Axios: Debt Deal Claws Back COVID Relief, Spares Medicaid
Democrats beat back efforts to attach Medicaid work requirements to a debt limit deal, but the agreement reached over the weekend will claw back about $30 billion of unspent COVID relief funds and likely bring more budget austerity to federal health agencies. GOP negotiators had increasingly insisted that Medicaid work requirements needed to be part of the deal, but Democrats were aggressively against such measures. (Bettelheim, 5/30)

The New York Times: Here’s What’s In The Debt Limit Deal
In exchange for suspending the limit, Republicans demanded a range of policy concessions from Mr. Biden. Chief among them are limits on the growth of federal discretionary spending over the next two years. Mr. Biden also agreed to some new work requirements for certain recipients of food stamps and the Temporary Aid for Needy Families program. (Tankersley and Rappeport, 5/29)

Politico: Playbook: The Debt Ceiling Glide Path Comes Into View
Covid aid clawbacks … Nearly $30 billion in unspent relief money Congress approved during the height of the pandemic would be clawed back from dozens of programs. There are cutouts for some programs such as veterans health care and Covid-19 treatment and vaccine research. (Daniels, Bade and Lizza, 5/29)

Politico: Debt Ceiling Agreement Claws Back About $30B In Unspent Covid Funds
It also would continue to fund veterans' health care associated with environmental hazards, such as toxic exposure to burn pits. The agreement does not contain changes to Medicaid, something that Democrats had said was essential to them. And White House officials said Sunday the deal also maintains the Inflation Reduction Act’s prescription drug provisions — as expected. (Lim, 5/28)

Meanwhile, long-term health care impacts are discussed —

Reuters: Republicans Speak Out Against U.S. Debt-Ceiling Deal
Republicans have argued that steep spending cuts are necessary to curb the growth of the national debt, which at $31.4 trillion is roughly equal to the annual output of the economy. Interest payments on that debt are projected to eat up a growing share of the budget in the decades to come as an aging population pushes up health and retirement costs, according to government forecasts. (5/29)

The State: Judge Blocks SC 6-Week Abortion Ban, Punts To Supreme Court
South Carolina’s new six-week abortion ban is on hold, after a judge on Friday blocked the law from being enforced, sending the legal challenge back to the state Supreme Court to decide for the second time whether the ban is constitutional. Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman made the decision Friday from the bench at the Richland County Courthouse. Later Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster tweeted that his lawyers filed an emergency motion, requesting the S.C. Supreme Court to “resolve this issue quickly.” The high court will now decide whether it takes the case. (Bustos, 5/26)

In other reproductive health news —

AP: Doctor's Supporters, Hospital At Odds With Indiana Penalty For Talking About 10-Year-Old's Abortion
Supporters of an Indianapolis doctor voiced frustration Friday with the Indiana medical board’s decision that she violated patient privacy laws when she talked with a newspaper reporter about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim. ... Some of Bernard’s colleagues criticized the Medical Licensing Board’s vote and the state attorney general’s pursuit of disciplinary action against her as trying to intimidate doctors in Indiana, where the Republican-dominated Legislature enacted an abortion ban last year that courts have put on hold. (Davies, 5/26)

NBC News: Ohio Banned August Elections. Then The GOP Planned One That Could Help Preserve An Abortion Ban
Earlier this year, Ohio Republicans enacted a law that effectively scrubbed August special elections from the state’s calendar, calling them overly expensive, low turnout endeavors that weren't worth the trouble. But then, just earlier this month, Ohio state legislative Republicans went ahead and scheduled an August election this year that could make it harder for abortion-rights supporters to amend the state constitution later. (Edelman, 5/27)

Los Angeles Times: Even In California, Anti-Abortion 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers' Seem To Be Untouchable
At Sierra Pregnancy and Health, Executive Director Cary Wilcox beams with pride holding a plastic model of what will soon be a new mobile clinic thanks to a flood of donations after its “biggest year ever.” Outside the nondescript nonprofit just 20 miles from the California capital, a sign advertises “abortion pill reversal” — a practice involving the hormone progesterone that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists deems “unethical” and “not supported by science.” (Mays, 5/28)

Politico: This Alabama Health Clinic Is Under Threat. It Doesn’t Provide Abortions
Patients arriving for an appointment at the West Alabama Women’s Center one year ago would brave a gauntlet of chanting protesters, skirt an idling police car, take seats in a crowded waiting room and wait for one of the clinic’s dozen busy staff members to help them terminate a pregnancy. Over the clinic’s nearly 30-year history, visits also included the risk of being shot, bombed or rammed by a vehicle. (Miranda Ollstein, 5/29)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Lawmakers Add Support For College Students With Kids 
Texas is adjusting to a near-total ban on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson last year struck down Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional protection for abortion and allowing states to set their own laws regulating the procedure. Texas lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognized that the number of pregnant and parenting students will likely increase in the state. This legislative session, lawmakers passed multiple bills that would provide more support to students with children as well as codifying their rights in state law to ensure all colleges and universities are set up to meet their needs. Gov. Greg Abbott has already signed one bill into law. (McGee, 5/30)

Also —

USA Today: In Abortion Pill Battle, Mifepristone Patients Come To Its Defense
Amid the legal saga, people who’ve had medication abortions told USA TODAY the ability to choose mifepristone felt life-saving and gave them a sense of flexibility and control over their abortion experiences. (5/27)

The Hill: Poll: Most Don’t Trust Supreme Court To Decide Reproductive Health Cases
Most respondents in a new poll said they don’t trust the Supreme Court to decide cases related to reproductive and sexual health. Only 37 percent of adults said they trust the court “a lot” or “somewhat” to make the right decision on reproductive and sexual health, according to the poll released Friday by KFF. The results come amid an ongoing lawsuit that seeks to undo federal approval of the common medication abortion pill mifepristone, and almost a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. (Weixel, 5/26)

Stat: How Vulnerable Is Medicare Drug Negotiation To Legal Challenges?
Drugmakers have already hinted at suing Medicare over its new efforts to negotiate prescription drug prices. A new report by nonpartisan congressional researchers suggests there are at least some parts of the law that can’t be challenged — but they caution it would ultimately be up to the courts to decide. (Wilkerson, 5/30)

The Hill: Millions Had Medicaid Coverage Tied To The Pandemic. Now They Stand To Lose It
Federal legislation passed during the pandemic prohibited states from terminating a Medicaid enrollee’s coverage until the end of the public health emergency, which enabled the federal program to grow and contributed to a record-low national uninsured rate. These provisions have concluded, however, and it’s become apparent that beneficiaries were not made aware of the change. (Choi, 5/29)

In other news concerning the Biden administration —

Politico: Congress Prods Biden Administration On Female Crash Dummies
Congress wants the Biden administration to move faster on addressing the gender gap in vehicle crash testing — something safety advocates have urged for years amid soaring traffic fatalities. The crash tests that regulators use to rate vehicles’ safety don’t use female test dummies in the driver’s seat in a key test, and in the tests where they are used, the dummies are less-accurate, scaled-down male versions. Advocates say the discrepancy means that hundreds of women needlessly die in crashes every year. (Guo, 5/29)

AP: Court Monitor Warned Of Medical Care Issues At Border Patrol Stations Before Girl’s Death
A court-appointed monitor said in January that child migrants held in medical isolation may be overlooked when Border Patrol stations get too crowded, a warning issued five months before an 8-year-old girl with a heart condition died in custody during an unusually busy period in the same Texas region he inspected. (Gonzalez and Spagat, 5/26)

Also —

The Washington Post: Insurance Rules Keep Patients From Opioid, Mental Health Drugs
While insurance companies say a relatively small percentage of medication and services require approval, critics, including the American Medical Association (AMA), say prior authorization is overused, costs providers time and money, and delays treatment to patients with mental health and substance use disorders who are vulnerable to relapse when experiencing interruptions in care. The bill before the D.C. Council, introduced by Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2), would set deadlines for insurers to respond to prior authorization requests and appeals, allow denials only by a District-licensed physician with the same specialty as the patient’s doctor, make approvals last at least a year and honor approvals for 60 days when a patient changes plans. (Portnoy, 5/28)

AP: Mpox Is Down, But US Cities Could Be At Risk For Summertime Outbreaks
With Pride events planned across the country in the coming weeks, health officials and event organizers say they are optimistic that this year infections will be fewer and less severe. A bigger supply of vaccine, more people with immunity and readier access to a drug to treat mpox are among the reasons. But they also worry that people may think of mpox as last year’s problem.“Out of sight, out of mind,” said Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, who is advising the White House on its mpox response. “But we are beating the drum.” (Stobbe, 5/28)

The New York Times: With Mpox At Risk of Flaring, Health Officials Advise, ‘Get Vaccinated’
Now, a year after a global mpox outbreak began and just as Pride celebrations and the summer party season are set to start, public health authorities are warning of a risk of new outbreaks, nationally and in New York City, primarily among men who have sex with men. (Otterman and Stack, 5/29)

Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon Public Health Officials, CDC, Encourage Monkeypox Vaccine Ahead Of Summer Travel
Public health officials are encouraging Oregonians to get both doses of the monkeypox vaccine ahead of summer gatherings and travel to prevent contraction and spread of the virus. An outbreak of monkeypox (mpox) began in June 2022, and while cases have decreased since then, the outbreak is not over, said Tim Menza, senior health adviser for Oregon Health Authority's mpox response. There may be potential for a resurgence of the virus as travel and large gatherings increase throughout the summer, OHA said. (Wyatt, 5/29)

Also —

CNN: Doctors Say This Is The Most Important Virus You’ve Never Heard Of
The past winter was a heavy one for respiratory viruses, dominated by surges of RSV, influenza and Covid-19. But just as it was winding down, a little-known virus that causes many of the same symptoms – a lower lung infection, hacking cough, runny nose, sore throat and fever – was just picking up steam. Cases of human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, spiked this spring, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s respiratory virus surveillance systems. (Goodman, 5/29)

CIDRAP: US COVID Indicators Remain Low
On the eve of the Memorial Day weekend, the two main metrics that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses to track US COVID-19 activity—hospitalizations and deaths—continue to decline, according to the latest data. Hospitalizations for COVID are down 11% compared to a week ago, and deaths from the virus are down 13.3%. (Schnirring, 5/26)

Axios: America's COVID-Free Summer Mindset
Americans who've long wanted to put COVID in the rearview mirror are actively embracing the idea the pandemic is over. For the first time, the majority of the public agrees the crisis has passed, according to the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. (Bettelheim and David, 5/29)

In other covid news —

Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID Vaccine Mandate For Philadelphia Municipal Workers Ends
Most Philadelphia municipal employees are no longer required to be vaccinated for COVID-19, Philadelphia officials said, ending a pandemic policy that went into effect less than a year ago. As of last week, only city workers with jobs that put them in contact with patients, such as doctors or nurses, must be vaccinated, said Sarah Peterson, a spokesperson for the city. Philadelphia changed its policy in response to the end of two national emergency declarations earlier this month and new recommendations from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. (Laughlin, 5/30)

The Atlantic: Fall's COVID Shots May Be Different In One Key Way
This fall, millions of Americans might be lining up for yet another kind of COVID vaccine:  their first-ever dose that lacks the strain that ignited the pandemic more than three and a half years ago. Unlike the current, bivalent vaccine, which guards against two variants at once, the next one could, like the first version of the shot, have only one main ingredient—the spike protein of the XBB.1 lineage of the Omicron variant, the globe’s current dominant clade. (Wu, 5/26)

On long covid —

The Washington Post: For Covid Long-Haulers, The Pandemic Is Far From Over
Ever since January, when President Biden announced plans for a springtime end to the coronavirus public health emergency, Frank Ziegler has been wrestling with what that would mean for covid long-haulers like him. “The president was telling the U.S. to just move on. The problem is that for however many million of us, we can’t just move on,” said the Nashville attorney, who has endured cognitive impairments since coming down with covid-19 more than two years ago. (Stead Sellers, 5/29)

Meanwhile, covid is still infecting people in the U.S. and overseas —

The Washington Post: Tally Of Covid-19 Cases After CDC Conference Climbs To 181
The tally of people infected with the coronavirus after attending a high-profile Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conference in April has risen to at least 181, the agency reported Friday. No one was hospitalized. (Sun, 5/26)

The New York Times: As Covid Infections Rise, China Rejects A Return To Lockdowns 
In December, China abruptly abandoned its draconian “Zero Covid” policies, battered by a surge of infections and rising public anger against lockdowns. Half a year on, Covid cases again are on the rise, but this time the nation appears to be determined to press on with normal life as the government focuses on reigniting economic growth. (Buckley, 5/27)

Also —

BBC News: Covid: Top Chinese Scientist Says Don’t Rule Out Lab Leak
The possibility the Covid virus leaked from a laboratory should not be ruled out, a former top Chinese government scientist has told BBC News. As head of China's Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Prof George Gao played a key role in the pandemic response and efforts to trace its origins. China's government dismisses any suggestion the disease may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory. But Prof Gao is less forthright. (Sudworth and Maybin, 5/30)

CIDRAP: Artificial Intelligence Discovers New Antibiotic Candidate
A team of researchers from McMaster University in Toronto and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say they have discovered, with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), a new antibiotic with the potential to fight a multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogen. (Dall, 5/26)

USA Today: Scientists Use AI To Discover Antibiotic To Fight Deadly Hospital Bug
Scientists have used artificial intelligence to identify a new antibiotic that might be useful to fight a deadly drug-resistant bacteria commonly found in hospitals and medical offices. Researchers report they used an AI algorithm to predict molecules that would neutralize the drug-resistant bacteria Acinetobacter baumannii. Researchers discovered a potential antibiotic, named abaucin, "can effectively suppress" the growth of the stubborn bacteria on the skin of mice, according to a study this week in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. (Alltucker, 5/27)

In other research, innovation news —

Stat: Musk's Neuralink Can Now Study Its Brain Implant In Humans
Neuralink can now study its brain implant in humans after securing a go-ahead from the Food and Drug Administration. It’s a critical turning point for the Elon Musk-led company — but the startup, however closely watched, is playing catch-up compared to its peers in the neurotechnology field. “In terms of first in human, Neuralink is almost two decades behind,” said JoJo Platt, a neurotech strategist. (Lawrence, 5/26)

NPR: Sperm Or Egg From Any Cell? It's Called IVG And It Holds Huge Promise And Peril
It's a Wednesday morning at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in downtown Washington, D.C., and Dr. Eli Adashi is opening an unprecedented gathering: It's titled "In-Vitro Derived Human Gametes as a Reproductive Technology." It's the academy's first workshop to explore in-vitro gametogenesis, or IVG, which involves custom-making human eggs and sperm in the laboratory from any cell in a person's body. (Stein, 5/27)

The Washington Post: More Exercise Appeared To Lower Women's Parkinson's Risk, Study Says
Getting regular exercise may reduce a woman’s chances of developing Parkinson’s disease by as much as 25 percent, according to research published in the journal Neurology. It involved 95,354 women, who were an average of age 49 and did not have Parkinson’s when the study began. The researchers compared the women’s physical exercise levels over nearly three decades, including such activities as walking, cycling, gardening, stair climbing, house cleaning and sports participation. (Searing, 5/28)

The New York Times: Ketamine Shows Promise For Hard-To-Treat Depression In New Study
A new study suggests that, for some patients, the anesthetic ketamine is a promising alternative to electroconvulsive therapy, or ECT, currently one of the quickest and most effective therapies for patients with difficult-to-treat depression. The study is the largest head-to-head comparison of the two treatments. (Caron, 5/26)

Axios: Coming To A Hospital Near You: 5G
Artificial intelligence may be grabbing headlines, but another technology revolution is finally starting to take place within the walls of hospitals: the switch to 5G. While most consumers still think about cellphone speeds when it comes to fifth-generation wireless networks, they could be game changers in enabling "smart" hospitals, along with intelligent grids and transportation systems. (Reed, 5/30)

On research into heart health —

Philadelphia Inquirer: Penn Medicine Doctors Are Testing Whether This New Technology Can Diagnose Heart Failure Faster
Anthony Scalies was in cardiac arrest. He’d been admitted to Chester County Hospital 10 days earlier with COVID, and his health had rapidly declined. Cardiac arrest is common among patients when they become critically ill with COVID, but it was unclear to doctors what underlying problem had caused the Collegeville resident’s heart to suddenly stop beating that day in April 2021. (Akman, 5/30)

The New York Times: To Prevent Heart Attacks, Doctors Try A New Genetic Test 
Cardiologists hope to use such tests, which cost about $150 and are not typically covered by health insurance, to identify people most likely to have heart attacks long before they have them. Some doctors envision testing children as part of routine pediatric care. “There’s a real unmet need to identify high-risk people very early in life,” said Dr. Nicholas Marston, a cardiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He has studied polygenic risk scores and has also been involved in trials for pharmaceutical companies that make cholesterol medicines. “We know the solution to preventing heart disease is getting your bad cholesterol as low as possible for as long as possible.” (Kolata, 5/30)

Also —

The Washington Post: Military Members Half As Likely As Civilians To Receive HPV Vaccine
Active-duty military and veterans are twice as likely as civilians to develop cancers associated with human papillomavirus, or HPV. Now, research shows they are also half as likely to be vaccinated as those civilians — a disparity experts say will lead to preventable cancer deaths. To estimate HPV vaccination among veterans, researchers analyzed Veterans Health Administration data on more than 128,000 veterans ages 18 to 26 who had at least one primary care visit between 2018 and 2020, then compared it with federal data on civilians. (Blakemore, 5/28)

CIDRAP: COVID-Related Cancer Screening Delays Will Lead To Later Diagnoses, Experts Note
Delayed diagnoses of lung, breast, and colorectal cancers will likely be on the rise as a direct consequence of missed cancer screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic, write researchers in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Researchers at Boston University created a predictive statistical model to quantify missed diagnoses of lung, breast, and colorectal cancers by comparing observed cancer rates in 2020 with pre-pandemic cancer rates in the previous decade (2010-2019). (Soucheray, 5/26)

CIDRAP: Bivalent COVID Vaccine Efficacy At 6 Months: 24% Against Hospitalization, Strong Against Death
Estimated bivalent (two-strain) COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness (VE) against hospitalization dropped from 62% 1 week after receipt to 24% at 4 to 6 months in adults with healthy immune systems, but protection against severe outcomes was sustained, according to a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study. (Van Beusekom, 5/26)

The Hill: What Are Poppers And Why Is The FDA Warning About Them?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning Americans to make sure the tiny bottles they’re drinking aren’t accidentally something else — poppers, in particular. But you may be wondering just what that means. “Poppers” is a term used to refer to a variety of liquid chemicals, typically amyl nitrate, which are sometimes inhaled by people recreationally for enhanced sexual arousal and temporary relaxation. While these items can be sold (and are widely available in places like adult novelty stores), their use is not approved in any way by the FDA and using them as a drug is illegal. (Falcon, 5/26)

USA Today: What Is Kratom? Herbal Drug's Side Effects, Withdrawal Explained
Millions of Americans have turned to kratom, an over-the-counter herbal drug extracted from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia, for relief of pain, anxiety and even withdrawal symptoms from opioids. But the Food and Drug Administration has said kratom may be harmful. The agency has sought to restrict imports of the substance and recently seized a large shipment to an Oklahoma manufacturer. (Alltucker, 5/27)

On other public health news —

Stat: How The New Oral Polio Vaccine Is Stacking Up
When a new and hoped-to-be safer oral polio vaccine started to make its way into use in March 2021, there was huge optimism that this long-needed tool would help the polio eradication campaign quell a growing problem that was — and is still — complicating efforts to stamp out polio forever. Two years later, expectations surrounding the new vaccine, known as novel oral polio vaccine type 2, or nOPV2 for short, are moderating a bit. (Branswell, 5/26)

The Wall Street Journal: See How Ticks And Mosquitoes Are Carrying Diseases To More Of The U.S. 
Diseases are riding ticks and mosquitoes to new pastures. (Brown, Ulick and Abbott, 5/26)

The Wall Street Journal: With Psych Wards Full, Mentally Ill Accused Of Crimes Languish In Jail
Week after week, Barbara Vassis watches as her daughter sinks deeper into a delusional world while sitting in a Boulder, Colo., jail cell. (Frosch and Findell, 5/29)

Also —

KFF Health News: Cardiovascular Disease Is Primed To Kill More Older Adults, Especially Blacks And Hispanics
Cardiovascular disease — the No. 1 cause of death among people 65 and older — is poised to become more prevalent in the years ahead, disproportionately affecting Black and Hispanic communities and exacting an enormous toll on the health and quality of life of older Americans. (Graham, 5/30)

KFF Health News: Mammograms At 40? Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Spark Fresh Debate
While physicians mostly applauded a government-appointed panel’s recommendation that women get routine mammography screening for breast cancer starting at age 40, down from 50, not everyone approves. Some doctors and researchers who are invested in a more individualized approach to finding troublesome tumors are skeptical, raising questions about the data and the reasoning behind the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s about-face from its 2016 guidelines. (Cohen, 5/30)

Modern Healthcare: Primary Care Physician Compensation Grew Faster In 2022: MGMA 
Primary care physicians’ compensation saw a bigger boost in 2022 than a year earlier but the gain wasn't enough to offset last year's inflationary pressures. Median total compensation for primary care doctors rose 4.41% last year, compared with 2.13% in 2021, according to a Medical Group Management Association analysis released Thursday of data from more than 190,000 physicians. (Kacik, 5/26)

In other health care industry news —

Stat: To Boost Profits, Device Maker Sold Fake Parts For Pain Patients
Stimwave’s pitch was alluring. As a startup tackling chronic pain with nerve-stimulating devices, it promised to release patients from the stranglehold of addictive painkillers. And unlike its competitors, whose devices required patients to have clunky batteries implanted in their bodies, Stimwave’s system came with a sleek, wearable battery attached to thin wires under the skin. But under financial pressure, the company’s promise soon crumbled into fraud. (Lawrence, 5/30)

The Boston Globe: Prospect Medical Takes Next Step To Unload R.I.-Based Hospitals 
A deal for an out-of-state nonprofit to acquire two Rhode Island-based hospitals and their subsidiaries reached a new milestone on Friday, after the two organizations submitted their proposal to state regulators. (Gagosz, 5/26)

Reuters: Pharmacy Chain Walgreens Boots Alliance To Cut Corporate Jobs By 10%
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA.O) said on Friday it would slash its corporate staff by about 10%, as it streamlines operations and focuses on consumer-facing healthcare businesses. None of the 504 roles being cut are based at its stores, micro-fulfillment outlets or call centers, a company spokesperson told Reuters. (5/26)

In pharma news —

Reuters: U.S. FDA Approves Lexicon Pharma's Drug For Heart Failure
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Lexicon Pharmaceuticals Inc's (LXRX.O) drug for a broad treatment of heart failure, including in adult patients with type 2 diabetes, the company said on Friday. Shares of the company rose 13% in extended trading. The oral drug, sotagliflozin, is the company's first to be approved by the U.S. health agency and will be sold under the brand name Inpefa. It had previously failed to win U.S. approval as an add-on to insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes. (Mandowara, 5/26)

Reuters: Pfizer, Moderna Hit With New Alnylam Patent Lawsuits Over COVID-19 Vaccines 
Biotech company Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc (ALNY.O) filed new lawsuits on Friday against Pfizer Inc (PFE.N) and Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) in Delaware federal court, again claiming that the companies' COVID-19 vaccines infringe its patents. The new lawsuits mark the third time Alnylam has sued Pfizer and Moderna in Delaware for allegedly violating its patent rights in lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology, which the vaccines use to deliver genetic material into the body. (Brittain, 5/26)

Reuters: EU Regulator Recommends Revoking Authorisation For Novartis' Sickle Cell Drug
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday it had recommended revoking marketing authorisation for Novartis' (NOVN.S) sickle cell disease drug Adakveo. The recommendation follows a review by EMA's human medicines committee (CHMP) that concluded the benefits of the drug did not outweigh risks, according to the regulator. (5/26)

Also —

Philadelphia Inquirer: Florida-Based Schools Sold Fake Nursing Diplomas To Students Nationwide For $17,000 A Pop
In early November 2022, the FBI alerted Delaware’s Board of Nursing to a scheme in which an owner of four Florida-based schools sold fake college degrees to students who then used the phony credentials to get nursing licenses from states nationwide. Pamela Zickafoose, executive director of Delaware’s board, said she wasted no time. On Nov. 15, 2022, her board annulled the licenses of 26 nurses who had bought degrees for about $17,000 each. Among the 26 was a registered nurse from Philadelphia who obtained a license to practice in Delaware — and in Pennsylvania, state records show. (Ruderman, 5/30)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Passes Bill That Would Require Armed Person On Every School Campus
Texas lawmakers sent a sweeping school safety measure to Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday, including in their response to last year’s Uvalde massacre a requirement to post an armed security officer at every school and provide mental health training for certain district employees. The measure also gives the state more power to compel school districts to create active-shooter plans. (Lopez, 5/28)

The Hill: Texas Lawmakers Send School Safety Bill To Gov. Abbott’s Desk A Year After Uvalde Shooting
State lawmakers in Texas on Sunday approved a school safety bill, sending the proposal to the governor’s desk one year after the mass shooting massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Texas House Bill 3 would require mental health training for school district employees who regularly interact with students and require at least one armed security officer at all campuses during regular school hours, among other provisions. (Mueller, 5/29)

In other news from Texas —

Houston Chronicle: Air Quality Houston: What To Know About Ozone Season, Pollutants
When vehicle and industrial emissions meet heat and sunlight, ozone pollution forms — and with sunny skies in the outlook for Houston, ozone season is in full swing and may prove harmful for sensitive groups, Air Alliance Houston reported. Ozone season, lasting March through November in Houston, signifies higher levels of the pollutant, which has the potential to cause health issues for vulnerable populations. When at ground level, ozone can cause throat irritation, breathing difficulties, coughing and chest pain, Air Alliance Houston posted. (Fonstein, 5/26)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Could Lose Billions In Medicaid Funding Under Biden Policy Shift
Texas could lose billions of dollars in federal health care funding as the Biden administration looks to crack down on the practice of hospitals pooling their Medicaid funds for the benefit of hospitals without as many qualifying patients. (Osborne, 5/29)

Houston Chronicle: Radioactive Camera Missing In Houston Found, FBI Investigating
A radiographic camera reported missing more than two months ago was found intact with its radioactive material still sealed in its protective shielding, Texas Department of State Health Services officials announced Friday. The 53-pound SPEC-150 radiographic camera was reported stolen by Statewide Maintenance Company and was last seen near a Taco Cabana in North Houston. The FBI is now investigating how the camera went missing, a Department of State Health Services spokesperson said. (Vidales, 5/26)

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

Health News Florida: Medical Boards Are Set To Revisit Rules On Transgender Care In Florida
Carrying out a new law, a joint panel of the Florida Board of Medicine and the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine is slated next week to discuss rules about treatments for transgender minors and adults. The Joint Rules and Legislative Committee of the medical boards will meet Thursday in Tampa. (5/28)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Placed Abused Youth In Hotels. Violence Followed
A woman stumbled into the palatial lobby of downtown Los Angeles’ Biltmore Hotel earlier this year, pleading for someone to call the police. Deep bruises were starting to form around her eyes. Blood crusted around her nostrils and mouth. She was so dazed that she didn’t notice a telephone cord wrapped around her neck. (Hurd and Ellis, 5/28)

San Francisco Chronicle: FBI, EPA Investigating Release Of Toxic Dust From Martinez Refinery
The FBI and Environmental Protection Agency are investigating the release of more than 20 tons of toxic dust from a malfunctioning oil refinery over Martinez neighborhoods last Thanksgiving, a Contra Costa County supervisor and the FBI confirmed Saturday. (Moench, 5/27)

Politico: Minnesota Wanted To Curb Health Spending. Mayo Clinic Had Other Ideas
Mayo Clinic issued an ultimatum to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Democratic lawmakers earlier this month: Kill a proposed health affordability bill, or say goodbye to $4 billion in new hospital investments. Minnesota lawmakers responded quickly — by watering down an ambitious proposal in the final days of the legislative session, which ended last week. (Messerly, 5/30)

AP: New York City Makes It Illegal To Discriminate Against Weight And Height 
New York City Mayor Eric Adams signed legislation Friday that will ban discrimination based on body size by adding weight and height to the list of protected categories such as race, sex and religion. “We all deserve the same access to employment, housing and public accommodation, regardless of our appearance, and it shouldn’t matter how tall you are or how much you weigh,” said the mayor, who joined other elected officials as well as fat-acceptance advocates at a City Hall bill-signing ceremony. (Matthews, 5/27)

AP: Oregon, Awash In Treatment Funds After Decriminalizing Drugs, Now Must Follow The Money
Funding for drug treatment centers in Oregon, financed by the state’s pioneering drug decriminalization policy, stood at over a quarter-billion dollars Friday as officials called for closer monitoring of where the money goes. That need for oversight was demonstrated Wednesday when state officials terminated a $1.5 million grant agreement with a drug recovery nonprofit in Klamath Falls accused of failing to submit completed expenditure and data reports and buying a building for more than double the authorized amount. (Selsky, 5/26)

Also —

KFF Health News: California Governor And Democratic Lawmakers At Odds Over Billions In Health Care Funds
When Gov. Gavin Newsom took office four years ago, the Democrat went after Republicans on the national stage as they sought to gut the Affordable Care Act. Key to his ambitious health care agenda: reinstating the fine on Californians who don’t have health coverage, which had been eliminated at the federal level. (Hart, 5/30)

KFF Health News: Many People Living In The ‘Diabetes Belt’ Are Plagued With Medical Debt
Delores Lowery remembers vividly the day in 2016 when she was working in a weaving plant near her home in Bennettsville, South Carolina, and the world around her seemed to go dim. She turned to her co-workers. “And I asked, I said, ‘Why y’all got it so dark in here? They said, ‘Delores, it’s not dark in here.’ I said, ‘Yes, it is. It’s so dark in here.'” (Benincasa and McMillan, 5/30)

The New York Times: What If There Was Never A Pandemic Again? 
As recently as a century ago, experts predicted that it would not be possible to sustain human cities with populations in the millions for long because of the inevitable spread of disease. But technological changes have allowed us, in the developed world at least, to prevent many such pandemics. (Jassi Pannu and Jacob Swett, 5/28)

Bloomberg: The Deadly Epidemic That Isn't Over
For Americans under 20, an epidemic much deadlier than COVID-19 has raged over the last three years. Deaths among those aged 1 to 19 surged 20% — driven by an increase in car crashes, suicide, homicide and drug overdoses. (Faye Flam, 5/26)

Houston Chronicle: COVID-19 Was Just The Warm-Up Act
Although the U.S. government has officially ended the national COVID-19 public health emergency, the reality is that both the virus and the illness are still with us. Perhaps the scariest days of the COVID pandemic — when 2,000 to 3,000 Americans perished daily — are past. But not only does transmission of SARS-2, the virus behind this pandemic, remain significant, but now a slate of new omicron-derived XBB variants have become dominant. (Peter J. Hotez, 5/27)

The Tennessean: Frontline Physicians Condemn The Perpetual Cycle Of Mass Shootings
Firearm related injuries are now the leading cause of death in children and adolescents in the United States. No other developed nation faces this uniquely American problem. As physicians we see the effects firsthand. (Jacqueline Krevitz and Kenji Tanaka, 5/26)

Stat: Heart Attack And Stroke Risk Calculators Need Revising
For busy primary care physicians like me, an annual physical with a 27-year-old male is a blessing. Since we’re always running late, a quick visit with a young healthy adult offers the rare chance to get back on schedule. But I didn’t give my own doctor that chance to get back on schedule when I went to see him for my physical a few months ago. After the customary interview and exam, just as he was ready to leave, I asked him to check my cholesterol. (Suhas Gondi, 5/29)

Stat: One Way To Retain Health Care Workers: Offer Child Care
Since the pandemic began, thousands of child care locations have closed, exacerbating an already acute shortage. But health care worker Jada Carter was lucky. Her two children went to Hospitots, one of the few places to stay open during the early days of the pandemic, when, by one estimate, two-thirds of child care centers closed. Hospitots is one of the three child care centers connected to the Ballad Health System in Johnson City, Tenn., where health care workers can send their kids at a discount. Having reliable child care while much of the country was struggling made her job possible for Carter. (Rebecca Gale, 5/30)

Stat: Cali Sober: Using Cannabis When Addicted To Alcohol Or Opioids
The phenomenon of being “Cali sober” is taking the recovery world by storm. It is defined as dedicating oneself to a life free of drugs and alcohol — except for cannabis and other psychedelics. (Though many consumers don’t think of cannabis as a psychedelic, policy experts often consider it one because of its effects.) Hardcore proponents of abstinence-based recovery, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, dismiss the Cali sober approach as dangerous and “not really recovery.” (Peter Grinspoon, 5/30)

Scientific American: A Rare Form Of Dementia Can Unleash Creativity 
Neurological conditions can release a torrent of new creativity in a few people as if opening some mysterious floodgate. Auras of migraine and epilepsy may have influenced a long list of artists, including Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Giorgio de Chirico, Claude Monet and Georges Seurat. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can result in original thinking and newfound artistic drive. Emergent creativity is also a rare feature of Parkinson’s disease. (Robert Martone, 5/26)