CNBC: Federal Judge Shares Date Of Abortion Pill Hearing After Media Outlets Criticize Him For Secrecy
A federal judge in Texas publicly disclosed Monday afternoon that he scheduled a hearing in a case seeking to overturn the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, after media outlets criticized him for attempting to keep the proceedings secret until the last minute. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. Northern District of Texas ordered oral arguments in the case to take place on Wednesday at 9 a.m. CT, according to a court filing. The hearing will take place in Amarillo, Texas. (Kimball, 3/13)

CBS News: Ahead Of Ruling That Could Disrupt Access To Medication Abortion, Providers Line Up Alternatives 
If Kacsmaryk orders the FDA to rescind its approval of mifepristone, the process could take months, and it would not mark the end of medication abortion in the U.S. Instead, patients could use misoprostol alone, which studies show is between 80% to 100% effective and is recommended by the World Health Organization as a safe and effective alternative. To use misoprostol only, a total of 12 pills are taken in three doses every three hours. (Quinn, 3/14)

Houston Chronicle: VP Kamala Harris Warns Abortion Pill Ban Would Embolden 'Extremists'
Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday warned that if anti-abortion advocates are successful in banning a key abortion pill, "extremists and politicians" could go after any medication they do not like. "Think about what this means if extremists and politicians can override an FDA approval," Harris said. "The implications in terms of public health policy are profound." (Wermund, 3/13)

In related news from Planned Parenthood —

Stat: Planned Parenthood CEO: Reproductive Rights Are "Nonpartisan"
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the news has been full of stories about patients crossing state lines in order to access reproductive care. What often gets left out is the accompanying confusion created by abortion restrictions. (Boodman, 3/14)

The Hill: South Carolina GOP Lawmakers Propose Death Penalty For Women Who Have Abortions
Republican lawmakers in South Carolina are considering a change to the state’s criminal code that would make a person who gets an abortion eligible for the death penalty. The bill being considered in South Carolina, dubbed the South Carolina Prenatal Equal Protection Act of 2023, would redefine “person” under state law to include a fertilized egg, giving it at the point of conception equal protection under the state’s homicide laws, including the death penalty. (Neukam, 3/13)

Rolling Stone: 21 South Carolina GOP Lawmakers Propose Death Penalty for Women Who Have Abortions
The bill was authored by Rep. Rob Harris, a registered nurse and member of the Freedom Caucus; it has attracted 21 co-sponsors to date. (Two former co-sponsors — Rep. Matt Leber and Rep. Kathy Landing — asked to have their names removed as sponsors of the bill. Leber and Landing could not be reached for comment.)  Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican who represents South Carolina in the U.S. House, took to the floor on Friday to call attention to the bill, which she sees as part of a “deeply disturbing” trend. (Multiple Texas lawmakers have floated the idea of executing women who have abortions in the past. Those bills, proposed before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, failed.) (Stuart, 3/13)

Abortion news from Ohio —

AP: Abortion-Rights Proposal Moves A Step Closer To Ohio Ballot
Backers of a proposal to enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution can begin collecting the more than 413,000 voter signatures required to put the issue before voters this fall, after the petition cleared another hurdle Monday. The constitutional amendment moves to the signature-gathering phase after the Ohio Ballot Board confirmed the petition language contains only one proposed amendment. (3/13)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Abortion Amendment: Signature Collection Begins For Fall Ballot
Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green, noted that she was "horrified at the thought" of the amendment being added to the Ohio Constitution but had a procedural role to fulfill. She joined the unanimous vote. Proponents now have until July 5 to collect 413,446 valid signatures from at least 44 counties. If they do, the measure will be placed on Ohioans' November ballot. (Balmert, 3/13)

From Missouri and California —

The Kansas City Beacon: Many Worry Missouri's Abortion Ban Will Worsen Mortality Rates
Kristen Mason knows that the months during pregnancy and after childbirth can be difficult, lonely and even dangerous — especially in her home state. The United States is in the midst of a maternal mortality crisis and Missouri has some of the nation’s poorest outcomes. (Cunningham, 3/13)

Los Angeles Times: 17 New Bills Aim To Bolster California's Role As Abortion Sanctuary
Democratic lawmakers introduced a package of bills on Monday to further bolster California’s role as an abortion haven after last year’s repeal of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe vs. Wade. (Arredondo, 3/13)

Politico: Newsom’s Former Chief Is Repping Walgreens In Abortion Pill Fight 
When California Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to cut off Walgreens over its plan to scale back access to abortion pills, panicked representatives for the company raced to call his aides for clarity about the state’s retaliatory policy. As the standoff unfolded, the governor’s senior staff heard a familiar voice come over the phone as a lead representative for Walgreens: Ann O’Leary. An attorney and crisis manager who served as senior policy adviser to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, O’Leary is viewed in Washington’s Democratic circles as a policy powerhouse with a golden Rolodex to match. (Cadeloago, 3/13)

On protecting your reproductive and online data —

Axios: Texas Abortion Lawsuit Renews Activists' Calls For End-To-End Encrypted Messaging
A recent lawsuit in Texas against women who helped a friend access abortion medication is renewing calls for tech giants to make end-to-end encryption the default on their messaging services. ... he plaintiff's complaint is based on text messages among the women — making real a long-held fear that people's digital communications will be weaponized after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. (Sabin, 3/14)

Houston Chronicle: Harris County May Spend $6M To Expand Access To Reproductive Care In Wake Of Texas Abortion Ban
Harris County officials on Monday proposed a $6 million reproductive health care fund to expand access to contraception and preconception health screenings as part of an effort to boost services after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, triggering Texas' strict abortion ban.

Fierce Healthcare: SXSW 2023: How Health Apps Should Protect Privacy Post-Dobbs
There's a big angle based on the sheer amount of information that we share with our phones and other technology in the course of our daily lives," said Alexandra Reeve Givens, president and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology, while speaking on a panel at the SXSW 2023 conference this weekend. Online search history, browsing history, private messages with friends or with a loved one and location information are now "up for grabs" she noted. "That sounds like a little bit of melodrama, but we've actually already seen prosecutions where this type of evidence is being used. It's a new landscape and we need to think about new interventions to address it," Givens said. (Landi, 3/13)

AP: Biden Expected To Sign New Executive Order On Gun Control 
President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday aiming to increase the number of background checks to buy guns, promote better and more secure firearms storage and ensure U.S. law enforcement agencies are getting the most out of a bipartisan gun control law enacted last summer. The Democratic president plans to unveil his latest efforts at curbing gun violence in a speech from Monterey Park, California, said a senior White House official, who discussed the order ahead of its signing on the condition of anonymity. In January, a gunman stormed a dance hall in the community near Los Angeles and shot 20 people, killing 11, following a Lunar New Year celebration. (Miller and Long, 3/14)

The Washington Post: Biden To Sign New Executive Order Aimed At Gun Violence
President Biden on Tuesday, during a visit to Monterey Park, Calif., where 11 were shot dead earlier this year, is planning to sign an executive order that aims to increase the number of background checks before firearms sales. As he travels to the largely Asian suburb of Los Angeles where a day of jubilation turned to anguish and terror with the mass killing inside a dance studio, Biden is also planning to draw attention to the pain inflicted on communities that experience such spasms of violence. (Viser, 3/14)

Politico: Biden To Sign New Executive Order On Guns, Expanding Background Checks 
The executive action will direct Attorney General Merrick Garland to address a background check loophole by clarifying the definition of “engaged in the business” of selling firearms, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters late Monday ahead of the announcement. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act passed last summer updated federal law, requiring anyone who sells guns for profit to be licensed and conduct background checks on buyers. By clarifying who qualifies as a gun dealer, the federal law will require a greater number of sellers to conduct background checks on prospective buyers. (Ward, 3/14)

Stat: Veterans Health Administration Will Cover Newest Alzheimer's Drug
In an unexpected move, the Veterans Health Administration decided that it will widely cover a new Alzheimer’s treatment, even as Medicare has decided to wait for additional data about the medicine before taking the same step. (Silverman, 3/13)

Axios: Veterans To Get Coverage Of Alzheimer's Drug Medicare Won't Pay For
The Veterans Health Administration said Monday that it intends to pay for a $26,500-a-year experimental Alzheimer's drug that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has to date declined to cover. ... CMS currently limits its coverage to patients enrolled in clinical trials or CMS-approved comparative studies. (Gonzalez, 3/13)

CNBC: VA To Cover Alzheimer's Treatment Leqembi For Some Veterans
In a statement, drugmaker Eisai said veterans in the early stages of the disease who meet VHA criteria are eligible for coverage of Leqembi. ... A document on the agency’s website says veterans must be seniors, sign a consent form, have undergone an MRI in the past year, and have PET scan or spinal tap test results that are consistent with Alzheimer’s disease, among other criteria. (Kimball, 3/13)

What are the benefits of lecanemab? —

NPR: Benefits Of Lecanemab, A New Alzheimer's Drug, Unclear For Patients Of Color
A new drug for Alzheimer's disease, called lecanemab, got a lot of attention earlier this year for getting fast-tracked approval based on a clinical trial that included nearly 1,800 people. While some saw it as undeniable progress for a disease with no other proven treatment, others urged caution because of severe side effects and the finding of only a "modest" effect. Dr. Jonathan Jackson, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, has another concern: the racial and ethnic makeup of the trial. (Metzger, Kwong, Oza and Spitzer, 3/13)

And the Mediterranean diet appears to lower the risk of Alzheimer's —

NBC News: Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Risk Of Dementia, Alzheimer's, Science Shows
A diet that is rich in seafood, fruit, vegetables, nuts and olive oil may lower the risk of dementia, a new study suggests. An analysis of data from more than 60,000 seniors revealed that choosing to follow a Mediterranean diet reduces a person’s likelihood of developing dementia by nearly one quarter, even among those with genes that put that at greater risk, according to the report published Monday in the medical journal BMC Medicine. (Carroll, 3/13)

The Washington Post: Diet May Lower Cognitive Risks By 20 Percent For Those With MS
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who embrace a Mediterranean diet may be about 20 percent less likely to develop problems with memory and thinking skills than those who do not, according to a study scheduled to be presented next month at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting.MS is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that develops when the immune system mistakenly attacks and harms the protective sheath (myelin) around nerve cells. (Searing, 3/13)

CBS News: Rite Aid Lawsuit: Justice Department Alleges Pharmacy Ignored Red Flags In Filling Opioid Prescriptions
One of the country's largest pharmacy chains knowingly filled unlawful prescriptions and ignored internal red flags on its practices, the Justice Department alleged in a complaint filed Monday. The complaint against Rite Aid was part of a whistleblower lawsuit brought against the company under the False Claims Act and the Controlled Substances Act, the Justice Department said in a news release. (Ruiz, 3/13)

Reuters: US Sues Rite Aid For Missing Opioid Red Flags 
Rite Aid pharmacists were accused of ignoring obvious signs of misuse, including in prescriptions for “trinities,” a combination of opioids, benzodiazepine, and muscle relaxants preferred by drug abusers for their increased euphoric effect. The Justice Department also said Rite Aid intentionally deleted some pharmacists’ internal warnings about suspicious prescribers, such as “cash only pill mill???,” while admonishing them to “be mindful of everything that is put in writing.” (Stempel, 3/13)

More on the opioid crisis —

The Wall Street Journal: McKinsey Consulted VA While Advising Opioid Makers To Target Agency For Sales
Since at least 2009, McKinsey & Co. has been a consultant to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the federal agency that oversees healthcare for millions of retired military service members. During part of that time, the consulting giant also advised some of the world’s biggest opioid producers to target the agency for sales of their products, according to newly released documents. The firm advised opioid companies including Purdue Pharma LP and Endo International PLC on how to increase sales to the VA through both new and existing channels, the documents show. Meanwhile, McKinsey earned at least $117 million consulting for the VA, primarily on matters related to healthcare services for veterans, according to government records. (Gladstone, 3/13)

U.S. News & World Report: Study: Disabled People Less Likely To Be Prescribed Medication For Opioid Disorder
New research finds people living with disabling conditions are less likely to be prescribed medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder than individuals without disabilities, raising concerns over whether those individuals are experiencing added stigma that is making it harder for them to access treatment. (Ross Johnson, 3/13)

NPR: Are Harsher Fentanyl Sentences The Solution To The Opiate Crisis? Experts Say No
Here in New Jersey one new bill would make manufacturing and distributing 5 grams a first degree crime. But advocates say, that's a small enough amount to land people who are using in jail, rather than get them the help they need. (Garsd, 3/13)

From the states —

The Baltimore Banner: Opioid Treatment In Maryland Jails: Fewer Than Half Complying With State Law 
The first-in-the-nation law required all Maryland jails to have opioid treatment programs in place by January, but fewer than half of the affected local governments — 11 counties and Baltimore City — were fully compliant as of late February, according to the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth and Victim Services. Officials in the remaining 13 counties, including Harford and Frederick, are working with the state to meet the requirements for treatment and counseling, said Joseph Cueto, a spokesman for the state crime prevention office. (Zhu, Cohn and Conarch, 3/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: Most Overdose Deaths In S.F. Involve Multiple Drugs. Here’s Why That’s Important
About three-quarters of accidental overdose deaths in San Francisco last year involved more than one drug, according to preliminary data from the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. This data set includes details beyond the agency’s monthly reports, including which drugs contributed to the deaths. (Leonard, 3/13)

Wisconsin Public Radio: Milwaukee County Will Place Vending Machines Filled With Free Narcan, Fentanyl Test Strips Throughout Community
But officials hope the release of $11 million from lawsuit settlement funds — the money going toward prevention, education and treatment — will help slow down the number of overdoses. Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed a bill releasing the funds to 15 different projects Monday, ranging from treatment for county prisoners who are suffering from opioid use disorders to vending machines filled with free Narcan and fentanyl test strips. (Casey, 3/13)

On the risks of medical tourism to Mexico —

NPR: Mexican Pharmacies Are Selling Pills To U.S. Travelers Laced With Deadly Fentanyl
Mexican pharmacies that cater to U.S. tourists are selling medications that appear safe but are frequently laced with deadly fentanyl and methamphetamine. That's the conclusion of new research that examined medications purchased legally in four cities in northern Mexico where travelers from the U.S. often seek low-cost health care and pharmaceuticals. "For pills sold as oxycodone, we tested 27 and found 10 or 11 of them contained either fentanyl or heroin," said Chelsea Shover, a researcher at the UCLA School of Medicine. (Mann, 3/14)

CNN: Poor Sleep Decreases Vaccine Effectiveness, Especially For Men 
If you’re scheduling an appointment for a vaccination — whether for Covid-19, the flu or for travel to another country — make sure you’re getting a long, restful night’s slumber before you head to the doctor. Sleeping less than six hours the night before you get the shot may limit your body’s response to the vaccine, reducing protection against the virus or bacteria, according to a new study. (LaMotte, 3/13)

Fox News: Sleep Deprivation Could Reduce Vaccine Antibodies, New Study Found
Getting insufficient sleep in the days before or after a vaccination could weaken its effectiveness particularly for men, a new study has found. Researchers from the U.S., France, the U.K. and Sweden conducted the study, which was published in the journal Current Biology on Monday. (Rudy, 3/13)

More about covid and vaccines —

The Wall Street Journal: What Do We Actually Know About Covid-19? Not Enough 
Covid-19 vaccines are widely available, but researchers don’t yet know enough about how the virus might change or how long immunity lasts to be certain who should get future boosters or how often. The unknowns could have public-health consequences in the years ahead, virus experts said. “A big question is how will that play out over time?” Bronwyn MacInnis said of the virus’s mutations. She is director of pathogen genomic surveillance at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a biomedical research center in Cambridge, Mass. “Are there other tricks we have yet to see?” she said. (Toy and Abbott, 3/13)

CIDRAP: 4 COVID Vaccine Doses Best Prevent Critical Omicron BA.5, Even After BA.1/BA.2 Infection
Four COVID-19 booster doses were the most effective way to prevent critical Omicron BA.5, regardless of previous infection status, according to a nationwide study published late last week in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 3/13)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: CDC Urges Bivalent Booster In New Push. Will People Listen?
Three years into the pandemic, COVID-19 vaccines are an increasingly hard sell – especially in Georgia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only about 10% of residents in the state have gotten an updated bivalent booster, which targets the original strain and omicron subvariants circulating now. (Oliviero, 3/13)

The Atlantic: The Next Stage Of COVID Is Starting Now
To be a newborn in the year 2023—and, almost certainly, every year that follows—means emerging into a world where the coronavirus is ubiquitous. Babies might not meet the virus in the first week or month of life, but soon enough, SARS-CoV-2 will find them. “For anyone born into this world, it’s not going to take a lot of time for them to become infected,” maybe a year, maybe two, says Katia Koelle, a virologist and infectious-disease modeler at Emory University. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, this virus will be one of the very first serious pathogens that today’s infants—and all future infants—meet. (Wu, 3/13)

USA Today: What Is Prosopagnosia? Long COVID May Cause Face Blindness: Study
Early in the pandemic, a 28-year-old customer service representative and portrait painter caught COVID-19. She had a high fever for a few days and trouble breathing. Her sense of smell and taste disappeared. But by mid-April 2020, she had recovered enough to start working from home. It wasn't until June, when she saw her family for the first time since her illness, that she realized she'd lost something else. She could no longer recognize her own father or distinguish him from her uncle. (Weintraub, 3/13)

Minnesota Public Radio: Future Of Us: Applauded During The Pandemic, Now Nurses Want To Be Heard
In November 2020, Kelley Anaas begged Minnesotans to stay home for Thanksgiving during one of the state’s daily COVID-19 briefings. “Up until nine months ago, nurse was my only professional title,” said Anaas, a registered nurse and union representative in Minneapolis. “Suddenly I had earned a new designation: frontline worker. Honestly, I've always found this name laughable, as it implies that there's a second line of us waiting in the wings. Minnesota, we are your only line.” Today, the virus is better managed, but that line of defense has become thinner. (Crann and Burks, 3/13)

In global news about SARS and avian flu —

AP: Chinese SARS Whistleblower Jiang Yanyong Dies At 91
Jiang Yanyong, a Chinese military doctor who revealed the full extent of the 2003 SARS outbreak and was later placed under house arrest for his political outspokenness, has died, a long-time acquaintance and a Hong Kong newspaper said Tuesday. Jiang was 91 and died of pneumonia Saturday in Beijing, according to human rights activist Hu Jia and the South China Morning Post. News of Jiang’s death and even his name were censored within China, underscoring how he remained a politically sensitive figure even late in life. (3/14)

CIDRAP: European Scientists Highlight Worrisome H5N1 Avian Flu Mutations
In an updated assessment on H5N1 avian influenza, European health groups said though the risk to humans is still low, worrisome signs include the appearance of certain mutations in circulating strains and mass animal mortality events that hint at a greater risk of spread among mammals. (Schnirring, 3/13)

Stat: Pfizer Buys Seagen, Maker Of Targeted Cancer Drugs, For $43 Billion
Pfizer said Monday it is acquiring Seagen, a maker of targeted cancer drugs, for $43 billion. The deal helps Pfizer, flush with cash but in need of new sources of revenue due to declining sales of Covid treatments, by adding a lineup of cancer drugs called antibody-drug conjugates that work by delivering chemotherapy directly to tumors. (Feuerstein, 3/13)

The Washington Post: Pfizer Seeks Another ‘Moonshot’ In $43 Billion Cancer Deal With Seagen 
Seagen, based outside Seattle, is known for pioneering a seek-and-destroy therapy that locates tumors and targets them with antibodies, delivering a drug that attacks cancer cells. Harnessing this technology, called antibody-drug conjugates, Seagen has won regulatory approval for drugs that treat Hodgkin lymphoma as well as bladder, cervical and breast cancer. (Gilbert, 3/13)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —

Reuters: Bristol Myers, Pfizer, AbbVie Drugs Likely To Face U.S. Price Negotiation
The blood thinner Eliquis from Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer's breast cancer drug Ibrance and AbbVie's leukemia treatment Imbruvica are likely to be among 10 big-selling medicines subject to U.S. price negotiations for 2026, according to five Wall Street and academic analyses shared with Reuters. Last year Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), giving the U.S. government power to start the first price negotiations over prescription drugs for its Medicare health program covering more than 60 million Americans, most over age 65. (Erman, Wingrove and Aboulenein, 3/13)

Stat: French Pharma Sanofi Buys Maker Of Diabetes Treatment For $2.9B
Sanofi said Monday that it is acquiring Provention Bio, makers of a diabetes treatment, for $2.9 billion. The Provention drug at the centerpiece of the deal, called TZield, was approved in the U.S. last November as the first and only treatment to prevent the onset of symptomatic Type 1 diabetes. Sanofi was already co-marketing the drug under a prior licensing deal signed between the two companies. (Feuerstein, 3/13)

Stat: Illumina Has Been Ignoring Its Investors. It Can’t Ignore Carl Icahn
Illumina, the DNA sequencing giant whose stock has fallen 40% in two years, already had problems. Now it has to contend with Carl Icahn. The granddaddy of activist investors announced Monday morning that he’s taken a stake in Illumina and wants three handpicked directors added to the company’s board. The message Illumina’s management should hear is this: Icahn usually gets much of what he wants. (Herper, 3/13)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: UH Bets Big On Immune Cell Research As The Future For Cancer Treatment
For many scientists, the future of medicine lies in tapping the healing power of our own individual cells. And when it comes to cancer treatment, University Hospitals has its eye on that prize. The hospital system recently made substantial investments in the field of immunotherapy - a way of harnessing the body’s own immune cells to fight cancer. The hope is that by being at forefront of personalized, cell-based medicine, it will attract the world’s top scientific talent and position UH as a center for cutting edge cancer care. (Kroen, 3/14)

Stat: Scientists Say Embryo-Editing Research Should Proceed 
The Francis Crick Institute is a glimmering chameleon of a building, spanning four acres of downtown London, that took 10 years and cost nearly $850 million to build. The curves of its vaulted twin roofs manage to resemble the hull of an alien spacecraft while still echoing the steel and glass forms found at the bustling St. Pancras train station across the street. (Molteni, 3/14)

Politico: PETA Urges Pentagon To Stop ‘Disturbing’ Radiation Tests On Ferrets, Monkeys
A prominent animal rights group is calling on the Pentagon to halt “disturbing” research exposing ferrets and monkeys to pulsed radiation to try to recreate symptoms of “Havana Syndrome.” On Thursday, POLITICO first reported that the Defense Department began funding experiments last September on ferrets to try to determine whether radio frequency waves could be the source of the mysterious ailment that has plagued more than 1,000 U.S. government personnel for years. POLITICO also reported that DoD has recently conducted these tests on primates. (Seligman, 3/13)

Politico: The Time Russians Really Did Target Americans With Microwaves
The idea that a foreign power — say, Russia — could launch a global campaign of “directed pulsed radio frequency energy” is hardly farfetched. Not only is this the conclusion that others, such as the National Academy of Sciences, have come to. But it wouldn’t even be the first time the Kremlin has launched such a campaign. (Michel, 3/10)

In other health news from Capitol Hill —

The Hill: McConnell Discharged From Hospital, Won’t Return To Senate Immediately 
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) was discharged from the hospital Monday after suffering a concussion last week when he tripped and fell at a private dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in downtown Washington.  McConnell, who is 81, is not expected to return to the Senate this week. (Bolton, 3/13)

The New York Times: Patricia Schroeder, Feminist Trailblazer In Congress, Dies At 82 
Patricia Schroeder, a trailblazing feminist legislator who helped redefine the role of women in American politics and used her wit to combat egregious sexism in Congress, died on Monday. She was 82. ... She was a driving force behind the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, which guaranteed women and men up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a family member. She helped pass the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which barred employers from dismissing women because they were pregnant and from denying them maternity benefits. (Seelye, 3/14)

The Washington Post: Marilyn Goldwater, Maryland Delegate And Health Care Champion, Dies At 95
Marilyn R. Goldwater, an emergency-room nurse by training who served 24 years in the Maryland House of Delegates, where she became known as an advocate for improving and expanding health care across the state, died Jan. 7 at her daughter’s home in Manhattan Beach, Calif. She was 95. The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease, said her daughter, Diane “Dee” Goldwater. (Langer, 3/13)

Stat: ‘Leave The Chocolate Milk Out Of This’: School Cooks, Parents, Kids Push Back On USDA Effort To Make Lunches Healthier
The feds are coming for your kids’ chocolate milk. At least, so says the stampede of school cooks, administrators, and parents flooding the Department of Agriculture with complaints. They’re “targeting” kids, forcing them to “go thirsty,” and are being “just mean,” they’ve cried. (Florko, 3/14)

On kids' mental health —

Bloomberg: Zuckerberg Was Warned On Social Media Addiction, Filing Says
Employees at Meta Platforms and ByteDance were aware of the harmful effects of their platforms on young children and teenagers but disregarded the information or in some cases sought to undermine it, according to claims in a court filing. The allegations were disclosed in a lawsuit over social media addiction that had been filed previously but with key portions sealed from public view. (Rosenblatt, 3/13)

Modern Healthcare: Pediatric Mental Health A Top Patient Safety Concern Of 2023: ECRI
Pediatric mental health, violence against clinicians and uncertainty around reproductive care are among the most pressing issues for health system leadership to address this year, according to ECRI’s 2023 list of top 10 patient safety concerns. (Devereaux, 3/13)

On race and health —

The New York Times: Hate Crimes Rose 12 Percent In 2021, F.B.I. Finds 
Hate crimes surged nearly 12 percent between 2020 and 2021, according to updated statistics released by the F.B.I. on Monday, but the data is far from complete and the actual numbers are likely to be higher, experts tracking the rise in bias-fueled violence said. The new numbers painted a picture of a nation both confronting an alarming yearslong rise in crimes based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability and sexual orientation, and struggling to assess the full toll. (Thrush, 3/13)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: For Black Community, Strokes Are More Than Just Poor Health Choices
Reggie Jackson was looking forward to breakfast with his wife and mother-in-law on an unseasonably 60-degree day last November. Even before he got behind the wheel of his car, he felt exhausted. On the way to Cracker Barrel, he missed the exit ramp. Then he struck a curb while making a turn. At breakfast, he was unusually quiet. When his wife asked him what was wrong, he told her he just didn’t feel like himself. (Causey, 3/13)

In other health and wellness news —

The Washington Post: Study Suggests Yoga May Improve Longevity Indicators In Older Adults 
Yoga has long been associated with a host of health benefits — and it may even boost physical capabilities associated with longevity, new research suggests. A systematic review by Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston published in the Annals of Internal Medicine this week found that yoga improves health indicators linked to reduced frailty and increased longevity in older adults. (Ables, 3/14)

The Washington Post: Daughter Sues After Claiming She ID’D Her Mother’s Rapist Through DNA Test
Magdalena Cruz learned as a child the tragic story of how she had been born. Cruz’s mother, who is developmentally disabled, nonverbal and unable to take care of herself, had been staying at the Monroe Developmental Center in Rochester, N.Y., when she was raped and impregnated, according to a lawsuit. Cruz was born in August 1986.She was raised by her grandparents and, as she grew older and started her own family, couldn’t ignore the questions she had about her mother’s time at the center. A few years ago, she set out to learn more, having conversations with family members, filing records requests, searching for paternal relatives and swabbing herself for an Ancestry.com DNA test. (Somasundaram, 3/14)

NPR: Can Your Pet Dog Or Cat Infect You With A Hidden Virus?
"Get ready for a silly question," one reader wrote in response to our series on "hidden viruses" that jump from animals to people. "I love my pups very much – and I think they love me too because I get lots of kisses. Is that bad from a spillover virus perspective – for me or my dogs? Should I train my pups to be less ... kissy? That's gonna be tough. I may just accept the risk :)" (Doucleff, 3/13)

KHN: Pandemic Stress, Gangs, And Utter Fear Fueled A Rise In Teen Shootings 
Diego never imagined he’d carry a gun. Not as a child, when shots were fired outside his Chicago-area home. Not at age 12, when one of his friends was gunned down. Diego’s mind changed at 14, when he and his friends were getting ready to walk to midnight Mass for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. But instead of hymns, Diego heard gunfire, and then screaming. A gang member shot two people, including one of Diego’s friends, who was hit nine times. (Szabo, 3/14)

The 19th: Jackson Water Crisis Leaves Pregnant People, Parents Struggling To Find Safe Water
Sequaya Coleman, 36, has struggled to get water for herself and for her two-month-old baby in Jackson, Mississippi. “You need water for everything. You need water to brush your teeth, you need water to cook. Now that the baby is born, there’s water for formula,” Coleman told The 19th. (Luterman and Kutz, 3/13)

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

The CT Mirror: CT Legislators Question Lamont's Approach To Cutting Health Costs
Health officials in the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont faced sharp questioning Monday over the governor’s proposal to control prescription drug and hospital costs, a measure that would cost hospitals hundreds of millions in lost revenue. (Pazniokas, 3/13)

Houston Chronicle: Female Athletes Call For Texas College Transgender Sports Ban
A Texas Senate committee on Monday heard testimony from about a dozen people on a bill that would block transgender athletes at the college level from playing on the sports teams that match their gender identity, which the state’s top Republicans have thrown their support behind. (Goldenstein, 3/13)

The CT Mirror: Survey: CT's Non-White Residents Are Less Happy And Healthy
Non-white residents and those living in urban areas continue to be less happy, less healthy, have less access to basic necessities and are less satisfied with their communities, according to results of a new statewide survey of residents. (Martinez, 3/13)

KHN: Black Lung Resurgence Drives Push To Protect Coal Miners Against Silica Dust 
Like most coal miners’ loved ones, Liz Williams has endured many days and nights of worry. Throughout the four decades her husband, Michael, worked in underground Appalachian mines, Liz was aware of the risks: collapse, explosions, asphyxiation. But black lung — a chronic condition caused by breathing in coal dust — wasn’t on her mind. That’s because the number of miners diagnosed with the often-deadly disease declined for decades, after federal officials introduced regulations more than 50 years ago. (Sisk, 3/14)

On delta-8 THC —

Axios: Growing Political Backlash Against THC-Containing Products
States around the nation are eyeing measures to curb the availability of products derived from hemp known as delta-8 THC due to concerns about consumption by kids. There are proposed measures in Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona and Virginia aimed at closing a loophole in hemp sales that allows the sale of products with the THC-containing compound. (Reed, 3/13)

Houston Chronicle: How The Effects Of Delta-8 Compare To Marijuana
As Texas continues to grapple over whether the recreational use of marijuana should be legalized and whether its medical marijuana program should be expanded, many state residents have turned to other options. Those alternatives include delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a hemp derivative that provides a soothing effect similar to marijuana and is typically sold in the form of edibles, vape cartridges, tinctures and other products. (MacDonald, 3/13)

The New York Times: Abortion Opponents Want To Make Women Afraid To Get Help From Their Friends 
The month after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a mother of two in Texas who had filed for divorce from her husband discovered she was pregnant. Determined not to have another child and worried that her husband would try to use the pregnancy to make her stay with him, she did what many of us would do and turned to two friends for help. (Michelle Goldberg, 3/13)

The Tennessean: Tennessee Abortion Law Will Drive Physicians Away From State
When I chose a career in obstetrics and gynecology over 30 years ago, I had no idea I would someday be set up potentially to commit a felony by the government of my own state. (Dr. Carolyn Thompson, 3/14)

The Washington Post: Reducing Maternal Deaths Is Finally Seeing Bipartisan Action 
When it comes to maternal mortality, people often think about women dying during pregnancy or delivery. In fact, more than half of maternal deaths occur days after birth. Twelve percent occur in the six weeks to a year after labor. (Leana S. Wen, 3/14)

Also —

Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID’s “New Normal”: 120,000 U.S. Deaths Per Year? 
Since the pandemic hit our shores in early 2020, more than a million people living in the U.S. have died from COVID-19. Even in 2022, a year with an ample supply of vaccines and medicines to treat severe infections, more than 250,000 Americans lost their lives to the virus. Are we supposed to accept this as our new normal? (Maciej Boni, 3/14)

The New York Times: Is Working From Home Good For Your Health? 
Although productivity is important, we haven’t given sufficient consideration to the potential negative health effects of remote work for some people. Those who have the luxury of working from home might end up realizing that remote work is disadvantageous to their mental and physical well-being. (Dr. Jordan Metzl, 3/14)

The Boston Globe: Confronting The Teen Mental Health Crisis, One Anonymous Post At A Time 
A report released last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which analyzed 2021 data from the CDC’s biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey, revealed a heartbreaking outlook: Nearly 3 in 5 teen girls, or 57 percent, said they felt persistently sad or hopeless. It’s the highest rate seen in a decade and double that of teen boys. (Marcela Garcia, 3/13)

The Boston Globe: DCF Needs More Resources To Serve Kids With Medically Complex Needs
The state’s Department of Children and Families took custody of Beth Farrell’s 14-year-old child in February 2022, when the teenager was hospitalized after overdosing, Farrell said. While her child was in in the hospital, Farrell said, the teen developed a functional neurological disorder, which causes tremors and interferes with daily living. (3/14)

Stat: The NRC Should Rethink Reporting Requirements For Extravasations
A recent action by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) should have protected patients who are inadvertently exposed to potentially high doses of radiation due to faulty injections or infusions. But it instead preferentially protects the nuclear medicine practitioners who are subject to its regulations and oversight. (Daniel Fass and David Townsend, 3/14)