First Edition: Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: ‘A Fear Pandemic’: Immigration Raids Push Patients Into Telehealth
Jacob Sweidan has seen his patients through the federal immigration raids of the 1990s, a sitting governor’s call to abolish birthright citizenship, and the highly publicized workplace crackdowns and family separation policies of President Donald Trump’s first term. But in his 40 years as a pediatrician in Southern California serving those too poor to afford care, including many immigrant families, Sweidan said he’s never seen a drop-off in patient visits like this. (Mai-Duc, 8/14)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Axios: Trump Orders Stockpiling Of Advanced Drug Ingredients
President Trump on Wednesday ordered his health officials to secure a six-month supply of advanced pharmaceutical ingredients for drugs the administration determines are critical for national health and security. (Bettelheim, 8/14)

The New York Times: Trump Administration Scraps Research Into Health Disparities
The federal government has for decades invested vigorously in research aimed at narrowing the health gaps between racial and socioeconomic groups, pouring billions of dollars into understanding why minority and low-income Americans have shorter lives and suffer higher rates of illnesses like cancer and heart disease. Spending on so-called health disparities rose even during the Trump administration’s first term. But in its second, much of the funding has come to a sudden halt. (Caryn Rabin and Hwang, 8/13)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Trump’s D.C. Homeless Crackdown Raises Stakes For Atlanta’s Pre-World Cup Plans
When Atlanta revealed its ambitious plans to clear homeless camps downtown ahead of the FIFA World Cup next summer, city officials said their goal was to house people, not throw them in jail. That housing-first approach appears at odds with President Donald Trump, who on Monday launched a federal takeover of the Washington, D.C., police force and ordered 800 National Guard troops to the capital, stating he wanted to crack down on violent crime and homelessness. (Reynolds, 8/13)

IMMIGRATION CRISIS

The Washington Post: Judge Orders Manhattan ICE Detention Center To Improve Conditions 
The Trump administration must improve conditions at a Lower Manhattan immigration holding facility where a government lawyer acknowledges detainees are sleeping on the floor, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is packing detainees into a holding area without beds, showers or medical support, according to a class-action lawsuit filed by the ACLU on behalf of detainees. For more than a week, people go to sleep each night on a concrete floor next to toilets without medication nor a way to bathe, and they receive “at most only two small meals a day,” attorneys for the detainees wrote. (Brasch, 8/13)

The Washington Post: Lawmakers Visit Baltimore ICE Site Accused Of ‘Inhumane’ Conditions 
Two weeks after most of Maryland’s congressional delegation staged a sit-in at a controversial immigration enforcement facility in Baltimore, lawmakers returned for a guided tour on Wednesday and said they were still being stonewalled about how detainees are being treated inside. “We leave here with more questions than we came in with,” said Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-Maryland). (Munro and Cox, 8/14)

MEDICAID AND MEDICARE

Stat: Drugmakers Form New Group To Lobby On Impact Of Medicare Drug Price Negotiation
A handful of drug companies have formed a group to present lawmakers with research on what the industry sees as the negative impacts of Medicare drug price negotiations, according to lobbying records. (Wilkerson, 8/13)

'MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN'

MedPage Today: Want To Make America Healthy? Dump RFK Jr., New Public Health Group Says
As the U.S. awaits the release of the second report from the Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, another group has come out with a "counter report" featuring its own ideas for improving the health of Americans, including ousting HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "When the [first] MAHA report came out, our group was thinking, 'This isn't great,'" said Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD, a founding member of Defend Public Health (DPH), an all-volunteer group of about 3,000 public health researchers, healthcare workers, advocates, and allies fighting to defend what they characterize as the Trump administration's "cruel attacks on proven, science-based public health policies." (Frieden, 8/13)

Politico Pro: RFK Jr.’s MAHA Agenda Is Gaining Ground Across The Nation
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to “make America healthy again” has spread from Washington to state capitols with nearly 900 measures introduced this year echoing his agenda. ... A POLITICO analysis found more than 130 bills aimed at regulating ultraprocessed foods and improving nutrition, over 60 bills restricting the application of pesticides and other chemicals, and more than 130 bills expanding vaccine exemptions or prohibiting mandates this year. Lawmakers also introduced dozens of bills to promote the use of psychedelics, authorize sales of raw milk and ivermectin, and ban the fluoridation of drinking water. (Chu, 8/14)

The Hill: MAHA Movement Expected To Target School Lunches, Causing Unease
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is taking aim at school lunches in a move advocates say is unrealistic without devoting more federal resources to K-12 students. While some schools can only afford to buy frozen meals that are heated up and served, the Trump administration is looking for freshly cooked meals that will take more employees and ingredients to put together. The MAHA Commission was required to send over recommendations to the White House by Tuesday to combat childhood chronic diseases, a document experts and advocates are eagerly awaiting. (Lonas Cochran, 8/13)

Bloomberg: Mars Quietly Said Naturally Dyed M&M’s, Skittles Are Coming
Two days after Mars Inc. met with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, the privately held food company posted a statement saying it would offer naturally colored options next year for four of its most iconic candies, including M&M’s and Skittles. The July 24 announcement on the Mars Wrigley website went largely unnoticed at a time when candymakers have been viewed as the biggest holdout in the Trump administration’s efforts to get companies to voluntarily strip synthetic dyes from their food. (Peterson and Cohrs Zhang, 8/13)

VACCINES

MedPage Today: ‘Makes No Sense': Experts Push Back On RFK Jr.’s Doubts About Hepatitis B Vaccine
Public health experts are pushing back against doubts and criticisms about the hepatitis B vaccine spread by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies. Since overhauling the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), Kennedy and his supporters have questioned the vaccine's safety and the need for a birth dose. Those assertions could erode public confidence in a vaccine credited with virtually eliminating childhood transmission of the virus in the U.S., health professionals told MedPage Today. (McCreary, 8/13)

CBS News: MRNA Technology Could Hold Hope For Fighting Cancer, But Future Is In Doubt Under RFK Jr.
If you think last week's decision by the federal government to halt $500 million in funding for vaccine development projects that use mRNA technology will only affect COVID vaccines, think again. ... The science behind it is also being studied for a wide range of other uses, from fighting cancer to treating autoimmune conditions and more. Health experts have criticized the move to defund this research, pointing to the impact it will have on America's ability to develop breakthroughs against deadly or debilitating diseases. (Moniuszko, 8/13)

The Boston Globe: Mass. May Make Its Own Vaccine Policy Amid Kennedy Reforms
Disruptions to national vaccine recommendations under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are starting to reverberate across Massachusetts, threatening the state’s access to COVID shots just as the annual season for respiratory viruses — and vaccines to protect against them — approaches. Federal approval for flu and RSV shots was granted only in the last few days, weeks later than is typical, and health officials are still waiting to learn whether the Trump administration will recommend any vaccinations for COVID. Insurers rely on that guidance to decide what doses they will cover. (Laughlin, 8/13)

CIDRAP: Infections With High-Risk HPV Strains 16/18 Less Than 1% After Vaccination Rollout, Data Suggest
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination has nearly eliminated infection with the high-risk HPV strains 16/18, which cause over 70% of cervical cancer, in Danish women immunized as adolescents, suggests a study published in Eurosurveillance. (Van Beusekom, 8/13)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Becker's Hospital Review: HCA Reaches Settlement Agreement In North Carolina Antitrust Lawsuit
Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health and its owner, Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, have settled a lawsuit filed by several North Carolina counties and municipalities alleging anticompetitive practices. As part of the agreement, Mission Health will donate $1 million to a new charity fund that will be created to provide healthcare cost assistance to families and individuals earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, according to a joint Aug. 13 news release shared with Becker’s. (Cass, 8/13)

Chicago Tribune: Mercyhealth To Pay $1M To Settle Religious Discrimination Charge
Mercyhealth, which operates hospitals and clinics in Illinois and Wisconsin, has agreed to pay $1 million to employees it either terminated or subjected to a wage deduction because they refused to comply with the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine policy, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Mercyhealth also offered to reinstate the employees it terminated. (8/13)

Modern Healthcare: CentraCare Layoffs To Affect 535 Employees 
CentraCare plans to lay off an estimated 535 employees as part of a cost-saving strategy. An estimated 70% of roles affected will be administrative and 30% will be patient-care positions, the St. Cloud, Minn.-based system said in a statement Wednesday. It declined to say when the cuts would go into effect. The system said affected employees will have the opportunity to apply for more than 350 open positions at the organization. (DeSilva, 8/13)

Modern Healthcare: Providence Drops 1,800 Jobs In The Second Quarter
Providence had 1,800 fewer employees in the second quarter as the struggling system works on a financial turnaround. The decrease in number of employees from the first quarter was the result of layoffs and attrition, according to a spokesperson. The headcount reduction was disclosed in the Renton, Washington-based system’s quarterly earnings report published Tuesday. (Hudson, 8/13)

Modern Healthcare: Oracle To Launch AI-Powered EHR Platform
Oracle Health is rolling out an artificial intelligence-enabled electronic health record platform, the company said Wednesday ahead of its chief rival’s annual user conference. The EHR, which was previewed at an October Oracle event, is immediately available to ambulatory providers. The product will be available to non-ambulatory customers at an unspecified later date, said Suhas Uliyar, senior vice president of product management at Oracle. (Tepper, 8/13)

PHARMACEUTICALS

Bloomberg: ADHD Medicines Reduce Suicide, Crime Risks In Sweeping Study
Drugs to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were linked to a reduced risk of suicidal behavior, substance misuse and criminality in the first research of its kind. The findings come amid increasing debate around whether ADHD is being over-diagnosed and therefore over-treated with drugs like Ritalin. The research published in the British Medical Journal on Wednesday did not investigate whether patients are being accurately diagnosed, but it does provide evidence supporting medical treatment. (Furlong, 8/13)

Newsweek: Opioids: Parasitic Worm Discovery Could Lead To Safer Painkillers
The evolutionary trick of parasitic worm that sneakily burrows into the skin of its victims could provide new alternatives to opioid-based pain treatments. Opioids are currently used to treat moderate to severe pain, as well coughing and diarrhea. Although they can provide effective relief, long-term use can also lead to dependence, with negative physical and mental health consequences. (Millington, 8/13)

The Hill: Semaglutides May Shrink Muscle Size, Strength: Study
New research suggests popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may affect more than just fat, raising questions about muscle strength and organ size after significant weight loss. University of Utah scientists studied semaglutide, the active ingredient in weight loss medications, in mice. In the study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers revealed “unexpected effects,” highlighting that lean mass, or body weight that isn’t fat, dropped about 10 percent. (Delandro, 8/13)

MedPage Today: GLP-1 Drugs May Hold Benefit In Painful Skin Disease
Patients with hidradenitis suppurativa who started taking GLP-1 receptor agonists experienced reductions in a long list of disease measures, a small retrospective study found. Six months after treatment initiation, patients were significantly more likely to experience a 1-point or greater reduction in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Physician's Global Assessment (HS-PGA) score, along with reductions in disease flares and improvements in quality of life, reported Florence Poizeau, MD, PhD, of Rennes University Hospital in France, and members of the Institut de Dermatologie du Grand-Ouest and French Society of Dermatology. (Ingram, 8/13)

STATE WATCH

The Washington Post: Appeals Court Upholds Arkansas Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors 
A federal appeals court has upheld a 2021 Arkansas law that bans gender transition care for minors, going beyond a recent Supreme Court ruling on similar statutes in other states to declare that parents “do not have unlimited authority to make medical decisions for their children.” Lawyers who represent transgender people in other states said in June that the Supreme Court’s landmark U.S. v. Skrmetti decision, which found that gender care bans do not violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause, left many legal pathways to challenge the law, including the parental rights claim. Tuesday’s 8-2 decision by the St. Louis-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit could be a setback to those pursuits. (Raji and Parks, 8/13)

The Washington Post: Illinois Bans Use Of Artificial Intelligence For Mental Health Therapy 
Illinois last week banned the use of artificial intelligence in mental health therapy, joining a small group of states regulating the emerging use of AI-powered chatbots for emotional support and advice. Licensed therapists in Illinois are now forbidden from using AI to make treatment decisions or communicate with clients, though they can still use AI for administrative tasks. Companies are also not allowed to offer AI-powered therapy services — or advertise chatbots as therapy tools — without the involvement of a licensed professional. Nevada passed a similar set of restrictions on AI companies offering therapy services in June, while Utah also tightened regulations for AI use in mental health in May but stopped short of banning the use of AI. (Wu, 8/12)

Axios: Florida AG Announces Ban On "7-OH" Products 
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Wednesday made it illegal to sell 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, a compound found in some kratom products, by classifying it as a Schedule I controlled substance in the state. The announcement makes Florida the first state to ban this concentrated kratom byproduct, which acts like an opioid and has been dubbed "legal morphine" by researchers. (Reyes, 8/13)

Bloomberg: New York City Ramps Up Effort To Remove Mentally Ill From Streets, Subways
Mayor Eric Adams, facing a steep path to reelection, is bolstering efforts to reduce the number of mentally ill people on the streets and subways of New York City. The city on Wednesday unveiled a dashboard showing where people with serious mental illness have been taken for psychiatric evaluation after contact with police or clinicians. Officials say it’s designed to give policymakers and the public a clearer view of where interventions occur and to measure the impact of new programs. (Miller, 8/13)

The New York Times: Homeless And Burning In Phoenix, America’s Hottest City 
The sun was barely up when the three-person medical team pulled into the parking lot of a Phoenix soup kitchen, but the temperature was already around 90 degrees, on its way to 111.The team starts its rounds at 5 a.m. because the afternoon highs are so dangerous. Perla Puebla, the family nurse practitioner leading the team, took a look at Hawaii Kalawaia and Zephyr Harrell and could tell they were dehydrated from their dry lips and skin. It’s hard for homeless people not to be during Phoenix’s unrelenting summers. (Astor, 8/13)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Heat-Related Deaths Surpass 2024 Total
Heat-related deaths in Maryland have officially surpassed last year’s total, with 29 deaths recorded across the state this season by the Maryland Department of Health. (Schumer, 8/13)

North Carolina Health News: Few Released From Prison Under NC Medical Release, Despite 2023 Reforms
To give more seriously ill incarcerated people the opportunity to go home before they die, North Carolina lawmakers expanded the eligibility criteria of prison medical release in 2023. But data obtained by NC Health News shows that more people aren’t getting released. (Crumpler, 8/14)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS

CBS News: Wegmans Recalls Some Cheese Products Due To Potential Listeria Contamination
Wegmans is recalling its brand of medium camembert cheese and products that contain it due to potential listeria contamination, which can lead to serious illness. ... So far, no illnesses have been reported to Wegmans or its supplier, but officials say customers should not consume the products and can return them for a full refund. (Moniuszko, 8/13)

Axios: COVID-19 Cases Boom Across 12 States As "Stratus" Variant Surges
Twelve states are seeing higher positivity rates for COVID-19 tests compared to the rest of the country, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Scribner, 8/13)

Chicago Tribune: Risk Of West Nile Virus ‘High’ In Chicago After City Sees First 3 Human Cases Of The Year
Chicago is now at a high risk level of West Nile virus after reporting its first three confirmed human cases of the virus this year, according to local health officials. This week, the Chicago Department of Public Health announced that three city residents from the Northwest and South sides between the ages 40 and 80 tested positive for the virus and that their symptoms began in late July or early August. (Kenny, 8/13)

CIDRAP: Report Details First Suspected H5 Avian Flu Detections In Seabirds In Antarctica
Researchers say it could indicate a significant expansion of the virus into the continent that would put susceptible bird species at risk. (Van Beusekom, 8/12)

GUN VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH

CNN: Shooters May Have Mental Health Problems In Common, But That’s Not What’s Behind Violent Attacks, Experts Say 
After a random shooting in Austin, Texas, left three people dead, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said that the suspect had past criminal offenses and “serious issues.” The 32-year-old suspect was arrested after police found him naked, holding a Bible and claiming he was Jesus.“ There were some serious failures here,” Davis said. (Christensen, 8/13)

AP: To Combat Gun Violence, Minnesota Law Enforcement Turns To ‘Red Flag’ Law
One day in early February, a Bloomington police detective got a call that a man had told his family that he planned to shoot himself in the head. The detective, Matt Jones, found the man at his home where, according to a Minnesota District Court filing, he “admitted to officers that he was planning to buy a gun today and always believed that when he dies it will be by his own hand.” Jones then took a step that is becoming increasingly common among officers in Hennepin County and, to an extent, throughout the state: He persuaded a state court judge to stop the person with suicidal thoughts from owning or buying a gun. (Blake, 8/13)

AP: Man Charged With Cyberstalking Family Member Of Killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
A New York man has been charged with cyberstalking a family member of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, allegedly leaving threatening voicemails that expressed glee about the insurance executive’s killing, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. Shane Daley, 40, is accused of placing multiple calls to Thompson’s family member after the shooting, justifying the killing and saying that the person deserved to die in a similar manner, according to a criminal complaint. (8/14)

LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH

MedPage Today: Quitting Smoking Tied To Better Odds Of Recovery From Other Addictions
Smokers with substance use disorders (SUDs) who quit cigarettes were more likely to report recovery from their other addiction, according to a nationally representative cohort study. Among more than 2,600 individuals followed for 4 years, a fully adjusted model showed that a change in smoking status from "current" to "former" was associated with a 30% increase in the likelihood of SUD recovery (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.07-1.57), reported Wilson Compton, MD, of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in Bethesda, Maryland, and colleagues. (Firth, 8/13)

The Hill: PFAS Exposure May Hinder Bariatric Surgery Outcomes For Teenagers
Adolescents exposed to toxic “forever chemicals” may be more likely to regain weight lost after bariatric surgery, a new study has found. The risk of such gains, which can undermine the procedure’s success and cause long-term health issues, was higher in patients who had elevated levels of the compounds prior to the surgery, scientists found in the study, published on Thursday in Obesity. (Udasin, 8/14)