Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Reverses Proposed Rule To Test Cosmetics Containing Talc For Asbestos
The New York Times: F.D.A. Withdraws Rule To Require Testing Cosmetics Made With Talc For Asbestos
The Food and Drug Administration has withdrawn a proposed rule that would have required makeup manufacturers to test talcum powder and cosmetics made with talc for traces of asbestos, a highly carcinogenic contaminant. The unexpected move was a blow to public health advocates who have worked for decades to curb or eliminate asbestos, which can be found in talc and causes deadly cancers like mesothelioma and lung and ovarian cancer, and for which there is no safe level of exposure. (Caryn Rabin, 11/26)
More news from the Trump administration —
ProPublica and FRONTLINE: Trump’s Immigration Forces Deploy 'Less Lethal' Weapons In Dangerous Ways, Skirting Rules And Maiming Protesters
Civil rights and weapons experts cite the consequences of federal agents’ use of crowd control weapons: religious leaders shot with pepper balls and noxious chemicals. A nurse nearly blinded by tear gas. Protestors trapped, struggling to breathe. (Thompson and McSwane, 11/25)
AP: Long-Awaited $3.6B In Heating Assistance Released To States And Tribes
Approximately $3.6 billion in delayed funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, was released Friday to states and tribes, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. The federal funding for LIHEAP, which helps millions of low-income households pay to heat and cool their homes, has been held up during the beginning of the cold-weather season because of the federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12. (Haigh, 11/28)
CIDRAP: Petition Calls For EPA To Ban Use Of Medically Important Antimicrobials In Pesticides
A coalition of public health, conservation, and farmworker advocacy groups this week filed a petition urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ban use of pesticides that can promote resistance to medically important antibiotics and antifungals. The petition, filed by the Center for Biological Diversity on behalf of nine other groups, calls for the EPA to ban pesticides containing oxytetracycline and streptomycin, the two most commonly used antibiotics in pesticides. (Dall, 11/26)
AP: The Hemp Industry Is Scrambling To Save Itself Before A Federal Ban On THC Products Takes Effect
The production lines at Indeed Brewing moved quickly, the cans filling not with beer, but with THC-infused seltzer. The product, which features the compound that gets cannabis users high, has been a lifeline at Indeed and other craft breweries as alcohol sales have fallen in recent years. But that boom looks set to come to a crashing halt. Buried in the bill that ended the federal government shutdown this month was a provision to ban those drinks, along with other impairing beverages and snacks made from hemp, which have proliferated across the country in recent years. (Karnowski and Johnson, 11/28)
AP: New FDA-Approved Glasses Can Slow Nearsightedness In Kids
For many children, the experience of getting their first pair of glasses is an inevitable milestone, the first in a lifetime of visits to the eye doctor. But what if those lenses could actually help preserve the child’s vision and reduce the chances for more serious eye problems in adulthood? That’s the promise of a new type of lens approved by the Food and Drug Administration in September. While the technology has previously been available in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world, it’s now rolling out in the U.S. (Perrone, 12/1)
Also —
AP: Trump Says He'll Release MRI Results
President Donald Trump said Sunday that he would release the results of his MRI test that he received in October. “If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,” the president said during an exchange with reporters as he traveled back to Washington from Florida. He said the results of the MRI were “perfect.” The White House has so far declined to detail why Trump had an MRI during his physical last month, or on what part of his body. (11/30)
