First Edition: June 1, 2022

KHN: Abortion Opponents Take Political Risks By Dropping Exceptions For Rape, Incest, And The Mother’s Life
If it seems as though the anti-abortion movement has gotten more extreme in recent months, that’s because it has. But it’s not the first time — positions taken by both sides of the abortion debate have ebbed and flowed repeatedly in the 49 years since the Supreme Court declared abortion a constitutional right. (Rovner, 6/1)

KHN: ‘Desperate Situation’: States Are Housing High-Needs Foster Kids In Offices And Hotels 
Isela Perez entered the custody of Georgia’s child welfare system at age 10. It happened after her father was deported and her mother left her and her brother alone in their home for two weeks, she said. Perez estimates she moved more than 20 times among group homes, mental health facilities, and foster families. “A lot of foster parents didn’t know how to deal with my anger issues or my depression,” said Perez, now 18 and in an independent living program in Dahlonega, Georgia. (Whitehead, 6/1)

KHN: Montana Hires A Medicaid Director With A Managed-Care Past
Montana, one of only about a dozen states with a fully government-run Medicaid program, has hired a new Medicaid director who oversaw managed-care programs in Iowa and Kansas and championed the idea of having outside companies do the work. Mike Randol took over May 31 as head of Montana’s Medicaid program, which serves 280,000 people who live in low-income households or have disabilities in a state of 1.1 million people. The program has a roughly $2.3 billion annual budget, with the federal government picking up about 80% of the total. (Houghton and Leys, 6/1)

KHN: Taco Bowls And Chicken Curry: Medi-Cal Delivers Ready Meals In Grand Health Care Experiment
Every Friday, Frances De Los Santos waits for a shipment of healthy, prepared meals to land on her front porch at the edge of the Mojave Desert. From the box, the 80-year-old retired property manager with stage 4 chronic kidney disease unpacks frozen food trays that she can heat in the microwave. Her favorite is sweet-and-sour chicken. In the three months since she began eating the customized meals, De Los Santos has learned to manage her diabetes by maintaining a healthy blood sugar level. (de Marco and Hart, 6/1)

Modern Healthcare: HHS Establishes Environmental Justice Office
The Biden administration established a Department of Health and Human Services office Tuesday to address environmental health issues facing underserved communities. The Office of Environmental Justice will be situated under the HHS Office of Climate Change and Health Equity, which was established in August 2021. The new office will serve as a center for "policy, programming and analysis" and will focus on developing environmental justice initiatives, environmental justice reports and an environmental justice workforce, according to a news release. (Abrams, 5/31)

CNN: Health And Human Services Announces New Office Focused On The Environmental Risks To Underserved Communities 
The new office will be led by interim director Sharunda Buchanan, a former official at the Centers for Disease Control specializing in environmental health issues like lead exposure. While there are other federal offices, including the White House Council on Environmental Quality, that focus on environmental justice, Buchanan told CNN she hopes the HHS office will bring new resources to communities, especially low incomes communities and communities of color dealing with elevated lead exposure or inadequate waste water treatment. (Nilsen, 5/31)

NPR: DOJ Asks Federal Appeals Court To Reverse Order Lifting Travel Mask Mandate
The Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to overturn last month's court decision by a federal judge that declared the mandate requiring masks on airplanes and other public transportation unlawful. In a 48-page document filed in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Justice Department argues that the order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early 2021 "falls easily within the CDC's statutory authority." Last month, the Justice Department said that it would appeal U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle's decision to strike down the CDC's mask mandate for public transportation if the agency determines the mandate is still needed to protect public health. (Franklin, 6/1)

The Washington Examiner: Biden Justice Department Appeals Ruling That Lifted Federal Mask Mandate 
The CDC has statutory authority over “sanitation” measures, which includes mask wearing, the DOJ argued in its appeal. Therefore, the agency did not exceed its authority and issued an order that was reasonable, as social distancing is not always feasible on public transit and handwashing is not effective against airborne illnesses, the filing states. ... It’s not entirely clear whether the CDC would reinstate the mask mandate if the ruling is overturned. (Mondeaux, 5/31)

ABC News: Reported COVID-19 Infection Levels Nearly 6 Times Higher Than Last Memorial Day
Millions of Americans traveled for Memorial Day weekend at levels not seen since before the onset of the pandemic. It marked a return to normalcy for many and a chance to gather with family and friends. But in reality, the situation was far from normal -- with confirmed COVID-19 cases nearly six times higher than last Memorial Day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Mitropoulos, 5/31)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Cases Swell Again; It’s ‘Very Hard Right Now To Avoid Getting COVID’
Coronavirus cases blew up across the Bay Area in May, as the region became entrenched in a sixth surge that is likely many times larger than what reported infections show and may even be approaching the magnitude of this past winter’s massive omicron wave, health experts say. COVID hospitalizations are climbing in the Bay Area too — they’ve nearly doubled since the start of the month — though they remain at a relatively low and manageable level compared to prior surges, experts said. The number of patients with COVID needing intensive care in the region has more than doubled over the past month, but ICU capacity is not tapped out. (Allday, 5/31)

Houston Chronicle: Houston's COVID Cases Are Climbing Again, Wastewater Data Shows
Coronavirus infections are on the rise across Houston, wastewater tracking shows, even as fewer people seek testing two years into the pandemic. Four months after the city saw record infection rates caused by the highly contagious omicron variant, new COVID-19 cases are once again climbing, according to data collected by Rice University and the Houston Health Department. The most recent sewage samples show increased viral loads at all but a few of the city’s three dozen wastewater treatment plants. (Mishanec, 5/31)

The Boston Globe: Coronavirus Levels In E. Mass. Waste Water Saw Upticks Late Last Week
An encouraging downward trend in coronavirus levels in Eastern Massachusetts waste water was interrupted by two upticks late last week. The seven-day average virus level edged up Thursday and then down Friday in the northern section of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority system, while the level in the southern section was flat Thursday before edging up Friday. Officials say waste water virus data can be an important early warning signal, detecting COVID-19 infections before people get tested and the tests are officially reported. As more people are using rapid at-home tests, whose results are usually not reported to state public health officials, waste water testing has become a key indicator of the virus’s prevalence. (Finucane and Huddle, 5/31)

ABC News: COVID-19 Cases Plateau In New York City, Indicating Latest Surge May Be Over 
COVID-19 cases in New York City have plateaued, signaling that the latest surge is at least slowing, if not over. An ABC News analysis of city data shows 4,204 confirmed and probable cases were recorded on May 24 -- the latest date for which data is available -- with a seven-day rolling average of 3,312.This is the lowest average recorded in the last two weeks. (Kekatos, 5/31)

The Atlantic: Coronavirus Cases Are Being Undercounted. What Should You Do?
Take Hawaii, for example. Last week, the state reported about 900 new cases a day, but a spokesperson for Hawaii’s department of health, Brooks Baehr, warned that the true number could be “five, six, seven times” greater. “That would be an extra 4,500 to 6,500 new cases every day,” Baehr told the local news channel KHON2. What exactly is the average person supposed to do with that information? Many people know that COVID cases—as shown in all those jagged charts and splotchy, color-coded maps that decorate front pages—are likely underreported right now. That uncertainty makes calculating one’s own risk extra tricky. If cases could be 10 times worse than what you see on a graph, how do you know if your local outbreak is bad enough that it’s worth slapping your mask back on? Or, more drastically, canceling plans altogether? (Mimbs Nice, 5/29)

The New York Times: During The Omicron Wave, Death Rates Soared For Older People 
Despite strong levels of vaccination among older people, Covid killed them at vastly higher rates during this winter’s Omicron wave than it did last year, preying on long delays since their last shots and the variant’s ability to skirt immune defenses. This winter’s wave of deaths in older people belied the Omicron variant’s relative mildness. Almost as many Americans 65 and older died in four months of the Omicron surge as did in six months of the Delta wave, even though the Delta variant, for any one person, tended to cause more severe illness. (Mueller and Lutz, 5/31)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Can Leave You Infectious After Five Or Even 10 Days
How long are people infectious? Into the pandemic’s third year, as new, more infectious variants continue to circulate widely and more people have built-up immune defenses, researchers aren’t totally sure when or how long individuals with Covid-19 might be contagious and shedding virus, particularly at the end of an infection. (Abbott, 5/31)

Bloomberg: Covid Booster Shots Are Key To Stopping Severe Infection: Study
A third dose of messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccine provides a key boost to immunity against the coronavirus, regardless of the original type of immunization, researchers said. An mRNA booster following an initial course of two shots of the same type is the most effective way to prevent non-severe Covid infections, according to an analysis of studies published Wednesday in the BMJ medical journal. Adding a third mRNA shot to other primary vaccination regimens raises protection to almost the same level, the authors from the Chinese University of Hong Kong said. (Hernanz Lizarraga, 5/31)

The Wall Street Journal: Pulse Oximeters Are Less Accurate Among Black, Hispanic And Asian Covid-19 Patients 
Pulse oximeter measurements among Black, Hispanic and Asian Covid-19 patients were less accurate than measurements for white patients, a study showed, underscoring shortcomings in a critical device used to monitor the disease’s riskiest outcomes. The discrepancies may have led to some patients of color with severe disease receiving delayed or no treatment despite having oxygen levels low enough to warrant it, researchers said Tuesday in a study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. (Mosbergen, 5/31)

Stat: Faulty Oxygen Readings Delayed Covid Care For Darker-Skinned Patients
Undetected low oxygen levels led to delays in Black and Hispanic patients receiving therapies such as the drugs remdesivir and dexamethasone. Widely used pulse oximeters, which measure oxygen levels by assessing the color of the blood, have been under increasing scrutiny for racial bias because they can overestimate blood oxygen levels in darker-skinned individuals and make them appear healthier than they actually are. A 2020 study comparing oxygen levels measured by the devices with readings taken from “gold standard” arterial blood samples found pulse oximeters were three times less likely to detect low oxygen levels in Black patients than in white patients. (McFarling, 5/31)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Northshore’s COVID Tests ‘Terribly Wrong,’ Lab Supervisor Says
The Nevada public health laboratory supervisor who detected that a Chicago-based lab’s COVID-19 testing was missing most positive cases said the operation’s data was so flawed as to suggest it had not even run the tests. Skeptical that Northshore Clinical Labs’ COVID-19 testing operation on the University of Nevada, Reno campus was providing accurate results, a university official sent specimens to both the Chicago lab and the Nevada State Public Health Laboratory. The Nevada state lab determined that Northshore’s PCR testing had missed 96 percent of positive cases, a finding reported in a ProPublica investigation, which said officials never arrived at a clear explanation for the unreliable results. (Hynes, 5/31)

The Washington Post: San Diego Doctor Jennings Staley Sentenced In Hydroxychloroquine Scheme 
In March and April of 2020, as the coronavirus spread and people isolated in their homes, a doctor in San Diego boasted that he had his hands on a “miracle cure,” according to prosecutors — hydroxychloroquine. In mass-marketing emails from his business, Skinny Beach Med Spa, Jennings Ryan Staley said the drug was included in his coronavirus “treatment kits,” despite the medication becoming increasingly scarce. But Staley had a way of getting it, he later told an undercover federal agent. He planned to smuggle in a barrel of hydroxychloroquine powder with the help of a Chinese supplier, prosecutors said. Staley was sentenced last week to 30 days in prison and a year of home confinement for the scheme. He pleaded guilty last year. (Peiser, 5/31)

AP: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo reinstated indoor masking on Tuesday due to rising numbers of COVID-19 cases. The numbers are not on the order of what was seen during the worst of the winter omicron surge but they are still concerning from a health and safety standpoint, Anthony J. Knight, executive director of public safety, said in a statement. (5/31)

AP: Bill Would Ban Vaccination Proof To Enter Civic Facilities 
State and local governments and educational institutions in Louisiana could not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for entry into government facilities under legislation advanced by a state Senate committee Tuesday. The 4-2 vote sends the House-passed bill by Rep. Larry Bagley, a Republican from Stonewall, to the full Senate. (5/31)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana St. Vincent Workers Who Declined COVID-19 Vaccine Sue Hospital
Dozens of St. Vincent Health and Ascension Health workers in Indiana who were suspended without pay for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine are asking a federal court to open a class action lawsuit. The 64 workers claim the hospital network discriminated against them because they objected to the vaccine on religious grounds. "Ascension Health established a coercive process calculated to force healthcare workers and staff to abandon their religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccination and receive the vaccination against their will," the lawsuit claims. Ascension Health owns St. Vincent Health. (Magdaleno, 5/31)

The Washington Post: Schools Are Struggling To Meet Rising Mental Health Needs, Data Shows
A survey released Tuesday documents the toll the pandemic has taken on students’ mental health, with 7 in 10 public schools seeing a rise in the number of children seeking services. Even more, 76 percent, said faculty and staff members have expressed concerns about depression, anxiety and trauma in students since the start of the pandemic. (Meckler, 5/31)

EdSource: Counselors Not Part Of One California District’s Plan To Tackle Student Mental Health 
Faced with escalating student mental health needs, one California school district is trying an unusual new approach – one that does not include counselors. Saugus Union School District in northern Los Angeles County, which in recent years has endured a nearby school shooting, wildfires and increasing political polarization, is eliminating all four of its counselor positions and replacing them with social workers. In the fall, the district will have nine social workers and no counselors. (Jones, 5/31)

The Hill: Texas Artist Donating Customized Caskets For Uvalde Victims
A Texas artist is donating customized caskets for victims of last week’s mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Trey Ganem, the owner of custom casket company SoulShine Industries, pivoted to helping the victims’ families shortly after the shooting. The massacre left 19 children and two teachers dead, galvanizing the nation and reigniting a fight over gun regulations. (Schonfeld, 5/31)

NBC News: Brooklyn Subway Shooting Victim Sues Gun Maker Glock For Fueling 'Public Nuisance'
A woman who was shot in the Brooklyn subway shooting in April that left 10 people wounded filed a lawsuit Tuesday against gun maker Glock Inc. and its parent company, accusing them of fueling "a public nuisance" in New York and endangering public health and safety. Ilene Steur, the woman behind the federal lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of New York, was on her way to work when she was shot in the April 12 attack where a gunman fire dozens of bullet into a busy subway train. (Da Silva, 6/1)

Newsweek: McConnell Says 'Biggest Decision' As Leader Was Blocking Merrick Garland
Mitch McConnell says blocking then-President Barack Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court in 2016 is his single greatest accomplishment during his 15 years leading Senate Republicans. McConnell made the remarks to supporters, The Washington Times reported Tuesday, reflecting on his tenure as Senate Republican leader. The Kentucky Republican's refusal to even consider Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, enraged Democrats and aided the court's rightward drift. McConnell made the remarks as Democrats are now looking to McConnell to help broker a deal on gun control. (Thomas, 5/31)

Modern Healthcare: UHS Taking Sole Ownership Of George Washington University Hospital
Universal Health Services will assume full ownership of George Washington University Hospital, the for-profit health system announced Saturday. A Universal Health Services subsidiary and George Washington University owned and operated George Washington University Hospital in Washington for nearly 25 years. Under that arrangement, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services held an 80% stake and the university owned the remainder. "We are confident that through this restructured partnership, we will be able to mutually meet our quality-of-care goals while also growing our integrated delivery model and further expanding access to care," Marc Miller, president and CEO of Universal Health Services, said in a news release. (Berryman, 5/31)

Modern Healthcare: Cedars-Sinai, Union Agree To Three-Year Contract 
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and a union representing 2,000 workers reached a three-year contract agreement weeks after workers staged a five-day strike, the union announced Saturday. Service Employees Union International-United Healthcare Workers West, members of which include certified nursing assistants, transporters, environmental services workers, plant operations workers, surgical technicians and food service technicians, said in a news release that the ratified contract includes the largest raises in its history with the not-for-profit Los Angeles hospital. (Christ, 5/31)

Modern Healthcare: Providers Urge FTC To Probe PBM Practices
Providers want the Federal Trade Commission to investigate pharmacy benefit managers' business practices, but PBMs and insurers say pharmaceutical manufacturers are to blame for sky-high drug prices. The FTC published a notice in February asking for input on how PBM practices such as rebates and fees, potentially anticompetitive contracts, and attempts to steer patients toward certain pharmacies affect patients and payers. The commission received more than 23,700 submissions by the time the comment period expired Wednesday. Providers wrote that PBMs engage in practices that decrease quality and threaten providers' finances. (Goldman, 5/31)

Stat: Mistreatment In Medical School Leads Students To Leave 
Medical students who report being mistreated or discriminated against are far more likely to drop out of medical school, according to a study published Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics. Previous studies have linked discriminatory treatment in medical school to burnout and depression among students. The new paper is the first to link discrimination to medical school attrition, according to the authors, and it may be one reason the number of students from many racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in medicine has declined in recent decades despite efforts to diversify medical school classes and the profession in general. (McFarling, 5/31)

Stat: Arizona Doctors Are Trying To Rewrite Surprise Billing Law To Boost Their Pay
Doctors in Arizona are crafting a state ballot measure that would modify the new federal surprise billing law and drastically tilt the scales in their favor during behind-the-scenes billing negotiations in the state — with consumers ultimately picking up the tab. On its surface, the draft ballot initiative, obtained by STAT, extends new federal protections for surprise medical bills to patients with insurance plans that operate in Arizona. But it would also strip out a key part of the federal arbitration process. And while the initiative is tabled in Arizona for now, it could still serve as a blueprint for health care providers in other states who want to collect higher payments in out-of-network disputes with health insurance companies. (Herman, 6/1)

Stat: Documents Show Problems At Novartis Facility Production Was Halted
Earlier this month, Novartis took the surprising step of voluntarily suspending production of two therapies that use nuclear medicine to target and treat cancer cells, and also halted clinical trials for one of the treatments. At the time, the company explained it was doing so “out of an abundance of caution” in order to “address potential quality issues identified in its manufacturing processes” at facilities in Millburn, N.J., and Ivrea, Italy. No further explanation was offered, although a spokesperson did acknowledge regulators cited the company last fall for issues at the New Jersey plant. (Silverman, 5/31)

Stat: A ‘Dark Horse’ Emerges In DNA Sequencing Race, Boasting A $100 Genome
Bay Area biotech Ultima Genomics on Tuesday claimed that its technology can sequence a whole human genome for $100, making it a surprise player in the race to read DNA quickly, accurately, and cheaply. The company didn’t provide specifics or immediately reply to an inquiry from STAT as to how it calculated that cost. But a $100 genome would represent a major drop in price, one that could help researchers unlock sequencing’s potential to unravel the mysteries of undiagnosed diseases, spot early signs of cancer, and better understand human health. (Wosen, 5/31)

Stat: Pricey Alzheimer’s Therapy Used Globally Has Limited Evidence To Back It Up
Looking more like a barber than a doctor, orthopedic surgeon Musa Citak squirted gel on on his patient’s head and massaged the gooey substance into his scalp as though it were shampoo. He then pulled out a handheld device and began sliding it across the side of the elderly man’s head. “This is shockwave therapy,” Citak explained. As he moved the device, it made rapid clicking sounds, each click a high-frequency sound wave intended to stimulate brain regions and, according to Citak, help regenerate cells and halt the rapid deterioration of the patient’s brain. (Moens, 6/1)

The New York Times: The Doctor Prescribed An Obesity Drug. Her Insurer Called It ‘Vanity.’ 
Maya Cohen’s entree into the world of obesity medicine came as a shock. In despair over her weight, she saw Dr. Caroline Apovian, an obesity specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who prescribed Saxenda, a recently approved weight-loss drug. Ms. Cohen, who is 55 and lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, hastened to get it filled. Then she saw the price her pharmacy was charging: $1,500 a month. Her insurer classified it as a “vanity drug” and would not cover it. (Kolata, 5/31)

Stateline: 4 States Extend Medicaid Coverage For A Year After Childbirth
To boost maternal health for low-income women, California, Florida, Kentucky and Oregon in May received approval from the federal government to extend Medicaid coverage for 12 months after childbirth. Nationwide, pregnancy-related chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, combined with mental health issues including suicides and drug overdoses, are contributing to an increase in deaths among women during pregnancy, childbirth and the first 12 months after delivery, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three out of five of those deaths could be prevented with adequate medical attention, the CDC says. (Vestal, 5/31)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Medicaid Dispute Threatens Drug Access At Pharmacies
Pharmacy deserts for the poorest and disabled Ohioans could grow unless a dispute over new state Medicaid contracts gets settled soon, industry advocates say. "The public is going to start losing independent pharmacies, they’re going to be losing chain pharmacies if this does not get resolved," said Ernie Boyd, executive director of the Ohio Pharmacists Association. In some rural Ohio counties, a pharmacist is the only health professional regularly available. “If they lose them, I can guarantee you that the health of that county will continue to spiral downward,” Boyd said. (Rowland, 5/31)

The Hill: South Dakota Will Vote On Legalizing Pot — With A Twist 
South Dakota voters will decide later this year whether to become the 20th state in the nation to legalize marijuana for recreational use, after supporters filed thousands of signatures with state elections officials earlier this month. But five months before Election Day, it’s not clear exactly what share of the vote supporters must rally in order to win approval. That’s because those same voters head to the polls next week in a primary election that could rewrite the rules just ahead of November’s vote. (Wilson, 5/31)

Bangor Daily News: Maine Child Dies From Flu
A child died from influenza in what is the first death to date in Maine during the 2021-22 season, the Maine Center for Disease and Prevention reported on Tuesday. The last influenza-associated death in a Maine child happened in February 2020, according to Robert Long, spokesperson for the Maine CDC. An influenza-associated death is when a person has symptoms with a positive flu test, but dies before recovering, he said. The Maine CDC did not specify the child’s age, but said that they had tested positive for influenza A. (Lausier, 5/31)

The Hill: Pentagon Reports High Levels Of ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Drinking Water Near Bases
The Defense Department is reporting high levels of toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water near several of its bases, according to new data released by the department. Drinking water testing near bases in Washington state, Pennsylvania, Florida and Michigan found levels of the chemicals well above a health threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  (Frazin, 5/31)

The Boston Globe: Ipswich Health Board Considers Syringe Service Program
The Ipswich Board of Health at its Monday, June 6 meeting will continue public discussions about the possibility of bringing a syringe service program to town. Interested community members are invited to attend the session, set for 5:30 p.m. in Town Hall Room C. The board began discussing the potential syringe service program on May 9, when Susan Gould Coviello, executive director of the Gloucester-based North Shore Health Project, met with the panel to suggest the idea. Since 2016, the Project has provided such a service for Gloucester. (Laidler, 5/31)

The Boston Globe: ‘They Treated Me Like I Was An Inmate.’ Despite Protests, State Continues To Support Prison-Based Programs For Addicted Men
Advocates and addiction specialists have long decried the practice of forcing men into correctional settings for addiction treatment, saying that doing so shames and often traumatizes people who are sick but not criminals. But the state government continues to support these programs. Funding to operate the facility where Hiltz was taken — the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center, or MASAC — has doubled since 2019 to $20.5 million, and the fiscal year 2023 budget now before the Senate would provide an additional $1.5 million. Some $36 million in capital improvements are underway. “Rather than move away from correctional administration, the state is doubling down on it,” said Bonnie Tenneriello, a lawyer with Prisoners’ Legal Services of Massachusetts, which in 2019 sued the state over the issue. (Freyer, 5/31)

Bloomberg: Gen Z Prefers Marijuana Or Shrooms To Alcohol
Gen Z, the meme-hungry, gender-fluid generation that’s already reshaping everything from social media to shopping, is also redefining how society unwinds. Of people aged 18 to 24, 69% prefer marijuana to alcohol, according to a recent survey by New Frontier Data, a cannabis research firm. Consumers up to age 44 have a similar stance. But the youngest cohort is of particular interest, because many of Gen Z’s members still don’t have paychecks and purchasing power. Its oldest members, up to age 24, may thus be a leading indicator, given that they already have around $360 billion in disposable income, are just of legal age to spend it on alcohol or marijuana, and will doubtlessly influence their younger peers. (Kary, 5/31)

Axios: Youth Vaping Reversed Declines In Tobacco Use
More than a million teens started vaping from 2017 to 2019, throwing decades of declining tobacco use in reverse, according to a new study in Pediatrics. The popularity of Juul in particular led a new generation of 14- to 17-year-olds to get hooked, although use dropped off after an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths. "We saw a huge increase in addiction," study co-author John Pierce told Axios. (Dreher, 5/31)

The Washington Post: Esophageal Cancer May Be Rising Among The Middle-Aged 
About 20,640 U.S. adults will be diagnosed with esophageal cancer this year, according to estimates from the American Cancer Society (ACS). This type of cancer, which affects the esophagus — the tube that carries swallowed food from your throat to your stomach — has been found most often in people 65 and older, especially men. The ACS says that, overall, diagnosis rates have been fairly steady in recent years. A report, however, suggests that esophageal cancer may be increasing among middle-aged people. (Searing, 5/31)

Houston Chronicle: What Is ICU Delirium? Doctors Grapple With A Mystery Diagnosis
Four years ago, Richard Cheatum watched his 64-year-old wife lose her grip on reality inside a Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center intensive care unit. Belinda Cheatum had suffered from Crohn’s disease, a type of chronic inflammatory bowel disorder, and developed severe complications that put her on a mechanical ventilator for about three weeks. When she recovered enough to breathe on her own, she thought the helicopters flying outside of her hospital room window were part of an invasion, Richard said. She tried talking through the TV remote like a cellphone. (Gill, 5/31)

Axios: It's Time To Soak Up More Sun
Nearly half of us — regardless of age, race and home state — are deficient in the sun’s vitamin. We need vitamin D for healthy bones and teeth and strong immune systems but simply fail to get enough from the sun and other sources. 42% of us have less than 20 nanograms of "the sunshine vitamin" per milliliter of blood — the amount we need to thrive. (Pandey, 5/31)

Fortune: Low Back Pain: How Over-The-Counter Medicine Might Be Making It Worse
Low back pain is the most common and debilitating of all pain complaints. Heavy lifting can cause it, but so can sitting at a desk all day, especially if you have bad posture and poor back support. Think hunching over a laptop at your dining table. Most times, an acute injury causing lower back pain will get better on its own in a matter of weeks. But it also can become a more lasting problem, especially as you age. Now some new science suggests one reason for this could be that we've been approaching the inflammation that comes with back pain all wrong. (Morgan, 5/31)

The New York Times: Canada Decriminalizes Opioids And Other Drugs In British Columbia
Facing soaring levels of opioid deaths since the pandemic began in 2020, the Canadian government announced Tuesday that it would temporarily decriminalize the possession of small amounts of illegal drugs, including cocaine and methamphetamines, in the western province of British Columbia that has been ground zero for the country’s overdoses. ... The announcement was applauded by families of deceased opioid users and by peer support workers, and was supported by police associations and British Columbia’s chief coroner, but many harm reduction activists demanded that the government go further by expanding the exemption across the country and increasing the threshold to include larger quantities. (Isai and Porter, 5/31)

Reuters: Cuba Lifts Mask Mandate As Vaccination Rate Soars And Deaths Plummet 
Cuba on Tuesday lifted a mask mandate in place for two years following a successful vaccination drive that health officials say has contributed to a sharp drop in cases and nearly three weeks without a single death from COVID-19. The island, whose communist government has long sought to stand out by providing a free healthcare system that focuses on preventative treatment such as vaccinations, developed its own COVID vaccines and became the first country in the world to begin the mass vaccination of kids as young as age 2. (Acosta, 5/31)

CBS News: "My Brain Is Broken": Former CIA Analyst Struggling With Havana Syndrome Says She Has Not Received Promised Care 
Despite public assurances of medical care and financial support through congressional legislation for those suffering from the mysterious health condition known as Havana Syndrome, a CBS News investigation has identified more than a dozen current and former government operatives, and in some cases family members, who say the government has not had their back.  "I'm not sure I'll ever be able to work again. I mean, I've lost everything," former CIA analyst Erika Stith told CBS News as part of a monthslong investigation. (Herridge, 5/31)