First Edition: June 23, 2023

KFF Health News: What’s It Really Like To Be HHS Secretary? Three Who’ve Done It Spill The Beans 
As the nation’s top health official and leader of one of the federal government’s largest departments, the secretary of Health and Human Services makes life-or-death decisions every day that affect millions of Americans. But not all important work is serious. One former HHS secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, recalled a highlight of her tenure: recording a public service message with “Sesame Street.” “The Elmo commercial was to teach kids how to sneeze,” she said. “We were trying to spread good health habits.” (Rovner and Huetteman, 6/22)

KFF Health News: Malpractice Lawsuits Over Denied Abortion Care May Be On The Horizon
A year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many physicians and hospitals in the states that have restricted abortion reportedly are refusing to end the pregnancies of women facing health-threatening complications out of fear they might face criminal prosecution or loss of their medical license. Some experts predict those providers could soon face a new legal threat: medical malpractice lawsuits alleging they harmed patients by failing to provide timely, necessary abortion care. (Meyer, 6/23)

KFF Health News: Advocates Call For 911 Changes. Police Have Mixed Feelings. 
A mountain of evidence shows police often fail to respond properly to people experiencing a mental health crisis. It can lead to avoidable deaths and criminalization of mental illness, especially among people of color. A poll commissioned by Public Health Advocates, a Davis-based health policy nonprofit, showed that more than two-thirds of California voters want behavioral health professionals to be part of the emergency response in non-life-threatening situations. Among seven types of situations potentially warranting emergency response, voters think law enforcement agencies are least equipped to respond to calls about mental health crises and people who are unhoused, according to the May 24 poll. (Castle Work, 6/23)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Live From Aspen: Three HHS Secretaries On What The Job Is Really Like 
In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former secretaries of Health and Human Services. Taped before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, in Aspen, Colorado, Secretary Xavier Becerra and two of his predecessors, Kathleen Sebelius and Alex Azar, talk candidly about what it takes to run a department with more than 80,000 employees and a budget larger than those of many countries. (6/22)

AP: Judge Blocks Wyoming’s 1st-In-The-Nation Abortion Pill Ban While Court Decides Lawsuit 
Abortion pills will remain legal in Wyoming for now, after a judge ruled Thursday that the state’s first-in-the-nation law to ban them won’t take effect July 1 as planned while a lawsuit proceeds. Attorneys for Wyoming failed to show that the ban wouldn’t harm the plaintiffs before their lawsuit is resolved, Teton County Judge Melissa Owens ruled after hearing arguments from both sides. Meanwhile, those plaintiffs “have clearly showed probable success on the merits,” Owens said. (Gruver, 6/22)

Bangor Daily News: Maine Democrats Take Hours Wrangling Votes To Advance Janet Mills’ Abortion Bill
After stopping debate for nearly five hours and later holding a vote open to wrangle members, Democrats in the Maine House of Representatives passed Gov. Janet Mills’ signature abortion bill by a slim margin late Thursday. At the center of it was Rep. Ben Collings, D-Portland, an ardent progressive who put forward a late-breaking amendment to the bill that scrambled the chamber for hours. During the vote, he was deep in conversation with a top Democrat before effectively breaking a tie on the original version that would allow doctors to perform abortions after Maine’s viability cutoff. (Shepherd, 6/22)

Ohio Capital Journal: Gathering Signatures To Put Abortion Amendment On November Ballot Is 'Going Very Well' 
Less than two weeks until the deadline, Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights is saying abortion right advocates will get the signatures needed to put a measure on the November ballot that would enshrine abortion rights in the Ohio Constitution. Abortion advocates attempting to get the amendment on the ballot need to collect 413,000 signatures by July 5. (Henry, 6/23)

The Hill: White House To Mark 1 Year After Roe V. Wade End 
During a rally on Friday, President Biden, Vice President Harris and the nation’s top abortion rights groups will likely highlight how the administration has tried to preserve and expand abortion access, as well as call attention to how Republicans across the country are backing restrictive abortion laws. During the event, EMILY’s List, Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America are planning to endorse Biden and Harris for reelection as a way to highlight how important the issue of abortion will be for Democrats moving forward. (Weixel and Choi, 6/22)

The Hill: Major Reproductive Rights Groups To Back Biden For Reelection 
Three major reproductive rights groups are expected to back President Biden’s reelection bid during a Friday rally to mark one year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood Action Fund, NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILY’s List are each slated to endorse Biden and Vice President Harris during the Friday event in Washington, D.C., which Biden and Harris are both scheduled to attend. While it is not a surprise for abortion-rights groups to support Biden and Harris, the early endorsements underscore how the issue is likely to be central to the president’s campaign heading into 2024. (Samuels, 6/22)

AP: Evangelical Leader Hopes Conference Is 'Testosterone Booster Shot' For Anti-Abortion 2024 Candidates
A year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, some of the Republican Party’s most powerful evangelical Christian voices are gathering to celebrate a ruling that sent shockwaves through American politics and stripped away a constitutional protection that stood for almost a half century. At the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual conference in Washington, GOP presidential candidates will be urged to keep pushing for stronger abortion restrictions, even as Democrats insist the issue will buoy them ahead of the 2024 election. Former President Donald Trump, whose three nominees to the high court allowed for the reversal of nationwide abortion rights, will give the keynote address Saturday night, the anniversary of the court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision. (Weissert and Price, 6/23)

The 19th: Even In States Where It Is Legal, Abortion Isn’t As Accessible As It Seems
The landscape of legal abortion has shifted sharply in the first year since Roe v. Wade was overturned, with some states banning the procedure almost entirely and others passing new, stricter limits. ... But in many states without near-total bans, abortion is far less available than the laws may suggest. The 19th examined how accessible abortion really is across the country, looking at how far into pregnancy clinics provide care and how the available methods of abortion can vary by state. The data used was provided by INeedAnA.com, an advocacy group that works to provide the most up-to-date information about abortion options in and around the United States. (Luthra and Mithani, 6/22)

AP: Why Some Doctors Stay In US States With Restrictive Abortion Laws And Others Leave
Dr. Kylie Cooper chokes up thinking about the patients she left behind in Idaho. One who often comes to mind is Kayla Smith. Smith said she chose to end a desperately wanted pregnancy last year after discovering her fetus had potentially deadly heart defects and other problems. But Idaho banned nearly all abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, so Smith had to go to Washington state. Cooper felt “deeply saddened” she couldn’t care for her the way she normally would have. And this is one of the reasons Cooper, a maternal-fetal specialist, moved in April to Minnesota, which has broad abortion rights. (Ungar, 6/23)

The Wall Street Journal: What A Year In Post-Roe America Reveals About Abortion
In the first nine months post-Dobbs, there were some 26,000 fewer abortions in the U.S. within the formal medical system, a decrease of about 3%, according to data from WeCount, an abortion-data project sponsored by the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion rights. That data doesn’t account for an increase in people ordering abortion pills from overseas, a legal gray area. (Kusisto, 6/23)

The New York Times: How A Year Without Roe Shifted American Views On Abortion 
In the year since, polling shows that what had been considered stable ground has begun to shift: For the first time, a majority of Americans say abortion is “morally acceptable.” A majority now believes abortion laws are too strict. They are significantly more likely to identify, in the language of polls, as “pro-choice” over “pro-life,” for the first time in two decades. And more voters than ever say they will vote only for a candidate who shares their views on abortion, with a twist: While Republicans and those identifying as “pro-life” have historically been most likely to see abortion as a litmus test, now they are less motivated by it, while Democrats and those identifying as “pro-choice” are far more so. (Zernike, 6/23)

The Guardian: Increase In Americans Planning To Vote For Candidate Who Shares Abortion View 
More than a quarter of registered US voters say they will only vote for candidates who share their beliefs on abortion, according to a poll released on Wednesday, a total (28%) one point higher than last year. The survey, from Gallup, was released before the first anniversary of Dobbs v Jackson, by which conservatives on the supreme court removed the right to abortion that had been safeguarded since Roe v Wade in 1973. A majority of Americans think abortion should be legal at least in some form. Since Dobbs, abortion rights has been seen as a vital motivating factor in a succession of Democratic successes. (Salam, 6/21)

FiveThirtyEight: Dobbs Turned Abortion Into A Huge Liability For Republicans 
When the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion, between 50 and 60 percent of Americans wanted the right to stay in place. But while abortion was legal throughout the country up to a certain point in pregnancy, Americans had the luxury of not having strong or cohesive views on the topic, or thinking much about abortion at all. Their views were messy and sometimes contradictory, and there was little evidence suggesting that the issue was a political priority for anyone except Christian conservatives. In the fall of 2021, with the Dobbs case looming on the horizon, many Americans thought that Roe wasn’t in real danger. Now, a FiveThirtyEight analysis finds that after one of the most disruptive Supreme Court decisions in generations, many Americans — including women, young people, and Democrats — are reporting more liberal views on abortion than major pollsters have seen in years. Even conservatives, although the changes are slight, are increasingly supportive of abortion rights. (Thomson-DeVeaux, 6/22)

USA Today: Independent Women At Odds With GOP On Abortion, LGBTQ Rights
Republicans have a problem brewing with women. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll finds that independent women are increasingly at odds with the GOP on cultural issues such as banning abortion and opposing LGBTQ rights. That creates a risky situation for the Republican Party among one of the nation's most crucial groups of swing voters. (Page, 6/23)

Politico: 10 Things We’ve Learned About Abortion In The Year Since Roe Fell
Several developments defied predictions: Conservative lawmakers at the state and federal levels have struggled to agree on the parameters of abortion bans, while progressive groups have clashed over how far to go in expanding access. Doctors in states with bans have reported hesitancy around providing even legal care because of vague new policies and the fear of prosecution. Voters in Kansas, Kentucky and Montana rejected attempts to curtail access, and Democrats held the Senate in part because of their promise to protect abortion rights. With the legal and political landscape still roiling, here are 10 surprises from the past year. (Ollstein and Messerly, 6/22)

The New York Times: E-Cigarette Sales Tapered Off Last Year After Big Surge
Sales of e-cigarettes rose by nearly 47 percent from January 2020, just before the pandemic hit the United States, to December 2022, according to an analysis released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase over that period occurred while teenagers and young adults reported in surveys that they had recently tried e-cigarettes at much higher rates than older adults did. (Jewett, 6/22)

AP: FDA Warns Stores To Stop Selling Elf Bar, The Top Disposable E-Cigarette In The US
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it has sent warning letters to dozens of retailers selling fruit- and candy-flavored disposable e-cigarettes, including the current best-selling brand, Elf Bar. It’s the latest attempt by regulators to crack down on illegal disposable vapes that have poured into U.S. stores in recent years. Last month, the FDA issued orders allowing customs officials to seize shipments of Elf Bar, Esco Bar and two other brands at U.S. ports. None of the products have received FDA authorization and they come in flavors like cotton candy, which regulators say can appeal to teenagers. (Perrone, 6/22)

AP: 3M Reaches $10.3 Billion Settlement Over Contamination Of Water Systems With 'Forever Chemicals' 
Chemical manufacturer 3M Co. will pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds used in firefighting foam and a host of consumer products, the company said Thursday. The deal would compensate water providers for pollution with per- and polyfluorinated substances, known collectively as PFAS — a broad class of chemicals used in nonstick, water- and grease-resistant products such as clothing and cookware. (Flesher, 6/23)

The Washington Post: Medical Care At U.S. Border Facilities Is Unsafe For Migrants, DHS Memo Says 
A Department of Homeland Security medical team investigating the recent death of an 8-year-old girl in South Texas told U.S. border officials that their system of care for migrants is unsafe and needs a major overhaul, according to an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post. The June 8 memo from DHS acting chief medical officer Herbert O. Wolfe said the Border Patrol station where Anadith Reyes Álvarez and her family were held “lacked sufficient medical engagement and accountability to ensure safe, effective, humane and well-documented medical care.” (Miroff, 6/22)

The Hill: Texas Is Now A Majority Minority State 
Hispanics are the largest demographic group in Texas, outnumbering non-Hispanic white people for the first time since the mid-19th century, according to U.S. Census data. In 2022, the state’s Hispanic population reached 12 million, surpassing the non-Hispanic white population and turning Texas into a majority minority state. Some 40.2 percent of Texans are Hispanic, and 39.8 percent are non-Hispanic white. (Bernal, 6/22)

The Washington Post: Hispanics, Asians Drove Post-Pandemic U.S. Population Growth, Data Shows 
The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released Vintage 2022 Population Estimates, which include updated population estimates by age, race and Hispanic origin. An analysis by William Frey, a senior demographer at the Brookings Institution, showed the White population declining by 668,418 people, compared with a record decline of 809,784 people the previous year. The Hispanic population grew by 1.04 million, compared with 786,622 the year before. Asians and Pacific Islanders increased by 475,679, compared with 240,191 the previous year, and Black people increased by 211,193 compared with 121,787 the year before. (Bahrampour, 6/22)

The Hill: Moderna Requests FDA Authorization For Updated COVID Shot 
Moderna announced Thursday it has submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for authorization of its updated COVID-19 vaccine for this year’s inoculation campaign, meant to target the current dominant strain in the U.S. This latest version of the coronavirus vaccine, the second update to the original that was first authorized at the end of 2020, will have proteins designed to confer protection against the XBB.1.5 subvariant. Unlike the bivalent vaccine that was made available last year, this shot does not include protection against the ancestral Wuhan strain. (Choi, 6/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: Long COVID: 9 Mental Health Red Flags Highlighted In A New Advisory
Long COVID can affect the mind as much as it does the body, according to a new warning from federal officials. While many persistent symptoms of the illness caused by the novel coronavirus take a physical toll on patients, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services on Wednesday issued an advisory to assist health care professionals in recognizing the mental health symptoms and conditions most commonly associated with long COVID. (Vaziri, 6/22)

The Hill: Health Care Professionals Talk Continued Impact Of COVID On Highlighted System Shortcomings 
At The Hill’s 2023 Future of Healthcare Summit, moderated by Editor in Chief Bob Cusack and National Political Reporter Julia Manchester, misinformation about COVID-19 and health literacy in general was the first of several common concerns among the speakers. (Kelly and Roseborough, 6/22)

CIDRAP: Survey: 1 In 10 Health Workers Had Suicidal Thoughts Early In COVID-19 
As many as 1 in 10 UK healthcare workers (HCWs) had suicidal thoughts during the first year of the pandemic, according to a study yesterday in PLOS One. The findings contribute to a growing body of knowledge concerning the mental health strains experienced by health professionals over the past 3 years. (Soucheray, 6/22)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Not So Fast: Missouri Abruptly Cancels Auction Of Excess Masks, Gowns And Face Shields
Three years after Missouri officials scrambled to stock hospitals and state health care facilities with masks, gowns and other protective gear in the face of the growing COVID-19 pandemic, state agencies are now trying to unload those items. But a planned auction of the Department of Mental Health’s inventory of personal protective equipment was abruptly canceled Thursday afternoon after the agency learned it couldn’t resell items purchased with federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act money. (Erickson, 6/22)

CIDRAP: FDA Fast-Tracks Experimental Drug For Preventing Flu
Cidara Therapeutics, of San Diego, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted fast-track designation for CD388, the company's novel drug for preventing influenza A and B in adults at high risk for severe influenza, including those for whom vaccines are either ineffective or not indicated. ... Cidara is developing CD388, a drug-Fc conjugate candidate, in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals. (Wappes, 6/22)

CIDRAP: New Data: Vaccinated Mpox Patients Have Less Severe Illness 
A study today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report looked at a recent cluster of 40 mpox cases in Chicago and suggests that vaccine protection may wane over time, but vaccinated patients do well recovering at home, and vaccination protects against severe mpox. ... Patients who received only one dose of Jynneos or no vaccines had a higher prevalence of lesions affecting the genital (43% versus 6%) or ocular (29% versus none) mucosa, the authors said. (Soucheray, 6/22)

NPR: In A First, FDA Approves Sarepta Gene Therapy For Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
In an eagerly anticipated decision, the Food and Drug Administration Thursday approved the first gene therapy for muscular dystrophy. "Today's approval addresses an urgent unmet medical need and is an important advancement in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a devastating condition with limited treatment options, that leads to a progressive deterioration of an individual's health over time," said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement. (Stein, 6/22)

The Wall Street Journal: The Price Of First Gene Therapy For Muscular Dystrophy: $3.2 Million 
Young children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy can now get the first gene therapy for the crippling muscle condition. The one-time treatment will cost $3.2 million. The drug, known as Elevidys and made by Sarepta Therapeutics, becomes the first treatment that seeks to treat the disease by repairing the genetic defect at its root. The Food and Drug Administration approved the therapy on Thursday, following a fast-track review. (Whyte, 6/22)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. Lowers Price Of Lifesaving Drugs For Wilson Disease
For decades, the drug that keeps Drew Katz alive sold for less than $1 a pill. Then its manufacturer started to raise the list price — slowly at first, then sharply, increasing it in 2015 to more than $200 a dose. Even when generic versions came along to treat the condition, called Wilson disease, the price stayed high. (Avril, 6/23)

Stat: Medicare Drops New Coverage Details For Alzheimer’s Drug Leqembi
The health care system is on the precipice of broad access to a treatment for Alzheimer’s for the first time — and it’s scrambling to figure out how to handle it. Right now, most people with mild cognitive impairment who would qualify for Eisai and Biogen’s drug Leqembi are in the Medicare program, which has restricted which patients can receive the medication to those who are enrolled in clinical trials. But the floodgates could open if the Food and Drug Administration grants the drug full, traditional approval in the coming weeks. (Cohrs, 6/22)

Stat: CMS Proposes New Way To Reimburse Novel Medical Devices
Medical device makers may soon have an easier path to securing health insurance reimbursement for their products, following the notice Thursday of a long-awaited rule by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Lawrence, 6/22)

Stat: Congress Explores Changes To The Way Medicare Pays Doctors
Congress is taking early steps towards changing the way Medicare pays physicians. At a hearing Thursday, lawmakers in both parties talked about overhauling a 2015 law that aimed to shift physicians toward so-called value based payment models, rather than the traditional fee-for-service system. (Trang, 6/22)

The Washington Post: Biden Administration Extends Campaign Targeting Fentanyl Trafficking 
Department of Homeland Security officials said Thursday they will expand a campaign targeting fentanyl by sending more teams of agents and investigators to interdict drug shipments and break up smuggling networks. Record amounts of the deadly opioid have been seized along the U.S. southern border this year, and President Biden is facing scathing criticism from Republican lawmakers and candidates who say the administration isn’t doing enough to stop the drugs. (Miroff, 6/22)

AP: Animal Sedative Adds New Suffering To Opioid Drug Crisis, But Is It Driving Up Deaths? 
A powerful animal sedative in the illicit drug supply is complicating the U.S. response to the opioid crisis, scrambling longstanding methods for reversing overdoses and treating addiction. Xylazine can cause severe skin wounds, but whether it is leading to more deaths — as suggested by officials in Washington — is not yet clear, according to health and law enforcement professionals on the front lines of efforts in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. In fact, early data suggests the drug may inadvertently be diluting the effects of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid behind most overdose deaths. (Perrone, 6/23)

The Boston Globe: More Than 2,300 People In Mass. Died Of An Overdose In 2022, The Highest Number Ever 
More than 2,300 people in Massachusetts died of opioid-related overdoses in 2022, the highest number ever recorded, as the scourge of addiction and a contaminated drug supply continue to take lives throughout the state. (Freyer and Cutler, 6/22)

NPR: Denver Psychedelics Conference Attracts Thousands
Crowds are gathering in downtown Denver this week to learn about the future of psychedelics like magic mushrooms and MDMA. The five-day Psychedelic Science 2023 event, attracting medical professionals, politicians, celebrities and practitioners, covers a wide variety of subjects from the business of psychedelics to therapeutic uses for these substances. (Paterson, 6/23)

The Boston Globe: Mass. Ranks No. 1 In New Report As The State With The Best Overall Health Care System
Massachusetts has the best overall health care system in the country, according to an annual ranking released Thursday by The Commonwealth Fund, a New York City-based foundation that conducts independent research on health care issues. (Soebroto, 6/22)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Alters SNAP Formula That Considers The Value Of Applicants’ Vehicles
Although SNAP is a federal program that allows families access to food stamps, each state can set different requirements for eligibility. Texas looks at a household’s income but also factors in the value of a household’s cars, known as the vehicle asset test. (Bach, 6/23)

The Washington Post: East Palestine Fire Chief To NTSB Hearing: 13 Minutes To Make Key Decision 
The East Palestine fire chief told investigators probing a Norfolk Southern derailment that the railroad gave him 13 minutes to decide whether to vent and burn carloads of hazardous vinyl chloride — a timeline he said left him feeling “blindsided.” (Lazo, Duncan, Dance and Aratani, 6/22)

Bloomberg: El Nino’s Fierce Heat Carries New Risk Of Resurgent Deadly Viruses
The return of El Niño after nearly four years is raising the specter of extreme weather, economic pain, and agricultural disruption across the globe. Now add another unpleasant effect to the mix: a resurgence of tropical diseases. (De Wei, 6/23)

Stat: Global Diabetes Cases To Surpass One Billion By 2050
The number of people with diabetes worldwide is set to more than double to 1.3 billion by 2050, a new study finds, a trend accelerated by widening inequities both between and within countries. By 2050, about 1 in 10 people around the world are predicted to have the disease, representing a 60% surge in the prevalence of diabetes, according to the study, published Thursday in the Lancet as part of a wide-ranging series on global inequities in diabetes. (Chen, 6/22)

AP: Pope Short Of Breath, Says He's Still Feeling Effects Of Anesthesia 2 Weeks After Surgery
Pope Francis said Thursday he was short of breath and still feeling the effects of anesthesia from abdominal surgery two weeks ago. Francis made the comments to explain why he chose not to deliver a prepared speech to visiting charity workers for Eastern rite churches. Instead, the speech was handed out. “I’m still under the effect of anesthesia,” Vatican News quoted Francis as saying. “My breathing isn’t good.” (6/22)