First Edition: June 4, 2024
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KFF Health News:
Urged On By LGBTQ+ Activists, California Cities Weigh Stricter Smoking Rules
California has long been at the forefront of the fight against smoking, but some local officials in the San Francisco Bay Area, backed by activists who are especially concerned about high rates of smoking in the LGBTQ+ community, are spearheading proposals to further restrict how tobacco is sold and where it is smoked. In the city of Vallejo on the northeastern edge of San Pablo Bay, Council member Peter Bregenzer is leading an effort to crack down on smoke shops, which he says make it much too easy for children to smoke and vape. (Stephens, 6/4)
KFF Health News:
KFF Health News' 'An Arm And A Leg': Medicaid Recipients Struggle To Stay Enrolled
In this episode of “An Arm and a Leg,” the show takes its first look at Medicaid. The program has dropped more than 22 million people since spring 2023, when covid-era protections ended. (Weissmann, 6/4)
The Washington Post:
Fauci Dismisses ‘Preposterous’ Allegations That He Led Covid Coverup
Anthony S. Fauci defended himself Monday against claims that he orchestrated a coverup of the coronavirus pandemic’s origins, with the former government official rejecting some allegations as “simply preposterous.” The prominent infectious-disease expert, who served as a senior leader at the National Institutes of Health for four decades before leaving government at the end of 2022, said Republicans have distorted emails between himself and other scientists as they discussed whether a laboratory leak of the coronavirus was possible. (Diamond, 6/3)
The Wall Street Journal:
Anthony Fauci Defends Federal Covid Response
Grilled about comments he made in January about a protocol that people maintain a distance of 6 feet from one another, Fauci said that the policy had been developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, not his agency. He said that when he said in January that he wasn’t aware of studies supporting the 6-foot rule, he meant that he wasn’t aware of formal clinical trials. (McKay, 6/3)
The Hill:
5 Takeaways From Fauci’s Heated House Hearing
The longtime government scientist made no effort to hide his dismay when grilled on various conspiracy theories or unfounded claims about his actions regarding COVID-19. And the hearing was marked by some chaotic moments, involving both the House members and Fauci critics in the audience. Here are some takeaways from the hearing. (Choi, 6/3)
The Hill:
GOP Coronavirus Panel Chair Reprimands Greene For Refusing To Call Fauci Doctor
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) was reprimanded by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), the chair of the House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, for refusing to recognize Anthony Fauci as a doctor while questioning him. During Greene’s turn to question him, the Georgia Republican refused to call Fauci “doctor” and instead referred to him as “Mr. Fauci.” (Sforza, 6/3)
Reuters:
US FDA Advisers To Consider If New COVID Shots Should Target JN.1 Variant
Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will vote whether to recommend that COVID-19 vaccines for 2024-25 should target the JN.1 variant, the most dominant this year, documents filed on Monday showed. ... The FDA's staff in separate documents said vaccine makers developing the new booster shots may need to consider targeting one of the JN.1 subvariants such as KP.2, as further evolution of the virus could take it away from the older strain. The documents were posted ahead of the advisers' meeting on Wednesday. The meeting was postponed from May 16. (6/3)
San Francisco Chronicle:
H5N1 Bird Flu Detected In SF, First In California City Wastewater
Two chickens at a live bird market in San Francisco tested positive for H5N1 avian flu last month, authorities announced Monday. The San Francisco Department of Public Health reported that state health officials discovered the infected, asymptomatic birds during a routine monitoring program conducted by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The testing comes amid the current national bird flu outbreak. (Vaziri, 6/3)
Detroit Free Press:
Michigan Has Most Cow Herds, People Infected With Bird Flu In US
Michigan has become ground zero for the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus that's sweeping the nation, killing turkeys, chickens and wild birds, infecting cows and other mammals – and now has sickened a third U.S. farmworker. The Great Lakes state has more dairy cattle herds known to be infected with avian influenza than any other state in the U.S., with 24 outbreaks in 10 counties as of Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It now also has two farmworkers with confirmed bird flu infections – transmitted to them by close contact with sick cows. (Jordan Shamus, 6/3)
CIDRAP:
H5 Influenza Wastewater Dashboard Launches
WastewaterSCAN, a national wastewater monitoring system based at Stanford University in partnership with Emory University, today launched an H5 avian influenza wastewater dashboard today, which shows detections at about a dozen locations, mostly in Texas and Michigan. (Schnirring, 6/3)
Stat:
Tracking The FDA Advisory Panel On MDMA Therapy For PTSD
MDMA is the first Schedule I psychedelic to be considered by the FDA — meaning that, if it’s approved, it would no longer meet the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Schedule I definition of having “no medical benefit.” After years of excitement and conversation about the potential for psychedelics to treat mental illness, this is a huge moment for the field and the burgeoning multibillion-dollar psychedelics industry. The discussion will start at 8:30 a.m. ET and run until about 5:30 p.m. (Goldhill and Keshavan, 6/4)
The Mercury News:
MDMA Therapy, Conceived In The Bay Area, Gets First Regulatory Test -- And Commercialization
Rick Doblin first dreamed of the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic drug MDMA in a hippie house in downtown Santa Cruz, in an era when fears of bad trips and ruined lives loomed large in the public imagination. On Tuesday, 38 years later, his vision will go before a U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee of medical experts who will make a recommendation about whether the drug, when combined with talk therapy, should be a legal part of modern medicine. (Krieger, 6/3)
Bloomberg:
Magic Mushrooms Get Export License From Canada In Psychedelic Race To Market
Canada has licensed a startup to export psychedelics to Australia for patient use, the latest milestone in a contest to supply the potential growth of medical psychedelic drugs. Canada’s health department awarded a drug establishment license to Optimi Health Corp., a spokeswoman for the company said, allowing it to ship pills containing the magic-mushroom extract psilocybin and MDMA — controlled and otherwise-illegal substances — to a provider in Australia. (Seal, 6/3)
The Washington Post:
In Hunter Biden’s Trial, Jury Selection Highlights U.S. Drug Epidemic
Jury selection for the trial of President Biden’s son Hunter on Monday turned into an impromptu but painful indictment of the nation’s drug epidemic, with person after person telling the court of their loved ones’ battles with addiction. ... Many offered their own versions of a written statement from President Biden, who was in Wilmington on Monday but did not come to the courthouse. He said he found his son’s recovery from addiction inspiring and knew that many families of addicts could relate to Hunter Biden’s journey. (Stein, Barrett and Viser, 6/3)
WHYY:
Some States Ignore Guidance For Opioid Use Disorder Treatments
Throughout the country, most states are collecting data on how to effectively curb opioid overdose deaths. The problem — few are improving their treatment systems for people living with substance use disorder, according to a new report from Pew Charitable Trusts. (Biddle, 6/4)
Modern Healthcare:
LaVie Care Centers Files For Bankruptcy
LaVie Care Centers, which operates 43 skilled nursing facilities across five states, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sunday. The Atlanta-based company listed between $500 million and $1 billion in assets and between $1 billion and $10 billion in liabilities in its filing made in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of Georgia. (Eastabrook, 6/3)
Modern Healthcare:
Cigna’s Evernorth Care Group Layoffs Hit 261
Cigna’s Evernorth Care Group will lay off 261 employees in Arizona, part of a plan to cut some specialty care services and focus on integrated primary care. Evernorth also will close multiple locations as it evolves to meet patient needs, a Cigna spokesperson said. The company notified the state Friday of the pending layoffs. (Berryman, 6/3)
Bloomberg:
Troubled Pennsylvania Hospital Chain Preps $1 Billion Debt Swap
Struggling Pennsylvania hospital chain Tower Health plans to exchange current debt and raise additional funds as it pursues a turnaround. The system, trustee and bondholders of about $992 million in debt are supporting an exchange of “substantially all” existing bonds, according to a May 31 agreement that Tower Health disclosed in a filing Monday. The system also plans on selling $142.5 million of new municipal bonds for working capital. The finalized agreement will close in August, according to a spokesperson for Tower Health. (Coleman-Lochner, 6/3)
Modern Healthcare:
UPMC, Washington Health System Merge
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center acquired Pennsylvania's Washington Health System on Saturday. The nonprofit health systems signed a definitive agreement to merge in October, after first announcing plans in June 2023. UPMC has committed to invest at least $300 million over the next decade into Washington's two hospitals, now UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene, to upgrade facilities and support clinical services, according to a Saturday news release. (Hudson, 6/3)
Bloomberg:
Ardent Health To Seek $400 Million Or More In Second Try At IPO
Ardent Health is planning an initial public offering for a second time and could seek to raise $400 million or more, according to people familiar with the matter. The hospital operator confidentially submitted its IPO registration to the US Securities and Exchange Commission for an IPO that would value Ardent at about $5 billion and perhaps more, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. (Tan and Or, 6/3)
Crain's Chicago Business:
Ascension Faces Scrutiny For Outsourcing To Private Equity Firm
One of the U.S. senators investigating private equity’s push into healthcare is now targeting Ascension Illinois, the nonprofit hospital system outsourcing a group of hospital workers to a private equity-backed staffing firm. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent a letter today to Ascension Illinois CEO Polly Davenport expressing concerns about the organization’s deal to turn over its 110-person hospitalist practice to Atlanta-based SCP Health, following complaints to his office from unnamed whistleblowers. (Davis, 6/3)
Health News Florida, News Service of Florida:
Court Revives Delaware's Pursuit Of The DuPont Money That Built Nemours Hospitals
A Florida appeals panel has ruled that the Delaware attorney general can resume a decades-old claim that her state was shortchanged the cash promised in the will of wealthy industrialist Alfred I. duPont. When industrialist Alfred I. duPont died in 1935, his will directed setting aside money to provide medical care to children and seniors, resulting in Nemours pediatric hospitals and facilities in Florida and other states. (Saunders, 6/3)
The Hill:
HHS: 10 States Joining Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Medicaid Demonstration Program
More states will receive Medicaid funding for all-in-one mental health and substance use clinics offering 24-hour crisis services. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Tuesday that a newish model of the clinic, called certified community behavioral health clinics, in 10 states will now be eligible to receive Medicaid reimbursements under the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Demonstration Program. (O'Connell-Domenech, 6/4)
Modern Healthcare:
Oregon Nurse Staffing Law Takes Effect Amid Enforcement Concerns
Nurses in Oregon are hopeful a state law will solidify staffing ratios, but nurses in states with similar laws say state health department enforcement is generally lacking. Hospitals in Oregon were required to meet staffing minimums as of June 1, joining health systems in California, Massachusetts and New York that must also adhere to staffing ratio mandates. These laws were championed by healthcare unions and, in some cases, supported by state hospital associations, but nurses say they aren’t the quickest or most effective ways to tackle understaffing. (Devereaux, 6/3)
The Mercury News:
Santa Clara County To Launch Program For Caregivers Looking To Go Back To Work
Santa Clara County is on the path to launch a program later this year to aid caregivers looking to return to the workforce. But the genesis for the idea has been simmering in Board President Susan Ellenberg’s mind now for decades. The Caregiver Returnship Program, which county supervisors approved in 2022, aims to tackle an issue that was exacerbated by the pandemic as individuals left the workforce to care for children or other family members. But for those looking to return to work, gaps on a resume pose difficulties in finding employment again. (Hase, 6/3)
CBS News:
Growing Number Of Female Minority Doctors In California Leave Jobs Due To Burnout, Study Shows
A recent study by the nonprofit Physicians for a Healthy California reveals a growing number of minority female doctors are feeling burned out and leaving their field of work. Lupe Alonzo-Diaz, the president and CEO of Physicians For a Healthy California, said that nearly half—47%—of all women physicians of color said they felt burnout and were concerned about their wellbeing. That's a significant increase from the same study conducted in 2018. (Gonzalez, 6/3)
Reuters:
J&J Must Pay $260 Million In Latest Talc Trial, Oregon Jury Says
Johnson & Johnson must pay $260 million to an Oregon woman who said she got mesothelioma, a deadly cancer linked to asbestos exposure, from inhaling the company's talc powder, a jury found on Monday. The verdict in the 4th Judicial District Circuit Court in Portland comes as the company continues to pursue a proposed $6.48 billion settlement of most talc-related lawsuits against it through a prepackaged bankruptcy. The jury's award includes $60 million in compensatory damages and $200 million in punitive damages, and includes damages for both the plaintiff and her husband. (Pierson, 6/3)
Reuters:
Lawsuits Pile Up Over State Laws On Discounts For Hospitals' Contract Pharmacies
The pharmaceutical industry has filed at least four lawsuits this year challenging state laws requiring drugmakers to offer discounts on drugs dispensed by third-party pharmacies that contract with hospitals and clinics serving low-income populations. The most recent lawsuits were filed Friday by Novartis and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the largest U.S. drug industry group, in West Virginia federal court, over a law enacted in that state in March. (Pierson, 6/3)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer:
Woman Who Woke Up During Surgery After IV Tube Came Loose Sues Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital
A woman who had surgery at the Cleveland Clinic’s Medina Hospital to treat her thyroid cancer was awake for a portion of the procedure because doctors failed to properly administer her anesthesia, according to a lawsuit filed last week. Paige Horton was in tears as she told doctors after the procedure that she heard and felt surgeons operating on her throat, the lawsuit said. Staff members discovered that tubing on her IV had come loose, leaking fluid that should have flowed into her veins, according to the filing. (Shaffer, 6/3)
AP:
Louisiana Lawmakers Approve Surgical Castration Option For Those Guilty Of Sex Crimes Against Kids
Louisiana judges could order surgical castration for people convicted of sex crimes against young children under legislation approved Monday, and if Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signs it into law, the state apparently would be the first with such a punishment. The GOP-controlled Legislature passed the bill giving judges the option to sentence someone to surgical castration after the person has been convicted of certain aggravated sex crimes — including rape, incest and molestation — against a child under 13. (Cline, 6/3)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Baldwin, Moore Introduce MAMA Act To Help New Moms With Mental Health
When the Wisconsin Maternal Mortality Review Team examines the state’s pregnancy-related deaths, the cause is, more often than not, behavioral health conditions. In such cases, every death is preventable. ... That’s why, along with other federal Democratic lawmakers, they’ve introduced the federal bill called the Mental Health and Making Access More Affordable (MAMA) Act. This prospective legislation aims to expand access to services for mental health and substance use disorders during pregnancy and postpartum. (Eilbert and Lammert, 6/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
New York Set To Restrict Social-Media Algorithms For Teens
New York plans to prohibit social-media companies from using algorithms to steer content to children without parental consent under a tentative agreement reached by state lawmakers, people familiar with the matter said. The legislation is aimed at preventing social-media companies from serving automated feeds to minors. Critics say the feeds lead children to violent and sexually explicit content. The bill, which is still being completed but expected to be voted on this week, also would prohibit platforms from sending minors notifications during overnight hours without parental consent. (Vielkind, 6/3)
CBS News:
Michigan Sees First Mosquito-Borne Virus Of 2024
Michigan health officials are urging residents to take precautions against mosquito bites after mosquitoes collected in Saginaw County tested positive for the Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV). The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the mosquitoes were collected on May 22. They are the first infected mosquitoes detected in Michigan in 2024. (Buczek, 6/3)
The Washington Post:
A Nursing Home Ruled Her Dead. Two Hours Later, She Was Found Breathing
Two hours after a 74-year-old Nebraska woman was pronounced dead at her nursing home, workers at a funeral home made an astonishing discovery — she was still breathing. After the authorities were alerted, Constance Glantz was given CPR and rushed to a hospital, where she is alive, Lancaster County Chief Deputy Ben Houchin told reporters at a news briefing Monday. “This is a very unusual case,” he said. “Been doing this for 31 years, and nothing like this has ever gotten to this point before.” (Masih, 6/4)
Kansas City Star:
KC Area Mom Loses Arms, Legs At Birth Of Son, But Not Spirit
The joy of the birth of their third son turned to fear, tragedy and now — after the partial loss of Brie Morgan Bauer’s legs and arms to toxic shock — has turned to hope and inspiration for hundreds of thousands of the Kansas City area mother’s followers on social media. A GoFundMe page, with a $100,000 goal to help with medical and other bills, on Monday had already surpassed $350,000. Mother and baby son have more than 360,000 Instagram followers from around the world. (Adler, 6/3)
NBC News:
Drinking On A Plane May Be Bad For Your Heart, New Research Suggests
If you enjoy having a glass of wine or a cocktail before dozing off during long airplane flights, you might want to reconsider it, a new study suggests. A series of lab experiments discovered that when people fall asleep after consuming alcohol at the low air pressures typically experienced during airline flights, blood oxygen drops to worrisome levels and heart rates increase even in those who are healthy and young, according to the report published Monday in the journal Thorax. (Carroll, 6/3)
CBS News:
61% Of U.S. Adults Will Have Some Type Of Cardiovascular Disease By 2050, Report Finds
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States — and new projections find it may become even more common in the next 30 years. In a report released Tuesday, the American Heart Association says more than 6 in 10 U.S. adults (61%) will have some type of cardiovascular disease, or CVD, by 2050. This is particularly driven by a projected 184 million people with hypertension, or high blood pressure, which is expected to increase from 51.2% in 2020 to 61% in 2025. (Moniuszko, 6/4)