliance on school levies some school districts use that can raise property taxes. (Ridler, 1/31)

Billings Gazette: Jury Finds Billings Care Home Negligent In Death Of Patient
Ajury has found Canyon Creek Memory Care in Billings was negligent in the 2018 death of resident Owen Daniel Shively. Shively arrived at the care center on Dec. 13 and was assaulted by another patient Dec. 17 and died five days later. The patient pushed the 72-year-old Shively to the floor causing a fatal skull fracture, the victim’s family stated in a lawsuit. A Billings District Court jury on Jan. 28 awarded Tana Shively, the victim’s spouse, $310,000. The jury found that Canyon Creek was negligent in not managing the violent patient who pushed Shively, and that the negligence led to his death. (1/31)

The CT Mirror: Legislators Push Inquiry Into Nursing Home Operator
The nursing home operator that already had one facility closed by the state last year because of a COVID outbreak is facing an investigation at another facility over allegations that as much as $250,000 that was supposed to go to employees was never distributed. Several legislators have asked the state Department of Social Services to investigate why the JACC Healthcare Group has not given the employees at the Vanderman Place Nursing Home and Healthcare Facility in Willimantic 4.5% salary increases that the legislature approved last year. (Altimari, 1/31)

North Carolina Health News: Up And Down Prison Visitation In Pandemic For Families 
Prisoners are not the only ones impacted by their incarceration. A prison or jail sentence affects that person’s family, from parents and siblings to partners and children. It means being separated from the outside world, missing birthdays and weddings, missing funerals. Not being there when they’re needed most. That absence is also felt by the people who did not commit any crime, the loved ones who become collateral damage. As the newest variant of the SARS CoV2 virus continues to permeate throughout the state’s prisons, it affects the ability of incarcerated people to communicate with their loved ones. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety has limited visitation as different prisons experience outbreaks in order to limit the spread of the virus both in the facility and outside in the community. (Thompson, 2/1)

Dallas Morning News: Amid Latest Surge, Essential Workers Weigh Financial, Health Aspects Of Staying On The Job
Thousands of North Texas essential workers fear like never before the possibilities of contracting COVID-19 and having to work while sick to support their families. Whether because taking time off would leave their families with no income or because their bosses want them on the job even while sick, these employees say they have no choice but to continue working. “There is currently no law that prevents an employer from requiring an employee to come to work if that employee tests positive for COVID-19,” said Jamila Brinson, a labor and employment attorney at Jackson Walker LLP in Dallas. (Garcia and Ramos Pacheco, 1/31)

Stat: How A Decades-Old Database Became A Hugely Profitable Dossier On The Health Of 270 Million Americans 
To most Americans, the name MarketScan means nothing. But most Americans mean everything to MarketScan. As a repository of sensitive patient information, the company’s databases churn silently behind the scenes of their medical care, scooping up their most guarded secrets: the diseases they have, the drugs they’re taking, the places their bodies are broken that they haven’t told anyone but their doctor. The family of databases that make up MarketScan now include the records of a stunning 270 million Americans, or 75% of the population. (Ross, 2/1)

Stat: Founder Of MarketScan, Health Database Sold By IBM, Sounds Alarm On Privacy
Ernie Ludy doesn’t normally give interviews. He cashed out of the pioneering medical data business he founded more than three decades ago and has mostly stayed out of the public eye, preferring to quietly pursue his passion for disruption at a Florida-based private equity firm. He made an exception when STAT called to discuss the sale of his now sprawling MarketScan databases by IBM, which unloaded the core assets of its failed Watson Health business in January to an investment company in California. (Ross, 2/1)

In other health care industry news —

Politico: Crisis Text Line Ends Data-Sharing Relationship With For-Profit Spinoff 
The nonprofit mental-health hotline Crisis Text Line ended its data-sharing relationship with a for-profit spinoff Monday, three days after POLITICO reported on ethics and privacy concerns the arrangement had raised. It was a quick turnabout for Crisis Text Line, a nearly decade-old charity that has drawn praise for applying Silicon Valley’s data-mining tactics — backed by tens of millions of dollars in tech industry money — to human problems such as suicidal thoughts, anxiety and emotional abuse. (Hendel, 1/31)

Modern Healthcare: Walmart Partners With AI-Driven Health At Scale
Walmart will offer employees access to technology company Health at Scale's services that include provider recommendations based on outcomes, ratings and other metrics, the retailer announced Monday. "Customizing services and treatments to individual needs is the next frontier in healthcare and is a major part of Walmart's commitment to helping associates and their family members find great doctors," Lisa Woods, Walmart's vice president of U.S. benefits, said in a news release. "We are excited to launch this collaboration with Health at Scale and are eager to see the impact that another innovative benefit like this will have on associates' healthcare experience and outcomes." (Gillespie, 1/31)

Crain's Detroit Business: Beaumont-Spectrum Merger Becomes Official Tuesday, Making It Michigan's Largest Employer
Beaumont Health and Grand Rapids' Spectrum Health will launch as one integrated health system on Feb. 1. The temporarily named BHSH Health passed regulatory merger approval and is now the largest employer in the state with roughly 64,000 employees, ahead of General Motors Co.'s roughly 48,000 Michigan employees and Ford Motor Co.'s 47,000 local employees. The companies previously announced the intent to merge in June 2021 but were delayed by regulatory approval. (Walsh, 1/31)

Modern Healthcare: Cardinal Health To Pay $13M To Settle Kickback Allegations
Cardinal Health will pay $13.1 million to settle allegations that it paid kickbacks to physicians to get them to purchase specialty drugs through Cardinal, the Justice Department announced Monday. The Dublin, Ohio-based wholesale distributor allegedly gave doctors upfront cash discounts to use Cardinal for their pharmaceutical purchases, which violated the anti-kickback statutes, the DOJ said. Upfront rebates must be tied to specific purchases and should be clawed back if the buyer misses the quota, investigators warned, noting that Cardinal failed to follow those regulations. (Kacik, 1/31)

Axios: Remote Patient Monitoring Is Raking In Venture Funding 
As COVID-19 dials up demand on health systems large and small, startups offering to unload some of the burden with digital devices are raking in the cash. Most recently, Athelas, a remote patient monitoring company, raised $132 million in two back-to-back rounds led by General Catalyst (GC) and Tribe Capital, respectively, GC managing director Hemant Taneja tells Axios. Once reserved for isolated scenarios, remote patient monitoring (RPM) is rapidly becoming a common practice among hospitals seeking to provide care outside of their four walls. (Brodwin, 2/1)

KHN: Faxes And Snail Mail: Will Pandemic-Era Flaws Unleash Improved Health Technology? 
Jamie Taylor received two letters from the Missouri Department of Social Services Family Support Division that began, “Good news,” before stating that she was denied Medicaid coverage. Her income exceeded the state’s limits for the federal-state public health insurance program for people with low incomes. Missouri officials now blame the incongruous greeting for the decidedly bad news on a computer programming error, but it was just the beginning of Taylor’s ongoing saga trying to get assistance from Missouri’s safety net. Taylor, now 41, spent hours on the phone, enduring four-hour hold times and dropped calls, and received delayed mailings of time-sensitive documents to her home in Sikeston. (Sable-Smith, 2/1)

NPR: Cervical Cancer Kills Black Women At A Disproportionately Higher Rate Than Whites
For many women, cervical cancer — while scary — is largely preventable, and if caught early, has a five-year survival rate of over 90%. Despite the usually favorable prognosis, an estimated 4,290 U.S. women died of cervical cancer in 2021. Black women, like Williams, are more likely to have a late-stage diagnosis of the disease and are almost one-and-a-half times more likely to die of cervical cancer than white women, according to a joint report by the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative for Economic and Social Justice (SRBWI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW). The study, based in rural Georgia, found "glaring racial disparities" in cervical cancer deaths at a rate that only worsened with age. (Wise, 1/31)

In other public health news —

CNBC: Psychologists: Metaverse Could Be A Problem For Kids' Mental Health
If there’s one thing that tech companies, retailers, content creators and investors can agree on, it’s this: There’s plenty of money to be made from the metaverse. But as CEOs try to elbow past their rivals to gain a foothold in the still nascent digital space, some psychologists and mental health experts say the race to turn a profit is taking attention away from a crucial question: Will the metaverse be a safe place, especially for kids and teens? (Huddleston Jr., 1/31)

KHN: Colleges Struggle To Recruit Therapists For Students In Crisis 
Early in his first quarter at the University of California-Davis, Ryan Manriquez realized he needed help. A combination of pressures — avoiding covid-19, enduring a breakup, dealing with a disability, trying to keep up with a tough slate of classes — hit him hard. “I felt the impact right away,” said Manriquez, 21. After learning of UC-Davis’ free counseling services, Manriquez showed up at the student health center and lined up an emergency Zoom session the same day. He was referred to other resources within days and eventually settled into weekly group therapy. (Kreidler, 2/1)

CNBC: Obamacare Plans Are More Affordable, Helping The Great Resignation
Workers are quitting their jobs in record numbers – part of what is now called The Great Resignation. Around 4 million workers have quit each month between July and November 2021. Erica Leman had maintained a side hustle as a wedding photographer for 12 years. Like millions of other Americans, Leman, who was working in higher education, took the pandemic as a sign to make a career change. “We had one pandemic, what’s the chances of it happening again, during my lifetime?” Leman said. “The worst that could happen is that I go back to a job. That’s not the end of the world.” American workers who are becoming their own bosses may be gaining new financial freedom, but they’re losing a big advantage: health insurance benefits. More than 54% of Americans had insurance through their employer in 2020, according to U.S. Census data. (Morabito, 1/31)

KHN: ‘American Diagnosis’ Episode 2: Reclaiming Native Food Traditions To Nourish Indigenous People 
Reagan Wytsalucy was looking for a lost orchard. Martin Reinhardt wanted to know more about and better understand the taste of Indigenous foods before European colonization in North America. They followed different paths, but their goals were similar: to reclaim their food traditions to improve the health and vitality of their communities. Native foodways of hunting, fishing, gathering, and farming have been under threat since the arrival of Europeans. Colonization, forced relocations, and, later, highly processed foods fundamentally reshaped the diet of many Indigenous people. The effects of those changes have rippled through generations. Now, Indigenous people are twice as likely to have diabetes as white Americans, according to a 2017 CDC report. (2/1)

NPR: Elana Meyers Taylor And Other Bobsledders Test Positive For COVID-19 In Beijing
The Winter Olympic opening ceremony is just three days away and the U.S. Bobsled team is struggling with several COVID-19 infections among its athletes. This includes decorated bobsledder Elana Meyers Taylor, who announced on Twitter Tuesday, that she tested positive for COVID two days after arriving in Beijing on Jan. 27. Meyers Taylor, who is 37 and a three-time Olympic medalist, said getting to this year's event as a new mom "has been the most challenging." Testing positive for COVID has made it all the more difficult. (Diaz, 2/1)

In other global covid news —

Reuters: U.S. CDC Warns Against Travel To Mexico, Brazil, Singapore Over COVID-19
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday advised against travel to a dozen countries because of high rates of coronavirus infection, including Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Ecuador, Kosovo, Philippines and Paraguay. The CDC now lists nearly 130 countries and territories with COVID-19 cases as "Level Four: Very High." It also added Anguilla, French Guiana, Moldova and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to its highest level on Monday. (Shepardson, 1/31)

AP: Denmark Ends Most COVID-19 Restrictions 
Denmark on Tuesday became one of the first European Union countries to scrap most pandemic restrictions as the Scandinavian country no longer considers the COVID-19 outbreak “a socially critical disease.” The reason for that is that while the omicron variant is surging in Denmark, it’s not placing a heavy burden on the health system and the country has a high vaccination rate, officials have said. (2/1)

The New York Times: Report on Downing Street Parties Deepens Crisis for Boris Johnson
A long-awaited report on parties in Downing Street during the pandemic dealt Prime Minister Boris Johnson a stinging blow on Monday, condemning him for failed leadership and painting a damning picture of “excessive” workplace drinking in the inner sanctum of the British government. Mr. Johnson had hoped the release of the 11-page document would allow him to put a festering scandal over illicit parties behind him. But instead he was battered in Parliament, facing a new round of questions about his personal participation in social gatherings that appear to have violated lockdown rules meant to stop the spread of Covid-19. (Landler and Castle, 1/31)

CNN: Justin Trudeau, Canadian Prime Minister, Tests Positive For Covid-19
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has tested positive for Covid-19, he announced Monday, as his nation continues to face a surge in cases due to the Omicron variant, as well as rowdy protests in the capital over pandemic health restrictions. "This morning, I tested positive for COVID-19," tweeted Trudeau, who is fully vaccinated and boosted. "I'm feeling fine -- and I'll continue to work remotely this week while following public health guidelines. Everyone, please get vaccinated and get boosted." (Newton, 1/31)

NBC News: Covid Vaccine Refusal Removes Boston Patient From Heart Transplant Waitlist. As It Should
D.J. Ferguson, a 31-year-old father of two children with a third on the way, was lying near death at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston last week. He was waiting for a heart transplant, and his failing heart put him high on the transplant eligibility list. But then the hospital removed him from the list because he is not vaccinated against Covid-19. As tragic as this is likely to be for Ferguson and his family, we think the hospital made the right decision. (J. Russell Teagarden and Arthur L. Caplan, 1/31)

The Washington Post: What If We’re In The Middle — Not The End — Of The Pandemic? 
We would like to think we are at the end of a two-year pandemic. But what if we’re only halfway through? With the omicron variant starting to recede in parts of Europe and the United States, people have become tired and impatient. But if we have learned anything, it is that covid-19 is still evolving. Our experts cannot predict how, where or when it will strike again. It is imperative, therefore, to prepare for the possibility of further waves, even while we celebrate the ebbing of this one. (Richard Danzig, Jeremy Farrar and Richard Hatchett, 1/31)

Los Angeles Times: California's Blocked Vaccine Mandate For Prison Guards Is Public Health Idiocy 
California’s correctional facilities in January saw an alarming third wave of infection that brings an urgent threat. The first wave, during the spring and summer of 2020, saw disastrous infections starting at the California Institution for Men and leading to cases in most residents at Avenal and San Quentin. The second wave, during the winter of 2020, saw outbreaks across all prisons with thousands of active cases. More than 66,000 infections have occurred to date, and at least 246 incarcerated people have died of the virus. (Hadar Aviram, 2/1)

The New York Times: Our Prenatal Testing System Is Broken 
Our 16-year-old daughter, Penny, wakes up to the beeping of her alarm. On her way downstairs, she picks up her iPhone to check her texts. She eats breakfast, gathers her sneakers and pompoms for cheerleading and heads to school. When Penny was diagnosed with Down syndrome a few hours after she was born, I didn’t expect our mornings to feel so ordinary. (Amy Julia Becker, 2/1)

NBC News: Black Women Can Rewrite The Narrative Around Cervical Cancer
The common narrative around Black women and cervical cancer is that we are “disproportionately” affected by it. Astonishingly, Black women are twice as likely to die from cervical cancer than white women, but it’s not because of biology — it’s because of health care disparities, systemic racism and long-held inequities. This must change. (Ciara, 1/31)

The Baltimore Sun: Expand Medicaid To Cover Adult Dental Care In Maryland 
One by one, medical providers, social workers, dentists and health care advocates gave their brief but sobering accounts to the Senate Finance Committee during a virtual hearing last week with one common theme: They all knew of adults living in Maryland who suffered serious, often debilitating oral health problems and could not get the care they desperately needed. The reason? They lacked the ability to pay. And in Maryland, unlike 47 other states, Medicaid — the taxpayer-subsidized public health program that is supposed to help low-income individuals afford health care — simply did not cover their needs. As a result, they suffered or turned to illegal narcotics or ended up with problems so serious they had to be admitted to hospital emergency rooms, or, in extreme cases, they died from infections that might otherwise have been routinely treated. (2/1)

Stat: The Karikó Problem: Lessons For Funding Basic Research 
New scientific institutes are springing up all over the place these days: Arcadia Science, New Science, Arc Institute, Activate, Actuate, Astera, Convergent Research, and more. They’re usually funded by Silicon Valley and have bold ambitions to advance scientific progress more quickly. Why this flurry of activity? After all, the National Institutes of Health spent nearly $43 billion on biomedical research in 2021, and the National Science Foundation spent nearly $8.5 billion on other areas of science. Why would anyone want to bother with funding a small fraction of a percent of that? Because they are convinced that the current system of science funding is uncreative and inflexible and that it’s time to try new approaches. (Stuart Buck, 2/1)

USA Today: What Justice Stephen Breyer's Retirement Spells For Abortion Access
We might not see Roe v. Wade last beyond this year, but what we can do is push for a justice who is devoted to making sure access to abortion is available for everyone. And hopefully, we will see the first Black woman, so that the makeup of who we are as people is more represented on the nation's highest court. The battle for Roe could be over, but the battle for the post-Roe future is just beginning. (Anna Rupani, 1/30)

The CT Mirror: CT Advocates Present Misleading Case On Abortion Access
When the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments recently in the Dobbs vs Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which could place reasonable restrictions on abortion after 15 weeks of gestation, the Connecticut abortion lobby went into abject hysteria, incorrectly claiming that access to ending innocent life was now at risk. If only that were the case. The reaction was an exercise in preserving its relevance while cynically asking for donations to fill the coffers of the abortion industry. It speaks to a growing desperation within the abortion industry that hearts and minds are changing about an issue that strikes at the very core of being human. (Christopher Healy, 1/31)