First Edition: August 8, 2019

Kaiser Health News: Federal Experts’ Advice On HPV Vaccine Could Leave Adults Confused
Vaccination decisions are usually pretty straightforward. People either meet the criteria for the vaccine based on their age or other factors or they don’t. But when a federal panel recently recommended an update to the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine guidelines, it left a lot of uncertainty. The panel recommended that men and women between ages 27 and 45 decide — in discussion with their health care providers — whether the HPV vaccine makes sense for them. (Andrews, 8/8)

Kaiser Health News: Price Of Snakebite Drug Is Sky High, But New Competitor Unlikely To Lower Costs
Dr. Steven Curry has treated patients with snakebites since the 1980s — long enough to remember when the treatment represented its own form of misery. The first medication he used sometimes caused an immune reaction called “serum sickness” — patients broke out in a severe, itchy rash. About 20 years ago, the drug CroFab entered the market and dramatically reduced the adverse reactions associated with treatment, said Curry, who works at a Phoenix hospital. He is a medical toxicologist, a specialist in treating patients harmed by poison or venom. (Heredia Rodriguez, 8/8)

Kaiser Health News: Obesity Plagues Hispanics And Blacks In Colorado, Nation’s ‘Healthiest’ State
Colorado stands out on the map of U.S. obesity rates, a cool green rectangle surrounded by more alarming shades of yellow, orange and red. But upon closer inspection, Colorado weighs in as two states: one dangerously heavy and one fit and trim.There are the mostly well-educated, affluent whites, many of whom were drawn to Colorado by high-paying tech jobs and myriad outdoor opportunities. (Hawryluk, 8/8)

The Washington Post: Trump’s Openness To Extensive Background Checks For Gun Buys Draws Warning From NRA
President Trump has repeatedly told lawmakers and aides in private conversations that he is open to endorsing extensive background checks in the wake of two mass shootings, prompting a warning from the National Rifle Association and concerns among White House aides, according to lawmakers and administration officials. Trump, speaking to reporters Wednesday before visiting Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, where weekend shootings left 31 dead, said there “was great appetite for background checks” amid an outcry over government inaction in the face of repeated mass shootings. (Dawsey and Kim, 8/7)

USA Today: Trump Considers Tougher Background Checks For Gun Buyers After Shootings In El Paso And Dayton
“I'm looking to do background checks,” Trump said at the White House as he departed for Dayton, where he met with shooting survivors and first responders. “I think background checks are important.” Trump, who also visited El Paso on Wednesday, said he senses there is “a very strong appetite” for background checks, though many lawmakers have mostly focused publicly on red flag laws aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of people deemed an imminent danger to themselves or others. (Collins, Lalljee, Elbeshbishi and Jackson, 8/7)

Politico: Poll: Most Republicans Support Assault Weapons Ban, Despite Trump Saying 'No Appetite'
Most Republicans would support legislation banning assault-style weapons, a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll found Wednesday — a finding that contradicts President Donald Trump's claim earlier the same day that there's "no political appetite" for such restrictions. The poll found that nearly 70 percent of all voters would back such a ban. Support for an assault-weapons ban was higher, at 86 percent, among Democrats, who have been pushing for new restrictions on the firearms in the wake of two mass shootings over the weekend. (Shepard, 8/7)

The Associated Press: Mayors Urge McConnell And Schumer To Recall Senate To Washington For Vote On Gun Bill
More than 200 mayors, including two anguished by mass shootings in Texas and Ohio, are urging the Senate to return to the Capitol to act on gun safety legislation amid criticism that Congress is failing to respond to back-to-back shootings that killed 31 people. In a letter Thursday to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Democratic leader, Charles E. Schumer, the mayors wrote, “Our nation can no longer wait for our federal government to take the actions necessary to prevent people who should not have access to firearms from being able to purchase them.” (Daly and Mascaro, 8/7)

Reuters: Factbox: Mass Shootings In U.S. Ignite New Calls For Gun Legislation
A cluster of recent mass shootings that killed 36 people in California, Texas and Ohio has sparked renewed calls for the U.S. Congress to pass legislation to prevent gun violence. While Democrats want the Senate to interrupt its five-week summer recess and return to Washington to address the matter immediately, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, has not acted on the request. (8/7)

The Associated Press: Texas Governor Says 'No Red Flags' In El Paso Suspect's Past
Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday he's not aware of any "red flags" in the suspected El Paso gunman's past and made no mention of taking major gun-control measures in Texas, where three mass shootings since 2017 have killed more than 50 people. Abbott, a Republican, said racism needs to be confronted and a crackdown initiated on internet sites used by violent extremists after the weekend attack that left 22 people dead in the mostly Latino border city. (8/7)

The Washington Post: ‘We Have To Deal With This’: Gun Policy Divide Hangs Over Bipartisan Gathering Of State Lawmakers
The state lawmakers had been crammed into a conference room for nearly two hours, listening to fellow legislators talk about bulletproof desks, clipboards that double as shields and special phone apps to alert emergency services — all part of a cottage industry to prepare students for a mass shooting. There was talk of mental-health interventions, video games and social media monitoring during the informational session titled “A proactive approach to school safety.” But as the talk neared its end, no one had mentioned the word “gun.” (Wax-Thibodeaux, 8/7)

The Associated Press: Trump Words Linked To More Hate Crime? Some Experts Think So
President Donald Trump has often railed about an “invasion of illegals” at the southern border, words echoed in a screed the El Paso shooting suspect apparently posted that called the attack that killed 22 people at a Walmart his response to a “Hispanic invasion of Texas.” Some extremism experts believe that may not be an accident. They say historical data suggests a link between heated rhetoric from top political leaders and ensuing reports of hate crimes, only adding to the fears of those who could be targeted. (Kunzelman and Galvan, 8/7)

Los Angeles Times: What Role Does Ideology Play In Mass Shootings?
In their political views, the gunmen who brought carnage to two American cities last weekend could not have been more different. One posted a lengthy screed railing against the “Hispanic invasion of Texas” and supported President Trump. The other apparently identified as a leftist, taking to Twitter to support Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren and proclaim, “Kill every fascist.” As the nation struggles to understand the motives behind the attacks, political ideology has become a focus. (Jarvie, 8/7)

CNN: Trump Alleges Left-Wing Political Motivation In Dayton Despite Lack Of Clear Motive
Authorities, however, have said there is no clear motive behind the [Dayton] attack, and writings by Betts did not indicate any racial or political motive, sources have told CNN. Instead, investigators have pointed to an apparent fixation of Betts on violence and killing. In contrast, investigators say Patrick Crusius, the El Paso suspect, left behind a manifesto filled with white supremacist language and racist hatred aimed at immigrants and Latinos. The author says he opposes "race mixing" and encourages immigrants to return to their home countries. (Carvajal, 8/7)

Politico Pulse Check: Gun Violence Is More Than A 'Mental Health Crisis'
A pair of mass shootings have renewed the spotlight on the nation's high rate of gun deaths. POLITICO's Dan Diamond reviews why health care groups say that gun violence deaths represent a "public health crisis" — and how GOP congressmen and the current Surgeon General avoid using that term. (8/8)

Reuters: Trump Visits Mass Shooting Victims; Protesters Shout 'Do Something!'
U.S. President Donald Trump met victims and first responders from last weekend's deadly shootings in Texas and Ohio on Wednesday, as chanting protesters accused him of inflaming tensions with anti-immigrant and racially charged rhetoric. Trump visited hospitals where victims were treated in El Paso, Texas, on the border with Mexico, and in Dayton, Ohio, after massacres 13 hours apart that shocked the country and reopened a national debate on gun safety. (Mason, 8/8)

The Washington Post: Trump Attacks Local Leaders As He Visits Two Cities Grieving From Mass Shootings
On a day when President Trump vowed to tone down his rhetoric and help the country heal following two mass slayings, he did the opposite — lacing his visits Wednesday to El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, with a flurry of attacks on local leaders and memorializing his trips with grinning thumbs-up photos. A traditional role for presidents has been to offer comfort and solace to all Americans at times of national tragedy, but the day provided a fresh testament to Trump’s limitations in striking notes of unity and empathy. (Parker, Rucker, Johnson and Sonmez, 8/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Visits Grieving Cities As Gun-Control Debate Boils
As he left Washington, Mr. Trump said he “would like to stay out of the political fray,” and the president and first lady Melania Trump met privately with victims, hospital staff and first responders in both cities. But he blasted critics who said his often-combative language on immigration, race and his political opponents has sowed divisions and encouraged violence. Democrats, meanwhile, continued to press the Republican president to throw his support behind gun-control legislation. Departing Washington, Mr. Trump said he is working with members of Congress, and he expressed optimism that progress can be made on the issue of background checks, though he didn’t offer details. (Leary, Lucey and Maher, 8/8)

Reuters: Biden Says Trump Fans 'Flames Of White Supremacy' As Democrats Attack Racism
Democratic presidential front-runner Joe Biden on Wednesday accused Republican President Donald Trump of fueling the white supremacy beliefs blamed for several U.S. mass shootings, as Trump visited two cities where 31 people were killed in rampages last weekend. "In both clear language and in code, this president has fanned the flames of white supremacy in this nation," Biden, the former vice president, said in a speech in Burlington, Iowa. (Reid and MacLeod, 8/7)

The Washington Post: Biden, Booker Attack Trump With Scathing Words — And Different Messages
Booker, in contrast, spent much of his time exploring the nation’s painful racial history in broad terms, depicting Trump as more symptom than cause and refraining from mentioning his name. “In both clear language and in code, this president has fanned the flames of white supremacy in this nation,” the former vice president said. “His low-energy, vacant-eyed mouthing of the words written for him condemning white supremacists this week fooled no one. The energetic embrace of this president by the darkest hearts, the most hate-filled minds in this country, says it all.” (Wootson and Viser, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: After Mass Shootings, Workers Plot Their Own ‘What-If’ Escape Plans
Like a growing number of U.S. workers, Maricarmen Molina has mentally mapped out how she hopes to escape should a gunman ever enter her workplace. The 26-year-old shop steward at a New Jersey apparel warehouse said she plans to sprint to the back of the sprawling building and hide between racks of nearly floor-length dresses, trying not to make a sound. It is a strategy she re-evaluated over the weekend as back-to-back mass shootings unfolded at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and outside a bar in Dayton, Ohio. (Cutter, Gee and Simon, 8/8)

The Washington Post: Travel Advisories: Amnesty International Joins Countries Warning Against Travel To The U.S. After Gun Violence
Amnesty International has joined a growing list of countries warning travelers about the perils of gun violence in the United States. A travel advisory the organization issued Wednesday “calls on people worldwide to exercise caution and have an emergency contingency plan when traveling throughout the USA.” “This Travel Advisory is being issued in light of ongoing high levels of gun violence in the country,” the warning continues. (Parker, 8/7)

The Associated Press: Loved Ones Mourn Shooting Victims As Policy Debate Rages
Tearful mourners hugged at a service to remember a student gunned down in Ohio. In Mexico, relatives and friends gathered for the wake of a teacher slain at a store in Texas. With a policy debate raging over what to do after the United States’ latest mass shootings — at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, and an entertainment district in Dayton, Ohio — loved ones of the more than 30 people who were killed are struggling with the aftermath. (Stengle and Sherman, 8/7)

The Hill: 'Medicare For All' Complicates Democrats' Pitch To Retake Senate 
The divide over health care among Democratic presidential candidates is raising fears the party might turn an issue that was a key winner in the House midterms into a liability in next year's Senate races. Democratic Senate candidates have been planning to borrow heavily from the playbook used by House Democrats in 2018, when the party won back the chamber in large part because of a pledge to protect ObamaCare against Republican attempts to kill the 2010 law. (Hellmann, 8/8)

Reuters: Medicare To Cover Expensive Cancer Cell Therapies
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Wednesday said it has finalized a decision to cover expensive cancer cell therapies sold by Gilead Sciences Inc and Novartis AG. CMS, which runs Medicare - the federal government's health plan for Americans 65 and older - said it will cover the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies when provided in healthcare facilities that have programs in place to track patient outcomes. (Beasley, 8/8)

The Associated Press: Medicare To Cover Breakthrough Gene Therapy For Some Cancers
Officials said Medicare will cover CAR-T cell therapies for certain types of lymphoma and leukemia , uses that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The cost can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient, not counting hospitalization and other expenses. Medicare Administrator Seema Verma said the decision will provide consistent and predictable access nationwide, opening up treatment options for some patients “who had nowhere else to turn.” (Alonso-Zaldivar, 8/7)

The Washington Post: Medicare Will Cover Pioneering Cancer Treatment Nationwide
In announcing the decision, Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that until now, Medicare’s regional administrators had decided whether to cover the treatment, which led to confusion. Verma said the agency, which had scheduled this coverage decision originally for late May, has been struggling to figure out how to cover and pay for the treatment, called CAR T-cell therapy. The treatment costs $375,000 or $475,000, depending on whether it is used for advanced lymphoma or pediatric leukemia. Hospital stays can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of care. (McGinley, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Medicare Moves To Cover Costly Cell Therapies
The treatments provide new options for the cancer patients. Yet their use has been limited, in part because hospitals aren’t always sure they could get reimbursed for both the cost of the drugs and the lengthy hospital stays for side effects and other care that are often required. The problem was that health-insurance payments aren’t structured for treatments like a CAR-T, which trigger not just the price of the drug itself but related care costs that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. Novartis listed Kymriah for $475,000, while Gilead priced Yescarta at $373,000. (Rockoff, 8/7)

Reuters: Patient Groups Push Back Against Gilead's Pricey HIV Prevention Treatment
Gilead Sciences Inc hopes to soon introduce a pricey new pill to prevent HIV in people at risk of contracting the infection, but the drugmaker faces opposition from an unusual source: patient advocates. Such groups have traditionally lobbied for insurance coverage of newer HIV drugs regardless of expense. But at least three U.S. organizations now question whether Gilead’s Descovy would be the best option for most people at risk of exposure. (Beasley, 8/7)

The Washington Post: A Detroit Diabetic Was Deported To Iraq, Where He’d Never Lived. He Died From Lack Of Insulin, Family Says.
Jimmy Aldaoud crouched on a sidewalk, miserable, hungry and short on insulin. The 41-year-old with diabetes and severe mental illness had spent nearly his whole life in Detroit until just over two months ago, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported him to Iraq — a country he’d never set foot in. “I don’t understand the language,” Aldaoud said in an undated video shared to Facebook on Wednesday night. “I’m sleeping in the street. I’m diabetic. I take insulin shots. I’ve been throwing up, throwing up, sleeping in the street, trying to find something to eat. I’ve got nothing over here." (Elfrink, 8/8)

The New York Times: Novartis C.E.O. Defends Company’s Decision To Withhold False Data From The F.D.A.
The chief executive of Novartis on Wednesday defended the company’s decision to delay telling the Food and Drug Administration about manipulated data involving its $2.1 million gene therapy treatment, saying that it “thoroughly, aggressively” investigated the issue and that patient safety was never threatened. Vas Narasimhan, the chief executive, also indicated in a call with investors that the company was forcing out a small number of scientists who were involved in the manipulated data. (Thomas, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Novartis CEO: Knew About Zolgensma Data Problems Before FDA Approval
Mr. Narasimhan explained that the company waited to tell the regulator because it was completing the investigation and that none of the delays were related to its drug application with the U.S. drug watchdog. “We made the decision to progress our quality investigation prior to informing FDA and other regulatory authorities so that we could provide the best information and technical analysis--which we did promptly on completion on June 28,” said Mr. Narasimhan. (Martuscelli, 8/7)

Reuters: CVS Health Raises 2019 Profit Forecast After Beating Profit Estimates
CVS Health Corp raised its full-year profit forecast and reported higher-than-expected second-quarter results on Wednesday, as increased U.S. prescription drug prices fueled rebates to its pharmacy benefits business. CVS shares were up 6.6% at $57.65, while the broader market was down about 0.5%. (Mishra and Mathias, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: CVS Boosts Profit Outlook As Aetna Deal Starts To Pay Off 
The tone Wednesday was a change from early this year, when CVS gave a downbeat earnings projection for 2019 that pushed its shares down sharply and led investors to press for more detail about the company’s growth plans. CVS and rival Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. are under pressure to find new ways to counter slowing revenue from prescription drugs, which drive the bulk of the pharmacy chains’ sales. They also face government scrutiny of the traditional pharmacy-benefits business model, and particularly of rebates paid by drugmakers. (Terlep and Maidenberg, 8/7)

The Associated Press: Aetna Deal Begins To Pay Off For CVS
CVS Health swung back to a profit in the second quarter, thanks to an influx of health insurance revenue, and the company raised its 2019 forecast beyond Wall Street expectations. Shares of the drugstore chain and pharmacy benefit manager outpaced the broader market in Wednesday trading after the company detailed its better-than-expected quarterly performance. (Murphy, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Opioid Risk Smothers Drug Stocks
Even solid corporate earnings can’t reverse investor angst over drug companies facing opioid litigation risk. Generics manufacturer Teva Pharmaceutical Industries TEVA 3.26% was the latest to experience that. Sales of $4.3 billion and adjusted earnings of 60 cents a share both topped analysts’ expectations. Teva also reaffirmed its full-year guidance. That wasn’t nearly enough to reassure investors. Teva shares fell once again in morning trading and have lost more than half of their value since May. (Grant, 8/7)

The Hill: Embattled Juul Seeks Allies In Washington
Juul Labs is spending big on campaign donations and a massive lobbying blitz as the e-cigarette maker faces growing threats from lawmakers and regulators, and with few allies in Washington. The company spent $1.95 million on lobbying in the first two quarters of 2019, surpassing its 2018 total of $1.64 million. And Juul's PAC has given nearly $100,000 to lawmakers this year, a pace that will blow past the $225,000 the company spent in the entire 2018 cycle.  (Gangitano, 8/7)

The New York Times: Climate Change Threatens The World’s Food Supply, United Nations Warns
The world’s land and water resources are being exploited at “unprecedented rates,” a new United Nations report warns, which combined with climate change is putting dire pressure on the ability of humanity to feed itself. The report, prepared by more than 100 experts from 52 countries and released in summary form in Geneva on Thursday, found that the window to address the threat is closing rapidly. A half-billion people already live in places turning into desert, and soil is being lost between 10 and 100 times faster than it is forming, according to the report. (Flavelle, 8/8)

NPR: Bringing Together Young And Old To Ease The Isolation Of Rural Life
Priscilla Bogema lives in a rural town called McGregor, Minn., in a part of the state that has more trees and lakes than people. She came here about 20 years ago seeking solitude during a major crisis in her life. She had just gotten divorced and was dealing with some health problems. "So I came to a place where nobody could see me," she says. Now, Bogema is in her 60s, frail and mostly confined to her house. Her arthritis and other health problems have limited her mobility. She struggles with the upkeep of her home and yard. She drives into town once a week for groceries and a movie with other seniors. But she doesn't have close friends she sees regularly and her children and grandchildren only visit once every few months. (Chatterjee, 8/7)

The New York Times: Another Baseball Mystery: Why Do Players Seem To Live Longer?
Major League Baseball has its problems. Attendance has slipped, fans complain the pace of play has slowed, players are convinced the baseballs are juiced and even the people running it admit its fusty rules could use an upgrade. Yet its players might take comfort in one promising bit of news: they appear to have longer life spans than other Americans. That’s the tantalizing possibility raised by a study published by Harvard researchers in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine. (Bakalar, 8/7)

NPR: Pittsburgh Airport's 'Sensory Room' Supports Travelers Who Have Autism
Pittsburgh International Airport recently opened a suite of "sensory rooms" inside its airside terminal to help travelers on the autism spectrum decompress from the stress of flying. It's one of a handful of airports internationally that's made changes to be more accommodating to people with special needs. The 1,500-square-foot space in Pittsburgh is quiet, muting the hustle and bustle from the terminal. Designed with input from people who have autism, it features soft furniture and whimsical lighting features, including colorful bubble towers, and multiple soundproof rooms. (Davis, 8/8)

The Associated Press: 5 Years After Ferguson, Racial Tension Might Be More Intense
Michael Brown's death at the hands of a white Missouri police officer stands as a seismic moment in American race relations. The fledgling Black Lives Matter movement found its voice, police departments fell under intense scrutiny, progressive prosecutors were elected and court policies revised. Yet five years after the black 18-year-old was fatally shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on a steamy August day, racial tension remains palpable and may be even more intense. (Salter, 8/8)

The New York Times: Catching Waves For Well-Being
Agatha Wallen’s son, Mason, has autism, and when he was 7, she heard about an initiative in San Diego aimed at children with special needs. It involved an unlikely tool: a surf board. She wasn’t sure how it would work for her son, who struggled with behavioral and sensory issues. “Even getting the wet suit on was difficult for him because it was a brand-new sensory sensation,” she recalled. (Amitha Kalaichandran, 8/8)

Los Angeles Times: Train Station Experiment Reveals One Way To Counteract Bias Against Muslims
An experiment conducted in German train stations involving paper cups and escaping oranges has found that people are less likely to help a woman if she appears to be Muslim — but they’re more likely to help that same woman if she somehow proves that she shares their social values. The findings, described in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal that discrimination is a somewhat fluid phenomenon that can be mitigated — within certain limits. (Khan, 8/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Child Advocates Team Up With PETA On Hot-Car Deaths
The fight to stop children’s deaths in hot cars has gained an unusual ally: PETA and other animal-protection groups. These organizations have formed a surprising partnership with child-safety advocates to support a federal bill that would require car makers to install technology that senses the presence of a child or an animal. Broadening the campaign to include pet owners also aims to overcome a central challenge to solving hot-car deaths: Most people don’t believe it would ever happen to them. (Byron, 8/7)

The Associated Press: Is Pot Safe When Pregnant? Study Seeks Answer, Draws Critics
Pregnancy started out rough for Leslie Siu. Morning sickness and migraines had her reeling and barely able to function at a demanding New York marketing job, so like rising numbers of U.S. mothers-to-be, she turned to marijuana. "l was finally able to get out from under my work desk," said Siu, who later started her own pot company and says her daughter, now 4, is thriving. (Tanner, 8/7)

The New York Times: Do Older People Have A Different Smell?
During an extended period of travel last year, my husband and I lent our house in the Ozarks to an older couple who were having work done on their own house. We returned after a month away to a spotless house and two hostess gifts. But there was also a distinctive smell in the air: slightly stale and sweet, like the musty first whiff of strawberries in a cardboard box. (Bauer, 8/8)

The New York Times: Woman Dies After Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak In Atlanta
One of a dozen people who contracted Legionnaires’ disease after staying at or visiting a hotel in Atlanta, Ga., has died, officials said this week. The woman, Cameo Garrett, died on July 9 from coronary artery disease, a condition that worsened after she contracted Legionnaires’ disease, Patrick L. Bailey, the director of the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office, said Wednesday. (Brown, 8/7)