First Edition: Jan. 14, 2022

KHN: Justices Block Broad Worker Vaccine Requirement, Allow Health Worker Mandate To Proceed 
The OSHA rules are opposed by many business groups, led by the small business advocacy organization the National Federation of Independent Business. It argued that allowing the rules to take effect would leave businesses “irreparably harmed,” both by the costs of compliance and the possibility that workers would quit rather than accept the vaccine. The challenge to the Medicare and Medicaid rules, by contrast, came mostly from states, rather than the hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities most directly affected. State officials charge that the rules would jeopardize the ability of health care providers, particularly those in rural areas, to retain enough staffers to care for patients. (Rovner, 1/13)

KHN: As Omicron Surges, Effort To Vaccinate Young Children Stalls
Two months after Pfizer’s covid vaccine was authorized for children ages 5 to 11, just 27% have received at least one shot, according to Jan. 12 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 18%, or 5 million kids, have both doses. The national effort to vaccinate children has stalled even as the omicron variant upends schooling for millions of children and their families amid staffing shortages, shutdowns and heated battles over how to safely operate. Vaccination rates vary substantially across the country, a KHN analysis of the federal data shows. Nearly half of Vermont’s 5- to 11-year-olds are fully vaccinated, while fewer than 10% have gotten both shots in nine mostly Southern states. (Pradhan and Recht, 1/14)

KHN: With No End In Sight To Pandemic Life, Parents Find Disruption Is The New Normal 
As my kindergartner fumbled with his shoes, I stood at our door sifting through the mental parenting checklist newly lodged in my brain: backpack. Sweatshirt. Snacks. Sunscreen. Water bottle. KN95 mask. Vaccination card. Jesse asked for his cloth mask, and I explained again that if he wore that one he’d need to have on a surgical mask, too, which could make it hard to run around at recess. So I did my best to twist the elastic ear loops on the KN95 into a size that would fit his cherubic face, and we headed out the door. (Gammon, 1/14)

KHN: What Patients Can Learn With Confidence From One Negative Rapid Test (Hint: Very Little) 
Julie Ann Justo, an infectious disease clinical pharmacist for a South Carolina hospital system, hoped Christmas week would finally be the time her family could safely gather for a reunion. Before the celebration, family members who were eligible were vaccinated and boosted. They quarantined and used masks in the days leading up to the event. And many took solace in negative results from rapid covid-19 tests taken a few days before the 35-person indoor gathering in South Florida to make sure no one was infectious. But within a week, Justo and at least 13 members of her extended family tested positive for covid, with many feeling typical symptoms of an upper respiratory virus, such as a sore throat and a runny nose. (Appleby and Galewitz, 1/13)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Dealing With Drug Prices
Medicare officials have preliminarily decided to restrict reimbursement for Aduhelm, the controversial Alzheimer’s drug, to only patients participating in approved clinical trials. The FDA approved the drug in 2021 over objections of the agency’s outside advisers, who complained the evidence of Aduhelm’s efficacy is thin. But the prospect of wide use of the drug — originally priced at $56,000 a year — helped prompt the largest-ever increase in Medicare Part B premiums. Now the Department of Health and Human Services is looking at whether it can reduce that increase before 2023. (1/13)

The New York Times: Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate For Large Employers 
The president welcomed the ruling in his favor, saying in a statement that it would save the lives of health care workers and patients. But he said he was disappointed that the court had overturned the employer mandate, which he said was “grounded squarely in both science and the law.” In both the employer and health worker cases, the justices explored whether Congress had authorized the executive branch to take sweeping actions to address the health care crisis. (Liptak, 1/13)

NPR: Supreme Court Blocks Biden's Vaccine-Or-Test Mandate For Large Private Companies
The vote to invalidate the vaccine-or-test regulation was 6 to 3, along ideological lines. "Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly," the majority said in an unsigned opinion. "Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category." The regulation struck down by the court would have applied to more than 80 million private sector employees and would have required all businesses with 100 or more workers to either be vaccinated, with the federal government footing the bill, or be tested weekly. (Totenberg, 1/13)

Modern Healthcare: Supreme Court Allows Healthcare Worker Vaccine Mandate To Continue
Conservatives Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined three liberal —Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor—in a 5-4 ruling that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services vaccine requirement for healthcare workers could resume. "The challenges posed by a global pandemic do not allow a federal agency to exercise power that Congress has not conferred upon it. At the same time, such unprecedented circumstances provide no grounds for limiting the exercise of authorities the agency has long been recognized to have," the majority opinion says. (Goldman, 1/13)

The Washington Post: Biden Expresses Dismay As SCOTUS Blocks Workplace Vaccination Mandate
President Biden expressed dismay at the Supreme Court’s decision on Thursday to halt his administration’s efforts to impose a requirement for coronavirus vaccinations or testing on businesses with at least 100 workers. “I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law,” he said, adding that he would still push companies to immunize their employees. “The Court has ruled … but that does not stop me from using my voice as President to advocate for employers to do the right thing.” (Jeong and Francis, 1/14)

The Hill: Biden Calls On Employers To Mandate Vaccines Despite Supreme Court Ruling 
President Biden on Thursday appealed to states and companies to require people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus despite the Supreme Court blocking his vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers. ... “As a result of the Court’s decision, it is now up to States and individual employers to determine whether to make their workplaces as safe as possible for employees, and whether their businesses will be safe for consumers during this pandemic by requiring employees to take the simple and effective step of getting vaccinated,” the president said in a statement. (Gangitano, 1/13)

AP: Businesses React To Ruling Against Biden Vaccine Mandate
For companies that were waiting to hear from the U.S. Supreme Court before deciding whether to require vaccinations or regular coronavirus testing for workers, the next move is up to them. Many large corporations were silent on Thursday’s ruling by the high court to block a requirement that workers at businesses with at least 100 employees be fully vaccinated or else test regularly for COVID-19 and wear a mask on the job. Target’s response was typical: The big retailer said it wanted to review the decision and “how it will impact our team and business.” (Koenig, 1/14)

The Washington Post: Employers Face Patchwork Of State Policies On Worker Vaccination After Supreme Court Order 
The Supreme Court’s decision that large companies do not have to force workers to get coronavirus shots or tests leaves employers facing a patchwork of clashing state policies over their role in protecting their workforces from the surging pandemic. ... The about-face affects 84 million employees, more than half the U.S. labor force, although with about 63 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated, many workers are already immunized. (Goldstein, Rosenberg and Bogage, 1/13)

CBS News: Marine Corps Grants Armed Services' First Two Known Religious Exemptions To COVID-19 Vaccine 
The Marine Corps has approved two requests to service members who are refusing the COVID-19 vaccine on religious grounds, marking what are believed to be the first known religious exemptions granted across all the armed services — out of thousands of requests. The religions of the two Marines who obtained exemptions from the Marine Corps are not known. A spokesperson for the Marines said the service could not provide more details for privacy reasons. (Watson, 1/13)

CBS News: 5 Places Where You Can Buy A Home COVID-19 Test Today 
For now, the at-home screening tools are still hard to find in stock — many are sold out across brick-and-mortar pharmacy chains and online retailers. If you're looking for a test, read on to learn about five places that offer a range of at-home, rapid COVID-19 tests that are authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration. (Cerullo, 1/13)

CNBC: Fauci: Why U.S. Isn't Using Israel's Throat Swab Covid Test Method Yet
The infamous nasal swab Covid test could soon become a thing of the past. During Senate testimony this week, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci and U.S. Food and Drug Administration acting commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock discussed an increasingly popular theory — that throat swabs could detect Covid’s omicron variant more effectively than nasal swabs, especially in rapid antigen tests. “There have been recent reports that, in fact, [there may be higher] sensitivity and ability to detect [the virus] in a swab of the throat versus the nasopharynx, at least with omicron,” Fauci told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee on Tuesday. “I think it needs to be validated and verified.” (Sauer, 1/13)

The Hill: Fauci Says It Is Not Clear Yet If People Will Need Yearly Boosters 
President Biden’s chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said in an interview that it is not clear yet if people will need yearly COVID-19 boosters, even as the chief executives of several drugmakers have indicated a fourth vaccine dose may be necessary. "We've only recently boosted people. We will find out if the booster gives you a degree of durability of protection and actually should be the standard regimen of three doses of an mRNA and two doses of J&J," Fauci said in an interview with NBC News published on Thursday.  (Vakil, 1/13)

The Hill: GOP Senator Plans To Introduce 'Fauci Act' After Clash At Hearing 
Republican Sen. Roger Marshall (Kan.) plans to introduce the “Fauci Act” after he clashed with infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci at a Senate hearing this week. Marshall will be introducing the Financial Accountability for Uniquely Compensated Individuals (FAUCI) Act after he said Fauci’s records were not readily accessible to the public, a spokesperson for the senator told The Hill. (Lonas, 1/13)

AP: As Omicron Surges, HealthCare.Gov Sign-Up Deadline Arrives
People looking for health insurance in the grip of the omicron surge have through Saturday to sign up for taxpayer-subsidized private coverage under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act. ... People who sign up by Saturday will have coverage effective Feb. 1. After Jan. 15, people still looking for coverage will need a specific reason, such as losing a job or a change in family circumstances, to qualify for a special enrollment period. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 1/14)

The New York Times: New Virus Cases Begin To Slow In U.S. Cities Where Omicron Hit First
At another bleak moment of the pandemic in the United States — with nearly 800,000 new cases a day, deaths rising and federal medical teams deploying to overwhelmed hospitals — glints of progress have finally started to emerge. In a handful of places that were among the first to see a surge of the Omicron variant last month, reports of new coronavirus infections have started to level off or decline. Daily case reports have been falling rapidly around Cleveland, Newark and Washington, D.C., each of which sustained record-shattering spikes over the past month. There were also early signs in Chicago, New York, Puerto Rico and hard-hit ski resort towns in Colorado that cases were hitting a plateau or starting to drop. (Smith, Robertson and Imbler, 1/13)

CNN: Early Signs Suggest The Omicron Wave Is Peaking In Some Parts Of The US, But Relief Is Far From Near
The Omicron surge has driven Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations to record highs in the United States. This week, however, officials have started to call out very early signs that the wave is peaking -- or at least plateauing -- in parts of the Northeast. But case rates are still higher in this region than any other, and experts say it will be weeks before any change can be declared a trend. The US overall is reporting an average of more than 786,000 Covid-19 cases each day, double what it was two weeks ago, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Yet, seven states have seen case rates start to level out, changing less than 10% week-to-week: New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, Georgia, New York, Kansas and Mississippi. And in Washington, DC, they're down 19% from last week. But only in DC has this been a pattern for more than a week. (McPhillips, 1/13)

Fox News: CDC Projects More Than 62K COVID-19 Deaths Over Next Month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicted Wednesday that more than 62,000 people could die from COVID-19 over the course of the next four weeks. In a Monday update, the agency wrote that 10,400 to 31,000 new deaths will likely be reported in the week ending Feb. 5. The CDC added that state- and territory-level ensemble forecasts predict the number of newly reported deaths per week over the next month will likely increase in 33 jurisdictions. In addition, it said that national forecasts predict 17,900-48,000 new hospitalizations will likely be reported on Feb. 4. (Musto, 1/13)

CNN: Many US Hospitals Are Halting Non-Urgent Procedures As Covid-19 Hospitalizations Rise 
As Covid-19 hospitalizations reach new highs, more states and health care systems are cutting back services and relying on National Guard members to fill gaps in staffing. The surge from the Omicron variant, which was first detected in the US just over six weeks ago, has left frontline workers in the medical industry and others at higher risk for exposure. As health care employees need time off to isolate and recuperate, the need to treat those with Covid-19 remains. In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that hospitals will temporarily halt non-urgent procedures "so as much capacity and staff can be dedicated to emergent needs, the people who need this right now." (Caldwell, 1/14)

AP: COVID-19 Pill Rollout Stymied By Shortages As Omicron Rages
Two brand-new COVID-19 pills that were supposed to be an important weapon against the pandemic in the U.S. are in short supply and have played little role in the fight against the omicron wave of infections. The problem, in part, is that production is still being ramped up and the medicines can take anywhere from five to eight months to manufacture. (Perrone, 1/13)

Bloomberg: US Nurses Strike To Highlight Working Conditions During Covid As Omicron Surges
Chicago nurses joined colleagues across the country Thursday to protest against working conditions that they say have rapidly deteriorated as hordes of Covid-19 patients push hospitals to the limit. Scott Mechanic, 36, an emergency room nurse at the University of Chicago Medical Center, said the problems stem from widespread labor shortages throughout the health-care system and hospital leadership who are reluctant to provide assistance. “We don’t have food service people … we don’t have supply chain people to deliver our most critical supplies, we don’t have people to repair our equipment,” Mechanic said. “But every job that doesn’t get done by somebody else ends up falling to the bedside nurse. We’re overwhelmed.” (Muller, 1/13)

The Boston Globe: How COVID-19 And Staffing Issues Took Rhode Island Hospital ‘From Bad To Terrible’
It is the state’s biggest hospital, with a name that suggests how important it is to the health care system here: Rhode Island Hospital. And it is in crisis right now. Sick and injured patients line the emergency department hallways in stretchers, begging for help that doesn’t always come right away. Frustration in the waiting room is so high that assaults have been reported. From ambulance triage to the intensive care units, nursing is short, but so are supplies, everything from needles to medicines to bedside urinals. Nurses sit in their cars after work and wonder, did I do everything I can today? Everyone’s burned out, and nobody knows where or when this all ends. (Amaral, 1/13)

NBC News: 'Like A Slap In The Face': Nurses Told To Use Vacation And Sick Days To Stay Home If They Test Positive
Early in the pandemic, nurses were celebrated as heroes, with nightly symphonies of clapping or banging pots and pans. Now, many are being asked to go into work despite positive Covid tests — or they say they are being told they must use their vacation and sick days to stay home when they contract the coronavirus. “You’re talking about a group of people who sat at bedsides — not one a night, multiple, because we were consistently losing people. We were holding the iPads as people said their last goodbyes,” said Ana Bergeron, a registered nurse who is the president of a local union affiliate. “I can’t tell you how sick it makes me now being called a hero, because that’s not how we’re being treated by our employers.”​​ (Kaplan and Garcia-Hodges, 1/13)

NBC News: Minnesota Judge Bars Hospital From Taking Covid-19 Patient Off Ventilator
A Minnesota judge blocked a hospital from taking a patient with Covid-19 off life support Thursday, a day after his wife said she "vehemently" disagreed with doctors' decision, court records show. Anoka County Judge Jennifer Stanfield issued the temporary restraining order barring doctors at Mercy Hospital, north of Minneapolis, from removing the man, Scott Quiner, from a ventilator after they declined to provide treatment that his wife, Anne Quiner, had requested, her lawyer said in an interview. (Stelloh, 1/13)

The Boston Globe: Hundreds Of Doctors, Scientists Sign Petition Demanding Spotify Take Action Against COVID Misinformation, Sparked By Joe Rogan Podcast
A petition signed by more than 200 scientists and medical professionals is calling on the music streaming service Spotify to monitor misinformation promoted on its platform. The petition specifically takes aim at its most-popular podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, for peddling “misleading and false claims” about COVID-19 throughout the pandemic. “We are calling on Spotify to take action against the mass-misinformation events which continue to occur on its platform,” the petition reads. “With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence. Though Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, the company presently has no misinformation policy.” (Bowker, 1/13)

The Washington Post: Nearly All Teens In CDC-Backed Study Needing Intensive Care For Covid-19 Were Unvaccinated 
Nearly all teenagers needing intensive care for covid-19 were unvaccinated in a study of more than 1,000 hospital patients in the United States. The Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine prevented 94 percent of hospitalizations and was 98 percent effective at keeping patients out of intensive care (ICU) or from requiring life support, per the peer-reviewed analysis published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Timsit, 1/13)

USA Today: Pregnant With COVID: Unvaccinated Moms, Babies Suffer Worst Outcomes
The number of pregnant people who are getting vaccinated is steadily increasing amid the coronavirus current surge, but health experts say the modest improvement is not enough, as those who are expecting continue to get critically ill or die from COVID-19. The renewed concern comes following a large study published Thursday in "Nature Medicine" that shows unvaccinated pregnant people and their babies may suffer the worst consequences of the virus. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh Usher Institute analyzed data collected by the COVID-19 in Pregnancy in Scotland study – a national cohort of women who were pregnant on, or became pregnant after, March 1, 2020. The database tracked nearly 145,000 pregnancies in 130,000 women from March 2020 to Oct. 2021. (Rodriguez, 1/13)

Fox News: Man Claims COVID-19 Made His Penis Shrink
An anonymous man in his 30s who had to be hospitalized after contracting COVID-19 last July now claims that the disease left him with a shrunken penis and erectile dysfunction. "When I got out of the hospital, I had some erectile dysfunction issues. Those gradually got better with some medical attention, but I seem to be left with a lasting problem. My penis has shrunk," the man wrote in a letter to Slate's "How To Do It" podcast. "Before I got sick, I was above average, not huge, but definitely bigger than normal. Now I've lost about an inch and a half and become decidedly less than average." (Best, 1/13)

The Hill: Glenn Beck Says He Has COVID-19 For Second Time 
Conservative radio host Glenn Beck on Wednesday said he'd contracted COVID-19 for the second time and the virus was "getting into" his lungs. Speaking to Mark Levin on Levin's radio show, Beck said he's had the virus for about a week. He told Levin he was "great, except having COVID and seeing the destruction of our country." (Breslin, 1/13)

AP: Guard May Help Staffing Shortages At New Mexico Schools 
New Mexico’s governor said Thursday she’s considering seeking help from the National Guard to address COVID-19 staffing shortages at public schools, a move that could mark a first in the nation. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said the additional help would ensure that students can remain in the classroom. (Bryan, 1/13)

USA Today: Epstein-Barr Virus Could Cause Multiple Sclerosis, Harvard Study Shows
Multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease of the central nervous system, could be caused by infection from the Epstein-Barr virus, a common herpes virus, according to a new study. The research, published in the journal Science on Thursday, was led by a team from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The researchers studied more than 10 million young adults on active duty in the military and identified 955  who were diagnosed with MS during their service. The team analyzed samples taken from the military members every other year, examining whether they had the Epstein-Barr virus and the relationship between an infection and onset of MS. (Pitofsky, 1/13)

The New York Times: Epstein-Barr Virus May Play Role In Multiple Sclerosis Development 
For decades, researchers have suspected that people infected with an exceedingly common virus, Epstein-Barr, might be more likely to develop multiple sclerosis, a neurological illness that affects a million people in the United States. Now, a team of researchers reports what some say is the most compelling evidence yet of a strong link between the two diseases. (Kolata, 1/13)

The Hill: UCLA Researchers Come Closer To Finding Possible Cure For HIV 
Researchers at UCLA have inched closer to finding a cure for human immunodeficiency virus by targeting infected cells that could be lying dormant in the body. In a study published in the journal Nature Communications this week, researchers improved upon a method originally developed in 2017 to kill hidden HIV-infected cells using cells that are naturally produced by the body’s immune system. The advance brings scientists one step closer to control or even eradicate the virus, which attacks the body’s immune system. (Migdon, 1/13)

The Washington Post: The Ethics Of A Second Chance: Pig Heart Transplant Recipient Stabbed A Man Seven Times Years Ago
Leslie Shumaker Downey was at home babysitting her two grandchildren Monday when a message pinged on her cellphone. Her daughter had sent a link to a news article about a 57-year-old man with terminal heart disease. Three days earlier at the University of Maryland Medical Center, he had received a genetically modified pig heart. The first-of-its-kind transplant was historic, saving the man’s life and offering the possibility of saving others. What a great breakthrough for science, Downey thought, reading the headline. Then her phone pinged again. (Johnson and Wan, 1/13)

Roll Call: Senate Health Panel Advances Califf To Lead FDA
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced Robert Califf’s nomination to be commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration in a 13-8 vote Thursday. “As our nation continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientists and experts at the Food and Drug Administration who are working diligently to ensure we have safe and effective vaccines, tests, treatments, and more, deserve a strong leader who will make sure science always comes first,” Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., said in a statement. Califf had the top job at the FDA for one year in 2016, under the Obama administration, and was confirmed then in a bipartisan 89-4 vote. But in a more polarized Washington and with unprecedented scrutiny on the FDA, he faced a tense job interview with the committee on Dec. 14. (Kopp, 1/13)

Politico: Senate Panel Advances Biden's FDA Pick In 13-8 Vote 
Two senators who caucus with Democrats — Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) — opposed the nomination. Six Republicans — Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Mike Braun of Indiana, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Jerry Moran of Kansas — joined them in opposition. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) did not vote. President Joe Biden nominated Califf to run the FDA in October, ending a lengthy search for a commissioner that took up much of the first year of his term. (Gardner, 1/13)

Modern Healthcare: MedPAC: Increase Hospital Pay, No Change For Physicians In 2023
Medicare payment advisors unanimously approved a recommendation Thursday to update hospital payment by 2% for fiscal 2023, and to keep physician fee schedule payment stagnant next year. But members of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission continued to voice concerns about the long-term viability of the current physician fee schedule model, which they say isn't keeping up with inflation during a particularly volatile time for healthcare providers. (Goldman, 1/13)

Los Angeles Times: Lawmakers Move To Tighten Restrictions On Sex-Offending Doctors
Doctors who are convicted of sexually abusing patients would be permanently banned from practicing medicine in California under a bill introduced this week by state legislators. The move comes a month after a Times investigation found that the Medical Board of California had reinstated 10 physicians since 2013 who lost their licenses for sexual misconduct. They included two doctors who abused teenage girls and one who beat two female patients when they reported him for sexually exploiting them. (Dolan, Mejia and Christensen, 1/13)

USA Today: Doctor Who Branded His Initials On Livers Loses Ability To Practice
Dr. Simon Bramhall, a British surgeon who branded his initials on patients' livers, has been struck off the medical register as of Monday, according to a report by BBC News. According to the U.K. General Medical Council, that means he can no longer work as a doctor in the U.K. The branding occurred in February and August of 2013, and Bramhall received two convictions for common assault in December 2017, according to records from the Medical Practitioners Tribunal. (Shen, 1/12)

AP: Maine Considers New Screening To Protect Baby Health 
Maine might begin mandating screening for a virus to try to protect the hearing and health of newborns in the state. A bill introduced on Wednesday would require screening for cytomegalovirus, which is also known as CMV. Bill sponsor Sen. Cathy Breen, a Falmouth Democrat, said the screening would be required for all newborns in the state who fail two hearing tests. (1/14)

AP: Texas Sues Planned Parenthood Over $10M In Medicaid Payments
Texas wants Planned Parenthood to return more than $10 million in payments for low-income patients under a lawsuit filed Thursday, years after Republican leaders moved to cut off Medicaid dollars to the abortion provider. Planned Parenthood called the lawsuit “another political attack” in Texas, where most abortions have been banned since September under a new law that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed to remain in effect. (1/13)

PBS NewsHour: Overdose Deaths Hit A Historic High In 2020. Frustrated Experts Say These Strategies Could Save Lives
As evidence-based drug treatment and interventions became increasingly difficult to obtain during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, fatal overdoses in the United States skyrocketed to their highest level ever. While the Biden administration has said it will broaden access to harm reduction and treatment, experts say the money that has been set aside isn’t doing enough to slow the rising pace of overdose deaths in this country. U.S. policies have long skewed toward punishing people struggling with substance use rather than looking for ways to treat them – a strategy that has not been enough to prevent dramatic loss of life. Compared to decades of punitive policy, greater understanding has emerged among lawmakers and the public in recent years, but action at the federal level hasn’t fully caught up. (Santhanham, 1/13)

The New York Times: Doctors Debate Whether Trans Teens Need Therapy Before Hormones 
An upsurge in teenagers requesting hormones or surgeries to better align their bodies with their gender identities has ignited a debate among doctors over when to provide these treatments. An international group of experts focused on transgender health last month released a draft of new guidelines, the gold standard of the field that informs what insurers will reimburse for care. (Ghorayshi, 1/13)

The Washington Post: The Past Seven Years Have Been The Hottest In Recorded History, New Data Shows 
In the middle of a historically sweltering summer, a NASA researcher stood before Congress and declared the unvarnished, undeniable scientific truth: “The greenhouse effect has been detected,” James Hansen said. “And it is changing our climate now.” The year was 1988. Global temperatures were about 0.6 degrees Celsius (1.1 degrees Fahrenheit) above the preindustrial average. It was, at the time, the hottest 12-month period scientists had ever seen. None of us will ever experience a year that cool again. (Kaplan and Muyskens, 1/13)

The New York Times: Australia’s Immigration Minister Revoked Djokovic’s Visa On ‘Health And Good Order’ Grounds
Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis star, had his visa revoked for a second time by the Australian authorities on Friday, the latest dizzying volley in a drawn-out drama over his refusal to be vaccinated for Covid-19. (Cave, Clarey and Zhuang, 1/14)

CBS News/AFP: Judge Halts Father's Visitation Rights With Child For His Refusal Of COVID-19 Vaccine
A Canadian father, unvaccinated against COVID-19 and "opposed to health measures," lost the right to visit his 12-year-old child after a Quebec judge ruled his visits would not be in the child's "best interest." The decision, initially reported by Quebec newspaper Le Devoir and consulted by AFP, was rendered on December 23 and suspends the father's visitation rights until February, unless he decides to get vaccinated. (1/13)

Stat: FDA Warns Chinese Manufacturer For Problems With Eye Drops
When it comes to making eye drops, one Chinese manufacturer failed to clearly see the rules for sterile manufacturing, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Hubei Kangzheng was admonished by the regulator for a host of production lapses that could have led to microbial contamination in its Pi Yen Chin drops, according to a Nov. 23, 2021, warning letter that was posted on the agency web site this week. A key issue was that the company also made non-sterile nasal drops and wrongfully believed its manufacturing standards did not need to comply with procedures for sterile ophthalmic drops, which are sold over-the-counter. The FDA referred to this argument as a “misguided notion.” (Silverman, 1/13)