AP: DEA Reverses Decision Stripping Drug Distributor Of Licenses For Fueling Opioid Crisis 
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is allowing one of the nation’s largest wholesale drug distributors to stay in business, reversing an earlier order stripping the company of its licenses for its failure to properly monitor the shipment of tens of millions of addictive painkillers blamed for fueling the opioid crisis. As part of the settlement announced Wednesday, Morris & Dickson Co. agreed to admit wrongdoing, comply with heightened reporting requirements and surrender one of its two certificates of registration with the DEA. The Shreveport, La.-based company, which has around 600 employees and generates about $4 billion a year in revenue, also agreed to forfeit $19 million. (Goodman and Mustian, 2/7)

Bridge Michigan: As Opioid Deaths Mount, Michigan Governments Sit On Millions For Intervention 
Known for its vacation beach cabins dotting Lake Huron, Iosco County is among the many counties in northern Michigan with a drug problem. It’s far above the state average in fatal and nonfatal overdoses and opioid prescriptions, and is in the top quarter of Michigan counties in a substance abuse vulnerability index created by the state’s health department. Despite having $269,000 earmarked to address the opioid epidemic in the county government’s bank account for nearly a year, officials have yet to spend a nickel. (French and Erb, 2/7)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia House Passes Opioid Vending Machines Bill
The Georgia House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously passed a bill aimed at combating overdoses caused by stronger illicit opioids by making stronger opioid-reversal drugs more accessible. House Bill 1035 would allow vending machines to dispense overdose drugs, such as Narcan, while protecting pharmacists from punishment for filling them up. (Baruchman, 2/7)

KTVB: Fentanyl Mandatory Minimum Bill Goes To Idaho Senate Floor
The bill will add fentanyl to the list of drugs carrying a mandatory minimum sentence for trafficking and create a new crime for "drug-induced homicide." (2/7)

Stat: Medical School Lecture That Minimized Opioid Risks Draws Critics
Amid ongoing concern over opioid addiction, a university in Florida has been criticized for allowing a lecture that conveyed “false and misleading” information about the use of the prescription painkillers by a local physician who, in years past, had ties to opioid makers. At issue was a lecture that was given last October at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by Martin Hale, an  orthopedic surgeon, to first-year medical students about managing pain. During his talk, Hale provided an overview of opioids and the challenges facing physicians, such as approaches to treatment and issues surrounding addiction. (Silverman, 2/7)

NPR: Oregon Pioneered A Radical Drug Policy. Now It's Reconsidering
Under Ballot Measure 110, instead of arresting drug users, police give them a citation and point them towards treatment. Over three years in, there's a debate about whether it's succeeded or failed. (Wilson, 2/7)

Also —

King5.Com: Only One Police Dog In Washington Is Certified To Detect Fentanyl. A New Proposal Could Change That
Cia, Lake Stevens Police Department's canine officer, is unique in local law enforcement in Washington state. ”She’s the only state or local dog that’s certified and trained in the detection of fentanyl,” said Cia’s handler, and partner, Lake Stevens Officer Doug Dreher. Under current state law, police dogs are only required to be trained to sniff out cocaine, heroin or meth. (Mikkelsen, 2/7)

Axios: House Approves Ban On Disputed Measure For Valuing Treatments
A divided House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed banning quality-adjusted life years from being used as a metric for determining a drug's value in federal health programs. QALYs are viewed as a key tool in comparative effectiveness studies, but have been held up as discriminatory against people with disabilities — and are unevenly applied across federal programs. (Knight, 2/8)

Roll Call: Lawmakers’ Retirements Risk Leaving Doctor Pay Fix Unfinished
Physician groups and other advocates for overhauling the Medicare payment system will lose three of their biggest Capitol Hill supporters to retirement next year, raising questions about next steps for long-term changes to the Medicare payment program. Republican Reps. Larry Bucshon of Indiana, Michael C. Burgess of Texas and Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, all members of the GOP Doctors Caucus, have been vocal in pushing for changes to the way Medicare pays physicians. The current system has been fraught with controversy, with doctors complaining their rates don’t keep up with inflation and with requirements that payments be budget-neutral, resulting in cuts to doctor pay. Meanwhile, a near decadelong push to embrace value-based care has not panned out. (Hellmann, 2/8)

In related news —

Axios: Health Insurers Balk At Proposed Medicare Advantage Rates
CVS Health and Centene executives say newly proposed Medicare Advantage rates for 2025 aren't "sufficient" and hinted they could cut benefits if the federal government finalizes the rates as is. More than half of Medicare enrollees are in private Medicare Advantage plans. The specter of potential cuts to seniors' health care benefits in an election year could put pressure on the Biden administration. (Reed, 2/8)

Stat: Medicare Advantage Plans Can’t Deny Care With AI, CMS Warns
In recent months, the federal government has repeatedly told Medicare Advantage insurers that they cannot use artificial intelligence or algorithms to deny medical services the government routinely covers. But in finalizing a rule to that effect, it also stepped into a thicket of questions from insurers about a technology that is especially difficult to pin down: What is AI? Can it be used at all to make decisions about the coverage of older patients? If so, how? (Ross and Herman, 2/7)

In news about children's health —

The Hill: Hundreds Of Families Urge Schumer To Pass Children’s Safety Bill 
Hundreds of parent advocates urged Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to pass the Kids Online Safety Act in a letter and full-page Wall Street Journal ad published Thursday.  The call to action builds on pressure from parents at last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, Discord, Snap and X, the company formerly known as Twitter.  “We have paid the ultimate price for Congress’s failure to regulate social media. Our children have died from social media harms,” the parents wrote in the letter. (Klar, 2/8)

The Hill: White House Announces Partnership With NFL, NBA To Promote Health And Wellness For Kids
The White House announced it is partnering with the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA) and 12 other major sports leagues and players associations to promote physical activity, nutrition and healthy lifestyles. As part of the partnership, the NFL will build on its Play 60 initiative, which encourages children to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day and has them learn about nutrition, second gentleman Doug Emhoff announced. (Gangitano, 2/8)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Behind Thousands Of Excess US Deaths, Analysis Shows 
A new study from researchers at Boston University School of Public Health and the University of Pennsylvania shows that a substantial proportion of excess mortality numbers counted as deaths from natural causes during the COVID-19 pandemic were actually attributable to the novel coronavirus. (Soucheray, 2/7)

New York Post: 1 In 4 COVID Patients Developed Long-Haul Symptoms, Study Reveals
About one in four coronavirus patients developed long COVID, according to a new study. While most people who test positive for COVID-19 are over their symptoms within a week or two, more research is showing that some people continue to report symptoms — and even develop new ones — three months after their initial positive test, lasting for months or even years. A new study released by Help Advisor analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey to find the rates of American adults developing long COVID. (Diaz, 2/7)

The New York Times: New Report Raises Concerns About Long Covid In Kids 
A large analysis published Wednesday in the journal Pediatrics underscores the toll long Covid can take on children, in some cases leading to neurological, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and behavioral symptoms in the months after an acute infection. “Long Covid in the U.S., in adults and in kids, is a serious problem,” said Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the V.A. St. Louis Health Care System and a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, who studies the condition but was not involved in the new report. He said that the paper, which drew on numerous studies of long Covid in children, is “important” and illustrates that the condition can affect multiple organ systems. (Smith and Blum, 2/7)

Stat: Long Covid Study Tests Exercise As Treatment Option
Fatigue leads the list of persistent problems experienced by people with long Covid — which is why patients have pushed back against treatment approaches that endorse escalating levels of exercise for a condition that researchers are still trying to understand. They fear post-exertional malaise, the debilitating price to be paid for pushing their bodies too hard. (Cooney, 2/7)

Axios: Biden Admin Pushes Pharmacy Execs On COVID Treatment Paxlovid Costs
Biden administration officials this week pushed executives from leading pharmacy chains to make sure frontline staff are providing patients with accurate information about costs of the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, officials told Axios first. Uptake of the Pfizer antiviral has remained stubbornly low since it transitioned to the commercial market in the fall, in part because of patients sometimes being charged up to the full list price of $1,400. (Reed, 2/7)

Also —

Stat: Vaccine Advisory Panel ACIP Left Half Staffed By HHS
A critical government advisory committee charged with charting U.S. vaccination policy appears to be atrophying, jeopardizing timely decision-making on how vaccines should be used in this country. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which has in recent years been a 15-person panel, has eight vacancies — one of which dates back more than a year. The other seven seats have been vacant since July. There is no chairperson. (Branswell, 2/8)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Senate Republicans Block Rape And Incest Exceptions For Missouri Abortion Ban
Despite recent blow-ups among Republicans in the Missouri Senate, the majority party remained unified Wednesday to block a Democratic effort to legalize abortion in cases of rape or incest. After Republicans opened debate on a plan to ban Medicaid funds from Planned Parenthood, Democrats responded with amendments aimed at loosening Missouri’s near-total abortion ban. Missouri since June 2022 has only allowed abortions in medical emergencies. (Suntrup, 2/7)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: ‘Thousands’ Attend Launch Events To Gather Signatures To Put Abortion On Missouri’s Ballot
Megan Shebosky-Aken drove three hours from her home in Malden, Missouri, in the state’s Bootheel to attend a signature-gathering event in St. Louis that kicked off an effort to put the question of whether to legalize abortion on a statewide ballot. “That’s how much it means to me to get my reproductive rights back,” said Shebosky-Aken, 33, who wanted to be the first among Dunklin County residents to sign the petition. (Munz, 2/7)

Abortion news from Florida, Wyoming, and Illinois —

Tampa Bay Times: Florida Justices Raise Questions Over Proposed Abortion Amendment
Florida’s Supreme Court justices on Wednesday questioned whether a proposed amendment that would restore broader abortion access was “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” The amendment would protect abortion until viability, which is estimated to be at about 24 weeks. It would undo Florida’s current ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and negate a six-week ban that lawmakers approved to take effect pending the outcome of an ongoing court case. But whether the proposal appears on the 2024 ballot hinges on the conservative seven-member Florida Supreme Court. (Ellenbogen, 2/7)

KHOL/ Jackson Hole Community Radio: Abortion Access Returns To Jackson — For Now 
Jackson will once again be home to one of the state’s only abortion providers. On Tuesday, Feb. 6, Dr. Katie Noyes confirmed she’s offering pregnancy-ending medications at St. John’s Family Medicine starting this month. (Merzbach, 2/7)

St. Louis Public Radio: Illinois Abortion Clinics Want State Protections From Protestors
Citing an increase in harassment and intimidation from anti-abortion protesters, abortion providers in Illinois on Tuesday implored state legislators to pass laws to protect clinics and their workers. Abortion providers said such incidents have increased in the state since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe v. Wade, which protected access to abortion nationwide. (Fentem, 2/6)

The Washington Post: Democrat Pritzker Ramps Up Abortion Rights Investments Amid 2028 Chatter
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is tapping his personal wealth to try to enshrine abortion access in battleground states, making an election-year push to support ballot measures and expanding his national footprint in the Democratic Party, within which he is regarded as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. Think Big America, a nonprofit founded and solely funded by Pritzker, is the largest backer of an effort to put abortion to a direct vote in Nevada, where the group has donated $1 million and added an on-the-ground adviser. Pritzker’s organization is also supporting a ballot measure push in Arizona and evaluating other states where it could get involved, including Florida and Montana, a top Senate battleground, according to a spokeswoman. (Knowles, 2/7)

In other reproductive health news —

Kansas City Star: Missouri Bill Would Allow Pregnant Women To Finalize Divorces 
Missouri prohibits pregnant women from finalizing a divorce, but the restriction is coming under renewed scrutiny after the state in 2022 imposed a near-total abortion ban. A state law prevents judges from finalizing a divorce if a woman is pregnant, since a custody agreement must first be in place. And a custody agreement cannot be completed until the child is born. The law contains no exceptions for survivors of domestic violence. (Bayless and Sago, 2/8)

The Boston Globe: Pregnancy Care Bill Progresses In Massachusetts Legislature
“As we tackle the high cost of health care in Massachusetts, we must bear in mind that all costs are not shared equally. This legislation has the potential to strengthen access and reduce barriers to maternal and reproductive health care for expecting mothers,” Senator Paul Feeney, cochair of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, said in a statement. “In the wealthiest country on the planet, you shouldn’t go broke in the Commonwealth if you get sick, and you certainly shouldn’t have to be independently wealthy to grow your family.” (Johnston, 2/7)

Stat: Could Testosterone Be A Useful Treatment For Menopause? 
The world may be getting over the idea that men are from Mars and women from Venus, but public perception still holds that testosterone is the male hormone, and estrogen, the female. That can make the following fact a little puzzling: There is more testosterone than estrogen in a premenopausal woman’s body. (Merelli, 2/8)

Minnesota Public Radio: Mayo Clinic Health System Will Stop Delivering Babies At Its New Prague Hospital
Mayo Clinic Health System is ending labor and delivery services at its New Prague hospital on Friday. It’s just the latest Minnesota hospital to stop delivering babies, with some others — including the Essentia Health-run facility in Fosston last month — also moving labor and delivery services to larger, centralized hospitals in recent years. (Yang, 2/7)

Minnesota Public Radio: How Midwives Are Filling The Void As Rural Minnesota Birthing Centers Close 
We’ve been following the recent announcements that hospitals in Fosston and New Prague will end their birthing services, which means people who are going into labor in those areas will have to travel much farther to deliver their babies in a hospital. At a public hearing in New Prague last night, Mayo Clinic leaders discussed their plan to end labor services this coming Friday and move them to Mankato. (Wurzer and Elder, 2/7)

NBC News: Hospitals Strained By Atlanta Medical Center Closing, Doctors Say
“Overcrowded is probably par for the course,” said Dr. Nataisia Terry, the medical director of the emergency department, adding that the volume of ER patients grew by 20% over the last budget year. Nearby, Grady Memorial Hospital is so packed that ambulance traffic is sometimes routed to facilities miles away. Both Emory and Grady are often listed as “severely” or “dangerously” overcrowded on a statewide hub used to monitor capacity. (Harris and McCorvey, 2/7)

The Boston Globe: Brockton Hospital Fire Update: Reopening Planned For Late Spring
On the first anniversary of a devastating 10-alarm fire that closed its facility, Brockton Hospital said Wednesday 2/7 it is planning to reopen in the spring, according to a statement from Signature Healthcare. Construction on the hospital has entered its “final phases” and any renovations are expected to be completed by late spring, according to Robert Haffey, the President and CEO of the hospital’s operator, Signature Healthcare. (Hempel-Edgers, 2/7)

CBS News: UCHealth: Another Hospital Under Stress From Migrant Care
The cost of providing health care to migrants who have arrived in the Denver metro area over the past year is hitting hard at UCHealth hospitals, headlined by the increase in the number of people at the flagship hospital in Aurora. "The number we believe very conservatively in the last three months is almost 2,500 patients and probably more. And it keeps increasing every day," said Dr. Richard Zane, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at CU School of Medicine and head of the emergency departments and urgent cares across the UCHealth system. (Gionet, 2/7)

In other health industry updates —

Modern Healthcare: Children’s Health, UT Southwestern To Build $5B Pediatric Campus
Children's Health and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center plan to break ground this year on a $5 billion pediatric campus in Dallas, the health systems said Wednesday. The 2-million square-foot children's hospital will include two 12-story towers and an 8-story tower, with 552 inpatient beds, 114 emergency department rooms, 96 neonatal intensive care beds and 96 exam rooms. The development, to be completed by 2031, will replace the existing Children's Medical Center Dallas. (DeSilva 2/7)

Sahan Journal: Why Are Kids Of Color In Minnesota Spending Months In Hospital Emergency Rooms That Can’t Treat Their Problems? 
Most of the time, 14-year-old Tyana lives peacefully with her aunt and legal guardian in an apartment on St. Paul’s east side. She likes going to school and dancing in front of the mirror and watching Disney movies and YouTube videos. But her autism causes her to experience occasional outbursts—she may lash out at a caregiver in order to get what she wants. (Eldred, 2/7)

Modern Healthcare: Apple Vision Pro Attracts Cedars Sinai, Boston Children's
Apple Vision Pro is generating plenty of buzz and at least three health systems are buying into the spatial computing technology. The company’s virtual reality headset, which went on sale Friday, has been met with skepticism from industry analysts who question whether consumers will pay the device’s hefty price tag of $3,499. ... But for Cedars-Sinai, Boston Children’s Hospital, Sharp Healthcare and other health systems, the latest VR and augmented reality device is worth the price. The health systems are testing applications on Apple Vision Pro aimed at training and educating clinicians, providing virtual therapy and more. (Perna, 2/7)

Modern Healthcare: CVS Health Expects Higher Medicare Advantage Utilization In 2024
CVS Health has downgraded its 2024 earnings guidance as its Aetna health insurance subsidiary contends with higher-than-expected Medicare Advantage costs and a looming federal rate cut, the company announced Wednesday. Aetna's Medicare Advantage business failed to achieve its margin target in 2023, according to CVS Health's fourth-quarter and full-year earnings report. The company will respond by raising premiums and deemphasizing strategies to gain market share, executives said during a call with investor analysts Wednesday. (Berryman, 2/7)

Reuters: UnitedHealth's Chief Operating Officer Dirk McMahon To Retire
UnitedHealth's president and chief operating officer, Dirk McMahon, will retire after serving for more than 20 years in the company, the health insurer said on Wednesday. McMahon, 64, will retire on April 1, 2024, the company said in a regulatory filing. He previously led different units as their CEO at the industry bellwether and was appointed to his current role in February 2021. (2/7)

Reuters: US FDA Finds Control Lapses At Catalent Plant Being Sold To Novo
U.S. drug regulators in November found quality control lapses at the Bloomington, Indiana factory of contract drug manufacturer Catalent, including discovery of a "pest" on the manufacturing line, according to an inspection report. Novo Holdings, the parent company of Novo Nordisk, on Monday announced it was buying Catalent in a $16.5 billion deal that included its Bloomington plant, which it plans to sell to Novo Nordisk to help it produce its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy. (Wingrove, 2/7)

In related news about plant inspections —

CIDRAP: New Report Highlights Weak FDA Oversight Of Foreign Firms Making Medications For US Market 
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to struggle in overseeing more than 4,800 foreign drug manufacturers supplying medications for the US market, although it has taken action to improve its drug-safety oversight, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) told the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations yesterday. "We have identified long-standing weaknesses in FDA's ability to oversee this manufacturing, an issue highlighted in our High-Risk Series since 2009," Mary Denigen-Macauley, PhD, director of GAO's healthcare team, testified. As of 2022, 58% of makers of drugs bound for the US market were located overseas, the GAO noted. (Van Beusekom, 2/7)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

Minnesota Public Radio: Eli Lilly Settlement Caps Insulin Prices For Minnesotans
A settlement between the state of Minnesota and drugmaker Eli Lilly will give Minnesotans access to insulin for $35 a month, at least for the next five years. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced the settlement Wednesday morning. (Cox, 2/7)

ABC News: Weight Loss Drugs Linked To Lower Likelihood Of Depression And Anxiety Diagnoses: Study
Most weight loss drugs were linked to a lower likelihood of depression and anxiety diagnoses, according to research published by Epic Research. The researchers looked at over three million diabetic patients and nearly one million non-diabetic patients taking GLP-1 medications ... in the study that was published Tuesday. ... Diabetic patients taking Semaglutide were 45% less likely to be diagnosed with depression and 44% less likely to be diagnosed with anxiety, according to the study. (Hoffman and Benadjaoud, 2/8)

Modern Healthcare: GE HealthCare Bets AI Investments Will Pay Off In 2024 
GE HealthCare is looking to stake its claim as radiology emerges as a key area poised to benefit from artificial intelligence. The medical device company was spun off from parent GE in January 2023. In the year since, it has rolled out products, made multiple AI-focused acquisitions and invested in research and development to try and take the lead on AI-enabled radiology care. (Turner, 2/7)

Stat: Industry Veterans Launch New Biotech VC With $310M
Three biotech VC veterans, including one of the co-founders of radiopharma success story RayzeBio, are launching a new investment fund called Scion Life Sciences. Scion was started by former Apple Tree Partners colleagues Sam Hall and Aaron Kantoff, along with Tadd Wessel, managing partner of the health care private equity firm Petrichor. They raised $310 million for its first fund, blowing past their original $250 million target. (DeAngelis, 2/7)

Reuters: Cigarette Giant BAT Makes Move On US Heated Tobacco Market 
British American Tobacco submitted an application to make certain health claims about its Glo Hyper Pro device in the United States in December, its first clear move to bring the alternative smoking product to the key market. BAT had applied to market the product in the U.S. in 2021. But since then it has been unclear whether it planned to market the product in the United States. (2/8)

KFF Health News: FDA's Plan To Ban Hair Relaxer Chemical Called Too Little, Too Late
In April, a dozen years after a federal agency classified formaldehyde a human carcinogen, the Food and Drug Administration is tentatively scheduled to unveil a proposal to consider banning the chemical in hair-straightening products. The move comes at a time of rising alarm among researchers over the health effects of hair straighteners, products widely used by and heavily marketed to Black women. But advocates and scientists say the proposed regulation would do far too little, in addition to being far too late. (Cohen, 2/8)

Axios: Ohio Abandons Plans To Restrict Trans Care For Adults
Ohio has scrapped plans to restrict gender-affirming health care for adults following backlash over a proposal issued last month. Ohio's proposed limits would have been the toughest restrictions on transition-related care for adults in the country, transgender rights advocates said. (Goldman, 2/7)

The 19th: Trans Americans Have Faced Economic, Health Disparities For Years, Survey Shows
Transgender Americans are at the center of growing political attacks and national media coverage, and yet there is little data — and plenty of misinformation — about their lives. A report released Wednesday aims to change that. (Rummler and Sosin, 2/7)

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

North Carolina Health News: Providers Needed For Delayed Medicaid Plans 
After multiple delays, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services says it’s “on track” to implement specialized Medicaid plans this summer that are designed for beneficiaries with complex needs. Now scheduled to launch on July 1, the so-called “tailored plans” are expected to cover about 150,000 existing Medicaid participants who require more extensive care and support than typical enrollees. Many people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, complex psychiatric disorders and substance use disorders will be moved to the plans, according to DHHS. (Baxley, 2/8)

Charlotte Ledger: Commissioners: Atrium Health Meeting Didn't 'Seem Very Public' 
Three Mecklenburg County commissioners attended the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority board meeting on Tuesday after reading a Ledger/NC Health News article this week — and all said afterward that it bothers them that the public board doesn’t give the public a chance to speak. Commissioners Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, Elaine Powell and Laura Meier also said they would like to have more input in approving appointees to the board, which governs Atrium Health, the $9.3 billion system that’s also a government entity. (Crouch, 2/8)

The CT Mirror: A Look At Lamont's Proposed CT Nursing Home, Elder Care Reforms
Citing the state’s ballooning older adult population and lapses in care at several Connecticut nursing homes, Gov. Ned Lamont released a wide-ranging bill Wednesday that proposes reforms across the elder care sector, from measures designed to increase transparency in nursing home operations to consumer protections for people in assisted living centers. (Carlesso and Altimari, 2/7)

Axios: How A Company Cut Health Spending By Nearly Half
In an era of rising health costs, it almost sounds too good to be true: A midsized Montana-based company managed to nearly halve its per-person health spending in just five years, without dropping benefits. Pacific Steel & Recycling's success in wrestling down its health spending provides a case study of how employers can cut costs, but CEO Jeff Millhollin said the effort also demonstrates why it's harder than needed for most companies and workers. (Reed, 2/8)

The Texas Tribune: Ten Texas Counties Have Soot Levels Exceeding New EPA Standard
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday finalized a long-anticipated rule aimed at reducing the level of air pollution known as particulate matter — microscopic particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and harm people’s health. Reducing air pollution has been a prime focus of the Biden administration’s environmental agenda. The new rule tightens the amount of particulate matter, often referred to as soot, permitted in the air from 12 to 9 micrograms per cubic meter annually. (Martinez, 2/7)

Los Angeles Times: California's Fight Against Air Pollution Just Got Tougher
“Today’s action is a critical step forward that will better protect workers, families and communities from the dangerous and costly impacts of fine particle pollution,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a news conference. “The science is clear, soot pollution is one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution, and it’s linked to a range of serious and potentially deadly illnesses, including asthma and heart attacks.” (Briscoe, 2/7)

Los Angeles Times: Ill-Fitting Gear Endangers Female Firefighters, Supervisors Say 
At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, female firefighters and lifeguards explained to the board how ill-fitting uniforms designed for men restrict their ability to move, are heavier because of unnecessary material and leave gaps that increase their risk of being burned by flying embers or inhaling smoke known to cause cancer. The supervisors responded by passing a motion ... that demands the county Fire Department, working with its Women’s Fire League, develop a plan within 60 days to offer female firefighters, paramedics and lifeguards uniforms and personal protective equipment made to fit them. (Cosgrove, 2/6)

KFF Health News: Cities Know The Way Police Respond To Mental Crisis Calls Needs To Change. But How? 
Philadelphia police officers Kenneth Harper and Jennifer Torres were in their patrol car sitting at a red light when a call came in over the 911 radio dispatch. “This job says ‘female complaint in reference to dispute with daughter, suffers from bipolar, infant on location,'” Harper read off the computer near the front seat. (Leonard, Wolffe and Popperl, 2/8)

Stateline: Tuberculosis Cases Rise, But Public Health Agencies Say They Lack The Resources To Keep Up
Even as the number of U.S. tuberculosis cases rises, public health experts say, awareness is lagging. And state and local health departments lack the resources to keep up with prevention and control efforts. ... A course of treatment for one tuberculosis case can cost around $20,000 in the U.S., and a drug-resistant tuberculosis case can cost at least $182,000. ... “People think tuberculosis is gone. … It’s here and growing,” said emergency medicine physician Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, which represents public health professionals. (Hassanein, 2/7)

San Francisco Chronicle: CDC Reviews Cruise Ship In S.F. After Passengers, Crew Get Sick
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reviewing protocols on a luxury cruise ship stopped in San Francisco after more than 100 passengers and crew reported gastrointestinal illnesses. ... The CDC said 128 of the 1824 passengers onboard and 25 of 967 crew reported feeling ill during the cruise. The main symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting but the cause was not yet known, the CDC said. The health agency keeps track of illness outbreaks on cruise ships through its Vessel Sanitation Program and most of the gastrointestinal illnesses it tracks turn out to be caused by the norovirus. (Parker, 2/7)

CBS News: Parasitic Infections In Westchester County Linked To Game Dinners At American Legion Post, Health Officials Say
There is a public health alert in Westchester County after several people fell ill with a parasitic infection after attending game dinners at an American Legion in January. Now, county health officials are trying to identify more people who were exposed.County officials have traced it back to the Moses Taylor Jr. American Legion Post in Mount Kisco. (Dhaliwal, 2/7)

In other health and wellness news —

Stat: Vyjuvek, A Gene Therapy For Skin Wounds, Restored Vision In One Boy
In the clinical trial, the gene therapy seemed to be helping the boy’s skin wounds heal. But, his doctors wondered, could it also help his eyes? The boy, Antonio Vento Carvajal, had a genetic condition called epidermolysis bullosa, or EB, which causes the skin to be so fragile that even the slightest friction can cause blisters or tears. Antonio, like some patients, also had eye issues as a result of the disease. (Joseph, 2/7)

Stat: Cause Of Some Allergies Is Traced To Rare Group Of 'Memory' Cells 
Maria Curotto de Lafaille’s lab was trying to make human plasma cells in a dish. These weren’t just run-of-the-mill cells, though. The team was vying for something specific: plasma cells that churn out immunoglobulin E (IgE), the antibody that drives allergic reactions. (Cueto, 2/7)

CBS News: Daily Cinnamon Supplement Could Help Lower Blood Sugar, Study Says
Cinnamon has been used for thousands of years, not only in cooking but also for medicinal purposes. The spice may have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Now a new study has found it may have antidiabetic effects. Researchers at UCLA ... found that when the participants took the cinnamon, they had significantly lower 24-hour glucose concentrations, lower peaks in blood sugar, and lower triglyceride levels, suggesting that people with obesity-related prediabetes could achieve better glucose control with cinnamon supplements. (Marshall, 2/7)

In international news —

AP: Ecuador's High Court Decriminalizes Euthanasia, Following A Lawsuit By A Terminally Ill Patient 
Ecuador’s high court on Wednesday decriminalized euthanasia and ordered lawmakers and health officials to draft rules and regulations for the procedure. The decision of Ecuador’s Constitutional Court came in response to a lawsuit from a terminally ill woman diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS, who had argued that she should be allowed to have death with dignity. (Solano and Cano, 2/7)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccines In Pregnancy Found Safe For Infants 
A new study of almost 200,000 newborns in Sweden and Norway shows that maternal receipt of the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy poses no risk to infants, and instead prevents babies from suffering serious complications. Moreover, the mortality rate for babies born to mothers who were vaccinated during pregnancy was half the rate of those whose mothers were unvaccinated. The study appeared yesterday in JAMA. The authors caution, however, that they were unable to explain why the mortality risk was so reduced among infants whose mothers were vaccinated. (Soucheray, 2/7)

CIDRAP: Iodine-Containing Antiseptic Reduces Infections In Patients With Fractured Limbs 
A randomized clinical trial conducted in US and Canadian hospitals found that a skin antiseptic containing iodine reduced surgical-site infections in patients with fractured limbs by more than 25% compared with an antiseptic containing chlorhexidine gluconate, researchers reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The investigators say the results could prompt changes in the type of antiseptic used in surgery to repair simple fractures. While some guidelines favor chlorhexidine gluconate, previous studies comparing the antiseptics in other surgical populations had provided conflicting results. (Dall, 2/5)

CIDRAP: Insomnia Common Months After Even Mild COVID-19
According to the results of a new survey given to Vietnamese patients and published in Frontiers in Public Health yesterday, 76% people who reported mild COVID-19 infections in the previous 6 months said they now experience insomnia, with 22.8% of those respondents saying their insomnia is severe. (Soucheray, 2/5)

CIDRAP: CDC: Acute Flaccid Myelitis Cases Low Since 2018, For Reasons Unknown 
In 2014, 2016, and 2018, the United States saw an uptick in enterovirus-D68 (EV-D68) infections and a subsequent rise in acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) cases, a severe neurologic condition that can result in paralysis. The pandemic likely disrupted the biannual pattern of infection in 2020, but an uptick in EV-D68 respiratory illnesses in 2022 did not lead to a matching increase in AFM cases, according to findings in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. AFM cases have remained low since 2018, for reasons unknown, the authors said. (Soucheray, 2/2)

Dallas Morning News: Is The FDA Opening A Door For Counterfeit Drug Trade?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the go-ahead last month for Florida to import prescription drugs in bulk from Canada. If all goes according to plan, the state government will be able to dispense certain Canadian-sourced drugs to people who receive care through the state Department of Corrections, the state Department of Children and Families, and the state Agency for Persons with Disabilities. (Sally C. Pipes, 2/8)

New England Journal of Medicine: The Risks Of Normalizing Parental Vaccine Hesitancy
The algorithms that shape our media diets have been promoting the idea that parental hesitancy about routine childhood vaccines has become commonplace in the United States since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. (David M. Higgins, M.D., M.P.H., and Sean T. O’Leary, M.D., M.P.H., 2/8)

New England Journal of Medicine: Advanced HIV As A Neglected Disease 
In the early decades of the global response to HIV/AIDS, the focus was on saving lives. And rightly so: without antiretroviral treatment (ART), people lived less than a year, on average, from the time they developed AIDS. But over the past 15 years, the focus has shifted to virologic control. (Nathan Ford, D.Sc., Peter Ehrenkranz, M.D., and Joseph Jarvis, M.B., B.S., 2/8)

Stat: How To Address Police Violence And Mental Health At Once 
Despite widespread promises of reform after the murder of George Floyd in 2020, in 2023, police killed at least 1,246 people — the most in more than a decade. This police violence is intertwined with a parallel public policy disaster: America’s abysmal mental health systems that force police officers to function as de facto mental health workers. People with unmet mental health needs are 16 times more likely to be killed by police, and a quarter of all those killed by police since 2015 were perceived to be suffering from a mental health crisis. (Eric Reinhart, 2/8)