First Edition: June 7, 2019

Kaiser Health News: A Large Employer ‘Frames’ The ‘Medicare For All’ Debate
Walk into a big-box retailer such as Walmart or Michaels and you’re likely to see MCS Industries’ picture frames, decorative mirrors or kitschy wall décor. Adjacent to a dairy farm a few miles west of downtown Easton, MCS is the nation’s largest maker of such household products. But MCS doesn’t actually make anything here anymore. It has moved its manufacturing operations to Mexico and China, with the last manufacturing jobs departing this city along the Delaware River in 2005. MCS now has about 175 U.S. employees and 600 people overseas. (Galewitz, 6/7)

Kaiser Health News: Legal Promise Of Equal Mental Health Treatment Often Falls Short
Amanda Bacon’s eating disorder was growing worse. She had lost 60% of her body weight and was consuming about 100 calories a day. But that wasn’t sick enough for her Medicaid managed-care company to cover an inpatient treatment program. She was told in 2017 that she would have to weigh 10 pounds less — putting her at 5-foot-7 and 90 pounds — or be admitted to a psychiatric unit. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m going to die,’” the Las Cruces, N.M., resident recalled recently. (Dangor, 6/7)

Kaiser Health News: Social Security Error Jeopardizes Medicare Coverage For 250,000 Seniors
At least a quarter of a million Medicare beneficiaries may receive bills for as many as five months of premiums they thought they already paid. But they shouldn’t toss the letter in the garbage. It’s not a scam or a mistake.Because of what the Social Security Administration calls “a processing error” that occurred in January, it did not deduct premiums from some seniors’ Social Security checks and it didn’t pay the insurance plans, according to the agency’s “frequently asked questions” page on its website. The problem applies to private drug policies and Medicare Advantage plans that provide both medical and drug coverage and substitute for traditional government-run Medicare. (Jaffe, 6/6/)

Kaiser Health News: Payroll Tax Is One State’s Bold Solution To Help Seniors Age At Home
Nearly a decade after federal officials discarded a provision in the Affordable Care Act that would have provided Americans with long-term care insurance benefits, two states — Washington and Hawaii — are experimenting with taxpayer-funded plans to help older residents remain in their homes. Washington state’s ambitious plan, signed into law in May, will employ a new 0.58% payroll tax (or “premium,” as policymakers prefer to call it) to fund a $36,500 benefit for individuals to pay for home health care, as well as other services — from installing grab bars in the shower to respite care for family caregivers. (Blankinship, 6/7)

Kaiser Health News: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Fetal Tissue Research Is Latest Flashpoint In Abortion Debate
The Trump administration this week announced efforts to restrict research using fetal tissue from elective abortions. The new policy bars such research by government scientists and creates hurdles for outside scientists that get funding from the National Institutes of Health. The move displaces a policy passed with bipartisan support in Congress more than 25 years ago. (6/6)

The New York Times: Joe Biden Denounces Hyde Amendment, Reversing His Position
After two days of intense criticism, Joseph R. Biden Jr. reversed himself Thursday night on one of the issues most important to Democratic voters, saying he no longer supports a measure that bans federal funding for most abortions. As recently as Wednesday, Mr. Biden’s campaign had said he supported the measure, known as the Hyde Amendment. His decision to change positions illustrates the intense pressure he faces as the presumed front-runner for the Democratic nomination for president. (Glueck, 6/6)

The Associated Press: Biden Reverses Position On Hyde Abortion Amendment
"If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment" that makes it harder for some women to access care, Biden said at a Democratic Party fundraiser in Atlanta. The former vice president's reversal on the Hyde Amendment came after rivals and women's rights groups blasted him for affirming through campaign aides that he still supported the decades-old budget provision. The dynamics had been certain to flare up again at Democrats' first primary debate in three weeks. Biden didn't mention this week's attacks, saying his decision was about health care, not politics. (Barrow, 6/7)

The Wall Street Journal: Biden Reverses Stance On Hyde Amendment, Citing Roe V. Wade
The former vice president said he could no longer support the ban, known as the Hyde Amendment, blaming Republican efforts to limit access to abortions and overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. “It was not under attack…as it is now. But circumstances have changed,” Mr. Biden said during a speech in Atlanta, referring to the Supreme Court ruling protecting a women’s right to an abortion. “I’ve been struggling with the problems that Hyde now presents.” “It’s clear that these folks are going to stop at nothing to get rid of Roe, and it’s clear to me that we have to just be just as strong in defending it,” Mr. Biden said. He added, “Times have changed.” (Thomas, 6/6)

Politico: Biden Reverses Abortion Funding Stand
Biden, however, did indicate that he would not support taxpayer funding for abortion if it became more readily available for women in need, particularly women who live in poverty. (Caputo, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Joe Biden Reverses Position On Federal Funding Of Abortion After Democratic Outcry
“It seemed like he heard a lot of feedback and opened his mind to thinking about this in a different way,” Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said in an interview after Biden announced his new position. Hogue declined to discuss any conversations she had with Biden or his campaign, although she suggested that her group and others had mounted an effort to change his mind. (Itkowitz, 6/6)

The New York Times: What Is The Hyde Amendment? A Look At Its Impact And History
The broad answer is that it’s a measure banning federal funding for abortion. More precisely, it states that Medicaid will not pay for an abortion unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. The amendment — named for former Representative Henry Hyde, Republican of Illinois — was first passed in 1976 as part of the appropriations bill for what is now the Department of Health and Human Services, and it is renewed every year, with occasional changes to the list of exceptions. (Astor, 6/7)

The Associated Press: Effort To Repeal Missouri 8-Week Abortion Ban Hits Roadblock
Efforts to repeal Missouri's new eight-week abortion ban with a public vote hit a roadblock Thursday, the latest development in a fight over abortion rights that's playing out on multiple fronts in the state. Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft told reporters that he rejected two referendum petitions aimed at repealing the sweeping abortion law — one backed by the ACLU of Missouri and the other backed by businessman David Humphreys, a wealthy GOP donor. (Ballentine, 6/6)

Reuters: Missouri Secretary Of State Blocks 'Heartbeat' Abortion Law Referendum
Missouri's constitution gives citizens the right to veto a newly enacted laws by referendum. The ACLU filed its lawsuit against Ashcroft in Cole County Circuit Court in Jefferson City, the state capital. In announcing his decision, Ashcroft said, "there are certain limits to the people's right to a referendum." (6/6)

The Associated Press: Closing Arguments Made In Virginia Abortion Law Trial
A federal judge in Richmond is being asked to decide whether four Virginia abortion laws create mere inconveniences or undue burdens for women seeking abortions. During closing arguments Thursday in a lawsuit challenging the laws, an attorney for women's health groups said the regulations are medically unnecessary and limit women's access to abortion. "The benefits must outweigh its demonstrated burdens, and here they do not," said Jenny Ma, a senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights. (Lavoie, 6/6)

The Associated Press: Klobuchar's Mental Health Policy Inspires Iowa Endorsement
Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar's mental health plan has inspired her first Iowa endorsement. State Rep. Ruth Ann Gaines, one of Iowa's four black legislators, is the mother of a son with developmental and mental disorders. She said Klobuchar made a personal impression on her when the two exchanged ideas to improve mental health services during a one-on-one breakfast. (6/6)

Los Angeles Times: Soaring Insurance Deductibles And High Drug Prices Hit Sick Americans With A ‘Double Whammy’
Wendy Matney hesitated to tell her family not to call 911. “It seemed almost selfish to say, ‘Please don’t call because we can’t afford this,’” said the 39-year-old home health aide, who has a form of epilepsy that causes frequent, sometimes violent, seizures. Matney has been to the hospital enough, though, to know a trip means thousands of dollars in bills under the family’s high-deductible health plan. And she and her husband — struggling with more than $20,000 in medical debt — can afford no more. Hit with a hospital lawsuit over unpaid bills, the couple are declaring bankruptcy, effectively giving up hope of moving out of their trailer and buying a house. (Levey, 6/6)

The Hill: Democrats Demand Answers From Migrant Children's Shelter Company That Hired John Kelly
Two Democratic lawmakers want the company operating the country’s largest shelter for migrant children to explain why it hired former Trump White House chief of staff John Kelly to serve on its board of directors. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (Wash.) sent a letter Thursday to the CEO of Caliburn International asking questions ranging from Kelly's compensation to company revenue from operating shelters for unaccompanied migrant children. (Weixel, 6/6)

The Associated Press: Doctors Alarmed That Flu Killed Detained Migrant Teen
A 16-year-old from Guatemala died of complications of the flu while in U.S. Border Patrol custody, according to preliminary autopsy findings, alarming doctors who questioned whether immigration authorities missed warning signs or chances to save his life. Carlos Hernandez Vasquez contracted bacterial infections in addition to the flu, as well as sepsis, which can lead to tissue damage and organ failure, according to a report released by Hidalgo County authorities this week. He died May 20. A full autopsy is pending. (Merchant, 6/6)

Politico: DHS Officials Tell Senators Migrants Are 'Renting Babies' To Cross The Border
Department of Homeland Security officials told senators at a lunch Wednesday that migrants are “renting babies” to speed their trip across the border, according to Sen. Chuck Grassley. “I can't believe that this actually happened, that the people down there in Central America or Mexico are renting babies to get across the border and then sending the babies back and renting them again to come back across the border,” the Iowa Republican said Thursday. (Levine, 6/6)

The Associated Press: US Opens New Mass Facility In Texas For Migrant Children
The federal government is opening a new mass facility to hold migrant children in Texas and considering detaining hundreds more youths on three military bases around the country, adding up to 3,000 new beds to the already overtaxed system. The new emergency facility in Carrizo Springs, Texas, will hold as many as 1,600 teens in a complex that once housed oil field workers on government-leased land near the border, said Mark Weber, a spokesman for Office of Refugee Resettlement. (Burke, 6/6)

Politico: Trump Signs Long-Stalled $19.1B Disaster Relief Bill
President Donald Trump Thursday signed a package that would deliver $19.1 billion in disaster relief to communities across the country that are still recovering from a spate of catastrophic hurricanes, wildfires and flooding. The House passed the bill on Monday after Republicans successfully thwarted three attempts to fast-track the package. The Senate passed the bill before the Memorial Day recess, removing Trump’s request for billions in emergency border aid in a last-minute scramble because it was holding up the deal. The legislation was delayed for months prior to that amid partisan infighting. (Emma, 6/6)

The Washington Post: VA Owes Disabled Veterans Refunds On Home Loan Fees, Report Says
The federal government owes at least $189 million to 53,000 disabled veterans who overpaid on their home loans, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ inspector general. When veterans take out a mortgage, they pay a funding fee to the lender that usually costs several thousand dollars. The fee is waived for veterans who receive disability compensation. A review by VA’s Office of Inspector General released Thursday found that from 2012 through 2017, more than half of the veterans entitled to this added benefit paid the fee and never received reimbursement from the government. (Itkowitz, 6/6)

The Hill: GOP Senators Ask PhRMA For Solutions To Lower Drug Prices 
A group of eight Republican senators is writing to pharmaceutical companies asking them what solutions they have for lowering drug prices. The letter to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America released Thursday, led by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), says the lawmakers are looking for “cooperation” from drug companies as they seek to lower drug prices. (Sullivan, 6/6)

The Hill: Liberals Rip Democratic Leaders For Writing Drug Pricing Bill In Secret 
Progressive House Democrats are growing increasingly frustrated with their party’s leadership, accusing them of writing Democrats’ signature bill to lower prescription drug prices in secret and without their input. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) compared the process around Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) drug pricing measure to the secrecy surrounding the GOP’s ObamaCare repeal bill in 2017, when Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) famously wheeled a photocopier across the Capitol in a dramatized search for the hidden legislation. (Sullivan, 6/6)

Stat: Fed Up With FDA, ALS Advocates Consider A Take-No-Prisoners Approach
Next Wednesday, a cadre of ALS patients will gather for a protest outside the FDA’s headquarters in suburban Maryland with a clear message: “No More Excuses.” The rally is being organized by a ragtag group of ALS patients who connected mostly through Facebook, and it’s far less a production than other efforts like the 2014 ice bucket challenge that swept around the world. These protesters haven’t even established a formal organization or a website; some said they’ve never even been to a protest. There’s nary a poster board in sight, yet. (Florko, 6/7)

Reuters: Exclusive: Sanofi Poised To Appoint Novartis' Hudson As CEO
Sanofi is poised to appoint Paul Hudson, a top executive with Switzerland's Novartis, to become the French drugmaker's next CEO from Sept. 1, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters on Thursday. Current Sanofi SA CEO Olivier Brandicourt will leave the company to retire, said the source, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. "Hudson has been chosen because of his reputation. He is known as a solid manager and has an expertise in digital relating to pharmaceuticals," the source said. (Blamont, 6/6)

Stat: Biotech’s Infamous Party Dropped The Topless Dancers This Year. But There Were Gladiators
This year, the dancers weren’t topless. It was the most noticeable — and perhaps the most significant — change to the infamous biotech bash known as PABNAB, an annual event thrown alongside the BIO International Conference that is decidedly not affiliated with that gathering. (PABNAB stands for Party at BIO Not Associated with BIO.) Last year, topless dancers painted with the logos of biotech companies who had sponsored the event — including Selexis and Alpha Blue Ocean — sparked a widespread outcry among women in the industry and even drew a rebuke from a U.S. senator. (Sheridan, 6/6)

Stat: AIDS Groups Criticize Express Scripts For Excluding Some HIV Drugs 
A recent decision by one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S. to exclude several HIV medicines from its list of drugs eligible for insurance coverage has angered AIDS advocacy groups, which argue the move may harm patients. In two separate actions over the past few months, Express Scripts excluded seven HIV medicines for anyone starting treatment. The pharmacy benefit manager explained that less expensive alternatives are available and its decisions were supported by clinical guidelines. The company also noted the drugs remaining on its national formulary appear on federal guidelines for most patients. (Silverman, 6/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Federal Judge Wraps Up Hearings Into CVS-Aetna Deal
Two days of unprecedented court hearings on CVS Health Corp.’s acquisition of Aetna Inc. wrapped up without a firm date for when a federal judge would rule on a Justice Department settlement that allowed the deal, and legal uncertainty for the merged firm could last well into the summer. Judge Richard Leon heard testimony this week on the nearly $70 billion merger in a proceeding he decided to conduct after reviewing the terms of the October settlement between the two companies and the Justice Department that allowed the deal to go through. (Burton, 6/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Need A Medevac? There’s A Membership For That
This is the second installment of a new column exploring the financial decisions that homeowners face, and how they intersect with the social, cultural and economic forces that shape homeowners’ lives. For Stephanie Burns, the first shock came when she found her husband, Gary Burns, bloodied and unconscious on the driveway of their home in rural South Carolina. Mr. Burns had been on his roof spraying for carpenter bees when he fell 14 feet to the ground below. The second shock came when they opened a $22,452 bill for the medevac helicopter that transported Mr. Burns to a trauma center in Greenville, a trip that would have taken an hour by car. (DeCarbo, 6/6)

The New York Times: An Australian Doctor’s Dream: Curing America’s Opioid Curse
The hazy-eyed sheep shearer was shifting in his seat in a clinic in Western Australia, unsure if he could do what the doctor said would save his life. A heroin user for 20 years, he was now in the depths of a detoxification treatment. “I’m all alone,” he said. In a soft voice, the doctor, George O’Neil, pleaded with the man to continue to the next stage: an implant of the drug naltrexone, a device that the physician himself had invented and that is an emerging facet of an impassioned debate over the best way to treat addiction. “I don’t win with everybody,” the doctor said after the man had left. “But I try.” (Kwai, 6/6)

The Associated Press: Doctor Killed 25 Patients, Officials Say. Can They Prove It?
Prosecutors face a legal hurdle as they pursue 25 murder charges against an Ohio doctor accused of essentially using his colleagues as weapons by ordering fatal painkiller doses for hospital patients but not directly administering them himself, legal experts say. Critical care doctor William Husel has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer, Richard Blake, said Husel was trying to provide "comfort care" for dying patients and didn't intend to hasten their deaths, as prosecutors allege. (Franko, 6/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Selling Wellness, Whether It Works Or Not
When Daniel Donnelly spent $9 million on a three-bedroom, three-bathroom Manhattan condominium in November, he wasn’t just buying high-end real estate. He was investing in his own wellness. “We have the cleanest possible water in the building, the best air. My building is healthy,” said Mr. Donnelly, 60, who owns a design firm and a restaurant, and recently sold an HVAC and water tower company. He regularly uses 252 E. 57th’s “hydrotherapy circuit,” consisting of a steam room, experiential shower and ice room. He meditates in the sauna, studies Pilates in the Pilates room and receives massages twice weekly in the massage room. (McLaughlin, 6/6)

Stat: Even Healthy Tissues In The Body Can Exhibit Mutations, Study Says 
For years, the prevailing wisdom has been that our cells contain genes that are essentially carbon copies of each other. That notion is being dashed by studies painting a different picture — one in which even “normal” cells and tissues accumulate mutations over time. New research out of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has identified mutations in normal tissues throughout the body, including some known to drive cancer. (Flaherty, 6/6)

NPR: Mutations Lead To Cellular Mosaics In Human Tissue
"These are all normal tissues," says Gad Getz, who runs the lab where Yizhak worked. "They are not cancerous." These tissues are just — you. It turns out you aren't simply a clone of the cells you started with, despite what you may have learned in biology class. "You're just like a big puzzle, with different pieces with different sizes," Getz says. "All of them are very much similar to your original DNA," but you are actually a mosaic of cells with small variations. This finding in itself is intriguing. But it also has implications for detecting cancer. (Harris, 6/6)

The Associated Press: Schools Reckon With Social Stress: 'I'm On My Phone So Much'
High school biology teacher Kelly Chavis knew smartphones were a distraction in her class. But not even her students realized the psychological toll of their devices until an in-class experiment that, of course, was then spreading on social media. For one class period, students used a whiteboard to tally, in real time, every Snapchat, Instagram, text, call or other notification that popped up. Students were told not to respond to avoid generating replies ... and further notifications. (6/7)

The Washington Post: Rachel Palma Was Told She Had A Brain Tumor. It Was The Tapeworm Taenia Solium.
Doctors had broken the disheartening news to Rachel Palma, explaining that the lesion on her brain was suspected to be a tumor, and her scans suggested that it was cancerous. Palma, a newlywed entering a new chapter in her life, said she was in shock, unwilling to believe it was true. (Bever, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Dominican Republic Deaths: Autopsies Show Similarities For Three U.S. Victims
Dominican government officials released more-detailed autopsy results Thursday for three American tourists who died at adjacent beach resorts owned by the same hotel company during the last week of May. All three victims experienced eerily similar symptoms and internal trauma before their deaths, according to a news release from Dominican authorities. Pathologists said autopsies showed the three had internal hemorrhaging, pulmonary edema and enlarged hearts. (Hernandez, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Stressed Out? Your Dog May Feel It Too, Study Suggests
When dog owners go through a stressful period, they’re not alone in feeling the pressure — their dogs feel it too, a new study suggests. Dog owners experiencing long bouts of stress can transfer it to their dogs, scientists report in a study published Thursday in Scientific Reports. The Swedish researchers focused on 58 people who own border collies or Shetland sheepdogs. They examined hair from the dog owners and their dogs, looking at the concentrations of a hormone called cortisol, a chemical released into the bloodstream and absorbed by hair follicles in response to stress. (Rehm, 6/6)

Los Angeles Times: Coming Home Stressed? Your Dog Is Internalizing Those Bad Vibes Too, Study Suggests
In the 15,000 years that humans and dogs have lived together, dependence and mutual affection have deepened our bond. And science has long established that “emotional contagion” between us and our canine pets is very real. The new study, published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, is the first to find that this contagion is not fleeting. It also suggests that a dog owner’s mental well-being shapes the pet’s emotional health in a uniquely powerful way. Much has been made of the health benefits that dogs offer to humans. Our heart rates and blood pressure routinely decline in their presence. Our levels of circulating oxytocin — often referred to as the “love hormone” — rise when we gaze into a dog’s eyes. (Healy, 6/6)

The New York Times: Preparing My Family For Life Without Me
Putting up pictures in our new house last fall, I opted for nails, not tape. My family had just relocated from California to Brooklyn, our fourth move in five years. With so much change, it had been hard to feel settled, but it was my job to try. I wanted to create a sense of stability while my children, then 8 and 11, were still innocent enough to believe that life could be stable. I wanted to create a sense of hope while my husband, Jonathan, was still young enough to start over. (Bergstrom, 6/7)

The Washington Post: Virginia Beach Vigil Sends A Message Of 'Unity'
One by one their names were read aloud. But not their formal names; their more familiar names, the ones you use with someone you’ve gotten to know. Bobby. Rich. Missy. Keith. Bert. Formality wasn’t necessary for a grieving city that has treasured the memories of the 12 people who were killed in a mass shooting at a municipal complex last week. The thousands at Rock Church stood in silence, listening to the names — with the quiet broken, at the end, by the agonized wail of a woman amid the victims’ families. (Morrison and Williams, 6/6)

The Associated Press: Texas Governor Signs Bill Allowing More Armed Teachers
Texas will allow more teachers to have guns in school and will increase mental health services for students under bills that Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Thursday as major parts of the state's response to a 2018 mass shooting at a high school near Houston. School districts will be allowed to place as many armed teachers or school personnel on campus as they see fit. (6/6)

CNN: Staggering Homeless Count Stuns LA Officials 
The stunning increase in homelessness announced in Los Angeles this week — up 16% over last year citywide — was an almost incomprehensible conundrum given the nation's booming economy and the hundreds of millions of dollars that city, county and state officials have directed toward the problem. But the homelessness crisis gripping Los Angeles is one that has been many years in the making with no easy fix. It is a problem driven by an array of complex factors, including rising rents, a staggering shortage of affordable housing units, resistance to new shelters and housing developments in suburban neighborhoods, and, above all, the lack of a cohesive safety net for thousands of people struggling with mental health problems, addiction and, in some cases, recent exits from the criminal justice system that have left them with no other options beyond living on the streets. (Reston, 6/6)

The Wall Street Journal: Homelessness Grows In California Despite New Government Spending
California’s homeless population is going up despite billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded efforts, according to recently released data and officials. Homelessness jumped 12% and 16% from a year ago in the county and city of Los Angeles, respectively, according to figures released this week based on a count conducted in January. The tally showed 58,936 homeless people in Los Angeles County, which includes 36,300 in the city. The county has the nation’s largest outdoor-homeless population. (Lazo, 6/7)

The New York Times: Two Veteran Police Officers Die By Suicide In 24 Hours, Stunning Department
One was a veteran deputy chief found dead in his police vehicle in the neighborhood where he worked. The other was a longtime homicide detective, discovered lifeless hours later in the dark marshlands of southern Brooklyn. Both men had killed themselves, startling back-to-back suicides that prompted senior police officials to make direct pleas to troubled officers on the 36,000-member force to seek help. (Wilson, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Virginia Warns Of Possible Exposure To Measles-Infected Child At Dulles Airport, Other Locations
The Virginia Health Department issued an advisory Thursday, cautioning the public that they may have been exposed to a measles-infected child at Dulles International Airport on Sunday and in several other places in Northern Virginia a few days later. Alison Ansher, health director for the Prince William Health District, said the case was not related to a current outbreak in several parts of the United States. (Kunkle, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Everett Palmer, Jr. Died While Being Held In A Pennsylvania Prison. His Family Is Demanding Answers
The call came out of nowhere one April day last year: Everett Palmer Jr. was dead. The 41-year-old Army veteran and father of two had traveled from his home in Delaware to Lancaster County, Pa., on April 7 to resolve an outstanding DUI warrant from 2016, his family told The Washington Post on Thursday. But two days later, his family received a call that he had died at York County Prison. (Epstein, 6/6)

The Wall Street Journal: New Yorkers Are Living Longer Than Ever
Older New Yorkers, who make up roughly 13% of the city’s population, are living longer than ever, according to a new report released Thursday from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The life-expectancy of older New Yorkers is now 81.2 years, roughly 2.5 years longer than the national average and up from the reported life expectancy of 80.9 years in 2010. Roughly half of the city’s older New Yorkers, defined as those 65 and older, were born outside the U.S. and are more likely to live in neighborhoods where there are high rates of poverty with less access to medical care. (West, 6/6)