AP: Florida 15-Week Abortion Ban Reinstated After Legal Appeal
Florida’s new 15-week abortion ban was blocked and then quickly reinstated Tuesday after an appeal from the state attorney general in a lawsuit challenging the restriction. Judge John C. Cooper issued the order temporarily halting the law after reproductive health providers argued that the state constitution guarantees the right to the procedure. The state appealed his order, automatically putting the law back into effect. (Izaguirre, 7/5)

AP: Judge Won’t Block Law Banning Most Mississippi Abortions 
As attorneys argued about abortion laws across the South on Tuesday, a Mississippi judge rejected a request by the state’s only abortion clinic to temporarily block a law that would ban most abortions. Without other developments in the Mississippi lawsuit, the clinic will close at the end of business Wednesday and the state law will take effect Thursday. (Pettus, Izaguirre and McGill, 7/5)

The 19th: Out-Of-State Patients At Risk As Montana Enacts Abortion Restrictions
A Montana abortion provider announced last week that it wouldn’t provide the most common type of abortion to people traveling from out of state. As states surrounding Montana ban abortion, the move exposes a major legal concern that could lead to clinics across the country implementing similar policies. (Luthra, 7/5)

Rhode Island, Maine, and Washington extend support for those seeking abortions —

The Boston Globe: McKee Signs Executive Order To Protect Patients Traveling To Rhode Island For Abortion Care
Governor Dan McKee Tuesday signed an executive order that protects access to abortion care services in Rhode Island. The order, which he foreshadowed signing last week, ensures that individuals who come to Rhode Island seeking reproductive health care will be safeguarded from any potential legal liability in other states. The order was modeled after the one Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a pro-choice Republican, signed recently after the US Supreme Court ended constitutional protections for abortion. (Gagosz, 7/5)

AP: Gov: Maine Won't Help Prosecute Abortion Seekers, Providers 
Maine will not cooperate with other states’ investigations into people who seek abortions or health care providers that perform them, the state’s governor said Tuesday. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed an executive order that she said will protect access to abortion in her state. She said she made the order as a response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that overturned Roe V. Wade. (7/5)

AP: WA Sheriff Won’t Cooperate With Out-Of-State Abortion Probes 
The executive in the county surrounding Seattle said Tuesday its sheriff’s office and other executive branch departments will not cooperate with out-of-state prosecutions of abortion providers or patients. King County Executive Dow Constantine’s executive order signed Tuesday follows a similar one from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, The Seattle Times reported. (7/5)

In other abortion news from Nevada, Indiana, Missouri, and Texas —

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada Sees Influx Of Out-Of-State Patients Seeking Abortions
Las Vegas has seen a 200 percent increase in patients traveling from Texas compared to the same time last year, according to Dr. Kristina Tocce, medical director for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains. (Longhi, 7/5)

Indianapolis Star: Restricting Abortion May Mean More Children In Poverty. Indiana Already Lags On Funding
“No matter your position on this issue, you can still tell lawmakers, ‘Take care of babies once they're here,’” said Jessica Fraser, director of Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute, an advocacy group that does not have a stance on the Supreme Court's abortion ruling. “Help us take care of children who are poor, once they're here in a way that is helpful and not punitive to parents and families.” (Lange and Fradette, 7/6)

Kansas City Star: MO Abortion Ban Lacks Rape, Incest Exceptions, Spurring Anger
When the Missouri House in 2019 debated the bill that became the state’s abortion ban, then-state Rep. Bryan Spencer quickly raised —and praised—the proposal’s lack of exceptions for victims of rape and incest. (Shorman, 7/6)

Houston Chronicle: How Texas Lawmakers Tweet About Abortion And What It Means
The Houston Chronicle analyzed Texas lawmakers’ Twitter activity to get a picture of who was vocal about abortion on the platform in the days before and after the Supreme Court voted to overturn abortion rights in the U.S. Our analysis includes data from all Texas lawmakers with Twitter accounts –  all 38 members of Congress and 167 of the 180 active members of the Texas legislature. (Goodwin, 7/5)

Also —

KHN: ‘My Body, My Choice’: How Vaccine Foes Co-Opted The Abortion Rallying Cry
In the shadow of L.A.’s art deco City Hall, musicians jammed onstage, kids got their faces painted, and families picnicked on lawn chairs. Amid the festivity, people waved flags, sported T-shirts, and sold buttons — all emblazoned with a familiar slogan: “My Body, My Choice.” This wasn’t an abortion rights rally. It wasn’t a protest against the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gutted Roe v. Wade. It was the “Defeat the Mandates Rally,” a jubilant gathering of anti-vaccine activists in April to protest the few remaining covid-19 guidelines, such as mask mandates on mass transit and vaccination requirements for health care workers. (Bluth, 7/6)

New Hampshire Public Radio: Advocates Struggle With How Much They Can Help With Self-Managed Abortions
At a rally in Nashville, Planned Parenthood organizer Julie Edwards looked out at some of the "back alley abortion" imagery on signs, including bloody coat hangers. But, Edwards told the crowd, driven into the streets by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on abortion rights, it's not like the old days before Roe v. Wade. Nearly a decade ago, Edwards was a teenager and got medication from some older friends. Edwards said that may be the new normal in abortion-ban states like Tennessee. (Farmer, 7/5)

CNN: Covid-19 Reinfections May Increase The Likelihood Of New Health Problems 
Repeatedly catching Covid-19 appears to increase the chances that a person will face new and sometimes lasting health problems after their infection, according to the first study on the health risks of reinfection. The study, which is based on the health records of more than 5.6 million people treated in the VA Health System, found that, compared with those with just one Covid-19 infection, those with two or more documented infections had more than twice the risk of dying and three times the risk of being hospitalized within six months of their last infection. They also had higher risks for lung and heart problems, fatigue, digestive and kidney disorders, diabetes and neurologic problems. (Goodman, 7/5)

The Wall Street Journal: The Health Risks Of Getting Covid-19 A Second (Or Third) Time 
Covid-19 reinfections can bring some new risks of serious medical problems, hospitalization and death, a new study has found. Protection provided by vaccines and prior infection has greatly improved Covid outcomes since the pandemic’s early days, and reinfections are typically less severe than initial ones. Yet each new infection carries a risk of medical problems, including hospitalization, death and long Covid, according to preliminary data from a study of patients in the Veterans Affairs health system. (Reddy, 7/5)  

In related news —

Axios: COVID Was Third Leading Cause Of Death In 2020 And 2021
COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the U.S. in 2020 and 2021, accounting for 1 in 8 lives lost, according to a new review of death certificate data in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Bettelheim, 7/6)

And more on the spread of omicron —

The Hill: New Omicron Subvariant BA.5 Now A Majority Of US COVID-19 Cases 
A new omicron subvariant known as BA.5 now comprises a majority of U.S. COVID-19 cases, according to data released Tuesday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The data is a sign of the rise of the highly transmissible subvariant, which has prompted concern about a new increase in cases.  (Sullivan, 7/5)

CIDRAP: BA.4/5 COVID-19 Variants Now Dominant In All US Regions
Combined, the two subvariants make up more than 70% of recently sequenced samples, up sharply from 52.3% the previous week. Of the variants CDC is tracking, BA.5 now makes up 53.6%, and BA.4 makes up 16.5%. The proportion of BA.2.12.1—first detected in New York—continues to decline. (Schnirring, 7/5)

The Boston Globe: Experts: Keep A Sharp Eye Out For COVID-19 Symptoms Now That Fourth Gatherings Have Passed
“After a holiday, we see increases in cases because people are more likely to gather in larger groups, spend more time indoors at larger gatherings. Those are conditions that increase the rates of SARS-CoV-2 transmission.” said Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and an attending physician in the section of infectious diseases at Boston Medical Center. (Finucane, 7/5)

In testing news —

Dallas Morning News: UT Southwestern Researchers Design Rapid COVID Test That Identifies Variants
UT Southwestern researchers have created a rapid COVID-19 test that can identify different variants of the coronavirus in as little as four hours. The researchers hope doctors can use their test, called CoVarScan, to tailor COVID-19 treatments to patients based on which variant the patients have. CoVarScan could also be used to track which variants are cropping up in different communities, and even identify new ones. (Ramakrishnan, 7/5)

Anchorage Daily News: Capstone Clinic To Reopen Two Of Its Busiest Alaska COVID-19 Testing Sites After Demand From Public
After initially closing its COVID-19 testing facilities around the state last week, one of Alaska’s largest private testing providers has reopened two sites in Southcentral. The locations, one at the Old Sears store in Wasilla, and the other in South Anchorage at 100 E. 104th Ave. (near Cabela’s and Target off C Street), reopened after Capstone Clinic received calls to keep testing opportunities in place after they shuttered all of their sites. (Krakow, 7/5)

CIDRAP: Two Or 3 Vaccine Doses May Cut Risk Of Long COVID
An observational study of Italian healthcare workers infected with SARS-CoV-2 who didn't require hospitalization suggests a link between two or three doses of vaccine and a lower prevalence of long COVID. ... The number of vaccine doses was linked to lower prevalence of long COVID, at 41.8% of a reference group of unvaccinated participants, 30.0% after one dose, 17.4% after two doses, and 16.0% after the third dose. Risk factors for long COVID included older age, high body mass index, allergies, and obstructive lung disease. (Van Beusekom, 7/5)

Stat: Long Covid Estimates Are Startlingly High. Here’s How To Understand Them
Think about the adults you know: Does 1 out of every 5 have long Covid, as the CDC estimates? Asking that question should in no way diminish the suffering of people who thought they were done with their infections, only to find their return to well-being still beyond reach. But knowing how many people are living with that bitter legacy of Covid-19, and who among working-age adults can’t work or care for their families, is critical to their care and to the health of our society. (Cooney, 7/6)

A new vaccine shows promise against the covid family —

Los Angeles Times: Vaccine Protects Against COVID Virus Family Members
A new type of vaccine developed at Caltech aims to ward off novel coronaviruses even before health officials are aware that they exist. When tested in mice and monkeys, it trained the animals’ immune systems to recognize eight viruses at once — and induced immunity to viruses they had never encountered. (Purtill and Healy, 7/5)

ScienceDaily: Nanoparticle Vaccine Protects Against A Spectrum Of COVID-19-Causing Variants And Related Viruses
A new vaccine candidate, named mosaic-8, containing pieces of eight different SARS-like betacoronaviruses provides broad protection against other related coronaviruses. (California Institute of Technology, 7/5)

In global news about covid vaccines —

AP: Germany's CureVac Files Suit Against Vaccine Rival BioNTech 
German biotech company CureVac said Tuesday it has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against rival BioNTech for work that it says contributed to the development of the BioNTech-Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. BioNTech said its work is original and it would “vigorously” contest the claim. CureVac, which last year reported disappointing results from late-stage testing of its own first-generation COVID-19 shot, earlier this year started a clinical trial of a second-generation vaccine candidate developed with British pharmaceutical company GSK. (7/5)

Politico: World’s Covid Vaccine, Drugs Equity Program Set To Wind Down This Fall 
The World Health Organization program for the fast-tracking and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics is likely to close in its current form in the fall, according to two individuals familiar with the matter. The program, known as the ACT-Accelerator, is a collaboration among the WHO, governments and global health organizations that works to ensure equitable access to Covid tools. It faced significant obstacles to get vaccines to low- and middle-income countries, but it eventually succeeded in shipping over one billion shots. (Banco and Furlong, 7/5)

AP: Canada To Throw Out 13.6M Doses Of AstraZeneca Vaccine 
Canada is going to throw out about 13.6 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine because it couldn’t find any takers for it either at home or abroad. Canada signed a contract with AstraZeneca in 2020 to get 20 million doses of its vaccine, and 2.3 million Canadians received at least one dose of it, mostly between March and June 2021. (7/6)

Newsweek: What Scientists Found On Surfaces In Monkeypox Patient Hospital Rooms
Scientists have detected the monkeypox virus lying on surfaces of two hospital rooms, according to a new study. Lead author Dominik Nörz swabbed the surfaces of two rooms holding hospitalized monkeypox patients in Germany, and the adjacent anterooms, where staff would change in and out of personal protective equipment (PPE). The findings showed that all surfaces "directly touched" by the patients' hands had viral contamination. The scientists found the highest viral loads on the surfaces of the patients' bathrooms. (White, 7/5)

CIDRAP: Study On Monkeypox Outbreak Shows Differing Symptoms
A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that the clinical profile in recent monkeypox cases is different than in past events, with fatigue and fever less common and genital skin lesions more likely. This is the first study to look at these differences among cases in the current outbreak, and points to the important role sexual transmission among mostly men who have sex with men (MSM) has played in spreading monkeypox in non-endemic countries, many of which had never seen a monkeypox case before. (Soucheray, 7/5)

More on the spread of monkeypox —

The CT Mirror: Connecticut Records First Case Of Monkeypox
A man in his 40s has contracted Connecticut’s first recorded case of Monkeypox, state health officials said Tuesday. The patient is a resident of New Haven County. He is isolating and has not been hospitalized. (Carlesso, 7/5)

4029 TV: Arkansas Health Officials Identified Monkeypox Case
Monkeypox has been identified in Arkansas for the first time, the state's department of health announced Tuesday. "While this news is concerning, monkeypox is not as contagious as other viruses, like COVID-19," Dr. Jennifer Dillaha director for the Arkansas Department of Health, wrote in a news release. The ADH did not say where in the state monkeypox was identified. (Roberts, 7/5)

WJLA: CDC Reports Over 50 Cases Of Monkeypox In DC As Vaccine Appointments Fill Up 
Monkeypox cases in the District are rising. As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reporting 53 cases of the virus in D.C. To combat growing case counts, D.C. Health has opened up two monkeypox vaccine sites in Northwest, by appointment only. Since health officials began offering appointments, they fill up in a matter of minutes. (7/6)

Fox 5 Atlanta: Monkeypox In Georgia: CDC Confirms New Cases As Outbreak Continues
Officials say the number of cases of monkeypox in Georgia is on the rise as the global outbreak continues to concern health authorities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest map confirms the Peach State now has 13 patients who have contracted the virus - two more than reported last week. That number puts the Peach State as one of the 10 states with the greatest number of cases in the country. (7/6)

ABC7 San Francisco: San Francisco Health Officials Warn Of Possible Monkeypox Exposure Following Pride Event 
Following a Pride weekend event, organizer Comfort and Joy says they received a plausible report that one attendee tested positive for monkeypox. "We did have an anonymous email that we received that a friend of this person had tested positive for monkeypox," said Jarrod Stanley, a spokesperson for Comfort and Joy. There are currently more than a dozen monkeypox cases in San Francisco. The virus can be spread by skin-to-skin contact, sexually, or through infected clothing. (Johns, 7/5)

Boston.com: 'This Is Not A Gay Disease': Experts Try To Curb Monkeypox Misinformation
As monkeypox spreads throughout the U.S., public health officials and doctors are concerned about misinformation being shared about the virus. During the ongoing outbreak in the U.S. and Europe, most cases have been among gay and bisexual men. This has brought back painful memories of the HIV/AIDS outbreak in the 1980s, and fears that the gay community and monkeypox could be similarly stigmatized. (Sudborough, 7/5)

The Washington Post: ‘Nothing Feels Safe:’ Americans Are Divided, Anxious And Quick To Panic
In deadly assaults and harmless bursts of celebratory explosives, a divided nation demonstrated this holiday weekend just how anxious and jittery it has become, as the perennial flare of fireworks saluting American freedom reminded all too many people instead of the anger, violence and social isolation of the past few years. (Fisher, 7/5)

CBS News: Warning Signs In Online Postings Missed Before Recent Mass Shootings
New evidence suggests that as early as 2019, the suspected gunman in the 4th of July parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, was flagged for an attempted suicide and threats of physical violence. At the time, 16 knives, a dagger and a sword were confiscated, but local investigators ran into roadblocks. (Herridge, 7/5)

States take action on guns —

The New York Times: New Jersey Tightens Gun Laws After Latest Mass Shooting 
Newly signed legislation will make it more difficult to obtain a handgun license and buy high-capacity rifles in New Jersey, the latest in a patchwork effort by states with strict gun laws to work around a sweeping Supreme Court ruling aimed at dismantling them. The measures, approved by Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday, signal a coming slog of piecemeal legislation as states grapple with last month’s decision, which overturned a New York state law that restricted how and where residents could carry handguns. (Watkins, 7/5)

Politico: Supreme Court Decision Prompts Maryland Governor To Lower Gun License Barriers 
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced Tuesday he has directed the State Police to suspend its “good and substantial reason” standards for the issuance of licenses to wear and carry firearms. Hogan said his decision was the result of a Supreme Court decision last month to strike down a century-old law in New York that gave the state broad authority to deny access to permits allowing residents to carry a gun outside the home. Hogan, a Republican, said the New York law was “virtually indistinguishable” from Maryland law. (Hawkins, 7/5)

The Boston Globe: ‘We’re All On High Alert’: Supreme Court Decision Means Mass. Police Chiefs Have Less Of A Say In Who Shouldn’t Get A Gun
In the first fallout from a Supreme Court ruling on gun permits, the top law enforcement officials in Massachusetts are advising police chiefs to abandon a plank of the state’s gun laws that allows them to deny or put limits on a license if a person fails to cite a “good reason” for carrying a weapon. (Stout, 7/5)

From the Biden administration —

NPR: Harris Calls For Assault Weapons Ban After Highland Park Mass Shooting
Vice President Kamala Harris, in Chicago to speak to a teachers' convention, addressed the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park, Ill., saying "We need to end this horror. We need to stop this violence." Seven people were killed and dozens injured Monday when a shooter opened fire from a rooftop along a Fourth of July parade route in the suburban Chicago city. (7/5)

The Hill: July 4th Violence Leaves Democrats Frustrated Biden Not Doing More On Gun Control 
The less than two weeks’ time between President Biden signing a bipartisan bill aimed at curbing gun violence and another mass shooting taking place, this time during a Fourth of July parade, has left some Democrats and allies frustrated the administration isn’t doing enough to help prevent the next attack. From the White House, Biden is increasingly limited on what he’s able to do on the matter. And what is on the top of his list for Congress to act on — a reinstatement of a 2004 ban on assault weapons, which are often used in mass shootings — has no chance of advancing given the current makeup of the Senate. (Gangitano, 7/5)

Politico: ‘Be Absolutely Furious’—Dems Want More From Biden After Highland Park
Perhaps no issue better encapsulates the Biden administration’s viewpoint and tactics than how it has chosen to tackle the epidemic of gun violence. The president makes no secret of his bolder legislative ambitions. He has called for an assault weapons ban, a ban on high-capacity magazines, stronger background checks, greater legal liability for gun manufacturers and a slew of other reforms. But those efforts have been stymied by Republicans in Congress, and he has had to balance dueling demands: righteous indignation of fellow Democrats and the plodding, incremental progress that comes with bipartisan compromise. (Cadelgo and Lemire, 7/6)

AP: FDA Temporarily Suspends Order Banning Juul Cigarettes
The Food and Drug Administration issued an administrative stay Tuesday on the order it issued last month for vaping company Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the market. The agency said on Twitter that the stay temporarily suspends the marketing denial order while it conducts further review, but does not rescind it. (7/6)

In updates on the opioid crisis —

AP: After West Virginia Opioid Verdict, Another Case Postponed
A trial in a lawsuit accusing three major U.S. drug distributors of causing a health crisis throughout West Virginia was postponed Tuesday, a day after the companies prevailed in another case in the state. Attorneys who represented Cabell County and the city of Huntington on the losing end of a verdict announced in federal court Monday were granted a continuance of a trial a day later in Kanawha County Circuit Court. The trial involves more than 100 other cities and counties statewide against the same defendants: AmerisourceBergen Drug Co., Cardinal Health Inc. and McKesson Corp. (Raby, 7/5)

In other scientific developments —

USA Today: Doctors Finding New Hope In Treatments For Deadly Pancreatic Cancer
"There's nothing that's put a dent in it," said Dr. Eric Tran, a research scientist at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, the research arm of Providence Cancer Institute in Portland, Oregon. "We need a big breakthrough for sure," added Dr. Robert Vonderheide, who directs the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. But for the first time in his career, Vonderheide is convinced one will come soon. (Weintraub, 7/6)

Modern Healthcare: Gucci Ring Combines Italian Bling With Biometric Brains
Released in late May, the waterproof $950 band is the product of Gucci’s first collaboration with wearable tech maker Oura, which introduced its first generation of the ring in 2015. The Gucci ring uses the same platform and technology as Oura’s $299 third-generation version, released last year, but comes with a perk—a lifetime membership to Oura’s health-tracking app that usually costs $5.99 a month. (Abrams, 7/5)

Stat: Beyond CRISPR's Encouraging Results, Some Scientists Want More Data
What happens when you CRISPR people? Few questions generated more contentious discussion in biotech in the mid-2010s, as researchers and executives debated the relative merits of preclinical studies that pointed both to the new gene-editing tool’s potential to cure numerous diseases and its potential to cause unintended genetic damage. (Mast, 7/6)

Axios: The National Bidding War For ARPA-H
An intra-state bidding war has broken out for the chance to house the headquarters of a multibillion-dollar new science agency aimed at curing major diseases — before the agency's structure has even been finalized by Congress. (Hurt, 7/6)

Axios: More Nursing Homes, Physicians Leads To Lower Hospital Readmission Rates
Medicare patients were readmitted to hospitals less frequently in communities with more nursing home beds and primary care physicians, a new Health Affairs study shows. (Dreher, 7/6)

Modern Healthcare: To Report Or Not To Report? CMS COVID Quality Plan Prompts Questions
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic battered Sanford Health, the health system rededicated itself to quality efforts, racing to address concerns and change processes in real time and to report patient safety data. "We believe that quality needs to be maintained, regardless of conditions and the situation," said Dr. Jeremy Cauwels, the Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based health system's chief physician. "It's been a constant area of focus." At other health systems, the pandemic derailed safety and quality programs as hospitals were beset by resource and staffing shortages, waves of high acuity patients, and overtaxed intensive care units. (Devereaux, 7/5)

Modern Healthcare: Price Transparency Rule Leads To Insurer Confusion
The regulation is vague and underwent changes late in the process, which makes it difficult for insurers to understand just what it means to be in compliance, said Dan Kuperstein, a senior vice president of compliance at consultancy Corporate Synergies and an attorney who specializes in employee benefits law. That’s even more true for smaller carriers, employers and third-party administrators, he said. (Tepper, 7/5)

Modern Healthcare: Oncologists Turn To Telehealth For An Extra Layer Of Patient Care
Telehealth experienced explosive, unprecedented growth early in the pandemic. More than two years in, much of that uptick has slowed, hampered by reimbursement uncertainty and unknown returns on investment. Still, some health systems have found an enduring use case for virtual care: oncology. (Devereaux, 7/5)

KHN: ‘Free’ Screening? Know Your Rights To Get No-Cost Care 
An ounce of prevention … well, you know the rest. In medicine, prevention aims to spot problems before they worsen, affecting both a patient’s health and finances. One of the more popular parts of the Affordable Care Act, which allows patients to get certain tests or treatments without forking out cash to cover copayments or deductibles, is based on that idea. (Appleby, 7/6)

Also —

KHN: Widely Used Hospital Gowns Show Signs Of Exposing Workers To Infection 
Disposable gowns designed to deflect the splatter of bodily fluids, used in thousands of U.S. hospitals, have underperformed in recent and ongoing laboratory tests and may fall short of safety standards, leaving health care workers with a greater risk of infection than advertised. A peer-reviewed academic study, published to little notice amid the coronavirus pandemic, found that isolation gowns commonly worn in medical units or intensive care units ripped too easily and allowed about four to 14 times the expected amount of liquid to seep through when sprayed or splashed. (Kelman, 7/6)

Bloomberg: How A Shortage Of Plastic Is Impacting Health Care
“We’re definitely seeing some shortages on types of plastic components that go into medical devices, and that’s a big issue at the moment,” says Robert Handfield, a professor of supply chain management at the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University. (Swetlitz, 7/5)

Salt Lake Tribune: After 33 Years Of Incinerating Medical Waste, Stericycle Shutters Its North Salt Lake Plant
After 33 years of burning Utah’s medical waste on the edge of growing Davis County subdivisions, Stericycle’s North Salt Lake incinerator closed for good on Friday, dropping the curtain on a drawn-out drama over the company’s alleged failure to control toxic emissions and efforts to cover it up. (Maffly, 7/6)

The New York Times: Funeral Home Operator Pleads Guilty In ‘Illegal Body Part Scheme’ 
The operator of a Colorado funeral home who was accused of stealing body parts and selling them to medical and scientific buyers, making hundreds of thousands of dollars in what the authorities called an “illegal body part scheme,” pleaded guilty to mail fraud on Tuesday, the Justice Department said. The woman, Megan Hess, 45, the principal figure in the scheme, was assisted by her mother, Shirley Koch, who is in her late 60s, prosecutors said. As part of a plea agreement, eight other criminal charges against Ms. Hess were dropped. She could face up to 20 years in prison. (Traub, 7/5)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

Detroit Free Press: Health Insurers Seek 2023 Rate Hikes As Temporary Subsidies Expire
Most health insurers in Michigan are seeking more rate hikes next year for their individual and small groups plans, and the scheduled end of temporary "Obamacare" subsidies could raise the pain level higher. State regulators announced Tuesday that insurance companies are seeking an average 5.8% rate increase for their 2023 small group policies — those for organizations with fewer than 51 employees. (Reindl, 7/5)

St. Louis Public Radio: Report Highlights Inefficient St. Louis County 911 System
St. Louis County’s 911 system is "inefficient" and "fragmented," according to a preliminary report released by Forward Through Ferguson. The report details several key findings through its digital platform #transforming911, including big-budgeted and heavily staffed police departments in the county, low dispatcher staffing levels and outdated technology. (Lewis-Thompson, 7/5)

Fox News: Florida Warns Residents Of Giant African Land Snail That May Cause Meningitis In Humans: Report
Did you know some snails can cause meningitis? The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is warning Pasco County to beware of the giant African land snail (GALS) that can carry a rare rat lungworm called Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which may cause meningitis in humans, according to the state’s recent "Pest Alert." (Sudhakar, 7/5)

NPR: Native Tribe Near The U.S. Uranium Mill Hopes To Find Out If It's A Health Risk
A Native American community neighboring the only operating uranium mill in the U.S. is hoping a new study will answer longstanding questions about whether it is affecting their health. Members of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe living in White Mesa, Utah, say they have seen an alarming increase in health problems in recent years. (Brady Woods, 7/6)

In nursing home news from North Carolina and Pennsylvania —

North Carolina Health News: NC Veterans Agency Ignores Nursing Home Assessment Deadline 
Until they heard from Gov. Roy Cooper, the state Division of Military and Veterans Affairs slow-walked directives and missed legislative deadlines to look into the state veterans nursing home system and to report regularly on their progress, state records show. (Goldsmith, 7/6)

AP: COVID Nursing Home Deaths Claim Is Campaign Trail Mainstay 
Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvania’s Republican nominee for governor, has made a campaign staple out of the allegation that Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s policy of readmitting COVID-19 patients from hospitals to nursing homes caused thousands of deaths — a baseless claim for which no investigator or researcher has provided any evidence. In fact, layers of inspections by researchers have pointed to entirely something different — nursing home employees ushering in the virus every day — while investigators found administrators flouting staffing requirements or infection-control procedures. (Levy, 7/5)

The Washington Post: Demaryius Thomas Diagnosed With Stage 2 CTE In Posthumous Brain Study
Former NFL star Demaryius Thomas was diagnosed with Stage 2 chronic traumatic encephalopathy, his family said in a statement Tuesday, after doctors at Boston University’s CTE Center studied the former wide receiver’s brain. Thomas was found dead at 33 in December at his home in Roswell, Ga., and while the cause of death has not been determined by the coroner’s office in Fulton County, Ga., his family has attributed his death to seizures, which he suffered following a 2019 car crash. (Hill, 7/5)

The Hill: Dez Bryant On Demaryius Thomas: ‘A Lot Of Us Living With CTE And The NFL Know It’ 
NFL wide receiver Dez Bryant on Tuesday said many professional football players are living with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) but are afraid to speak out about their symptoms. ... “DT88 my heart weak bro… it’s a lot of us living with CTE and the NFL know it…most importantly the Athletes who have those symptoms are scared to speak,” Bryant, who spent eight seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, wrote in a tweet on Tuesday. “1 thing about me ain’t living no false life…my love and support for athletes are on a much deeper level than most.” (Oshin, 7/5)

In other health and wellness news —

The Washington Post: Behavioral Issues, Absenteeism At Schools Increase, Federal Data Shows
More than 80 percent of public schools reported that the pandemic has taken a toll on student behavior and social-emotional development, while nearly as many schools say they need more mental health support, according to federal data released Wednesday. (St. George, 7/5)

ABC News: Many Black Children Are Dying By Suicide, Doctors Say: Understanding The Why -- And How To Help
Quintin Lamarr first began having thoughts of suicide when he was around 16 years old. Now 26 and an advocate and volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Lamarr told ABC News that about a year and a half of those suicidal thoughts culminated in a mental health crisis that led to his hospitalization. During that time, he said, he was dealing with continued grief over the death of his father along with more recent bullying he faced as a gay Black teenager growing up in Milwaukee. (Livingston, 7/6)

Fox News: NY Elementary School Student, Age 7, Saves Choking Classmate With Heimlich Manuever
A 7-year-old elementary school student is being hailed a hero after he saved his classmate’s life during lunch by using the Heimlich maneuver. David Diaz Jr., a second-grader from Woodrow Wilson Elementary in Binghamton, New York, stepped into action when he noticed his friend had begun choking on pizza at school. He said he learned the life-saving move from "The Good Doctor," a TV medical drama he’d been watching with his father, David Diaz Sr., during the last year. (Moore, 7/6)

Los Angeles Times: Poor Air Quality Lingering In L.A. After July 4 Firework Shows
Air quality dropped considerably after hundreds of Fourth of July firework shows and smaller sets lighted up skies across the Los Angeles region Monday and remained at unhealthy levels into Tuesday morning for many areas. (Toohey, 7/5)

The Washington Post: Acupuncture Could Reduce Tension Headaches By Half
People who have chronic tension headaches might be able to reduce the frequency of those headaches by as much as 50 percent with acupuncture, according to research published in the journal Neurology. Tension headaches, which are the most common type, are sometimes described as feeling pressure as if you had a tight band around your head. They are considered chronic if they regularly occur at least 15 days a month. (Searing, 7/5)

CIDRAP: Trial Data Support Outpatient Antibiotic Management For Appendicitis
A secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial suggests that outpatient antibiotic management for select patients with acute appendicitis is safe, researchers reported today in JAMA Network Open. The Comparison of Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial, which involved 1,552 adults with image-confirmed appendicitis and was conducted from May 2016 through February 2020 at 25 US hospitals, found antibiotics to be non-inferior to appendectomy. (7/1)

Stat: FDA To Convene Second Panel To Review Amylyx Pharma's ALS Treatment
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration is bringing together a panel of outside experts for a second time to review new data on the company’s experimental treatment for ALS. (Feuerstein, 7/5)

Stat: Marijuana-Induced High Blunted By Anebulo Pharma Pill, Early Study Shows
Anebulo Pharmaceuticals said Tuesday that a single dose of its experimental pill blunted the effects of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, supporting further development of the medicine as a potential antidote for cannabis intoxication. (Feuerstein, 7/5)

FiercePharma: Iveric To Develop Sustained-Release Form Of Retinal Disease Drug
Iveric Bio has struck a deal to switch up the delivery profile of its age-related macular degeneration prospect Zimura. With phase 3 data on the current formulation due soon, the retinal disease biotech has partnered with DelSiTech to develop a sustained-release successor. (Taylor, 7/5)

The Lancet: Cabozantinib Plus Atezolizumab Versus Sorafenib For Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (COSMIC-312)
Cabozantinib has shown clinical activity in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumours. The COSMIC-312 trial assessed cabozantinib plus atezolizumab versus sorafenib as first-line systemic treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. (Kelley, MD, et al, 7/4)

Los Angeles Times:  States Can Ban Abortion, But They Can't Stop The Mail 
In these grim post-Roe days, more than half the states in the country are in the process of banning or severely curtailing access to abortion. In every state that outright bans abortion, that prohibition extends to medication abortion — a simple and safe two-pill regimen that has been available for more than two decades. (7/1)

Kansas Reflector: From Insulin To Abortion, Kansas Political Leaders Put Profits Ahead Of People 
Type 1 diabetes was on my mind this long weekend. A story from States Newsroom’s national bureau explained how U.S. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire have united for a bill capping insulin costs. Liz Hamor wrote a moving column for the Reflector about a couple facing a kidney and pancreas transplant after one member’s long struggle with the illness. (Clay Wirestone, 7/6)

Times Of San Diego: San Diegans With Mental Health Issues Forego Treatment Due To High Cost
California policymakers have made attempts over the years to improve what patients pay out-of-pocket for their medication, including through reform of the prescription drug rebate system. This year, Senate Bill 1361 would have increased transparency in the opaque business practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and required that 90% of manufacturer rebates be passed on to consumers at the pharmacy counter. (Cathryn Nacario, 7/3)

The Washington Post: Is It Time For A National Public Health System? 
Since the early months of the covid-19 pandemic, it’s been clear that the U.S. public health system needs major improvements. Now, a blue-ribbon commission assembled by the Commonwealth Fund has issued a report with a rather provocative conclusion: The United States needs a national public health system. (Leana S. Wen, 7/5)

The New York Times: Removing Nicotine From Cigarettes Would Spell A Historic Shift In Tobacco Regulation
The Food and Drug Administration recently proposed lowering the nicotine content in cigarettes to less addictive levels. If adopted, this regulation would finally test one of the tobacco industry’s favorite claims: that smoking is a choice. (Sarah Milov, 7/6)

Modern Healthcare: Can Internal Design Help Solve Some Of Healthcare’s Most Pressing Problems? 
Attending SXSW in Austin, Texas, this spring felt like it lit up a light bulb inside me. It illuminated the potential answer to a question that I, and most other hospital leaders, have struggled with for decades: How can the American healthcare industry do better at providing high-quality, more accessible care while keeping costs down for the consumer, the payer and the provider? (John Couris, 7/5)

The CT Mirror: Flawed Ruling Jeopardizes Mental Health Coverage For Millions Of CT Patients
 In a moment where over 28% of Connecticut’s adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression —up from 19% just two years earlier— the country’s largest insurer is threatening to hinder access to much-needed mental health care. (Luis Perez, 7/6)

The Boston Globe: A Blood-Oxygen Detector Without Racial Bias 
Pulse oximeters, which measure the level of oxygen in your blood, don’t always work properly on people with darker skin. One study found that Black patients with critically low oxygen levels were three times more likely to have their level overestimated, which can lead to dangerous delays in care. (Simar Bajaj, 7/5)

Stat: Health Care Organizations Need To Invest In Workforce Career Education
In a tight health care labor market, health care companies must be creative in attracting and nurturing talented people. Investing in employees’ career education may be one key to unlocking an organization’s full potential. (Heather Brace and Vivek Sharma, 7/6)

Los Angeles Daily News: Solitary Confinement Should Be Abolished In American Prisons, Jails
“The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons,” wrote Fyodor Dostoevsky in 1862.  By that measure, America’s prisons reveal a rather abysmal state of affairs in what is supposed to be a highly advanced society. (Sal Rodriguez, 7/3)

Stat: Monkeypox Vaccine Shows The Value Of Investing In Preparedness 
After living through the Covid-19 epidemic, many people around the world reacted to the sudden spread of monkeypox with understandable dismay. But while researchers and public health experts are still learning more about this outbreak, there is one critical distinction between monkeypox and Covid-19: a safe and effective vaccine has been ready and on the shelf from the start. (Paul Chaplin, 7/6)

Also —

Columbus Dispatch: Why Is There No Constitutional Right To Health Care, Abortion?
Now that the Supreme Court has declared that in the U.S., women no longer have a constitutional right to abortions, I guess it’s time to ask the obvious: Why was the right to abortion not based on the right to health care? (Lawson, Wulsin, 7/6)

Modesto Bee: Unintended Consequences Of Roe Reversal For Women, Children
“Please refer me.” Marie was a 35-year-old woman in her first pregnancy. Though it was unexpected, she was thrilled to find out about the pregnancy. Due to her age, she was given early genetic testing and had several early scans, which showed a normally progressing pregnancy. (Maya Nambisan, 7/3)

Arizona Republic: Ghastly Ohio Case Shows How Abortion Also Would Be Banned For Raped 10-Year-Old In Arizona
When six members of the U.S. Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, I wonder if the justices could have imagined the cruel and unnecessary trauma they were inflicting on a little girl in Ohio. I hope so. (EJ Montini, 7/5)

Los Angeles Times: Women In Prison And Under Court Surveillance Will Suffer Under New Abortion Bans 
As state abortion bans snap into effect after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, one group who will be most affected seems to be least discussed: women under criminal court control. (Kate Weisburd, 7/5)