Houston Chronicle: In Fort Worth, Biden Promises Veterans Timely Care, Compensation For Burn-Pit Related Illnesses
President Joe Biden told hundreds of veterans here Tuesday that he’s determined to make sure 9/11-era soldiers exposed to toxic burn pits don’t suffer the indignities that Vietnam veterans had to go through to prove their illnesses were related to Agent Orange exposure. “I refuse to repeat the mistake when it comes to veterans of our Iraq and Afghan wars,” Biden told the veterans after touring the Fort Worth VA Clinic. (Wallace, 3/8)

Politico: Biden Again Emphasizes Help For Veterans
President Joe Biden on Tuesday traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, to advocate for veterans — an issue that hits close to home. The president, speaking at the Tarrant County Resource Connection, met with veterans and their caregivers and called for better health care for service members who face health problems potentially linked to burn pits, which were used during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to dispose of war wastes, including things like metals and jet fuel. (Ward, 3/8)

AP: 'The Best Of Us': Biden Promises Improved Care For Veterans 
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said U.S. veterans were the “backbone, the spine, the sinew” of the nation, as he pushed for better help for members of the military who face health problems, including after exposure to burn pits. “You’re the best of us,” Biden said. For the president, the issue is very personal. In last week’s State of the Union address, Biden raised the prospect of whether being near the chemicals from pits where military waste was incinerated in Iraq led to the death of his son Beau. (Boak, 3/9)

In other updates from the Biden administration —

AP: First Lady Touts Biden Cancer Initiative In Tucson Visit 
First lady Jill Biden touted her husband’s push to eradicate cancer and the Biden administration’s efforts to improve health care for Native Americans during a stop Tuesday at the Tohono O’odham Nation outside Tucson. Biden met with tribal health officials and leaders of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who discussed their joint efforts to improve cancer screening and treatment for Native Americans. (3/9)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Home Lobby Requests Meeting With Feds On Biden's Enforcement Plans
The lead lobbying organization for nursing homes wants a sit-down with President Joe Biden and his top health officials to talk about the White House's plans to more tightly regulate skilled nursing facilities. Mark Parkinson, president and CEO of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, wants to meet with Biden, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, he wrote in a letter to Becerra Tuesday. (Christ, 3/8)

Axios: Congress' COVID Funding Deal May Not Be Enough To Prepare For Future Wave
Congress appears likely to allocate more than $15 billion more toward pandemic preparedness, but that probably wouldn't be enough to adequately safeguard the U.S. against future waves of COVID-19 — or even a potential wave this fall. Having vaccines and therapeutics ready for a threat that may not fully materialize is difficult and expensive, but the alternative is risking hundreds of thousands more deaths and another huge hit to the economy. (Owens, 3/9)

AP: Top Lawmakers Reach Deal On Ukraine Aid, $1.5T Spending 
Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal early Wednesday providing $13.6 billion to help Ukraine and European allies plus billions more to battle the pandemic as part of an overdue $1.5 trillion measure financing federal agencies for the rest of this year. Though a tiny fraction of the massive bill, the money countering a Russian blitzkrieg that’s devastated parts of Ukraine and prompted Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II ensured the measure would pass with robust bipartisan support. President Joe Biden requested $10 billion for military, humanitarian and economic aid last week, and Democratic and Republican backing was so staunch that the figure grew to $12 billion Monday and $13.6 billion just a day later. (Fram, 3/9)

In other updates from Capitol Hill —

AP: Congress Passes Bill To Shore Up Postal Service Without Cutting Back On Delivery
Congress on Tuesday passed legislation that would shore up the U.S. Postal Service and ensure six-day-a-week mail delivery, sending the bill to President Joe Biden to sign into law. The long-fought postal overhaul has been years in the making and comes amid widespread complaints about mail service slowdowns. Many Americans became dependent on the Postal Service during the COVID-19 crisis, but officials have repeatedly warned that without congressional action it would run out of cash by 2024. ... The bill would end a requirement that the Postal Service finance workers' health care benefits ahead of time for the next 75 years, an obligation that private companies and federal agencies do not face. Instead, the Postal Service would require future retirees to enroll in Medicare and would pay current retirees' actual health care costs that aren't covered by the federal health insurance program for older people. (Mascaro, 3/9)

Modern Healthcare: Congress To Temporarily Extend Medicare Telehealth Coverage
Congress will include a months-long extension of telehealth flexibilities in a package to fund the government, fulfilling a key ask made by providers and advocates. Under a draft of the provisions obtained by Modern Healthcare, Medicare will cover an array of telehealth services for at least 151 days after the end of the public health emergency, allowing beneficiaries to continue accessing care from their homes, at least temporarily. That will allow Congress more time to study the impacts of expanding telehealth access under Medicare and to decide whether lawmakers want to make those changes permanent. (Hellmann, 3/8)

AP: Limits On Insulin Costs Revived In Push For Senate Action
Legislation to limit insulin costs for people with diabetes is getting revived in the Senate. Democrats say they want to move quickly, but they’ll need Republican support to get anything through an evenly divided chamber — and they’re not there yet. Curbs on insulin costs have the backing of President Joe Biden, and before that, even enjoyed support from his Republican predecessor Donald Trump. The goal reemerged this week after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote colleagues that “negotiations are underway with Senate Republicans on legislation to lower the cost of insulin,” part of an urgent push to address economic pain points for American families. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 3/9)

The Guardian: Senator Forced To Backtrack After Saying Republicans Will Repeal Obamacare
The Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson said Republicans should try again to repeal the Affordable Care Act if they take back power – then retreated, under fire from the Biden administration. ... On Tuesday, Johnson released a statement about his comments. “During the radio interview I used our failure to repeal and replace Obamacare as an example of how we need to be prepared to deliver on whatever agenda items we decide to run on,” he said. “I was not suggesting repealing and replacing Obamacare should be one of those priorities.” (Oladipo, 3/8)

Stat: Nurses, Empowered After Covid, Capitalize On New Clout In Washington
Since the start of Covid-19, nurses have been hailed as heroes. But two years into the pandemic, they want more than their neighbors banging on pots and pans. Instead, the country’s roughly 4 million nurses are using the attention — and the accompanying political clout — to spotlight their sometimes-oppressive working conditions. Amid the country’s health emergency and ongoing shortage of health workers, they’re scrambling to make sure the moment doesn’t slip away. (Facher, 3/9)

Stat: Congress Eyes Giving FDA Authority Over Synthetic Nicotine Like Puff Bar
Lawmakers are within striking distance of closing the largest loophole in the Food and Drug Administration’s oversight of e-cigarette companies — a move that would likely put the biggest driver of youth vaping out of business in the process. A draft of a government spending bill obtained by STAT includes new language that would give the FDA explicit authority to regulate so-called synthetic nicotine products, which are made in a lab rather than extracted from tobacco plants, and currently are not regulated by the FDA. (Florko, 3/8)

The New York Times: The Synthetic Nicotine Loophole Fueling A Return To Teenage Vaping 
The Food and Drug Administration’s crackdown on flavored e-cigarettes in 2020 was meant to be a comprehensive, aggressive strategy to curtail the epidemic of teenage vaping. But two years later, sales of disposable, flavored e-cigarettes have soared. Some companies have moved just beyond the reach of the F.D.A. by swapping out one key ingredient. They have circumvented federal oversight of tobacco plant-derived nicotine by using an unregulated synthetic version. (Jewett, 3/8)

The Washington Post: Congress Moves To Give FDA New Powers Over Synthetic Nicotine Products Including A Youth Favorite — Puff Bar E-Cigarettes 
Health groups say nicotine, which is highly addictive whether it comes from nature or is made in the lab, gets young people hooked on vaping and can lead to cigarette smoking. Pro-vaping groups argue that e-cigarettes can help adults stop the dangerous habit of smoking. A 2021 survey by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Puff Bar — disposable vapes that come in an array of flavors such as Banana Ice and Blue Razz — was the most popular e-cigarette among high school and middle school students, with 26.8 percent saying Puff Bar was their “usual brand.” Juul, which is restricted in what vapes it can sell, was in fourth place, at 6.8 percent. (McGinley, 3/8)

And in news about children and cannabis —

The Wall Street Journal: Talking To Teens About Cannabis Gummies As Use Booms 
Schools and doctors say more teens are getting high at school on candies or cookies containing cannabis. The expanding legalization of recreational marijuana across the U.S. has led to wider availability of cannabis edibles. Their popularity has created vexing problems for educators and families, who say it has become harder to detect teens’ cannabis use. (Petersen, 3/8)

CBS Boston: Marlboro Boy With Severe Autism Sees Life-Changing Improvements With Cannabis Treatment
For families of severely autistic children, finding a treatment plan can be a daunting and often delicate process. But now, some are turning to a controversial alternative – cannabis. Lizabeth Lane Morse of Marlboro says cannabis treatment for her autistic son, Mark has been life-changing. Three years ago, Mark’s behaviors were taking over his life, said Lizabeth. “He broke a window,” she explained. “He was breaking TVs left and right, putting his head through iPads.” And then came the breaking point. (Hughes, 3/8)

AP: Vaccine Mandate For Federal Employees Awaits Court Ruling
A federal judge in Texas overstepped his authority when he blocked President Joe Biden’s requirement that all federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19, an attorney for the administration told a federal appeals court panel Tuesday. Department of Justice lawyer Charles Scarborough noted that district judges in a dozen jurisdictions had rejected a challenge to the vaccine requirement for federal workers. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, who was appointed to the District Court for the Southern District of Texas by President Donald Trump, issued a nationwide injunction against the requirement in January. (McGill, 3/8)

Politico: Biden Administration Makes Case To Save Vaccination Mandate For Federal Employees 
The Biden administration urged a circuit court panel Tuesday to revive the Covid-19 vaccination mandate for federal employees put on hold by a lower court judge earlier this year. “This is not something that’s outside the mainstream,” Justice Department attorney Charles Scarborough told members of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. ... However, attorney Trent McCotter, arguing on behalf of the group of federal workers who brought the legal challenge, said that Biden’s actions lack precedent and are beyond his unilateral authority. (Niedzwiadek, 3/8)

And more on vaccine mandates —

Louisville Courier Journal: Bill Would Ban Government, Colleges From Asking About COVID Vaccines
State and local governments and public colleges would be prohibited from requiring employees or students to disclose their COVID-19 vaccine status under a bill that cleared a [Kentucky] House committee Tuesday. Though House Bill 28 cleared the committee, it was amended from a previous version that would have extended such a ban to private employers, prohibiting businesses from inquiring about the vaccination status of their workers or customers. Filed by Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, HB 28 would ban state government, local governments and state colleges from forcing employees or applicants to disclose whether or not they have received any COVID-19 vaccine shots, or "take adverse action" against those who do not disclose their vaccine status. (Sonka, 3/8)

ABC News: GOP Sens. Cruz And Johnson Meet With 'People's Convoy' Truckers 
Trucker protesters against COVID vaccine mandates and restrictions met Tuesday with a pair of Republican lawmakers for two hours on Capitol Hill. Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Ted Cruz of Texas spoke with a small group of protesters from "The People's Convoy," who said they won't end their now three-day long circuit along the D.C. beltway -- traveling around 55-60 miles per hour along the often congested corridors of Maryland and Virginia -- until they sit down with other members of Congress and their demands for the rollbacks of a national state of emergency and vaccine mandates are met. (Murray and Peterson, 3/8)

In other updates on pandemic restrictions —

AP: Idaho Governor: COVID-19 Disaster Declaration Ends In April
Idaho Gov. Brad Little says he will lift the state’s public health emergency disaster declaration on April 15, just over two years since it was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. ... The rate of new coronavirus cases has dropped significantly in Idaho over the past two weeks, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Still, one out of every 219 residents tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, making the state second in the country for new cases per capita. (Boone, 3/8)

AP: Jury Trials, Shut Most Of 2 Years, Resume In New Orleans 
Jury trials resumed Monday in New Orleans, where they have been suspended for most of the past two years. But the process is slow. More than 12 trials were scheduled Monday, but several were rescheduled and only two had begun choosing juries, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate reported. (3/8)

AP: Hawaii To Lift Last US State Mask Mandate By March 26 
The last statewide mask mandate in the U.S. will be lifted by March 26, Hawaii Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday. No states will require masks indoors after 11:59 p.m. March 25. Hawaii is the last to drop the pandemic safety measure, with indoor mask mandates in Oregon and Washington state expiring at 11:59 p.m. Friday. (Kelleher, 2/9)

ABC News: Every State Has Now Moved To End Universal Indoor Masking Requirements 
Officials in every U.S. state and jurisdiction have now ended, or announced an end, to their indoor universal masking requirements. Over the last month, states from coast to coast have moved to end mask mandates as coronavirus cases have plummeted. By the end of March, there will be no more statewide or school mask mandates in effect. (Mitropoulos, 3/8)

In other mask mandate news —

AP: Ohio's Capital City Drops Mask Mandate As COVID Cases Fall
Ohio’s capital and largest city has dropped its mask mandate amid a continuing fall in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther had implemented the mandate in September as COVID-19 cases spiked driven by the delta variant. (3/8)

WPMI: Masks Go Away For Good In Oregon This Week, But Some COVID-Era Changes May Remain 
The countdown to Oregon unmasking is on with the statewide mask mandate lifting on Friday and the emergency declaration soon to follow. But it won't be a return to pre-pandemic life; some COVID-era changes are here to stay. “We do have some glass partitions in some of our booths over in the bar that will stay up,” says Jessica Blaine with the Marche Restaurant Group. (Young and staff, 3/7)

Salon: As Mask Mandates Are Loosened, Americans Who Opt To Continue Wearing Face Masks Face Harassment 
As mask mandates lift across the country, many Americans are choosing to keep wearing a mask in public places where they're no longer required — like the grocery store, offices and restaurants. Notably, wearing a face mask in public was common in many countries pre-pandemic; it is not a new public behavior by any means. Yet not all bystanders are tolerant of those who are still masked up. Durin (who asked not to use his last name), who lives in Washington, D.C., says he was snubbed by a coworker wearing a mask. "I wear a mask indoors most of the time, because around D.C. most restaurants I go to still require employees to wear a mask," Durin told Salon. (Karlis, 3/8)

NPR: Not Everyone Is Ready To Take The Leap And Stop Wearing Face Masks
While many people have stopped wearing masks and resumed pre-pandemic activities, anxiety persists about dropping COVID precautions, even among people who aren't at high risk for serious illness. (Stein, 3/9)

The New York Times: How Do You Feel About U.S. Mask Mandates Lifting?
Mask mandates are quickly being lifted across the United States as Omicron cases have receded and Covid-19 deaths have fallen. ... We want to hear from you about how you plan on navigating the changing guidance. (3/8)

KHN: The CDC’s New Guidelines On Covid Risk And Masking Elicit Mixed Feelings 
When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month unveiled updated covid-19 guidelines that relaxed masking recommendations, some people no doubt sighed in relief and thought it was about time. People have become increasingly comfortable being out shopping, attending live events, or meeting up with friends at restaurants. And many are ready to cast aside their masks. Still, a recent KFF poll pointed to an underlying tension. Just as a large swath of the American public, 62%, said that the worst of the pandemic was behind us, nearly half were worried about easing covid-related restrictions — like indoor masking — too soon. (DeGuzman, 3/9)

The New York Times: Masking Did Help Protect Children From Covid Last Fall, According To A CDC Study 
More and more American school districts have dropped mask mandates in recent weeks as coronavirus cases plunged across the United States. But they remain a subject of debate among some students and their parents, and a study released on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that those mandates had helped protect children and teachers from the coronavirus last fall. The study, examining public school districts in Arkansas from August to October as the Delta variant spread, found that districts with full mask requirements had 23 percent lower rates of the coronavirus among students and staff members than districts without the mandates. (Mueller, 3/8)

CNN: Requiring Masks In K-12 Schools Cut Covid-19 Infections, Study Shows 
The research compared Covid-19 infections in 233 public school districts. Among these, 30% required students and staff to mask up, 21% required masks part of the time, and 48% didn't have mask requirements. Mask policies had the most effect for older students and in combination with higher vaccination coverage. (Goodman, 3/8)

And more on masks in schools —

AP: Teachers Hit Picket Lines In Minneapolis As Parents Worry 
Minneapolis public school teachers hit the picket lines on Tuesday, calling for better wages and “safe and stable schools,” as parents found themselves facing an uncertainty that’s become all too familiar during the coronavirus pandemic. Union leaders and school officials made it clear the sides were far apart on issues that also include caps on class sizes and more mental health services for students. (Karnowski and Forliti, 3/9)

New York Post: Top NYC School Principal Slammed For Allowing Teachers To Still Tell Kids To Mask Up
Teachers at a top Manhattan high school pressured students to stay masked on Monday — all with the blessing of their principal, The Post has learned. Beacon High School principal Brady Smith apparently sought to undermine the mayor’s ending of the school mask mandate by telling parents that teachers could ask their students to wear masks. (Sheehan and Algar, 3/8)

New York Post: Kids See Their Classmates’ Faces For The First Time In Years
“It was surprising to see my classmates without a mask,” said a Stuyvesant High School student named Tasnim. “You see them in a new light. When you see only the top of their face it becomes part of their personality.” ... Another student said the mask removals vastly improved communication across the board. “You can actually breathe when you’re playing in the playground and it’s much easier to talk to your friends and teachers,” observed Meison Horie, 8. “I started wearing a mask in first grade and I have been waiting for the rule to change ever since.” (Algar and Rosner, 3/7)

CalMatters: California Mask Mandate: Is It Ending Too Soon For Children? 
Toddlers and preschoolers who have mostly known a school life with tiny masks may be in for a big lifestyle change after Friday, when the state mask mandate for kids ends at midnight. While wearing masks is still strongly recommended, some medical experts worry removing the state mask mandate could be risky for tots. The change shifts the onus of requiring masking to child care and preschool operators, schools and school districts. Schools will no longer be able to bar a student from school for not wearing a face covering. (Aguilera, 3/8)

Los Angeles Times: School Mask Mandates: Is It Safe For Kids To Go Maskless? 
Some parents have been eager for masks to become optional, and there are instances in which that can make sense. It can be prudent to retain mask-wearing policies in situations where kids are too young to be vaccinated, Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, chief of infectious diseases at Stanford University School of Medicine’s pediatrics department, said in an interview. “Masks, distancing work when you can’t be vaccinated, or when … you’re immunocompromised,” Maldonado said. Because children under 5 aren’t eligible to be vaccinated, day care centers with those younger kids “still need to use masks.” (Lin II and Money, 3/8)

NPR: COVID Treatments Like Paxlovid To Be Prescribed On The Spot In Some Pharmacies
Starting this week, high-risk patients with COVID symptoms will be able to walk into hundreds of pharmacy-based clinics for a free test – and walk out with a free course of COVID treatment pills. It's the start of a new initiative from the Biden administration, and it's a key feature of the President's national COVID preparedness plan. "I've ordered more pills than anyone in the world has," Biden said in his State of the Union address March 1, "And now, we're launching the 'Test to Treat' initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy and, if they prove positive, receive the antiviral pills on the spot at no cost." The program aims to speed up the process of getting COVID drugs for high-risk patients who need to start the treatment quickly for it to work. But it is limited by the requirement to have a prescriber on-site — which most pharmacies don't have — and will initially only reach only hundreds among the tens of thousands of retail pharmacies nationwide. (Huang, 3/8)

In other updates on the spread of covid —

NPR: As U.S. COVID Deaths Near 1 Million, Advocates Press For A Memorial Day
Janeth Nuñez del Prado had the date marked on her calendar. Last May, her dad Hugo, who lived in Bolivia, was supposed to visit her family in New Mexico. "And we would look at the date all the time, and be so excited," Nuñez del Prado said. Tragically, her dad came down with COVID-19 before he could make the trip. "He died just two weeks before he was supposed to come and get the vaccine and meet his grandkids for the first time," she said, wiping away tears. "You know, we always thought we would have more time." (Keith, 3/9)

The Atlantic: Why America Became Numb To COVID Deaths
The United States reported more deaths from COVID-19 last Friday than deaths from Hurricane Katrina, more on any two recent weekdays than deaths during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, more last month than deaths from flu in a bad season, and more in two years than deaths from HIV during the four decades of the AIDS epidemic. At least 953,000 Americans have died from COVID, and the true toll is likely even higher because many deaths went uncounted. COVID is now the third leading cause of death in the U.S., after only heart disease and cancer, which are both catchall terms for many distinct diseases. The sheer scale of the tragedy strains the moral imagination. On May 24, 2020, as the United States passed 100,000 recorded deaths, The New York Times filled its front page with the names of the dead, describing their loss as “incalculable.” Now the nation hurtles toward a milestone of 1 million. What is 10 times incalculable? (Yong, 3/8)

Los Angeles Times: California Surpasses 9 Million Coronavirus Cases
California has reported a total of 9 million coronavirus infections, fueled by this winter’s Omicron surge. The overall case count, tracked by The Times, is now larger than the combined populations of San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties and is the equivalent of nearly 1 in 4 Californians testing positive at some point during the pandemic. Even more stunning is how rapidly the caseload has ballooned since the arrival of the hyper-infectious Omicron variant late last year. Of the 9,001,924 total cases that had been compiled as of Monday, 3.9 million — 44% — were reported since Dec. 1. (Money and Lin II, 3/8)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Health Department Ends Daily COVID Case Updates
The Oklahoma Health Department is doing away with daily COVID-19 updates on new cases as it begins to treat the virus as "endemic." Until now, the department published a daily update at 11 a.m. each weekday — and recently, on some Saturdays during the omicron surge — detailing how many new COVID-19 cases the state had added to its total. It also included updates on how many COVID-19 patients were in hospital beds across the state, averages of new case counts and an updated death toll from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. (Branham, 3/8)

KHN: One California University Has Unified Town And Gown To Fight Covid. Why Haven’t Others?
Once a week, Lori Janich drives down the street from her office and partakes in an ongoing success story. Phone in hand to confirm her appointment, she strolls into the massive Activities and Recreation Center on the University of California-Davis campus, reaches a covid-19 testing station, swirls water in her mouth, spits into a tube, and leaves. Within a day, she receives her test result. Janich doesn’t live in Davis, but because her job as a licensed dental hygienist brings her there, everything about the covid testing process is free for her. The same goes for all UC-Davis students, faculty members, and staffers; Davis city residents; local workers; and visitors — almost anyone whose life brings them into town. Davis has a population of about 70,000, with an additional 15,000 people living on campus, yet through a joint city-university effort, it has administered more than 740,000 tests. (Kreidler, 3/9)

In other covid news —

CIDRAP: Study: 3% Of Adults With COVID Pneumonia Develop New-Onset Dementia
Three percent of 10,403 adults with COVID-19 pneumonia were diagnosed as having new-onset dementia after a median of 182 days, a significantly higher proportion than that observed with other types of pneumonia, finds a study yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. University of Missouri at Columbia researchers conducted a case series of COVID-19 pneumonia patients along with matched contemporary control patients who had non–SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia from 110 US healthcare centers to identify new diagnoses of dementia at least 30 days after hospitalization. (3/8)

The Washington Post: Patients With Long Covid Symptoms Face Tough Disability Benefit Fights 
Deepa Singh, 30, of Louisville, has been seriously ill for two years, racked with extreme fatigue, racing heartbeat and memory problems from long covid that she says prevent her from working. Adding to her distress, she says, has been a grueling — and so far unsuccessful — battle for disability payments. Singh, who worked as a project manager for a Fortune 100 company, is among a cohort of long covid patients who have been denied disability benefits, either by private insurance companies, which operate benefit plans offered by employers, or by the Social Security Administration, which manages government disability benefits. (Rowland, 3/8)

The Mercury News: Long COVID Mysteries Studied Using Lab-Grown Heart Cells
The attack of the COVID-19 virus on the human heart is completely hidden from view, revealed only by the damage that’s left behind. But San Francisco scientists have designed a way to witness the assault. In lab-grown globules of throbbing heart cells, they can watch signs of distress, then death. By creating disease in a dish, the Gladstone Institutes team hopes to better understand the mysteries of COVID – not just in the heart, but also in other tissues. They’re part of a growing international effort to study how the virus infects and damages cells. “Very rapidly, this is opening up avenues for us to look at many different organ systems,” said virologist Dr. Melanie Ott, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology and professor of medicine at UC San Francisco. (Krieger, 3/8)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: OSHA To Crack Down On COVID-19 Safety Violations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Wednesday will start a round of follow-up inspections of hospitals, nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities that previously received citations for COVID-19-related infractions. The facilities will have to prove that any past pandemic violations were corrected, and also provide a number of documents and other measures to prove they'll be prepared for another wave of COVID-19. "I think for the most part, we're going to see hospitals being ready for these because hospitals are constantly having to be prepared for quality types of inspections, whether it's from their state licensure agency, other regulators or CMS," said Kevin Troutman, a partner at Fisher Phillips, adding that skilled nursing facilities might have a harder time. "Nursing homes and smaller operations may face a bigger challenge just because they don't typically have as much in the way of resources and dedicated quality assurance types of staff." (Gillespie, 3/8)

Kansas City Star: Missouri Bill Would Allow Lawsuits Against Those Who Help Women Obtain Abortions Out Of State
A Missouri lawmaker wants to stop residents from obtaining abortions outside the state by allowing lawsuits to be filed against anyone who helps them. Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, an Arnold Republican, has proposed a measure that would make performing an abortion on a Missouri resident — or helping a Missouri resident get one — illegal. (Shorman, 3/8)

In other abortion news —

AP: Amid Abortion Rights Threat, OB-GYNs More Vocal With Support 
As the Supreme Court mulls whether to uphold Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists filed a brief against the state law, calling it “fundamentally at odds with the provision of safe and essential healthcare.” But the organization’s support for abortion hasn’t always been unequivocal. After the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteed the right to abortion, American OB-GYNs remained divided on the issue. Many declined to perform elective abortions either out of moral opposition or because they wanted to avoid the “butcher” stigma that still clung to abortion doctors from the pre-Roe days. (Loller, 3/8)

Bloomberg: Investors Warn Arizona Abortion Restrictions Could Curb Business
A group of investors led by a private-equity firm focused on reproductive health is warning U.S. state lawmakers that limiting access to abortion will hinder their ability to attract talent and curb economic growth. A letter spearheaded by Shelley Alpern, the director of shareholder advocacy at Rhia Ventures, will be sent to Arizona legislators Tuesday. The organizers, who say the signatories have more than $40 billion of assets under management, plan to send similar missives to lawmakers in other states that move to curtail abortion services. (Kinery, 3/8)

AP: University Gets Collection From Lawyer Who Argued 'Roe' Case 
Papers, pictures and other artifacts belonging to Sarah Weddington, a Texas lawyer who at the age of 26 successfully argued the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, will become part of Texas Woman’s University’s permanent collection. The university in Denton said Tuesday that before Weddington died at 76 in December, she donated her papers to TWU’s Jane Nelson Institute for Women’s Leadership. (3/8)

Also —

The Washington Post: Michigan GOP Candidate Robert Regan Said He’d Tell Daughters To ‘Lie Back And Enjoy It’ If Raped 
A Republican candidate favored to win a seat in the Michigan House said he tells his daughters to “just lie back and enjoy it” if raped, as he attempted to make an analogy about abandoning efforts to decertify the results of the 2020 election. Robert Regan, who is running to represent Michigan’s District 74 in the state legislature, made the comments during a Facebook live stream Sunday. (Alfaro, 3/8)

The Boston Globe: Health Commissioner: Fentanyl, Cocaine Fuel ‘Concerning Trends’ In Epidemic
State public health officials observed “concerning trends” in the opioid epidemic last year, particularly driven by the rising prevalence of fentanyl and cocaine in overdose deaths. While the Department of Public Health does not expect to publish the latest estimate of fatal opioid overdoses until its next regular report in May, Commissioner Margret Cooke told lawmakers Monday that worrying signs remain amid significant efforts to blunt the damage. “We’ve seen concerning trends in 2021. We’ve seen an increase in fentanyl, an increase in cocaine in opioid overdose deaths, an 8 percent increase there,” Cooke said at a Ways and Means Committee hearing, later adding, “This crisis is not going away.” (Lisinski, 3/8)

KATU: Parents Warn Of Fentanyl Danger After Two Portland Students Die From Accidental Overdoses 
Portland police say two Portland Public Schools students died within 24 hours of each other from overdoses. Police suspect both tragedies were accidental fentanyl overdoses. "We stand here ready to help those parents and the community members in any way that we can," Jon Epstein, whose son, Cal, died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2020, said. "It's something unimaginable to have happen." (Reaume, 3/8)

KTVU: Three Found Dead Inside San Francisco Apartment Likely Overdosed On Fentanyl-Laced Drugs
It was a deadly weekend in San Francisco after three people died from apparent fentanyl overdoses. Authorities were summoned to an apartment Saturday morning in the 3400 block of 19th and Mission streets where they found two men and a woman dead inside. Police and fire crews briefed Supervisor Hillary Ronen who and said it appears four friends may have purchased cocaine, not knowing it was laced with fentanyl, a powerful opiate. Only one of those friends survived. (Kafton, 3/7)

Philadelphia Inquirer: The Animal Tranquilizer Xylazine Is Present In A Quarter Of Philadelphia's Fatal Overdoses
An animal tranquilizer with a strong sedative effect is increasingly turning up in Philadelphia’s fentanyl supply and in the toxicology reports of overdose victims, a new study has found. The study’s authors say more research is needed on the prevalence of the tranquilizer xylazine in Philadelphia and around the country, and what it is doing to people who inject drugs. Anecdotally, drug users and health-care workers have reported serious skin lesions appearing on people who have injected xylazine. Plus, it appears it may be harder to reverse overdoses when an opioid like fentanyl contains xylazine, the study authors wrote. (Whelan, 3/9)

Also —

Bloomberg: Opioid Settlement: Insurers Refuse To Pick Up Bill For Billions In Claims
A multibillion-dollar bill is coming due for the U.S. opioid epidemic and insurers for some of the largest drug makers, distributors and pharmacies are refusing to help pay for it. A Delaware Supreme Court ruling in January has emboldened insurers eager to avoid massive policy claims from companies proposing to settle liability lawsuits over opioids. Half a dozen complaints have been filed in Delaware in the past two months, seeking court approval to block coverage of everything from cash damages to attorneys fees for companies including CVS Health Corp. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. (Feeley, 3/8)

AP: ‘They Make Sure You Don’t Die’: Inside NYC’s Drug Use Sites 
Jose Collado settled in at a clean white table in a sunlit room, sang a few bars and injected himself with heroin. After years of shooting up on streets and rooftops, he was in one of the first two facilities in the country where local officials are allowing illegal drug use in order to make it less deadly. (Peltz, 3/9)

Modern Healthcare: Five Blues Plans Add Amazon's Drug Discount Card To Benefits
Amazon Pharmacy partnered with five Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurers and their pharmacy benefit manager to integrate its drug discount card into their healthcare coverage, the company announced on Tuesday. Individuals who receive health insurance through Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Florida Blue and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas will now be able to choose whether they would like to pay for medications through their drug formulary—with prices negotiated by their pharmacy benefit manager, Prime Therapeutics—or pay with Amazon's MedsYourWay drug discount card. MedsYourWay is administered by InsideRx and helps consumers access the cash price for a drug, which participating Blues plans say can be up to 80% cheaper than the price negotiated by their PBM. (Tepper, 3/8)

In updates from the health care industry —

Crain's Detroit Business: Ascension Michigan Data Breach Exposes Personal, Medical Information Of More Than 27,000 Patients
Ascension Michigan — the subsidiary of St. Louis-based Ascension Health that operates four hospitals in the state — suffered a data breach last year that exposed personal information of more than 27,000 patients. The health system discovered on Nov. 30 last year that an unauthorized user accessed its electronic health record system between Oct. 15, 2015, and Sept. 8, 2021, and gained access to patients' names, birth dates, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, health insurance information, dates of service as well as diagnosis and treatment data. Some Social Security numbers were also accessed, the health system said in a bulletin on its website. (Walsh, 3/8)

The Boston Globe: Boston Hospitals Recoup Millions In Debt From Kuwaiti Government
As the coronavirus pandemic pummeled hospital finances two years ago, some of the state’s most prominent health care institutions were facing another multimillion-dollar financial challenge: the country of Kuwait’s persistent failure to pay its hospital bills. The hospitals — including Mass General Brigham, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston Children’s Hospital — have longstanding relationships with the country, which offers universal health care and pays for its citizens to receive treatment abroad with technologies and expertise not offered at home. (Bartlett, 3/8)

Axios: For-Profit Hospitals Skip Less Profitable Services, Study Finds
Nonprofit and government-owned hospitals are more likely to offer relatively unprofitable services than for-profit hospitals, according to a new study published in Health Affairs. Nonprofits' financials are often evaluated based on factors like how much charity care they offer and how they pursue patient debt. But the study argues that it's also important to look at which services hospitals offer — including when considering policy that would require nonprofits to offer more free care. (Owens, 3/8)

And from the biotech industry —

Axios: Biotech Investment Hits Skid As Pandemic Ebbs
The biotech industry is slumping after delivering life-saving COVID treatments and attracting droves of investors early in the pandemic. Biotechs keep the drug pipeline flowing with novel treatments — and make attractive M&A targets for big pharmaceutical manufacturers. But regulatory uncertainty and a return to pre-pandemic life are combining to cool interest in public and private markets, experts say. (Bettelheim, 3/9)

Stat: Gilead’s Dan O’Day Is Charming — But Charm Hasn't Staunched Losses
The news Gilead Sciences dropped Monday was so disappointing it irked even the nicest guy in biotech. Brad Loncar, an investor based in Kansas City whose cancer-focused exchange-traded fund holds Gilead shares, is a Ted Lasso-like font of cheeriness amid bio-Twitter’s angry froth. Yet even he was upset about the way Gilead and its CEO, Dan O’Day, released information about a key study of its breast cancer drug, Trodelvy — without any specific data. In 2020, Gilead had paid $21 billion for the drug and its maker, Immunomedics. “I like him personally and respect his career experience, but how does Dan O’Day keep his job as $GILD CEO with this deal record?” Loncar tweeted. “And probably half the board too.” (Herper, 3/9)

The New York Times: F.B.I. Sees ‘Massive Fraud’ In Groups’ Food Programs For Needy Children 
Last year, with the federal government making available huge new sums of money for programs to feed needy children during the pandemic, a nonprofit organization called Advance Youth Athletic Development set up what it described as an enormous child care operation in northeast Minneapolis that could prepare 5,000 dinners each weeknight. Based on the group’s claims, the State of Minnesota channeled $3.2 million of the federal food aid to the program. (Farenthold, 3/8)

In other public health news —

AP: Tennessee Company Recalls Hand Sanitizer Containing Methanol
A Tennessee company said it is voluntarily recalling 1-gallon containers of hand sanitizer after it was found to contain methanol, which can cause illness or death. Tennessee Technical Coatings Corp. is recalling all lots of Hand Sanitizer Isopropyl Alcohol Antiseptic 75%, which was distributed in Tennessee to retail customers and wholesale companies between April 2020 and August 2020, the company said. (3/9)

USA Today: Genetically Modified Mosquitoes In Florida, California Get OK From EPA
Millions of genetically altered mosquitoes that are seeking to ward off their natural, disease-causing counterparts may soon be released in Florida and California after the Environmental Protection Agency approved a plan to further test these modified insects. Developed by the biotechnology company Oxitec, the altered Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are genetically modified so that males, which do not bite, are released into the wild and mate with females, which do bite. Their resulting offspring are either male or females that never survive to reach maturity, the company says. (Miller, 3/8)

The Boston Globe: The Tooth Fairy Is Calling: Boston Researchers Seeking Baby Teeth For Health Study
Could children’s teeth tell us something about who they will become and what mental health challenges they could encounter? Dr. Erin Dunn believes they can, envisioning a day when physicians routinely scrutinize children’s incisors or canines — after they fall out — for signs of early life trauma, experiences researchers believe may increase a person’s risk of later problems. Such a screening, Dunn hopes, could one day become as routine as the blood tests doctors use to check a patient’s cholesterol and glucose levels, measures that indicate whether a person faces an increased risk of heart disease or diabetes. (Lazar, 3/7)

Columbus Dispatch: Labrador Systems Robot Can Help People Move Items Around Their Home
Nationwide wants to know if  a new generation of personal robots can help people stay at home as they age or face health issues. The Columbus insurance and financial services company has struck a partnership with robotics company Labrador Systems, which is developing robots designed to assist people moving items around their home. Nationwide sees the robots as a way to help people live well in retirement  by allowing them to live longer in their homes, in addition to providing support for their caregivers. "Everyone wants to stay at home,’’ said Bobbi Jo Allan, Nationwide Innovation vice president. "If this is something that can help people do that longer, that feels like a win for all involved." (Williams, 3/8)

Fox News: Positive Thinking May Improve Your Emotional Health: Study
Being optimistic may help to improve a person's emotional well-being, according to researchers. A study from the Boston University School of Medicine published Monday in the Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences followed 233 older men from the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study over an eight-year period. The participants first completed an optimism questionnaire and reported daily stressors and positive and negative moods on eight consecutive evenings up to three times over an eight-year span from 2002 to 2010. Those who were more optimistic were less likely to report negative moods, and optimism was unrelated to emotional reactivity to or recovery from daily stressors. (Musto, 3/8)

Politico: Florida Approves Controversial ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law In Political Win For DeSantis
The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature handed Gov. Ron DeSantis a major political win ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, approving a controversial measure dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents that bars educators from discussing sexual orientation with young students. Republicans pushed the legislation for months, claiming it strengthens parental rights in Florida by preventing teachers and school staffers from withholding critical information from parents, namely surrounding gender issues. DeSantis, who has defended the measure publicly, frequently accused the media and others of misconstruing the true intent of the bill to stoke tensions. At one point, his press secretary called opponents of the measure “groomers.” (Atterbury, 3/8)

Miami Herald: ‘Attack On Educators’— Teachers React To ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill 
Dannielle Boyer has no plans to dismantle the safe space she’s created in her classroom for students. “I’ve always been an advocate and fought for students in the [LGBTQ+] community to feel comfortable and free,” the Miami Northwestern Senior High teacher told the Herald. While holding back tears, she said, “I don’t want my students to feel as though they have to live in fear and can’t be who they are.” Her comments came hours after the Florida Senate in a 22-17 vote passed the “Parental Rights in Education’ bill, dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, earlier Tuesday. (Brugal, 3/8)

CNN: Florida Students Participate In Massive Walkout To Protest The 'Don't Say Gay' Bill 
More than 500 students participated in a massive walkout Monday at Winter Park High School in Orange County, Florida, in protest of the "Don't Say Gay" bill currently being considered by the state Senate, according to walkout organizer and high school student Will Larkins. The Parental Rights in Education bill, HB 1557, would effectively ban teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms for young students. LGBTQ advocates say the measure would lead to further stigmatization of gay, lesbian and transgender children, causing more bullying and suicides within an already marginalized community. (Vera and Alvarado, 3/7)

And the debate has spilled into Disney World —

Newsweek: Disney Gave At Least $250K To Senators That Voted For 'Don't Say Gay' Bill
Disney donated at least $250,000 to Florida Republican senators who voted to pass the controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill on Tuesday. ... The donations included $5,500 to Senator Dennis Baxley, who introduced the bill, according to data from the nonprofit OpenSecrets, which tracks political donations. Senate President Wilton Simpson, who voted for the bill, received $21,500 in donations from Disney. Senators Manny Diaz Jr. and Debbie Mayfield also received more than $20,000 from Disney throughout their various political campaigns. The donations have prompted calls to boycott the company, as its CEO Bob Chapek has not publicly condemned the legislation. (Stanton, 3/8)

Variety: Disney CEO Backs LGBTQ Community After 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Backlash 
In the wake of controversy over Disney’s quiet response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” legislation, as well as a report that the company has given money to all of the bill’s sponsors, CEO Bob Chapek expressed Disney’s “unwavering commitment to the LGBTQ+ community” in a company-wide email obtained by Variety. “In terms of our communities, we are and will continue to be a leader in supporting organizations that champion diversity,” the memo reads. “In 2021, we provided nearly $3 million to support the work of LGBTQ+ organizations. And, we have a long history of supporting important events like Pride parades.” (Shanfeld, 3/7)

NPR: Disney Employees Want The Company To Denounce Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Bill 
Disney employees are showing their outrage over the entertainment company's decision not to denounce Florida's so-called 'Don't Say Gay' bill, which would limit discussion of sexuality and gender in Florida schools. ... Ben Siemon, an actor and writer whose credits include Disney's DuckTales, posted an impassioned video plea calling for Disney to say the bill is wrong. Siemon credits one of his middle school teachers for helping him understand that it was OK to be gay. Had there been a bill like the one being considered in Florida, Siemon says, "That would've never happened to me. I would've been left alone and scared. And LGBT kids are going to be left alone and scared and hurt by this bill." (Blair, 3/8)

KCUR: Missouri Takes 99 Days On Average To Approve Medicaid Requests
To many in Kansas City, Kimberly Johnson is known as a listener. As a beautician and a church member, people came to her with troubles, and she provided a sympathetic ear. But painful arthritis forced Johnson, who’s 53, into early retirement from her job. Today, she needs physical therapy to stay active, but it costs so much, she often often has to go without. “It can be difficult,” Johnson said. “Like now, it's cold outside, and with my arthritis, I can’t get around as much, or really out the bed.” (Smith, 3/9)

In other updates from across the U.S. —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Meningitis Vaccination Required For 12th Graders In Nevada
Nevada students entering the 12th grade will be required to be vaccinated against meningitis before the next school year begins. The new requirement for the meningococcal vaccine, approved by the State Board of Health as a state regulation, applies to all public, private and charter schools in Nevada. For most students, this means they’ll need a booster dose, as they likely received a first dose at age 11 to 12, according to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. (Hynes, 3/8)

Mississippi Clarion Ledger: State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs To Resign In July
Mississippi State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs announced Tuesday that he will resign his position at the end of July. Dobbs has been with the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) since 2008 fulfilling multiple roles including district health officer, state epidemiologist, and deputy state health officer. During the last two years, he led the state's public health campaign to combat the coronavirus pandemic. In a press release issued by the health department, Dobbs said he wants to step back into academia and teach healthcare professionals about public health and infectious disease. (Clark, 3/8)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Two N.H. Mental Health Programs Prepare To Reopen After Staffing Shortages Caused A Temporary Closure
Next week, residential mental health programs in Northwood and Manchester will reopen, after staffing shortages left them unable to keep running this winter. “In a short window of time, we lost almost half our staff…[we lost] four people,” said Samantha Captain, the residential program co-director at On the Road to Wellness in Manchester. Step Up Step Down, the program Captain helps oversee, offers three Granite Staters a 90-day stay with daily mental health support. Like the name, residents can “step up” into the program while managing mental health challenges, or “step down” from an intensive care setting like a psychiatric hospital. It’s a part of the state’s push to improve mental health care, and reduce the acuity of the crisis in emergency rooms across New Hampshire. (Fam, 3/8)

Kansas City Star: Kansas May Stiffen Penalties For Attacks On Health Workers
In May 2019 Sarah Evans Simpson, a Kansas emergency room nurse, volunteered to sit with an agitated patient. The patient hit Simpson so hard her glasses were broken and she worked the final four hours of her shift with a concussion. She missed three months of work with a head injury. When Simpson returned, she learned that prosecutors had dropped the case after initially pressing charges. Her story is not unusual. In hospitals across Kansas and the United States, violence against healthcare workers is commonplace, on the rise and often unreported. Prosecutors won’t pursue the cases and workers worry about future interactions with those patients, administrators say. (Bernard, 3/9)

North Carolina Health News: NC Pilot To Tackle Social Determinants Of Health Begins 
For years, staff at Hunger and Health in Watauga County have distributed food for free to families in need. “We’re the largest food pantry and the only free pharmacy in Watauga County,” said Ben Loomis, the grants and program manager at the organization. They also serve nearby Ashe and Avery counties, offering people in these rural communities phone consultations with a registered dietitian and support building out their nutrition profile and a healthy food plan. Starting March 15, Hunger and Health — along with more than 90 other organizations throughout 33 western and eastern North Carolina counties — will begin scaling up their work and getting reimbursed for parts of it when the state officially rolls out the Healthy Opportunities Pilot: a first-in-the-nation project which hypothesizes that if we use health care dollars to pay for non-medical health-related services, medical costs will fall and people’s overall health will rise. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 3/9)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: ‘A Defining Issue’: Georgia House Approves Measure Overhauling Mental Health Care
The Georgia House gave bipartisan approval to a bill Tuesday that aims to overhaul the way mental health care is accessed in the state, requiring providers to cover the ailment the same way they do for physical illnesses and conditions. House Bill 1013, sponsored by House Speaker David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Republican, would require insurance companies to cover mental health care the same way they cover physical health, establish state grants for outpatient treatment and take other steps to improve care. The bill passed 169-3, with Republican state Reps. Charlice Byrd of Woodstock, Sheri Gilligan of Cumming and Philip Singleton of Sharpsburg the only votes in opposition. (Prabhu, 3/8)

Salt Lake Tribune: Lawmakers Vote Down Bill Updating How Health Education Is Taught In Utah On Final Day Of Session
Despite receiving more support this session, Rep. Carol Spackman Moss’s latest attempt to update how health education is taught in Utah schools was killed on the final night of the Legislature, without any debate. “This is just really important information, and I don’t understand the reluctance,” Moss, D-Holladay, told The Salt Lake Tribune on Monday. Moss ran a similar bill last year, which never made it out of the House, even after she agreed to remove a section about teaching about consent — which spurred much of the debate over the bill — in an effort to find a compromise. In her bill this year, HB274, Moss did not include the word consent, except to say that parents would have to opt in to allow their child learn what she was proposing. (Jacobs, 3/8)

AP: WHO Says COVID Boosters Needed, Reversing Previous Call 
An expert group convened by the World Health Organization said Tuesday it “strongly supports urgent and broad access” to booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine amid the global spread of omicron, capping a reversal of the U.N. agency’s repeated insistence last year that boosters weren’t necessary for healthy people and contributed to vaccine inequity. In a statement, WHO said its expert group concluded that immunization with authorized COVID-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against severe disease and death amid the continuing spread of the hugely contagious omicron variant. WHO eased back on its earlier position in January by saying boosters were recommended once countries had adequate supplies and after protecting their most vulnerable. (3/8)

The Washington Post: CDC Says Avoid Travel To New Zealand, Hong Kong And Thailand As Covid Cases Surge
Three destinations — including two that had kept the coronavirus at bay for most of the pandemic — moved into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s highest warning level for travel on Monday. Americans should avoid traveling to New Zealand, Hong Kong and Thailand because of very high levels of covid-19, the public health agency said in an update that placed the destinations into the “Level 4” category. All three had most recently been categorized as “Level 3,” with high levels of the virus. (Sampson, 3/8)

Bloomberg: Austria Suspends Covid Vaccine Mandate As Omicron Questions Policy
Austria’s government suspended a law that made coronavirus vaccinations mandatory, stepping back from one of Europe’s strictest measures as the omicron variant changes the way officials deal with the illness. The government in Vienna will review its vaccine policy in three months and still has the option to react flexibly to developments, Johannes Rauch, who was appointed Health Minister this week, told reporters Wednesday. (Eder, 3/9)

In other global developments —

Bloomberg: Iodine Tablet Prices Surge As Nuclear War Fears Plague Europe
Anxious consumers concerned over nuclear-safety risks arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are pushing up prices for iodine and potassium iodide pills. Costs for the tablets — which helps protect the thyroid from radioactive chemicals — have surged in recent weeks after President Vladimir Putin ordered the attack. Russian shelling caused a fire at a building on the site of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant — Europe’s biggest such facility — and the country’s forces have destroyed an atomic-physics lab under international safeguards in Ukraine’s second-largest city. Nuclear-waste facilities in Kyiv were also damaged during the first week of the war. (Ballentine, 3/8)

FiercePharma: J&J Expresses 'Regret' While Noting Asbestos Prison Experiments Were 'Widely Accepted' At The Time 
As Johnson & Johnson continues to defend its case in lawsuits over talc’s potential to cause cancer, startling tests from the product's past have come to light.  Back in 1971, Johnson & Johnson funded a study that injected 10 Pennsylvania prisoners with asbestos, newly unsealed court documents show, as first reported by Bloomberg. J&J wanted to compare the minerals’ effect on the inmates’ skin versus talc, which is a key ingredient in the company’s popular baby powder. (Kansteiner, 3/8)

Bloomberg: J&J’s Controversial Prison Testing Resurfaces In Baby Powder Lawsuits 
More than 50 years ago, nearly a dozen men incarcerated outside of Philadelphia enrolled in an experiment funded by Johnson & Johnson, according to unsealed documents. Now, those studies have come back to haunt the world’s largest maker of health-care products. In one study, inmates were paid to be injected with potentially cancer-causing asbestos so the company could compare its effect on their skin versus that of talc, a key component in its iconic baby powder. (Feeley, 3/7)

MedCity News: Court Docs Reveal J&J’s Role In Prison Tests Comparing Talc To Asbestos 
While the human experiments involving prisoners at Holmesburg Prison outside of Philadelphia was previously revealed in books and newspaper articles, J&J’s involvement in the studies comparing talc to asbestos was not made public until the Bloomberg report on Monday. The court documents were unsealed in two trials last year over claims that J&J’s baby powder causes cancer. J&J expressed regret over the company’s involvement with Albert Kligman, the University of Pennsylvania dermatologist who conducted the baby powder tests. But Bloomberg said that the company also noted that the tests did not violate research standards at the time. (Vinluan, 3/7)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

FiercePharma: Roche, Sanofi, Novo Nordisk And More Pledge Support To Ukraine As Industry Condemns Russian Invasion
The contingent of biotech and pharma companies condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—and pledging to help keep the beleaguered nation’s healthcare system afloat—is growing. Take Roche, for example. The Swiss pharma major on Wednesday said it would donate 150,000 packages of the antibiotic Rocephin to Ukraine. The drug is used to treat symptoms of many kinds of bacterial infections and holds a spot on the World Health Organization’s essential medicines list. (Kansteiner, 3/3)

FiercePharma: Fresenius Kabi Recalls IV Fluid After Testing Finds Particulates 
Fresenius Kabi issued a voluntary recall of seven lots of sodium acetate intravenous fluid after testing found particulates of carbon and oxygen with traces of sodium, silicon, chromium, aluminum and cellulose. Sodium acetate injection is used to correct low blood sodium levels in patients who have restricted or no oral intake. It’s also used as an additive for preparing specific IV fluid formulas when patients cannot take standard electrolyte or nutrient solutions. (Keenan, 3/8)

Buffalonews.Com: Mark Cuban Shows How The Free Market Helps Patients
Mark Cuban deserves credit for creating a business model that not only saves consumers money on their medicine but shows the extent to which middlemen have been ripping off patients. For years now, Congress has debated how to rein in the predatory practices of pharmacy benefit managers, with proposed bills that would require greater transparency. But the private sector is now leading the way. Cuban's company could serve as a model and first step for fixing the price-inflated status quo. (Sally Pipes, 3/6)

Business Insider: How To Use Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company To Order Scripts
Mark Cuban launched an online prescription medication service earlier this year to help patients save money on drugs. I used the service to order my scripts, and found the process simple and relatively quick. I did not save enough on my medications to justify using the service again, but I still recommend it. (Allana Akhtar, 3/5)

The Highland County Press: Lowering The Costs Of Prescription Drugs
The cost of prescription drugs is too high in this country. We know Ohioans are concerned about the cost of living right now, and some of the worst inflation we see, year after year, is drug prices. And often, the culprit is price gouging by big pharmaceutical corporations. It’s why I introduced the Affordable Medications Act. It would penalize drug companies that increase the price of their drugs without justification, and it would finally allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for American seniors. (Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, 3/8)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Healthcare Legislation Would Increase Drug Costs
Healthcare costs have long been a top concern for voters across the political spectrum. Legislators in several states, including Georgia with House Bill 867, are attempting to lower prescription drug prices by regulating pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). But this bill will not achieve this objective, because inserting government control into healthcare has shown to do more damage than good, and limiting the ability of PBMs to negotiate lower prices for patients is an ineffective strategy to lower costs. (Christina Herrin, 3/7)

Bloomberg: Improving Ventilation Will Stop More Than Covid-19 
The White House’s roadmap for the next phase of the pandemic covers all the usual suspects, including Covid-19 surveillance, testing, vaccination and treatment. But there’s also a happy surprise tucked in there: a series of proposals to help improve indoor air quality. This marks an essential shift toward acknowledging that cleaning the air can help mitigate the spread of Covid. “It’s overdue,” says Virginia Tech engineering professor Linsey Marr. (Lisa Jarvis, 3/8)

The New York Times: The New Phase Of The Pandemic Is Covid Exhaustion
We’re headed into the third year of pandemic life, and one thing is clear: We’re all exhausted from Covid. Virus caseloads are waning across the country, masks are coming off, people are traveling more, and office workers have new return dates. Does that mean the pandemic is over? Maybe. And maybe not. (3/9)

The Washington Post: Congress Should Not Withhold Biden’s Request For Covid-19 Resources 
The Biden administration released a comprehensive plan last week that’s been widely applauded — including by me — as a sound, evidence-based path out of the covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, it can’t be executed without additional coronavirus funding. Those opposed should be heard, but this process must not delay Congress’s approval of the White House’s $22.5 billion request. (Leana S. Wen, 3/8)

Stat: Ignoring Behavioral, Social Sciences Undermines The Response To Covid-19
The U.S. has bungled many of its efforts to rein in the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe that Francis S. Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, perfectly captured the country’s fundamental flaw: “Maybe we underinvested in research on human behavior,” he told Judy Woodruff during an interview for PBS NewsHour. “I never imagined a year ago, when those vaccines were just proving to be fantastically safe and effective, that we would still have 60 million people who had not taken advantage of them because of misinformation and disinformation that somehow dominated all of the ways in which people were getting their answers.” (Judith D. Auerbach and Andrew D. Forsyth, 3/9)

The Atlantic: Why COVID Vaccine Cards Are So Easily Forged 
My proof of COVID vaccination is recorded on an easy-to-forge paper card. With little trouble, I could print a blank form, fill it out, and snap a photo. Small imperfections wouldn’t pose any problem; you can’t see whether the paper’s weight is right in a digital image. When I fly internationally, I have to show a negative COVID test result. That, too, would be easy to fake. I could change the date on an old test, or put my name on someone else’s test, or even just make something up on my computer. After all, there’s no standard format for test results; airlines accept anything that looks plausible. (Bruce Schneier, 3/8)

NBC News: Florida Gov. DeSantis' Mask Outburst Is A Cautionary Tale
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chastised a group of high school students for wearing masks in his presence, saying “Please, take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything and we’ve got to stop with this Covid theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.” The governor later doubled down on this message, with his press secretary stating after the event, “There’s no evidence masks make any difference.” He is wrong about the science — masks work, and better masks work better — and he is profoundly wrong about how we should treat kids who continue to wear masks to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe. (Jonathan Levy, 3/8)

The Washington Post: Vaccines Work For Children. Ignore The Nonsense Spoken In Florida. 
The final decision about whether youths should get vaccinated against the coronavirus is up to them and their parents. We think they should receive the shots; scientific evidence shows that vaccines protect young people from serious illness and death. Unfortunately, though, the message about the efficacy and safety of the vaccines has failed to reach many families. That is why the Florida surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, was irresponsible to announce on Monday that the state health department plans to formally recommend against vaccination for healthy children. (3/8)

Seattle Times: World Must Respond To Urgent Health Needs Of Displaced Ukrainians 
I am just back from my first international trip in two years to visit Medical Teams International’s work with refugees and the displaced in Uganda and Ethiopia, but there’s no time to write a trip report. Our next response already has begun. As more than 2 million Ukrainians have escaped into neighboring countries, we are preparing for the impact of such a displacement and the impending humanitarian crisis that will follow. While other humanitarian agencies focus on the first and obvious needs of the refugees — water, food and shelter — we are urgently responding to an equally vital pillar of humanitarian response: health. (Martha Newsome, 3/8)

Columbus Dispatch: What Are The Laws About Disclosing HIV Status In Ohio?
At the height of the HIV epidemic, Ohio political leaders created six laws that were not based on science but on fear. Twenty-five years later, we know far more about HIV and have proven tools to end the HIV epidemic. Unfortunately, these laws keep us from reaching that goal. It’s time to fix them. (Carlos Malvestutto and Michael Para, 3/9)

Miami Herald: Beating Cancer Gets A Giant Boost On Miami Beach, Thanks To Generous Locals
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber gave an impressive State of City speech Monday morning - announcing a cultural renaissance that he hopes will transform Miami Beach away from being simply an entertainment center. But before he got started with his speech at the New World Center in Miami Beach, Gelber announced to the crowd a significant gift to the city by local billionaire Norman Braman and his wife, Irma. The mayor announced that the Bramans are donating $250 million to Mount Sinai Medical Center for the construction of a modern cancer treatment center. Yes, Mount Sinai already has a nationally-recognized program, but the Bramans’ gift puts the war on cancer on steroids in South Florida, where so many individuals are fighting for their lives. (3/8)

The CT Mirror: Support Abortion Access; Celebrate Abortion Providers
On March 10, 1993, Florida abortion provider Dr. David Gunn was murdered outside his clinic by a white supremacist and anti-abortion extremist. From this act of horrific violence came a powerful celebration — each year, we commemorate March 10 as National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day to honor and thank every health care professional who works tirelessly to ensure their patients can access abortion. The relentless debate over the right to abortion has, for decades, spread misinformation and slander about what abortion providers do and who they are. Abortion providers are our doctors and clinicians, everyday health care providers who make it their life’s work to give nonjudgmental and compassionate care to all people. (Liz Gustafson and Gretchen Raffa, 3/9)

Stat: Hospitals Need To Get Ahead Of Regulations On Climate Change 
Climate change, an issue that hospital leaders should have voluntarily been working on following the catastrophes of Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, is soon to be an issue they’ll have to work on, now that the Biden administration has incorporated environmental sustainability directives from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of its broader initiative to halve U.S. carbon emissions by 2030. The U.S. health care delivery sector has been relatively quiet on the topic of climate change and carbon emissions, even though it accounts for an estimated 8.5% of all U.S. carbon emissions and contributes significantly to the climate emergency that industries and governments are tackling worldwide. Health care delivery organizations must take more action to mitigate their contributions to climate change and act now to secure business resilience in the face of an uncertain future. (Sierra Nesbit and Jenna Phillips, 3/9)

The Baltimore Sun: Could ‘Smart Surfaces’ Keep Baltimore Cool (And Healthy)? 
Like many cities, Baltimore is struggling with rising temperatures, increased flooding and health and economic risks from climate change. And also like in many cities, Baltimore’s already undervalued neighborhoods are faring worse when it comes to such climate-related harms. Yet unlike most cities, Baltimore is doing something about the problem and has the potential to be a national model for leadership on these critical urban challenges. (Georges C. Benjamin and Greg Kats, 3/8)