First Edition: Monday, Nov. 3, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: From Narcan To Gun Silencers, Opioid Settlement Cash Pays Law Enforcement Tabs
In the heart of Appalachia, law enforcement is often seen as being on the front line of the addiction crisis. Bre Dolan, a 35-year-old resident of Hardy County, West Virginia, understands why. Throughout her childhood, when her dad had addiction and mental health crises, police officers were often the first ones to respond. Dolan calls them “good men and women” who “care about seeing their community recover.” (Pattani, 11/3)

KFF Health News: Sock Hops And Concerts: How Some Places Spent Opioid Settlement Cash
Officials in Irvington, New Jersey, had an idea. To raise awareness about the dangers of opioid use and addiction, the township could host concerts with popular R&B artists like Q Parker and Musiq Soulchild. It spent more than $600,000 in 2023 and 2024 to pay for the shows, even footing the bill for VIP trailers for the performers. It bought cotton candy and popcorn machines. In many cases, this type of community event would be unremarkable. But Irvington’s concerts stood out for their funding source: settlement money from companies accused of fueling the opioid overdose crisis. (Pattani, 11/3)

KFF Health News: Trump’s HHS Orders State Medicaid Programs To Help Find Undocumented Immigrants
The Trump administration has ordered states to investigate certain individuals enrolled in Medicaid to determine whether they are ineligible because of their immigration status, with five states reporting they’ve together received more than 170,000 names — an “unprecedented” step by the federal government that ensnares the state-federal health program in the president’s immigration crackdown. (Galewitz, 11/3)

KFF Health News: The Nation’s Largest Food Aid Program Is About To See Cuts. Here’s What You Should Know. 
The federal government is making sweeping changes to SNAP, the program that helped feed about 42 million people in the U.S. last year. Here’s a breakdown of the changes to come and potential impacts. (Houghton, Liss and Rayasam, 10/31)

KFF Health News: Journalists Help Make Sense Of Government Shutdown And Obamacare Open Enrollment 
KFF Health News Washington health policy reporter Amanda Seitz discussed Affordable Care Act open enrollment uncertainty on Houston Public Media’s “Hello Houston” on Oct. 30. ... KFF Health News senior correspondent Phil Galewitz discussed the federal government shutdown on FOX 5’s “On The Hill” on Oct. 26. (11/1)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Roll Call: Federal Judge Thanks Trump, Orders Him To Make SNAP Payments 
A federal judge in Rhode Island followed up his Friday oral ruling with a written order Saturday requiring President Donald Trump’s Agriculture Department to make full food stamp payments no later than end of day Monday, or alternatively, partial payments by the end of day Wednesday. (11/1)

AP: SNAP Benefits Cut Spark Rush To Food Pantries Across The Nation 
People across the country formed long lines for free meals and groceries at food pantries and drive-through giveaways Saturday, after monthly benefits through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, were suddenly cut off because of the ongoing government shutdown. In the New York borough of the Bronx, about 200 more people than usual showed up at the World of Life Christian Fellowship International pantry, many bundled in winter hats and coats and pushing collapsible shopping carts as they waited in a line that spanned multiple city blocks. (Haigh and Lovan, 11/2)

AP: Ending SNAP Could Hit Black Americans The Hardest
In one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the nation, a line stretched along the side of the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen and Pantry. Willy Hilaire is homeless, unemployed and 63. He lives in a New York shelter with his two grandchildren and often goes hungry so that they can eat the food he gets from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. (Tang, Green and Lee Brewer, 11/2)

AP: Federal Government Shutdown Threatens To Delay Home Heating Aid For Low-Income Families
Jacqueline Chapman is a retired school aide who relies on a $630 monthly Social Security check to get by. She was navigating the loss of her federal food aid benefits when she learned the assistance she receives for heating her Philadelphia apartment may also be at risk. “I feel like I’m living in scary times. It’s not easy to rest when you know you have things to do with limited accounts, limited funds. There isn’t too much you can do,” said Chapman, 74. (Haigh and Levy, 11/2)

The Hill: HIV, AIDS Funding At Risk Amid Government Budget Battle
Some lawmakers and advocates are increasingly uncertain whether critical HIV and AIDS services will survive the federal government’s funding fight. The GOP’s House-passed budget bill seeks to cut over $1.5 billion in services for people living with and vulnerable to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the U.S. — far greater than the cuts proposed by President Trump and the Senate. (Venkat, 11/2)

AP: Head Start Centers Face Closure During Government Shutdown
The government shutdown is triggering a wave of closures of Head Start centers, leaving working parents scrambling for child care and shutting some of the nation’s neediest children out of preschool. Dozens of centers are missing out on federal grant payments that were due to arrive Nov. 1. Some say they’ll close indefinitely, while others are staying afloat with emergency funding from local governments and school districts. The closures mean Head Start students — who come from low-income households, are homeless or are in foster care — are missing out on preschool, where they are fed two meals a day and receive therapy vital to their development. (Balingit, Seminera and Hollingsworth, 11/3)

The Hill: Marjorie Taylor Greene: GOP Leaders To Blame For Lack Of Health Reform Plan As Costs Rise
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is casting much of the blame for rising health premiums on her own party, arguing Republicans should have reformed the Affordable Care Act, and its expiring tax credits, sooner. Expiring subsidies in the Obama-era bill have been at the forefront of Democrats’ challenge to the House-passed continuing resolution that would reopen the government after funding lapsed more than a month ago. (Fields, 11/1)

The New York Times: How To Shop For Obamacare When Subsidies Are In Limbo
On Saturday, Americans who don’t get health insurance through an employer, Medicare or Medicaid can start signing up for Obamacare coverage next year through the federal website, healthcare.gov, or one of the state-run marketplaces. This year’s enrollment promises to be more confusing than those in the past. Congress is at a standoff over this year’s expiration of extra tax credits that had lowered the cost of coverage. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 11/1)

FDA

The Washington Post: Fluoride Prescriptions To Children Restricted By FDA
Most children should not receive prescription fluoride, Food and Drug Administration officials said Friday as they announced measures to restrict sales of the cavity-fighting drug. The agency said children under 3 and older children not at high risk for tooth decay should avoid ingestible fluoride, which is often sold as tablets or drops. It sent letters to manufacturers warning them not to market the products to such children. (Roubein, 10/31)

Stat: FDA's Top Drug Regulator, George Tidmarsh, Resigns Amid Probe
George Tidmarsh, the Food and Drug Administration’s top regulator of drugs, has resigned after being accused of using his regulatory authority to inflict financial harm on a former business associate, STAT has learned. (Lawrence and Feuerstein, 11/2)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

The Hill: Donald Trump’s MRI Scan Raises Questions About Presidential Health Secrecy
President Trump’s off-the-cuff disclosure that he underwent an MRI scan is raising fresh questions about the secrecy surrounding Trump’s health and the need for presidents to be more transparent. Trump is the oldest person to be elected president, and his aides and allies have long projected him as the picture of strength and vitality. Outside physicians initially raised questions after Trump visited Walter Reed Military Medical Center earlier this month for what the White House described as a routine follow-up visit, though it was his second visit in six months. (Weixel, 11/2)

Stat: Trump Says He Will Help Dilbert Creator Scott Adams Access Cancer Drug 
President Trump said Sunday that he planned to help the creator of the satirical comic strip “Dilbert” get access to a prostate cancer drug. Scott Adams, known for his office humor comic Dilbert as well as his controversial opinions livestreamed on YouTube, wrote early Sunday morning on X that he was going to ask Trump — whom he said had previously offered help if needed — to save his life. (Cirruzzo, 11/2)

The 19th: Without Federal Funding, Almost No Money Exists To Fight Domestic Violence
Today, 4 out of every 10 women say they’ve experienced violence at the hands of an intimate partner. Among men, a quarter report being victims. Intimate partner violence can be deadly, particularly for women: More than half of all women homicide victims are killed by a current or former partner. (Barclay and Mithani, 10/31)

NBC News: What The Science Says About Saturated Fats After RFK Jr.'s Comments
Changes may be coming to the U.S. dietary guidelines: If public comments from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are any indication, Americans could see a big difference when it comes to saturated fat. In July, Kennedy said at a meeting of the National Governors Association that new guidelines would be “common sense” and “stress the need to eat saturated fats, dairy, good meat, and fresh meat and vegetables.” He has called guidelines that promote low-fat dairy over full-fat versions “antiquated.” He has also praised fast-food chains that have switched their fryers from vegetable oil to beef tallow. Beef tallow is 50% saturated fat. (Mantel, 11/2)

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY

Modern Healthcare: WISeR Model Adding Medicare Prior Authorization Worries Providers
An artificial intelligence-powered initiative to test prior authorizations in fee-for-service Medicare needs to be delayed, healthcare providers say. The Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction, or WISeR, Model is scheduled to take effect in six states on Jan. 1. But amid a government shutdown that has lingered for a month, key details remain unknown, including which technology companies will operate the AI and machine learning tools that will manage prior authorizations for Medicare. (Early, 10/31)

Stat: Med First Says Medical AI Revenue Is Helping It Open More Clinics 
Wes Edwards, chief financial officer of primary and urgent care chain Med First, pulls no punches when it comes to money and health care. “We’re a for-profit entity that believes that the more margin that we’re able to make, the more patients we’re able to serve,” he told STAT. (Trang, 11/3)

Axios: Rural Health Providers Worry About Losing Money Race
There's about to be a lot of competition for the $50 billion rural health fund that was created to minimize the impact of the GOP budget law — and rural providers worry they're going to get squeezed out. The money could provide a lifeline as rural providers across the country struggle to keep facilities open under the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts anticipated from the budget bill. (Goldman, 11/3)

Fierce Healthcare: BlackDoctor, Pharma Partners Unveil Generational Health
BlackDoctor.org, a health platform that reaches 20 million people, launched a new initiative, Generational Health, that aims to connect science and culture to improve the health and longevity of Black families. The initiative, unveiled at the 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) conference in Washington D.C. on Sunday, represents a sustained national effort to "reimagine how health is understood, taught and passed down," according to the organization. (Landi, 11/2)

The Harvard Crimson: Authorities Investigating Explosion At Harvard Medical School, Believed To Be Intentional 
A device exploded inside the Goldenson Building in Harvard’s Longwood medical campus early Saturday morning, according to a message from the Harvard University Police Department to University affiliates. An officer who responded shortly before 3 a.m. observed two individuals fleeing the building, according to the email sent by HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano this afternoon. (Josephy and Shugard, 11/2)

Stat: AHA Scientific Sessions: What To Expect At New Orleans Conference 
Later this week, physicians, researchers, patients, and patient advocates will gather in New Orleans for the scientific sessions of the American Heart Association, where they will hear about new ways to address cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. (Cooney, 11/3)

PHARMA AND TECH

Newsweek: Walmart Expands Access To Weight-Loss Jab 
From mid-November, single-dose vials of the popular weight-loss jab — Zepbound (tirzepatide) — will be available to buy from Walmart pharmacies across the U.S., thanks to a new collaboration between the retailer and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over two in five American adults are obese. (Greenwood, 11/2)

Bloomberg: Pfizer Sues To Block Novo Bid For Obesity Drugmaker Metsera
Pfizer Inc. sued Metsera Inc. and rival drugmaker Novo Nordisk A/S to block the Danish company’s rival bid for the obesity startup. In a statement Friday, Pfizer said the Novo offer can’t qualify as a “Superior Company Proposal” under the merger agreement, in part because it’s not likely to survive regulatory review. Pfizer is asking the Delaware Court of Chancery to block Metsera for now from closing a deal with Novo to allow Pfizer time to be heard. (Muller and Feeley, 10/31)

The Baltimore Sun: Tiny Robots Could Revolutionize Medicine Within Blood Vessels
One day, robots might navigate through your blood vessels to break up clots, deliver targeted chemotherapy or repair ruptured blood vessels more efficiently and effectively than existing tools, researchers say. A soft robot catheter developed at the University of Maryland Bioinspired Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory brings these innovative treatment concepts one step closer to reality. (Hille, 10/31)

STATE WATCH

The New York Times: New York Judge Dismisses Texas Challenge To The State’s Abortion Shield Law
A judge in New York State on Friday dismissed a lawsuit in the first legal challenge by a conservative state against shield laws intended to protect health care providers who send abortion pills to patients in states with abortion bans. The lawsuit was filed in July by the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, to compel a New York court to enforce an order by a Texas judge in a case filed last year against a New York doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills to a patient in Texas. The order levied a $113,000 penalty on the physician, Dr. Margaret Carpenter, and barred her from continuing to send abortion medication to Texas. (Belluck, 10/31)

Education NC: Telehealth Initiative Launches In Four Rural School Districts
The North Carolina Community Schools Coalition (the Coalition) gathered representatives from four northeastern NC districts on Oct. 15 to kick off a new telehealth service for students and staff. (Parker, 11/1)

KBIA: Tickborne Red Meat Allergy Is On The Rise In Missouri
Conversations about a “red meat allergy” have regularly popped up on social media or in news articles in Missouri throughout the last few years. As it turns out, this is a real concern in Missouri that comes from the bite of a lone star tick, one of the most common species of ticks found in the state. (Smith, 11/3)

NBC News: Kentucky Woman Expecting Meds In Mail Gets Box Of Human Hands, Fingers Instead
A Kentucky woman, expecting medicine and other medical supplies in the mail, instead received a box of human body parts, authorities said Friday. A package that was meant for “surgical training” went to the wrong address in Hopkinsville on Wednesday — in southwest Kentucky, about 75 miles outside of Nashville, Tennessee, officials said. “Yes, true story. She was expecting medical supplies and found arms and fingers in the box," Christian County Coroner Scott Daniel said in a statement to NBC News. (Mullen and Li, 10/31)

MEASLES

Stat: Canada Could Cost The Americas Its Measles-Elimination Status
The Americas — North, Central, and South — is the only region of the world that has ever managed to stop endemic transmission of measles. But that hard-won victory against the highly contagious virus is on the verge of being rolled back. (Branswell, 11/3)

NBC News: This Tight-Knit Community Was Recovering From A Cultlike Leader. Then Measles Got In
Few people talk about vaccinations here. Not to outsiders, anyway. By and large, the people who live in Hildale, as well as in neighboring Colorado City, just across the state border in Arizona, are fiercely private. High walls surround many of the homes to avoid the prying eyes of strangers. Measles got in anyway. (Edwards, 11/1)

CIDRAP: Support For Measles Vaccination Drops Amid Growing Confusion About The Disease, US Poll Shows
Support among US adults for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has dropped from 90% to 82% in just a few short months, while confusion reigns over whether Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—the top US official spearheading prevention efforts—recommends that children be vaccinated against measles, according to the latest poll from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania. (Wappes, 10/31)

PUBLIC HEALTH

The Hill: FDA Recalls Multiple California Peaches Nationwide For Listeria Risk
Two types of California-grown peaches sold across the U.S. have been recalled for potential listeria contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The recall includes fresh white, yellow and “peppermint” peaches from Moonlight Companies which were sold at grocery stores across the country including Trader Joe’s and Kroger stores such as Mariano’s, Pick n Save, Metro Market, Dillons, Baker’s, Gerbes, King Soopers, City Market, Fry’s, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Ralphs, Food4Less, FoodsCo, QFC, and Smith’s stores. The peaches were sold under Kroger branding at Kroger stores, according to the FDA. (Kutz and Tanner, 10/31)

AP: Powder Supplements Sold At Sam's Club Tied To Salmonella Outbreak
At least 11 people have been sickened, including three who were hospitalized, with salmonella infections linked to powder supplements sold at Sam’s Club stores nationwide and online, federal health officials said Friday. Member’s Mark Super Greens Powder Supplements have been pulled from store shelves because they contain moringa leaf powder that may be contaminated with salmonella bacteria, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. (Aleccia, 10/31)

CNN: Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Be Linked To Microbleeds In The Brain 
Maybe you know you snore like a bear, but you don’t feel much urgency to look into it. Or maybe you have been told to wear a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine for sleep apnea, but it is just so cumbersome. A new study shows that it is important to take obstructive sleep apnea seriously now –– it could impact your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease later. (Holcombe, 11/1)

The New York Times: What The Air You Breathe May Be Doing To Your Brain
For years, the two patients had come to the Penn Memory Center at the University of Pennsylvania, where doctors and researchers follow people with cognitive impairment as they age, as well as a group with normal cognition. Both patients, a man and a woman, had agreed to donate their brains after they died for further research. “An amazing gift,” said Dr. Edward Lee, the neuropathologist who directs the brain bank at the university’s Perelman School of Medicine. “They were both very dedicated to helping us understand Alzheimer’s disease.” (Span, 11/1)

San Francisco Chronicle: Methylene Blue Anti-Aging Claims Face Scientific Reality
Methylene blue, a synthetic compound once used to dye fabric, suddenly seems to be everywhere — touted by celebrities and wellness influencers and apparently used by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as seen in a viral video that shows him squeezing a few drops of dark blue liquid in a glass of water. A few drops of methylene blue, many users claim, help boost energy and brain function. The compound is being studied by some longevity researchers as a potential anti-aging drug. (Ho, 11/2)