Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Contraception Funding Will Be Diverted To Defray US Energy Costs Instead
The New York Times: State Dept. To Shift Millions In Contraception Funding To Cover Energy Costs
The State Department intends to shift up to $125 million in foreign aid to defray soaring energy costs, including nearly $49 million that Congress had appropriated to supply contraception to women in low-income countries, according to a memo sent to lawmakers last month. The memo, obtained by The New York Times, invoked a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act that allows the president to divert certain aid funds to address “unanticipated contingencies.” (Diaz and Nolen, 10/29)
More news from the Trump administration —
The Hill: Airline Groups Urge CDC To Rethink Ebola Travel Rules
Interest groups representing major American and foreign airlines asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reassess its new rules for foreign travelers over a record-breaking Ebola outbreak in Congo. The CDC issued a mandate last week requiring that all travelers to the U.S. certify they have not been in Congo within 21 days before departure. To do so, all airline passengers and crew members on U.S.-bound flights — including American citizens — must file attestations before travel. (Chakraborty, 10/29)
AP: US Lawmakers Warn Against Colombia's Spraying Of Coca, Citing Health Risks
A group of U.S. lawmakers on Thursday urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio not to support Colombia’s plans to restart aerial spraying of coca, the plant used to make cocaine, warning that the practice could threaten human health and fragile ecosystems in the Amazon rainforest. In a letter led by U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., and signed by 18 other lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the group expressed concern over reports that President Donald Trump’s administration had encouraged Colombia to revive the program, which involves spraying herbicides from aircraft to kill coca plants. (Grattan, 10/29)
The New York Times: A Sailor Jumped From The U.S.S. Lincoln. The Navy Punished Him.
The case offers a rare look at the military’s handling of mental health issues during extended deployments. (Ransom, 10/29)
From the FDA —
ABC News: FDA Proposes Rule Updating Nutrient Requirements For Infant Formula
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Thursday it is proposing a new rule that will update the nutrient requirements for infant formula. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which oversees the FDA, said in a press release that it would be the first major update to infant formula standards in nearly 30 years. (Kekatos, 10/29)
Chicago Tribune: FDA Issues Alert About Beds Sold By Medline After Deaths
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert Thursday about safety issues related to beds sold by Northfield-based medical supply company Medline, saying two people have died and 16 have been seriously injured. (Schencker, 10/29)
Undark: In A Long-Awaited Move, FDA Enforces Trial Result Transparency
Once a clinical trial is completed, the clock is supposed to start ticking. For certain trials, researchers have one year to upload the results of their study to a public database maintained by the National Library of Medicine. If they fail to do so, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may send out warnings, letters, and, if researchers and companies are still noncompliant, impose a fine. (López Lloreda, 10/30)
On the immigration crisis —
ProPublica: Federal Agents Have Detained More Than 500 American Citizens In Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Experts have long warned that immigration dragnets will inevitably result not only in the erosion of rights for immigrants but also for citizens. Since the start of this Trump administration, we've watched those warnings come true. So we have once again done what the government won’t: We have tallied and cataloged every case we can find of an immigration agent reportedly detaining a citizen during the current administration — more than 500 cases from Inauguration Day through Oct. 21, 2026. (Foy, Talbot, Yar, Michelena, Fortis, Elba and Wray, 10/29)
AP: Detainees Face Inhumane Conditions At Indiana ICE Facility, Lawsuit Says
Three people detained at an Indiana immigration facility known as the “Speedway Slammer” say detainees languish in solitary confinement for weeks, are denied essential medical treatment and are subjected to abuse and racial slurs by facility officials. The detainees alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that conditions at the Miami Detention Center in Bunker Hill, Indiana, are inhumane, and officials’ neglect has created a “dangerous medical crisis,” according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press. (Mayes-Osterman, 10/29)
