First Edition: April 25, 2019

Kaiser Health News: Association Insurance Pushes On Despite Court Ruling
When the Trump administration in June issued rules making it easier for small employers to band together to buy health insurance, “we started looking immediately,” recalled Scott Lyon, a top executive at the Small Business Association of Michigan. Although he offered traditional small-group health insurance to his association’s employees and members, Lyon liked adding a new option for both: potentially less expensive coverage through an association health plan, which doesn’t have to meet all the rules of the Affordable Care Act. (Appleby, 4/25)

Kaiser Health News: Pain Clinics’ Doctors Needlessly Tested Hundreds Of Urine Samples, Court Records Show
A Tennessee-based chain of pain clinics that abruptly shut down last summer faces five whistleblower lawsuits accusing it of defrauding Medicare and other health insurers by billing for hundreds of unnecessary urine drug tests and other dubious health services, newly unsealed court records show. The federal suits target Tennessee-based Comprehensive Pain Specialists, also known as Anesthesia Services Associates, PLLC, and several of its physician owners. At its peak, CPS ran 60 pain clinics in 12 states, according to the suits, as well as a lucrative urine-testing lab in Brentwood, Tenn. CPS closed with no warning in July, leaving patients in several states distressed and scrambling to find a new source of narcotic pain medicines. (Schulte, 4/24)

Kaiser Health News: States Weigh Banning A Widely Used Pesticide Even Though EPA Won’t
Lawmakers in several states are trying to ban a widely used pesticide that the Environmental Protection Agency is fighting to keep on the market. The pesticide, chlorpyrifos, kills insects on contact by attacking their nervous systems. Several studies have linked prenatal exposure of chlorpyrifos to lower birth weights, lower IQs, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other developmental issues in children. But the EPA in 2017 ignored the conclusions of its scientists and rejected a proposal made during the Obama administration to ban its use in fields and orchards. (Ibarra, 4/25)

Kaiser Health News: Americans Overwhelmingly Want Federal Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
Four in 10 American adults under age 65 say that within the past two years they or a family member received an unexpectedly high invoice for a procedure, test or doctor’s visit they thought would be better covered by their insurer, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation poll. (KHN is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) Half of those people said the high bill occurred because the medical provider was not in their insurance network. (Rau, 4/24)

Kaiser Health News: Researchers Seek Sage Advice Of Elders On Aging Issues
Rachel O’Conor booted up her slides and began posing questions to six older adults sitting around a table: How should primary care physicians support patients and caregivers after a diagnosis of dementia? And what stands in the way of getting adequate support? “Please speak louder and go slower,” suggested Susanne Smith, a 75-year-old with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. (Graham, 4/25)

Kaiser Health News: In 10 Years, Half Of Middle-Income Elders Won’t Be Able To Afford Housing, Medical Care
In 10 years, more than half of middle-income Americans age 75 or older will not be able to afford to pay for yearly assisted living rent or medical expenses, according to a study published Wednesday in Health Affairs. The researchers used demographic and income data to project estimates of a portion of the senior population, those who will be 75 or older in 2029, with a focus on those in the middle-income range — currently $25,001 to $74,298 per year for those ages 75 to 84. (Knight, 4/24)

Kaiser Health News: Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ The Abortion Wars Rage On
A federal district judge in Oregon blocked new rules for the federal family planning program issued by the Trump administration and due to take effect May 3. It’s one of several cases out to thwart the changes that would effectively evict Planned Parenthood from the Title X program. Meanwhile, hospitals are gearing up to fight the various “Medicare-for-all” proposals gaining popularity among Democrats. Hospitals are worried that losing the higher payments from private insurers could threaten their bottom lines. (4/24)

The New York Times: Trump Declares Commitment To Ending Opioid Crisis ‘Once And For All'
President Trump, after a week devoted to criticizing the Mueller report and investigations by congressional Democrats, turned on Wednesday to a policy matter, vowing to “smash the grip of addiction” caused by the opioid epidemic. Addressing a conference of health professionals and addiction specialists in Atlanta, Mr. Trump promised to provide more funding for treatment, stronger scrutiny of what he called Big Pharma and tougher interdiction of drugs at the border with Mexico. (Tackett and Sullivan, 4/24)

The Associated Press: Trump To Keep Fighting Opioids 'Until Our Job Is Done'
"My administration is deploying every resource at our disposal to empower you, to support you and to fight right by your side," Trump said. "We will not solve this epidemic overnight but we will stop. ... There's just nothing going to stop us, no matter how you cut it." Before leaving the White House for the Atlanta event, Trump claimed credit for progress in combating the drug scourge. (Freking and Superville, 4/24)

Reuters: Trump Says He Is Holding Big Pharma Accountable In Opioid Fight
On Tuesday, the government charged drug distributor Rochester Drug Co-operative Inc and company executives for their role in fueling the epidemic. The company agreed to pay $20 million and enter a deferred prosecution agreement to resolve charges it turned a blind eye to thousands of suspicious orders for opioid pain killers. "We are holding big Pharma accountable," Trump said at the Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta. (Rampton, 4/24)

The Washington Post: Trump Defends Administration's Response To Opioid Crisis: ‘We Will Never Stop Until Our Job Is Done’
While accusing pharmaceutical companies of “rigging the system against our great seniors,” Trump also slipped in a veiled reference to special counsel Robert S. Mueller III’s Russia probe, telling the crowd, “I know all about rigging the system because I had the system rigged on me.” Then, demonstrating the canny instincts of a TV producer, he offered a faux lament: “Unfortunately, that will be your sound bite tonight.” (Parker and Sonmez, 4/24)

USA Today: CDC: Doctors Were Too Cautious About Opioid Pain Pill Prescribing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in new guidance for opioid prescribing, said many physicians were guilty of a "misapplication" of 2016 guidelines that clamped down on the use of opioids. The new guidelines, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, was the latest federal acknowledgement that many physicians' responses to the opioid crisis went too far. Former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb, a physician, spoke out last July about the impact the opioid crisis response had on pain patients when he called for development of more options. (O'Donnell and Alltucker, 4/24)

Stat: The Authors Of The CDC’s Opioid Guidelines Say They’ve Been Misapplied
The authors of influential federal guidelines for opioid prescriptions for chronic pain said Wednesday that doctors and others in the health care system had wrongly implemented their recommendations and cut off patients who should have received pain medication. “Unfortunately, some policies and practices purportedly derived from the guideline have in fact been inconsistent with, and often go beyond, its recommendations,” the researchers wrote in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Joseph and Silverman, 4/24)

The Associated Press: Feds Intend To Sue Tennessee Lawmaker Over Pain Clinics
Federal prosecutors said this week they intend to file a lawsuit against a Tennessee state senator and other co-owners of a now-shuttered pain clinic company. Court filings said Comprehensive Pain Specialists, which was based in Tennessee and once operated in 12 states, defrauded the government of millions of dollars by submitting claims for unnecessary procedures and falsifying documents. (Loller, 4/24)

The Center for Investigative Reporting: Rehab Patients' Unpaid Work For Big Companies Likely Illegal
A nationally renowned drug rehab program in Texas and Louisiana has sent patients struggling with addiction to work for free for some of the biggest companies in America, likely in violation of federal labor law. The Cenikor Foundation has dispatched tens of thousands of patients to work without pay at more than 300 for-profit companies over the years. In the name of rehabilitation, patients have moved boxes in a sweltering warehouse for Walmart, built an oil platform for Shell and worked at an Exxon refinery along the Mississippi River. (4/24)

The Associated Press: US Measles Cases Hit Highest Mark In 25 Years
Measles in the U.S. has climbed to its highest level in 25 years, closing in on 700 cases this year in a resurgence largely attributed to misinformation that is turning parents against vaccines. "This is alarming," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University vaccine expert. Not only is measles dangerous in itself, but its return could mean other vaccine-preventable diseases seemingly consigned to the past may be coming back as well, he said. (Stobbe, 4/24)

The New York Times: Measles Outbreak Infects 695, Highest Number Since 2000
Most cases are linked to two large and apparently unrelated outbreaks. One is centered in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York City and its suburbs; that outbreak began in October and recently spread to Orthodox communities in Michigan. The other outbreak began in Washington State. “The longer these outbreaks continue, the greater the chance measles will again get a sustained foothold in the United States,” the C.D.C. said in a statement. (McNeil, 4/24)

The Washington Post: Measles Outbreak: U.S. Measles Cases Surpass Previous Record, Highest Since 2000
This year, as in the past, officials say the majority of people in the U.S. who have fallen ill were unvaccinated. In some communities, anti-immunization activists have spread false claims about the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, causing concern among parents about inoculating their children. When many people in a community have not been vaccinated, the disease can spread quickly. The CDC said misinformation about the safety of the vaccine is “a significant factor contributing to the outbreaks in New York."” The agency said some organizations, which it did not name, are “deliberately targeting these communities with inaccurate and misleading information about vaccines.” (Sun, 4/24)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Records Highest Number Of Measles Cases In 25 Years, CDC Says
The Brooklyn measles outbreak began last fall in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. Some 83% of the measles cases are concentrated in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn in four ZIP Codes where the city has ordered mandatory measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations for all people, with fines for noncompliance. The city said Wednesday that 12 people have received summonses for not complying with the emergency order. People who receive a summons are given a hearing and could face a $1,000 fine, with a higher fine if they don’t appear for the hearing. The city started issuing summonses last week. (McKay and West, 4/24)

The Hill: New York Officials Confirm 31 New Measles Cases In Less Than A Week
New York City health officials on Wednesday said they have confirmed 31 new cases of measles in less than a week, including two pregnant women, inching the United States closer to a record. Officials said they also issued summonses to 12 parents for failing to vaccinate their children, a violation of an emergency order from the city’s public health department. (Weixel, 4/24)

Reuters: Millions Of Children Miss Measles Shots, Creating Outbreaks-UNICEF
More than 20 million children a year missed out on measles vaccines across the world in the past eight years, laying a path of exposure to a virus that is now causing disease outbreaks globally, a United Nations report said on Thursday. "The measles virus will always find unvaccinated children," said Henrietta Fore, executive director of the United Nations children's fund UNICEF, adding: "The ground for the global measles outbreaks we are witnessing today was laid years ago." (4/24)

USA Today: Measles Outbreak, Vaccinations: Distrust In Big Pharma Plays A Role
Bernadette Pajer doesn't trust the pharmaceutical industry. And she doesn't trust vaccines. The founder of a Washington state advocacy group says her dual distrust shouldn't come as any surprise. She notes drugmakers have a "pretty poor record over all" on safety and transparency. Not to mention the opioid crisis, though Pajer often does. Pajer is not alone. As distrust of the pharmaceutical industry grows, so too has the anti-vaccination movement. And that is a critical issue as the number of measles cases in the U.S. surges toward a record. (O'Donnell, 4/23)

The Associated Press: California Vaccine Rules Advance Over Emotional Opposition
California lawmakers advanced tougher rules for vaccinations late Wednesday after hearing hours of testimony from hundreds of opponents while the nation grapples with the highest number of measles cases in decades. The Senate Health Committee approved the proposal to give state public health officials instead of local doctors the power to decide which children can skip their shots before attending school. The push coincides with this year's national measles tally reaching the highest it's been since 1994, according to an Associated Press count. (4/24)

Los Angeles Times: Opponents Call It A ‘Crime Against Humanity,’ But Vaccine Bill Moves Forward
The emotional testimony on the bill comes as a measles outbreak has put public health officials on high alert. More than 100 doctors and medical students spoke in favor of Senate Bill 276, which would empower the state health department to vet medical exemptions sought by physicians. Sen. Richard Pan, a Sacramento physician and Democrat, introduced the legislation, which passed 6 to 2 on Wednesday in the Senate Health Committee. The Capitol hallways were hot and humid amid the mass turnout of mostly opponents, many of whom said their children were injured by vaccines. One opponent called Pan a “tyrant,” another labeled his bill a “crime against humanity,” while a third urged the senator to abandon the proposal to “save your soul.” (Gutierrez and Karlamangla, 4/24)

The Washington Post: Trump Administration Prepares A Rule Civil Rights Groups Worry May Deny Care To Transgender Patients
Trump administration officials are working on a new rule that civil rights organizations fear could essentially blow up the nondiscrimination protections of the Affordable Care Act for LGBTQ individuals and make it easier for hospitals, physicians or insurers to deny care or coverage to transgender people for religious reasons. The debate centers on the word “sex” as it applies to those provisions. Some faith-based health-care organizations protested in 2016 when President Barack Obama’s Health and Human Services Department interpreted the term to include gender identity and transgender people as protected classes. (Cha, 4/24)

Politico: HHS Nearing Plan To Roll Back Transgender Protections
The long-expected rules have alarmed patient advocates and public health groups, which have warned the health department that the rules could harm vulnerable populations’ access to care. Meanwhile, the rules have been eagerly anticipated by religious-rights groups and conservative states that have lobbied for the changes. The controversial rules — which the Trump administration has been scrutinizing for more than a year to prepare for expected legal challenges — have been closely guarded inside the administration, following several media reports on the efforts that sparked backlash and complicated officials’ strategy. Officials say the two health department rules are now expected within the next 10 days. (Diamond, 4/24)

The Associated Press: Court To Hear Washington Challenge To Trump Abortion Rule
A federal judge in Washington state will hear arguments in two cases against new Trump administration rules that could cut off federal funding for health care providers who refer patients for an abortion. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association brought the lawsuits, saying that if the rules take effect next week as scheduled they would curb access to care such as contraception and breast and cervical cancer screening for millions of low-income people. (4/25)

Stat: Senators Push HHS To Move Against Gilead On An HIV Drug Patent
Several U.S. senators have asked the Health and Human Services Department to explain what, if any, steps are being taken to ensure that patents held by the federal government on an HIV prevention pill are properly licensed. The lawmakers also asked agency officials to demonstrate how they take into account whether medicines are affordable when considering licensing patents. The move comes as AIDS activists have criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for failing to reach a deal with Gilead Sciences (GILD) over royalties on its sales of the Truvada pill. (Silverman, 4/24)

The Hill: House Dem Chairmen To Meet With Progressives Amid Drug Pricing Divisions 
Two key House Democratic committee chairmen will meet with progressive House Democrats next week amid divisions in the party over how to craft their signature legislation to lower drug prices, according to House Democratic aides. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) will meet with members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus next week to discuss legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. (Sullivan, 4/24)

Stat: At A Lively Drug Pricing Debate, Experts Suggest Killing Off Copays 
It was billed as a debate on sky-high prescription drug prices — but once again, middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers took center stage. A panel of policy experts and biotech veterans who gathered at Harvard on Tuesday focused much of their ire on the role of insurance. Though they disagreed on plenty — like who is ultimately responsible for high drug prices — all concluded that people would probably be better off if the health care system killed copays, which some argue gives patients “skin in the game” that can keep them from using health services or drugs they don’t need. (Sheridan, 4/25)

Stat: FDA Hires Pew Director To Lead Regulatory Policy
Elizabeth Jungman, a well-known public health expert and a Capitol Hill veteran, will lead the FDA’s regulatory policy office starting this summer, STAT has learned. Jungman, who currently serves as head of public health programs at the Pew Charitable Trusts, will direct the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Policy, a post with sweeping authority over FDA’s human drugs portfolio, two sources told STAT. The office is perhaps most known for its role in regulating drug compounding, although it has also led some of the FDA’s work on other hot-button issues like abuses of the agency’s safety systems and its regulation of homeopathic drugs. (Florko, 4/24)

Stat: FTC Sues Surescripts, Alleging Illegal Monopoly In E-Prescribing 
In its latest bid to rein in the health care industry, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit accusing Surescripts of illegally monopolizing the market for e-prescribing, which refers to transmitting patient information and prescriptions among insurers, doctors, and pharmacies. E-prescribing has becoming an important component of health care as public and private payers, as well as heath care providers, seek to streamline costs and speed important paperwork among key players. And Surescripts has been a dominant purveyor for more than a decade with a 95% market share, according to the lawsuit, which was filed on April 17 but disclosed by the agency on Wednesday. (Silverman, 4/24)

Stat: Commerce Report Causes Stir On Using U.S. Law To Drop Drug Prices 
At the same time the Trump administration has vowed to attack rising drug costs, the Department of Commerce has released a report that some academics and consumer advocates argue would restrain the ability of the federal government to limit “excessive” prescription drug prices. In a lengthy document that largely mirrors a draft report leased late last year, the department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology offers suggestions for modernizing technology transfer and innovation, and proposed several ideas for maximizing returns on taxpayer investment in R&D. (Silverman, 4/24)

The Washington Post: Americans Are More Focused On Health Costs Than Medicare-For-All, Poll Shows
Most Americans want Congress to take action to lower their family’s health care expenses, rather than make sweeping changes such as adopting Medicare-for-all, or repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, according to a new survey. At a time when Democratic presidential candidates are emphasizing universal health coverage — with those on the left advocating Medicare-for- all — not quite half of the respondents who identify as Democrats regard that as a priority for Congress in the latest poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation. That compares with 14 percent of Republicans. (Goldstein, 4/24)

The Hill: Poll: Majority Of Americans Want Laws Protecting Them From Surprise Medical Bills
Three-quarters of the public — including a majority of Republicans — think the federal government should protect patients from having to cover surprise medical bills, according to a new poll released Wednesday. A surprise bill usually occurs after a patient visits a hospital that is inside their insurer’s network, but received treatment from an out-of-network doctor, or the patient was taken by ambulance to an out-of-network emergency room. (Weixel, 4/24) 

Stat: Primary Care Experiment's Impact Depends On Answers To These Questions
The great hope of the primary care initiative unveiled by the Trump administration this week is that it will finally pay doctors to use technology to stay connected to their patients and intervene before — not after — health problems arise. The concept is simple: Front primary care doctors money to provide high-touch care to keep their patients healthy, instead of paying them to jam their calendars with so many in-person office visits that they can’t respond to emergent problems. (Ross, 4/25)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Invites States To Test New Dual-Eligible Care Models
The CMS is inviting state Medicaid agencies to pursue new ways of integrating care for patients eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid—a population that has complex health needs and accounts for a big portion of spending in both public health programs. In a letter dated Wednesday to state Medicaid directors, CMS Administrator Seema Verma described three new ways states can test approaches to integrating care for dual-eligible patients with the goal of improving the quality of their care and reducing costs for federal and state governments. (Livingston, 4/24)

Reuters: Anthem Beats Earnings Estimates, Outlines Plans For Pharmacy Benefits Unit
Anthem Inc on Wednesday posted a better-than-expected quarterly profit and laid out its plans to transition most customers to its revamped pharmacy benefits business this year. Based on its first quarter results, including higher than anticipated revenue growth, the company said it now expects 2019 adjusted earnings to exceed $19.20 per share, up from its prior view of more than $19.00. (4/24)

The Wall Street Journal: Anthem Raises Outlook Amid Concerns Over Political Environment
The insurer said it now expects per-share profit to be greater than $18.27 for 2019, up from its previous forecast of greater than $18. Analysts polled by Refinitiv expect full-year earnings of $17.88 a share. Profit rose 18% in the first quarter, lifted by higher revenue from solid membership growth and lower selling, general and administrative expenses. In Anthem’s government segment, the company flagged “elevated medical cost experience in some states” in the Medicaid business, and also said a decreased operating gain compared with last year’s quarter was tied to some adjustments that had boosted the 2018 Medicaid numbers. (Wilde Mathews and Chin, 4/24)

The New York Times: W.H.O. Says Limited Or No Screen Time For Children Under 5
In a new set of guidelines, the World Health Organization said that infants under 1 year old should not be exposed to electronic screens and that children between the ages of 2 and 4 should not have more than one hour of “sedentary screen time” each day. Limiting, and in some cases eliminating, screen time for children under the age of 5 will result in healthier adults, the organization, a United Nations health agency, announced on Wednesday. (Rueb, 4/24)

The Associated Press: UN: No Screen Time For Babies; Only 1 Hour For Kids Under 5
The guidelines are somewhat similar to advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics. That group recommends children younger than 18 months should avoid screens other than video chats. It says parents of young children under two should choose "high-quality programming" with educational value and that can be watched with a parent to help kids understand what they're seeing. Some groups said WHO's screen time guidelines failed to consider the potential benefits of digital media. (4/24)

The Washington Post: World Health Officials Take A Hard Line On Screen Time For Kids. Will Busy Parents Comply?
The WHO drew on emerging — but as yet unsettled — science about the risks screens pose to the development of young minds at a time when surveys show children are spending increasing amounts of time watching smartphones and other mobile devices. Ninety-five percent of families with children under the age of 8 have smartphones, according to the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media, and 42 percent of children under 8 have access to their own tablet device. (Timberg and Siegel, 4/24)

The New York Times: Scientists Create Speech From Brain Signals
“In my head, I churn over every sentence ten times, delete a word, add an adjective, and learn my text by heart, paragraph by paragraph,” wrote Jean-Dominique Bauby in his memoir, “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.” In the book, Mr. Bauby, a journalist and editor, recalled his life before and after a paralyzing stroke that left him virtually unable to move a muscle; he tapped out the book letter by letter, by blinking an eyelid. Thousands of people are reduced to similarly painstaking means of communication as a result of injuries suffered in accidents or combat, of strokes, or of neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or A.L.S., that disable the ability to speak. (Carey, 4/24)

NPR: Scientists Tap Into Brain Signals To Synthesize Speech
"Finding a way to restore speech is one of the great challenges in neurosciences," says Dr. Leigh Hochberg, a professor of engineering at Brown University who wasn't associated with the study. "This is a really exciting new contribution to the field." Right now, people who are paralyzed and can't speak or gesture often rely on eye movements or a brain-controlled computer cursor to communicate. These methods allow them to spell out words one letter at a time. (Hamilton, 4/24)

Los Angeles Times: Robotic Device Winds Its Own Way Through A Beating Pig Heart
Scientists have created a robotic device that safely guides itself through the delicate chambers of a beating pig's heart. The surgical robot, whose motion was inspired by the way cockroaches skitter along walls, is able to navigate without any help from a doctor or anyone else, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Robotics. (Borenstein and Neergaard, 4/24)

The New York Times: After A Knee Injury, Be Wary When Returning To Sports
Athletes who have torn an anterior cruciate knee ligament often rely on elaborate batteries of physical tests to tell them if and when they are ready to return to competitive sports. But a new review of studies of athletes and A.C.L. injuries raises serious concerns about the reliability of these return-to-play tests. The review finds that athletes who pass the tests remain just as likely as those who fail to experience a subsequent knee injury once they return to sports. (Reynolds, 4/24)

The New York Times: Widespread Testing Begins On Malaria Vaccine That Is Only Partly Effective
With malaria deaths rebounding worldwide, a pilot program testing a new and fiercely debated malaria vaccine began on Tuesday in Malawi. Dr. Katherine O’Brien, the World Health Organization’s director of immunization, called the rollout “a historic moment in the fight against malaria,” and said the testing will soon expand to malarious regions of Ghana and Kenya. (McNeil, 4/24)

The New York Times: Long-Term Use Of Antibiotics Tied To Heart Risks
Using antibiotics for two months or longer may be linked to an increase in a woman’s risk for cardiovascular disease. The finding, published in the European Heart Journal, applied to women who used the drugs when they were 40 and older. Researchers used data on 36,429 women free of cardiovascular disease at the start of the study who were participating in a continuing long-term health study. Beginning in 2004, the women reported their use of antibiotics. (Bakalar, 4/24)

Reuters: Bayer Asks California Appeals Court To Throw Out $78 Million Roundup Verdict
Bayer AG on Wednesday asked a California appellate court to throw out a $78 million judgment it was ordered to pay to a school groundskeeper who claimed the company's weed killers gave him cancer. In a filing in California's Court of Appeal, First Appellate District, the company said that there was "no evidence" that glyphosate, a chemical found in the company's Roundup and Ranger Pro products, could cause cancer. (4/24)

The Associated Press: Lawyer: Massacre Suspect Allowed To Play Violent Video Games
An attorney representing the father of a victim in last year's Florida high school massacre told a judge that mental health counselors must share the blame, because they knew Nikolas Cruz was "a ticking time bomb" long before the mass shooting, and their actions sped up the explosion. Cruz's counselors supported his use of violent video games, and even suggested he get a punching bag and do target practice with non-lethal guns in hopes of containing his violent tendencies, according to the lawyer representing Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow Pollack was among the 17 people killed. (4/24)