First Edition: Dec. 17, 2020

KHN: As Congress Bickers Over Pandemic Relief, Flight Attendant’s Life Is In A Holding Pattern 
Troy Muenzer has seen the damage that COVID can do. A flight attendant who was diagnosed with a “suspected” case of the deadly virus, Muenzer, 32, endured months of lingering breathing problems; hefty, unexpected medical bills; lost wages, then furlough; and, earlier this month, the loss of his health insurance. Last week, his bank account was hacked, causing him to lie awake one night worrying he wouldn’t be able to get back all that 2020 has taken. “From everything that’s happened this year, it just seems like it’s never-ending,” he said. (Huetteman, 12/17)

KHN: Alzheimer’s Inc.: Colleagues Question Scientist’s Pricey Recipe Against Memory Loss 
When her husband was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, Elizabeth Pan was devastated by the lack of options to slow his inevitable decline. But she was encouraged when she discovered the work of a UCLA neurologist, Dr. Dale Bredesen, who offered a comprehensive lifestyle management program to halt or even reverse cognitive decline in patients like her husband. After decades of research, Bredesen had concluded that more than 36 drivers of Alzheimer’s cumulatively contribute to the loss of mental acuity. They range from chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes to vitamin and hormonal deficiencies, undiagnosed infections and even long-term exposures to toxic substances. Bredesen’s impressive academic credentials lent legitimacy to his approach. (Marsa, 12/17)

KHN: With Vaccine Delivery Imminent, Nursing Homes Must Make A Strong Pitch To Residents 
Imagine this: Your elderly mother, who has dementia, is in a nursing home and COVID-19 vaccines are due to arrive in a week or two. You think she should be vaccinated, having heard the vaccine is effective in generating an immune response in older adults. Your brother disagrees. He worries that development of the vaccine was rushed and doesn’t want your mother to be among the first people to get it. These kinds of conflicts are likely to arise as COVID vaccines are rolled out to long-term care facilities across the country. (Graham, 12/17)

KHN: Trusted Messengers May Help Disenfranchised Communities Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy
Gloria Torres-Herbeck gets the flu vaccine every year, but the 53-year-old teacher in Rochester, Minnesota, isn’t yet convinced she wants to be first in line for a potential COVID-19 vaccine. “I’m not super old, but I’m not as strong as other people,” she said. “So, I need to be realistic on my own situation. Do I want to participate in something that might be a big risk for me?” (Mulrooney Eldred, 12/17)

KHN: Readers And Tweeters Defend Front-Line Nurses And Blind Us With Science
I read your article “Need a COVID-19 Nurse? That’ll Be $8,000 a Week” (Nov. 24) in the Springfield Journal-Register. It was an interesting article as I have a daughter who is a nurse. Nurses have been underpaid and unappreciated for years. It made me angry that the article characterized the wages some hospitals are willing to pay for nurses as exorbitant. (12/17)

The New York Times: Hospitals Discover A Surprise In Their Pfizer Vaccine Deliveries: Extra Doses 
As boxes of Pfizer vaccines began arriving around the country this week, hospital pharmacists made a surprising discovery: Some of the glass vials that are supposed to hold five doses contained enough for a sixth — or even a seventh — person. The news prompted a flurry of excited exchanges on Twitter and pharmacy message boards this week as hospital workers considered the tantalizing possibility that the limited supply of desperately needed vaccine might be stretched to reach more people. But it also set off a wave of confusion and debate over whether to use the extra doses, or to throw them out. (Thomas, 12/16)

USA Today: Pfizer COVID Vaccine Vials May Hold Extra Doses, Adding To US Supply
"The amount of vaccine remaining in the multidose vial after removal of 5 doses can vary, depending on the type of needles and syringes used," a Pfizer spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement. "At this time, we cannot provide a recommendation on the use of the remaining amount of vaccine from each vial. Vaccinators need to consult their institution’s policies for the use of multidose vials." The FDA has authorized hospital pharmacists to use the extra doses while the agency works with Pfizer officials to "determine the best path forward." (Flores and Weintraub, 12/16)

Politico: FDA Says Pfizer Vaccine Vials Hold Extra Doses, Expanding Supply 
"Given the public health emergency, FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable," an agency spokesperson told POLITICO, mirroring language that a federal health official sent to state vaccine providers Wednesday morning. The federal government has not publicly announced the guidance; Pfizer learned of the change this afternoon. (Owermohle, 12/16)

Stat: Labeling Confusion Led To Wasted Doses Of Pfizer Covid-19 Vaccine 
With the Covid-19 vaccine in short supply, hospital pharmacists found themselves in the unexpected position of throwing away one in every six doses of the first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines distributed this week in the United States. The confusion came over labeling: The vaccine comes in vials labeled as containing enough for five doses. But pharmacists discovered that, after thawing and mixing the contents with a dilutent, each vial contained enough vaccine for six doses. Without explicit approval from the manufacturer, that final dose had to be discarded. (Goldhill, 12/16)

Reuters: Some Vaccine Doses Kept Too Cold, Pfizer Having Manufacturing Issues, U.S. Officials Say 
Pfizer also has reported some production issues, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said. “We will ensure that by whatever mechanism, that we provide them full support to ensure that they can produce for the American people,” Azar said. ... Officials did not outline what the specific manufacturing challenges were. (O'Donnell and Spalding, 12/16)

Stat: Pfizer Decision On Vaccine Temperature Sensors Forced Scramble 
A last-minute snafu this fall threatened to disrupt the smooth rollout of the first Covid-19 vaccine approved in the United States, according to industry officials. At issue was how to monitor the temperature of the ultra-cold storage containers being used to distribute vials of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. (Goldhill, 12/17)

Boston Globe: Health Officials Prepare For A New Challenge — Snow
As the first major snowstorm approached the region, health officials on Wednesday prepared for the first weather-related challenge to the state’s COVID-19 testing system, which largely relies on a web of tented outdoor sites that will likely be shut down in high winds and heavy snowfall. At least a half-dozen state testing sites from Holyoke to New Bedford to Hingham had already announced they would be closed Thursday, with the storm predicted to hammer the area with a foot or more of snow. Officials warned residents to expect further closures. The testing site closures come at a tenuous time for the state, which is experiencing a surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths ahead of the holidays. A total of 5,450 new cases and 71 more deaths were reported Wednesday. (Krueger and Andersen, 12/16)

The New York Times: 2 Alaska Health Workers Got Emergency Treatment After Receiving Pfizer’s Vaccine
The hospital, which had administered 144 total doses as of Wednesday night, said both workers did not want their experiences to have a negative impact on others lining up for the vaccine. “We have no plans to change our vaccine schedule, dosing or regimen,” Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. (Weiland, LaFraniere, Baker and Thomas, 12/16)

AP: Alaska Reports 2nd Adverse Reaction To Vaccine
Health officials in Alaska have reported that a second health care worker had an adverse reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine. Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau says the two workers showed adverse reactions about 10 minutes after receiving the vaccine and were treated. One received the vaccine Tuesday and will remain in the hospital another night under observation while the other, vaccinated Wednesday, has fully recovered. (12/17)

AP: Health Officials Track Safety As COVID-19 Vaccines Roll Out
The challenge is telling whether the vaccine caused a health problem or if it’s coincidence. Don’t jump to conclusions that there’s a connection, health authorities stress. The way to tell: Comparing any reports of possible side effects with data showing how often that same condition occurs routinely in the population. The government has multiple ways to do that. (Neergaard, 12/17)

AP: Vaccinations Reach Nursing Homes As California Faces Crisis
The first COVID-19 vaccinations are underway at U.S. nursing homes, where the virus has killed more than 110,000 people, even as the nation struggles to contain a surge so alarming it has spurred California to dispense thousands of body bags and line up refrigerated morgue trucks. With the rollout of shots picking up speed Wednesday, lawmakers in Washington closed in on a long-stalled $900 billion coronavirus relief package that would send direct payments of around $600 to most Americans. Meanwhile, the U.S. appeared to be days away from adding a second vaccine to its arsenal. (Geller and Spencer, 12/17)

AP: US Angling To Secure More Of Pfizer's Coronavirus Vaccine
U.S. officials say they’re actively negotiating for additional purchases of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine after passing up a chance to lock in a contract this summer since it was still unclear how well the shots would work. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and special adviser Dr. Moncef Slaoui also told reporters Wednesday that Pfizer had been unable to commit to a firm delivery date. Azar called that “the core issue.” There was no immediate comment from the company, whose CEO Albert Bourla told CNN this week it is “working very collaboratively” with the government to deliver additional vaccine through the federal Operation Warp Speed. That’s a White House-backed, taxpayer-funded effort to quickly develop coronavirus vaccines and treatments. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/17)

AP: California Sets Teachers, First Responders For Next Vaccines
Teachers, first responders, and grocery and restaurant workers were among those recommended Wednesday to get the next round of scarce vaccines in California, as were florists and sawmill operators who fall into the same broad category of those deemed essential workers. “We’ve got to figure who we’re going to prioritize,” said Dr. Oliver Brooks, co-chairman of a 16-member panel of medical experts recommending who makes the potential life-and-death cut after the first round of about 3 million vaccines began going this week to health care workers and those in long-term care facilities. (Thompson, 12/17)

Politico: ‘We Want Them Infected’: Trump Appointee Demanded ‘Herd Immunity’ Strategy, Emails Reveal
A top Trump appointee repeatedly urged top health officials to adopt a "herd immunity" approach to Covid-19 and allow millions of Americans to be infected by the virus, according to internal emails obtained by a House watchdog and shared with POLITICO. “There is no other way, we need to establish herd, and it only comes about allowing the non-high risk groups expose themselves to the virus. PERIOD," then-science adviser Paul Alexander wrote on July 4 to his boss, Health and Human Services assistant secretary for public affairs Michael Caputo, and six other senior officials. (Diamond, 12/16)

CNN: Former Trump Appointee Encouraged Herd Immunity Strategy For Covid-19, Internal Emails Reveal
An HHS spokesperson told CNN in a statement that Alexander's emails "absolutely did not shape department strategy." "Dr. Paul Alexander previously served as a temporary Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs and is no longer employed at the Department," the spokesperson said, adding, "Herd immunity is not the policy of the United States COVID-19 response." (Wilson, Diaz and Klein, 12/16)

Forbes: ‘We Want Them All Infected’: HHS Distances Itself From Trump Appointee Who Repeatedly Pushed For ‘Herd Immunity’
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has sought to distance itself from one of the agency’s former advisors—personally installed by President Trump—who the results of a watchdog investigation published Wednesday show repeatedly advocated for allowing millions of young and middle-aged Americans to become infected with Covid-19 over the summer in a push for the HHS to pursue a controversial “herd immunity” strategy. (McEvoy, 12/16)

NPR: Pence To Take COVID-19 Vaccine Publicly
Vice President Pence will publicly receive a COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, the White House has announced. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and second lady Karen Pence also will receive the vaccine. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to receive the vaccine "as soon as next week," a transition official confirmed to NPR. Biden has also said he would get the vaccine publicly. (Wise, 12/16)

The Hill: Biden Plans To Get COVID-19 Vaccination Publicly As Early As Next Week 
President-elect Joe Biden is planning to publicly receive the COVID-19 vaccine “as soon as next week,” a transition team source confirmed to The Hill. CNN first reported the news Wednesday, citing people familiar with the plans, and added that aides said the delay of the public shot had been due to the logistics of administering it in public, rather than hesitation to get the vaccine. (Castronuovo, 12/16)

USA Today: Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Tests Positive For COVID-19
U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt tested positive Wednesday for COVID-19 before sitting out of President Donald Trump's Cabinet meeting later in the day, his department confirmed. "He is currently asymptomatic and will continue to work on behalf of the American people while in quarantine." Nicholas Goodwin, a spokesman for the department, said in a statement to USA TODAY. (Garrison, 12/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Pompeo Cancels Party For Ambassadors After Coronavirus Exposure 
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a holiday reception with foreign ambassadors on Wednesday after he was exposed to someone who tested positive for Covid-19, according to a State Department official and a diplomat who was invited to the event. A State Department spokesman said Mr. Pompeo would go into quarantine after coming into contact with the unidentified person who had tested positive. “The secretary has been tested and is negative,” the spokesman said. “He is being closely monitored by the department’s medical team.” (Mauldin, 12/16)

The Hill: South Carolina Republican Tests Positive For Coronavirus Hours After Speaking On House Floor 
South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (R) on Wednesday announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 just hours after speaking on the House floor about the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed and the beginnings of vaccine distribution across the country. “Earlier this evening I learned that I have tested positive for COVID-19,” Wilson said in a statement Wednesday. “I will be taking all necessary precautions, as directed by the House Physician, including quarantining through the Christmas holiday.” (Castronuovo, 12/16)

The Washington Post: Stimulus Checks Are Back In The $900 Billion Relief Package As Congressional Leaders Near Deal 
Congressional leaders said Wednesday that they are nearing agreement on a roughly $900 billion economic relief package that would include a second round of stimulus checks and could be completed by the end of this week. The package emerging is expected to include hundreds of billions of dollars in aid for ailing small businesses and jobless Americans; tens of billions of dollars in aid for other critical needs, such as vaccine distribution and schools; and a one-time check of between $600 and $700 for millions of Americans below a certain income threshold. (Stein, DeBonis and Min Kim, 12/16)

Politico: Stimulus Talks Drag On As Leaders Say Deal Is Close 
Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) said the proposal would likely include direct checks to individuals of $600 to $700 and a weekly unemployment boost of $300 through March. That framework is expected to keep Democrats on-board despite losing out on state and local funding. The proposal would also include roughly $325 billion in small business relief, including $257 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program that helps employers keep on workers who otherwise might go on unemployment, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. (Everett, Caygle and Sherman, 12/16)

The Hill: Oklahoma GOP Lawmaker Says He Will Introduce Bill To Criminalize And End All Abortions In The State 
An Oklahoma GOP lawmaker announced plans Wednesday to introduce a bill criminalizing abortion in the state. Republican State Sen. Warren Hamilton said in a statement he plans to file the bill, titled the Abolition of Abortion in Oklahoma Act/Equal Protection and Equal Justice Act, according to local ABC affiliate KOCO News. (Deese, 12/16)

NPR: With 3,600 Deaths, U.S. Reaches A New Daily Record For COVID Deaths
The U.S. on Wednesday reported the highest number of new cases of the coronavirus and the most COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began.As of 1:30 a.m. Thursday, more than 3,600 Americans died Wednesday from complications of the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking coronavirus infection data. Data from the COVID Tracking Project revealed more than 230,000 new coronavirus infections and showed 113,090 Americans were hospitalized with the virus — a number that's been on the rise since Dec. 6. (Diaz, 12/17)

CIDRAP: COVID 5 Times Deadlier Than Flu For Hospital Patients, Study Finds 
Compared with patients with seasonal flu, hospitalized COVID-19 patients face an increased need for ventilation and intensive care, longer hospital stays, more complications, and nearly five times the risk of death, according to a US study published yesterday in BMJ. The study, led by researchers from the VA Saint Louis Health Care System, mined the US Department of Veterans Affairs medical records database to compare the outcomes of 3,641 COVID-19 patients hospitalized from Feb 1 to Jun 17 with those of 12,676 hospitalized with the flu from 2017 to 2019. (Van Beusekom, 12/16)

Stat: Tracking An FDA Advisory Panel's Review Of The Moderna Covid-19 Vaccine
An expert panel is meeting Thursday to consider whether the Food and Drug Administration should issue a second emergency use authorization for a Covid-19 vaccine, this one made by Moderna. It is almost a foregone conclusion that it will. But the hearing still promises to tell us more about the vaccine and its use. (12/17)

Los Angeles Times: How The COVID-19 Vaccines From Moderna And Pfizer Compare Head To Head 
Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine primes the immune system to attack the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 by delivering a snippet of the virus’s genetic code. That code — known as messenger RNA, or mRNA — instructs the body to build copies of the spike protein that studs the virus’ surface. The immune system responds by creating antibodies, which remain on standby until confronted by an actual infection. Here’s a closer look at how the two vaccines stack up. (Kaplan, 12/15)

NPR: Pulse Oximeters Can Give False Readings In COVID-19 Patients With Dark Skin
The common fingertip devices that measures oxygen in the blood can sometimes give misleading readings in people with dark skin, according to a report Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. These devices, called pulse oximeters, are increasingly finding their way into people's homes, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, this is not just a concern for medical personnel using professional-grade devices. (Harris, 12/16)

The Washington Post: How Do Home Tests For Coronavirus Work? Where Can I Get One? 
For months, consumers have been able to buy home collection kits. But these are quite different from the new rapid home tests. The older home collection kits usually sell for $110 to $150 at retailers such as Costco, Walmart or at testing companies, including LabCorp and Quest Diagnostics. With collection kits, people swab their nostrils or spit saliva into a vial and send the sample for processing at a lab. The companies say it takes 24 to 48 hours to get results. What makes the three newly authorized home tests different? Users swab their nostrils and can get results in roughly 15 minutes from the single-use tests. (Wan, 12/16)

AP: Twitter To Start Removing COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation
Twitter said Wednesday that it will begin removing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations from its site. It listed among posts that will removed as those including false claims that the virus is not real, debunked claims about the effects of receiving the vaccine and baseless claims that suggest that immunizations are used to harm or control people. (Ortutay, 12/16)

Modern Healthcare: Two-Thirds Of Nursing Homes Risk Closure In 2021, Survey Shows
As many as 66% of nursing homes say they could close in 2021 due to COVID-19 costs, according to a new survey of nursing home providers. The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 14,000 nursing homes and assisted living facilities across the U.S., found 90% of the 953 nursing homes that responded said their profit margins are 3% or less, and 65% said they are currently operating at a loss. The biggest increase in cost was staffing. (Christ, 12/16)

Modern Healthcare: Medicaid And CHIP Enrollment Grew 5.6% Since Last Year
Enrollment in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program increased by 5.6% from July 2019 to July 2020, according to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission on Wednesday. The expert panel said the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic drove most of the increase. All states saw their Medicaid rolls grow except Montana and the District of Columbia, ranging from 0.2% in South Carolina to 30.2% in Idaho, which expanded its Medicaid program in 2020. (Brady, 12/16)

Modern Healthcare: CommonSpirit Partners With Morehouse To Train Black Physicians
Chicago-based CommonSpirit Health is partnering with historically Black Morehouse School of Medicine to establish medical school campuses and graduate medical education programs across the country in an effort to increase the number of minority physicians. The organizations announced on Wednesday plans to commit $21 million over the next two years as part of a 10-year, $100 million initiative to develop a joint undergraduate and graduate medical education program to train a minimum of 300 additional clinicians from historically underrepresented communities. (Ross Johnson, 12/16)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Spending Growth Holds Steady In 2019, Despite Jump In Hospital Spending
Even though Americans got more hospital care and prescription drugs in 2019, elimination of a tax on insurers kept the healthcare spending growth rate effectively flat year-over-year. U.S. healthcare spending grew 4.6% to $3.8 trillion in 2019, close to its 4.7% growth in 2018 and tracking with the industry's 4.5% average yearly rate since 2016, according to an analysis by CMS' Office of the Actuary released Wednesday in Health Affairs. (Bannow, 12/16)

Modern Healthcare: The Pricier The Policy, The More Money Insurance Brokers Can Make, Study Shows
Insurance plans that pay higher commissions to brokers usually have higher premiums, which is contributing to rising healthcare costs, according to a new study. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University said Wednesday that brokerages operating under fee-based models, as well as those that have no middleman purchasers, offer the most value for businesses of all sizes. (Tepper, 12/16)

AP: Senate Report: Opioid Industry Has Paid Advocacy Groups $65M
A bipartisan congressional investigation released Wednesday found that key players in the nation’s opioid industry have spent $65 million since 1997 funding nonprofits that advocate treating pain with medications, a strategy intended to boost the sale of prescription painkillers. The report from Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Wyden of Oregon found the contributions continued in recent years, even as the industry’s practices and the toll of opioid addiction came under greater scrutiny. (Mulvihill, 12/17)

Stat: This Tiny Biotech Is The Loudest Critic Of Trump’s New Drug Pricing Policy
A tiny biosimilar company called Coherus Biosciences is emerging as one of the loudest critics of President Trump’s plan to tie what the U.S. pays for pricey injectable drugs to what other countries pay. In the three weeks since the Trump administration unveiled the controversial policy, the company has had roughly a dozen conversations with Trump administration officials, inserted itself into the ongoing lawsuit against the policy filed by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, and already filed sharply worded comments on the regulation — six weeks ahead of the official deadline. (Florko, 12/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Wants Boies Schiller Documents Kept Secret 
Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes is fighting to keep jurors in her coming fraud trial from seeing emails and other documents tied to the law firm Boies Schiller Flexner LLP, arguing they are protected communications with her lawyers. Ms. Holmes and former top Theranos executive Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani are facing charges of defrauding investors in the defunct blood-testing startup out of hundreds of millions of dollars and deceiving patients about the reliability of Theranos tests. (Randazzo, 12/16)

Stat: Scientists See A Possible Way To Prevent A Devastating Disease 
The tiny mouse embryos were off to a promising start, many of them progressing from a one-cell fertilized egg to two-, four-, and even eight-cell blobs resembling raspberries-to-be. As the eager scientists carefully tracked their development (in lab dishes), many of the embryos formed characteristic structures called pronuclei that housed the DNA of egg and sperm, following the normal developmental script. (Begley, 12/16)

The New York Times: How Effective Is The Mask You’re Wearing? You May Know Soon 
More than 100,000 varieties of face masks are currently for sale. They come in silk, cotton and synthetics; with filters and without; over-the-head and over-the-ears. They have sparkles and sunflowers; friendly greetings and insults; cartoon characters and teeny reindeer. What they don’t have is a label that shows how well they block infectious particles, an omission that has frustrated public health officials during the coronavirus pandemic. ... That may change soon. A division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to develop minimum filter efficiency standards, and labels showing which products meet them, for the vast and bewildering marketplace for masks and other face coverings. (Kaplan, 12/16)

The Hill: Army Issues Combat Face Masks For Soldiers In 2021 
The U.S. Army will begin issuing camouflage-print official combat cloth face coverings to new soldiers next year, the service announced Wednesday. The Army Uniform Board (UAB) recommended the move this summer and and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville approved the recommendation, according to an official release. (Deese, 12/16)

The Washington Post: Can You Travel If You Have Covid-19 Antibodies?
As Americans grapple with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s strong warning to stay at home this winter to stop the spread of the coronavirus, some are wondering if they are exempt from the recommendation if they have already recovered from the illness. People who had the coronavirus can develop antibodies that circulate in the blood and can neutralize the pathogen. But questions around immunity still linger. The CDC says cases of reinfection have been reported but “are rare.” (Compton, 12/16)

The New York Times: In Landmark Ruling, Air Pollution Recorded As A Cause Of Death For British Girl 
A 9-year-old girl who suffered a fatal asthma attack in 2013 became the first person in Britain to officially have air pollution listed as a cause of death, a British official said. The landmark ruling puts a face and a name on one of the millions of people whose deaths are hastened by air pollution across the world every year. And in Britain, legal experts said, it could open a new door to lawsuits by pollution victims or their families. (Peltier, 12/16)

The Washington Post: Nearly 8 Million Americans Have Fallen Into Poverty Since The Summer 
The U.S. poverty rate has surged over the past five months, with 7.8 million Americans falling into poverty, the latest indication of how deeply many are struggling after government aid dwindled. The poverty rate jumped to 11.7 percent in November, up 2.4 percentage points since June, according to new data released Wednesday by researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of Notre Dame. (Long, 12/16)

The Washington Post: Kansas Mayor Joyce Warshaw Resigns After Receiving Threats Over Mask Mandate 
The emails and voice mails to Dodge City, Kan., Mayor Joyce Warshaw began pouring in last month, after the city commission voted to require everyone in town to wear masks indoors. Some anonymous messages told her that she was restricting civil liberties, Warshaw told The Washington Post. Others said she should go to jail over her vote. But after the western Kansas city’s uphill battle against the coronavirus pandemic was highlighted in a USA Today feature Friday, the messages grew more frequent and aggressive: Burn in hell. Get murdered. One person simply wrote, “We’re coming for you.” So after nearly eight years in government, she called it quits Tuesday. (Armus, 12/16)

The Washington Post: Maryland Judge Temporarily Blocks County’s Ban On Indoor Dining
A Maryland judge temporarily blocked a county order Wednesday that aimed to ban indoor dining, offering a rare victory for plaintiffs challenging coronavirus restrictions in the Washington region. The ruling by Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge William Mulford came after four restaurant owners sued County Executive Steuart Pittman (D) over his order limiting restaurant service to takeout and delivery. They argued that restaurants are not driving the spread of the virus and that the restrictions would have a devastating economic effect on workers and their families. (Brice-Saddler, Wiggins and Schneider, 12/16)

AP: Missouri's 2nd Batch Of Vaccine Smaller Than Anticipated
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday lauded the rollout of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, but it appears the second-week supply will be thousands of doses smaller than anticipated. Missouri received about 51,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, and vaccinations of frontline health care workers began Monday. The state initially said it would get another 63,675 doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week, as well as 105,300 doses of the Moderna vaccine if that version receives federal clearance. (Salter, 12/16)

AP: Farmers Ordered To Pay Back Wages Over COVID-19 Quarantines
Three area farmers have been ordered to pay more than $11,000 in back wages after denying paid sick leave to employees who were advised to self-quarantine following potential COVID-19 exposure. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division ordered Coleman Agriculture in Gervais to pay seven employees $8,878; St. Joseph Orchard Inc. in McMinnville to pay four employees $1,820 and J Farms LLC to pay one employee $720, the Statesman Journal reported. (12/16)

AP: Oklahoma Puts Hold On Planned $400 Lost Wages Payments
Planned payments of $400 to some Oklahoma residents who lost wages amid the coronavirus pandemic are being put on hold due to the potential approval of additional federal unemployment payments, Oklahoma Employment Security Commission director Shelley Zumwalt said Wednesday. “If new federal legislation is passed and a new federal unemployment relief package reaches Oklahomans, it will be clear that OESC will return the funds,” said Zumwalt, who announced Dec. 10 that the payments would begin this week. (Miller, 12/16)

The Hill: Washington State Eyes Reopening Schools No Matter The Rate Of COVID-19 Infections
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Wednesday released updated plans for returning to in-person learning at schools across the state, regardless of a community’s COVID-19 infection rates. "I know some would have liked to see this sooner, but we have data and research now that we did not have six months ago," Inslee said during a press briefing Wednesday, where he was joined by state Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, as well as other education and health leaders. (Castronuovo, 12/16)

AP: Montana Lawmakers Reject Mask Mandate Ahead Of Session
Republican state lawmakers in Montana rejected proposals Wednesday by Democrats to require masks at next month’s legislative session or meet remotely, opting instead to form a panel that will assess what’s needed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Republicans, who hold majorities in both legislative chambers, also declined to delay the session until the vaccine is widely available. (Samuels, 12/17)

AP: Maine Residents Will Get A Card Along With COVID-19 Shot
Maine residents will be issued cards to simplify the process of getting vaccinated for coronavirus after they receive the first shot. The state began a roll-out of the vaccine this week and it is expected to take months. Hundreds of health care workers have been vaccinated so far. (12/17)

AP: Idaho Gov Proclaims 'Health Care Worker Appreciation' Month
Idaho Gov. Brad Little has proclaimed December, “Health Care Worker Appreciation Month,” recognizing the work care providers are doing in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Little made the proclamation on Wednesday, calling health care workers “heroes,” and urging Idaho residents to wear masks, wash hands, avoid gatherings with non-household members and maintain social distancing. (12/16)

NPR: France's Emmanuel Macron Tests Positive For The Coronavirus
French President Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the coronavirus and will quarantine for a week, his official residence announced Thursday. Macron was tested for the virus following the onset of symptoms, though the Élysée Palace didn't immediately explain what those symptoms might include. He will isolate himself for seven days and will continue to work remotely, his residence said. (Diaz, 12/17)