First Edition: June 17, 2019

Kaiser Health News: Federal Grants ‘A Lifesaver’ In Opioid Fight, But States Still Struggle To Curb Meth
In his 40 years of working with people struggling with addiction, David Crowe has seen various drugs fade in and out of popularity in Pennsylvania’s Crawford County. Methamphetamine use and distribution is a major challenge for the rural area, said Crowe, the executive director of Crawford County Drug and Alcohol Executive Commission. But opioid-related overdoses have killed at least 83 people in the county since 2015, he said. Crowe said his organization has received just over $327,300 from key federal grants designed to curb the opioid epidemic. While the money was a godsend for the county — south of Lake Erie on the Ohio state line — he said, methamphetamine is still a major problem. (Heredia Rodriguez, Lucas and Donovan-Smith, 6/17)

Kaiser Health News: A Year After Spinal Surgery, A $94,031 Bill Feels Like A Back-Breaker
Spinal surgery made it possible for Liv Cannon to plant her first vegetable garden.“It’s a lot of bending over and lifting the wheelbarrow and putting stakes in the ground,” the 26-year-old said as she surveyed the tomatillos, cherry tomatoes and eggplant growing in raised beds behind her house in Austin, Texas. “And none of that I could ever do before.” For as long as she could remember, Cannon’s activities were limited by chronic pain and muscle weakness. (Hamilton, 6/17)

The New York Times: Trump Wants To Neutralize Democrats On Health Care. Republicans Say Let It Go.
As President Trump prepares to kick off his bid for a second term this week, he is anxiously searching for a way to counter Democrats on health care, one of their central issues, even though many of his wary Republican allies would prefer he let it go for now. Since he announced his previous run four years ago, Mr. Trump has promised to replace President Barack Obama’s health care law with “something terrific” that costs less and covers more without ever actually producing such a plan. Now he is vowing to issue the plan within a month or two, reviving a campaign promise with broad consequences for next year’s contest. If he follows through, it could help shape a presidential race that Democrats would like to focus largely on health care. (Baker, Tackett and Qiu, 6/16)

The Hill: Trump Says He Will Roll Out New Health Care Plan In Next Couple Of Months 
President Trump said he'll be rolling out a new health care plan in a couple of months, saying it will be a key focus in his 2020 reelection campaign. "We're going to produce phenomenal health care, and we already have the concept of the plan," Trump told ABC News in an interview aired Sunday night. (Klar, 6/16)

Politico: Trump Campaigned On Defeating The Opioid Crisis. It’s Hard To Tell If He’s Winning.
President Donald Trump’s focus on the opioid crisis may strengthen his bond with poor, disaffected voters in hard-hit places like Appalachia that are a bedrock of his base. But the administration, for all its efforts, has not yet reversed the tide of the deadly epidemic. The Trump administration’s response to the crisis of painkiller addictions and overdoses poses an unusual challenge for Democrats, who otherwise have claimed the electoral advantage on health issues during the Trump era. (Ehley, 6/16)

The New York Times: On The Doorstep With A Plea: Will You Support Medicare For All?
Art Miller listened patiently as the stranger on his doorstep tried to sell him on the Medicare for All Act of 2019, the single-payer health care bill that has sharply divided Democrats in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail. The visitor, Steven Meier, was a volunteer canvasser who wanted Mr. Miller to call his congresswoman, Abby Finkenauer, the young Democrat who took a Republican’s seat last year in this closely divided district — and press her to embrace Medicare for all. Beyond congressional politics, there was the familiar role that Iowa plays as the first state to weigh in on the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination. (Goodnough, 6/15)

The Hill: Sanders On Medicare For All: 'People Don't Like Insurance Companies, They Like Their Doctors' 
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a 2020 presidential candidate, defended one of his signature policy proposals, Medicare for All, on “Fox News Sunday,” saying Medicare is “far more popular” than private insurance. “Medicare itself is far, far more popular than our private insurance,” Sanders told Fox’s Chris Wallace. “People don’t like insurance companies, they like their doctors and they like their hospitals.” (Budryk, 6/16)

Reuters: U.S. Drugmakers File Lawsuit Against Requiring Drug Prices In TV Ads
U.S. drugmakers filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging a new government regulation that would require them to disclose the list price of prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer television advertisements. The lawsuit was jointly filed by Amgen Inc, Merck & Co, Eli Lilly and Co and the Association Of National Advertisers in the U.S. district court for the district of Columbia. (6/14)

The New York Times: Drug Makers Sue To Block Requirement For Listing Prices In TV Ads
“We believe the new requirements may cause patients to decide not to seek treatment because of their perception that they cannot afford their medications, when in fact many patients do not pay anything near list price,” Merck, whose top-selling product is the pricey cancer drug Keytruda, said in a statement. Lilly, which is one of three manufacturers of insulin under scrutiny for rising list prices — said the federal government had overstepped its authority. “The impetus for the lawsuit is drug prices in TV ads, but the crux of it is H.H.S. not having the authority to mandate this action,” the company said in a statement, referring to the Department of Health and Human Services. (Thomas, 6/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Drugmakers Sue To Block Federal Rule Requiring Drug Prices In TV Ads
The proposed rule was finalized in May by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is set to take effect in July. It is among the efforts by the Trump administration to make health care more affordable in the U.S. Officials also want to stop billions of dollars in annual rebates that drugmakers give middlemen in Medicare that are known as pharmacy-benefit managers. The government has said the proposed rule would increase transparency around prices and allow patients to make informed decisions based on cost. Government officials also have said the rule could spur drug companies to reduce prices. (Hopkins, 6/14)

The New York Times: New York City Allocates $250,000 For Abortions, Challenging Conservative States
New York City will spend $250,000 to help poor women who travel from other states to obtain abortions here, inserting itself into the increasingly contentious debate over access to the procedure. While the amount of money is relatively small, the allocation is a symbolic if provocative move as more conservative states take steps to all but ban abortion. The money will go to the New York Abortion Access Fund, according to City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, a Democrat from Manhattan, and Jennifer Fermino, a spokeswoman for the Council speaker, Corey Johnson. (Stewart, 6/14)

The New York Times: As Passions Flare In Abortion Debate, Many Americans Say ‘It’s Complicated’
Abortion is an issue that Lynndora Smith-Holmes goes back and forth on. “Six of one, half dozen of the other,” she said the other day as she finished her lunch break. “Does it go back to people having abortions in back alleys? Haven’t we overcome that?” she asked, questioning the restrictive laws passed recently in states like Alabama and Kentucky. At the same time, Ms. Smith-Holmes, who works for a day care center in the Allentown neighborhood of Pittsburgh and votes Democratic, said there should be limits. And she is not comfortable with the idea of taxpayer money going to fund abortions — a position that has become almost impossible to hold in the Democratic presidential primary. “Who’s paying for these?” she wondered. (Peters, 6/15)

The Associated Press: Planned Parenthood Builds Ala. Clinic Despite Abortion Law
Planned Parenthood is building the stage for another possible fight over abortion in Alabama: a large women's clinic that's under construction despite the state's passage of a near-total ban on abortions. Located beside an interstate highway in downtown Birmingham, the 10,000-square-foot structure is now nothing but a steel frame and roof. Workers under the constant watch of security guards appear to be installing electrical wiring, plus heating and cooling units. (Reeves, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Democratic Congresswoman Chides ‘Sex-Starved Males’ Opposed To Abortion Rights
Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-Calif.) chastised House colleagues who are opposed to abortion rights, saying she was tired of hearing “from so many sex-starved males” about a woman’s right to choose. Her remark Wednesday during a House debate on a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services caused a stir and immediately, Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) asked Torres if she would like to amend her remarks. Torres agreed, but not before getting the line in one more time. “If it pleases my colleague on the other side, I will withdraw my statement of sex-starved males on the floor,” she said. (Itkowitz and DeBonis, 6/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Massachusetts Lawmakers To Consider Cutting Abortion Restrictions
Abortion will take center stage at the Massachusetts State House on Monday, with lawmakers in both houses scheduled to hear a proposal to decriminalize the procedure throughout pregnancy and strip away other limits on the procedure. Dozens of Democratic Massachusetts legislators have signed on to legislation known as the “Roe Act” in reference to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling establishing a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. (Gershman, 6/16)

The Associated Press: Push For Public Vote On Missouri Abortion Law Hits Roadblock
Efforts to put a new Missouri law banning abortions at eight weeks of pregnancy to a public vote hit another roadblock. Cole County Circuit Judge Daniel Green on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by prominent Republican donor David Humphreys, who is seeking to force GOP Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft to approve his referendum petition on the new law. (6/14)

Politico: Efforts To Save New Moms Clash With GOP's Medicaid Cuts
The push to address the soaring U.S. maternal morality rate is colliding with a broader, more ideological public health imperative: Republican-led efforts to scale back Medicaid. The safety net program pays for half of all births in the nation. Democrats and many public health experts see it as a natural vessel for slowing the death toll of pregnant women and new mothers, by extending care in the crucial year following childbirth. (Rayasam and Ehley, 6/14)

Stat: Inhumane Or Unavoidable? As Congress Scrutinizes An Increase In Monkey Research, Scientists Defend Its Necessity
Federally funded research labs conduct thousands of experiments that rely on monkeys and other nonhuman primates— and now, Congress is ramping up its scrutiny of that science. As part of the congressional appropriations process in the House this year, lawmakers directed both the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to produce reports detailing the ways the agency’s scientists use the thousands of nonhuman primates in their research centers. (Hailu, 6/17)

NPR: Mitch McConnell And The Tobacco Industry: Documents Show Close Ties
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says one of his "highest priorities" is to take on the leading cause of preventable death in the United States: smoking. McConnell has sponsored a bill, along with Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, that would increase the tobacco purchase age from 18 to 21. In a speech on the Senate floor last month, McConnell said, "The sad reality is that Kentucky has been the home to the highest rates of cancer in the country. We lead the entire nation in the percentage of cancer cases tied directly to smoking." (Dreisbach, 6/17)

The Hill: Cruz, Ocasio-Cortez Efforts On Birth Control Access Face Major Obstacles
Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) offer to work with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on making birth control available without a prescription has raised hopes that conservatives and progressives may find common ground on an issue that has long divided Republicans and Democrats. But the two parties are miles apart when it comes to the cost of birth control and who pays for it -- major sticking points that will likely complicate efforts to craft a bipartisan compromise between the staunch conservative and liberal firebrand. (Hellmann, 6/16)

The Hill: Ocasio-Cortez Starts Petition To Repeal Hyde Amendment
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) started a petition Saturday to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bars the use of federal funds for abortions, arguing the restriction overwhelmingly harms low-income Americans and women of color. “It’s not the 70s anymore. This is 2019, and none of our leaders should be willing to stand by a policy that disproportionately harms low income Americans and people of color just to suit the interests of anti-choice zealots,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote in an email to supporters. (Axelrod, 6/15)

Politico: Jon Stewart Continues To Push Congress On Behalf Of 9/11 Victims
Jon Stewart on Sunday continued to push for extending the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund but said congressional politics was making passage “agonizingly difficult.” “I think this community is at the end of their rope,” Stewart told Chris Wallace, host of “Fox News Sunday.” “I think there’s a feeling of disbelief, that they can’t understand why they have to continually saddle up and ride down to Washington and make these appeals for something that should be simple but is somehow, through politics, made agonizingly difficult.” (Quilantan, 6/16)

The New York Times: Eager To Limit Exemptions To Vaccination, States Face Staunch Resistance
As measles spread across the nation earlier this year, 71 residents of Vancouver, Wash., fell ill, most of them unvaccinated children. So state Rep. Paul Harris, a Republican representing the district, sponsored a measure to limit exemptions from immunization. Activists protesting the bill converged on his legislative office; the resulting chaos led security officers to close the entire floor to the public. A death threat was posted on Facebook. (Rabin, 6/14)

The Associated Press: Summer Camp Is Newest Front In Battle With Measles Outbreak
The battle to contain the worst U.S. measles outbreak in 27 years has a new front: summer camp. Vaccinations have been made mandatory this summer for campers and staff in several counties north of New York City that annually fill up with kids from the Orthodox Jewish communities that have been hit hardest by measles. (Hill, 6/16)

The Wall Street Journal: Measles Outbreaks Strain Local Health Departments
Measles first appeared in Clark County, Wash., on New Year’s Eve, when a child who had traveled from Ukraine arrived at an urgent-care clinic. By January 15, the outbreak had taken over the local health department, with two additional confirmed cases and 11 more under investigation. By mid-March, the number of confirmed cases jumped to 71. Clark County Public Health took over the building it had been sharing with several other departments and nonprofits to make room for more than 200 employees, volunteers and state and federal health officials, who worked in shifts. (Abbott, 6/16)

The Associated Press: Court Rules Against Trump On Immigrant Teen Abortion Policy
A federal appeals court in Washington ruled Friday against a Trump administration policy it described as a "blanket ban" preventing immigrant teens in government custody from getting abortions, and it kept in place an order blocking the policy. The policy, which dates to 2017, prohibited shelters from facilitating abortions for children held in government shelters after entering the country illegally. The policy has not been in force since March 2018, when a judge blocked it, writing that the government couldn't implement a policy that strips minors of the right to make their own reproductive choices. On Friday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld that judge's ruling. (6/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Court Allows Undocumented Teens In U.S. Custody To Seek Abortions
“It does not even matter if her pregnancy results from rape. Regardless, the government denies her access to an abortion,” the appeals court wrote. It affirmed a trial judge’s decision from last year that blocked the policy, which was implemented by an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Thousands of undocumented minors seek to cross the southern U.S. border each year, without an adult. Unaccompanied minors who cross illegally are generally placed with family members living in the U.S, but those without family are sent to shelters under the jurisdiction of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, an agency within the HHS, while their cases are being adjudicated. (Kendall, 6/14)

The Associated Press: US Border Center Scrutinized After Teen Found With Preemie
A U.S. Border Patrol facility in Texas came under new scrutiny Saturday after a teenage mother was found there with a premature baby. Immigrant advocates expected the facility in the U.S.-Mexico border city of McAllen to allow doctors inside to conduct health assessments, but it was not immediately clear whether those assessments took place. (6/15)

The New York Times: Groundwork Is Laid For Opioids Settlement That Would Touch Every Corner Of U.S.
Every city, town and county in the United States could receive a payout in a settlement with the largest makers, distributors and retailers of prescription opioids, if a judge approves an innovative proposal made Friday in an Ohio federal court by lawyers for hundreds of local governments. The plan, which legal experts describe as “novel” and “unorthodox,” could potentially expand the number of municipalities and counties eligible for compensation in the federal litigation from 1,650 to about 24,500 and open the way for a comprehensive national opioid settlement with the pharmaceutical industry. (Hoffman, 6/14)

The Associated Press: What's So Bad About Processed Foods? Scientists Offer Clues
Chips, soda and frozen pizzas tend to be full of salt, sugar and fat, but now scientists are trying to understand if there's something else about such processed foods that might be bad for us. Already, the spread of cheap, packaged foods has been linked to rising obesity rates around the world. Yet advice to limit processed foods can seem unhelpful, given how convenient they are and the growing array of products that fall into the category. (Choi, 6/14)

The New York Times: For The Third Time, W.H.O. Declines To Declare The Ebola Outbreak An Emergency
For the third time, the World Health Organization declined on Friday to declare the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency, though the outbreak spread this week into neighboring Uganda and ranks as the second deadliest in history. An expert panel advising the W.H.O. advised against it because the risk of the disease spreading beyond the region remained low and declaring an emergency could have backfired. (McNeil, 6/14)

The Wall Street Journal: Does Your Kid Spend Too Much Time Online? Here’s When To Worry.
Twitch. Fortnite. Netflix. Many parents worry that their kids spend too much time on social media, videogames and other digital technology. Some are concerned enough to ask doctors for help. Parents may have reason to worry, says pediatrician Michael Rich, director of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Center on Media and Child Health and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders, which focuses on issues associated with digital technology. (Reddy, 6/17)

The Washington Post: Confused Or Worried About Antibiotics? This Harvard Infectious Disease Expert Has Some Answers
Should you use antibiotics? What’s antibiotic resistance? Can the medication really interfere with the gut and other systems of the body? If you have questions about antibiotics, you’re not alone — and Mary E. Wilson, a Harvard University professor and infectious disease expert, probably answers those question in “Anti­biotics: What Everyone Needs to Know.” (Blakemore, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Potent Pot, Vulnerable Teens Trigger Concerns In First States To Legalize Marijuana
The first two states to legalize recreational marijuana are starting to grapple with teenagers’ growing use of highly potent pot, even as both boost the industry and reap huge tax windfalls from its sales. Though the legal purchase age is 21 in Colorado and Washington, parents, educators and physicians say youths are easily getting hold of edibles infused with tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive component that causes a high, and concentrates such as “shatter,” a brittle, honey-colored substance that is heated and then inhaled through a special device. (Oldham, 6/16)

The Washington Post: What Animals Can Tell Us About Human Aging
Scientists who want to understand why some of us live longer and healthier have traditionally focused on studying centenarians from the world’s “blue zones,” such as Okinawa, Japan, or Ikaria, Greece, where inhabitants routinely shatter longevity records. Yet Irish bat biologist Emma Teeling thinks the answer can be found among bats in the storybook belfries of the Gothic cathedrals in Brittany, France. Every spring, she and her team travel there to trap hundreds of brown mouse-eared baby and mother bats to collect their blood so they can sequence their DNA. (Richards, 6/15)

The Washington Post: What Your Grip Says About Your Odds Of Surviving A Health Crisis
President Trump’s odd, grabbing handshake aside, people have long judged each other for the firmness — or lack thereof — of a handshake. A strong grip generally conveys confidence or even power, while a limp grip sometimes comes across as disengaged or weak. But recent studies indicate that grip strength can reveal far more than your personality; it can serve as a window into how healthy — or unhealthy — you are. And as you age, experts say, your grip strength can be a measure for how likely you are to develop and survive diseases such as cancer, heart disease and more. (Loudin, 6/15)

The Washington Post: An Ageless Question: When Is Someone ‘Old’?
As much as I try to stay in the moment, I sometimes get obsessed with the future — as in, “How much time have I got left?” Not long ago, curious about this life-or-death question, I used the Social Security Administration’s life expectancy calculator to see how long I might live. Based on my age and gender, the calculator told me I’ve probably got another 22 years ahead of me, that is until I kick the bucket at 83. (Of course, an accident or a serious illness could ruin my calculation.) (Petrow, 6/16)

The Washington Post: Laughter Really Is The Best Medicine? In Many Ways, That’s No Joke.
Carl Reiner, 97, has been a comedic icon for more than 70 years, a perennial favorite of baby boomers who grew up with Sid Caesar and Dick Van Dyke. But even younger generations have come to appreciate his singular wit. He’s been an actor, screenwriter and director, as well as a legendary straight man for his old pal, Mel Brooks. He believes humor has enriched his life and boosted his longevity. “There is no doubt about it,” he says. “Laughter is my first priority. I watch something every night that makes me laugh. I wake up and tickle myself while I’m still in bed. There is no greater pleasure than pointing at something, smiling and laughing about it. I don’t think there is anything more important than being able to laugh. When you can laugh, life is worth living. It keeps me going. It keeps me young.” (Cimons, 6/15)

The New York Times: California Tests A Digital ‘Fire Alarm’ For Mental Distress
Last winter, several dozen people who were struggling with suicidal urges and bouts of intense emotion opened their lives to a company called Mindstrong, in what has become a closely watched experiment in Silicon Valley. Mindstrong, a venture co-founded by a former director of the National Institute of Mental Health, promised something that no drug or talk therapy can provide: an early-warning system that would flag the user when an emotional crisis seemed imminent — a personal, digital “fire alarm.” (Carey, 6/17)

The Associated Press: Flint Water Decision Shows Legal Complexities Of Disaster
A surprise decision by Michigan prosecutors to drop all pending charges in the Flint water crisis and restart a three-year investigation is a reminder of the legal complexities surrounding the disaster. Seven of 15 people had taken plea deals with no jail time, and their records will eventually be scrubbed clean. Eight others saw their charges dismissed Thursday, including two who served in former Gov. Rick Snyder's Cabinet. Some key questions and answers about the probe. (6/14)

The New York Times: New York Police Officer Kills Himself, Third Police Suicide In 10 Days
A 29-year-old New York police officer fatally shot himself near his Staten Island precinct station house Friday afternoon, the third member of the department to kill himself in 10 days. The police declined to release the officer’s name or to provide more details about his position, other than to say that he had been a New York police officer for six years before he shot himself inside a car near the 121st Precinct station house at about 3:50 p.m. (Zaveri and Taylor, 6/14)

The Associated Press: CDC Director Praises Alabama HIV Clinic Ahead Of Campaign
As the federal government prepares to launch an ambitious initiative to end the HIV epidemic, the director of the Centers for Disease Control on Friday applauded an Alabama HIV clinic's commitment to providing health services to rural communities. Director Robert Redfield met with state public health officials and toured the Medical Advocacy & Outreach clinic in Montgomery to begin laying the groundwork for the decade-long federal campaign. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. (6/14)

The Hill: Arizona Moves To Revoke Health Facility's State License After 'Several' Maggots Found On Resident
The facility is the same one in which an incapacitated female resident was raped and later gave birth last year. A male nurse has been arrested on multiple charges of sexual assault and abuse of a vulnerable adult in connection with the assault. (Gstalter, 6/15)

The Associated Press: Alabama Orders 'Chemical Castration' Of Some Child Molesters
Some Alabama sex offenders who abuse young children will have to undergo "chemical castration" while on parole, under a new law, but the requirement has prompted legal concerns and appears to be rarely used in some states that allow it. The procedure uses medications that block testosterone production in order to decrease sex drive. The Alabama law says sex offenders whose crimes involved children between ages 7 and 13 must receive the medication before being released from prison on parole. Alabama doesn't allow parole for sex crimes involving children 6 and under. (6/16)

The Associated Press: Maine Senator Backs Push For Better Public Health Data
Maine’s independent senator is among a group of lawmakers backing a bill that calls for the modernization of public health data systems. Sen. Angus King says the proposal would ensure accurate and timely information sharing to help protect residents from health threats like viruses and prescription drug abuse. He’s joined by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson of Georgia on the proposal. (6/16)

The Associated Press: 5th Woman Accuses Ex-UCLA Gynecologist Of Sexual Battery
A fifth woman has accused a retired University of California, Los Angeles gynecologist of sexually abusing her. The lawsuit, filed Friday, accuses Dr. James Heaps of sexual battery, negligence and civil rights violations. "We're reviewing the lawsuit and we find the allegations against Dr. Heaps to be very disturbing," UCLA Health spokeswoman Rhonda Curry said. (6/14)

The Associated Press: Ohio Hospital Faces Lawsuits Over Legionnaires' Outbreak
Two people who say they contracted Legionnaires' disease at newly opened Ohio hospital have sued the facility and its health system. Martin and Rebecca Brown, from Orient, sued Mount Carmel Grove City in Franklin County on Tuesday. Anna Hillis, of Grove City, filed suit Friday. Sixteen people have been diagnosed with Legionnaires', a severe form of pneumonia, since the outbreak was made public two weeks ago. A 75-year-old woman has died after being diagnosed. (6/15)