First Edition: June 7, 2022

KHN: They Thought They Were Buying Obamacare Plans. What They Got Wasn’t Insurance. 
Tina Passione needed health insurance in a hurry in December. The newly retired 63-year-old was relocating to suburban Atlanta with her husband to be closer to grandchildren. Their house in Pittsburgh flew off the market, and they had six weeks to move out 40 years of memories. Passione said she went online to search for the federal health insurance marketplace, clicked on a link, and entered her information. She promptly got multiple calls from insurance brokers and bought a plan for $384 a month. Later, though, when she went to a pharmacy and doctor offices in Georgia, she was told she did not have insurance. In fact, it said it right on her card: “THIS IS NOT INSURANCE.” (Sable-Smith, 6/7)

KHN: Misinformation Clouds America’s Most Popular Emergency Contraception 
A brand of specialty mozzarella cheeses. A collection of natural-gas storage terminals. And America’s top-selling emergency contraception. At a moment when half of U.S. states stand poised to outlaw or sharply curtail abortion services, the last-ditch pill for women aiming to stave off an unwanted pregnancy rests in the unlikely stewardship of two private equity firms whose investment portfolios range from Italian foods to vineyard management to children’s cough medicine. (Varney, 6/7)

KHN: California Wants To Slash Insulin Prices By Becoming A Drugmaker. Can It Succeed? 
California is diving into the prescription drug business, attempting to achieve what no other state has done: produce its own brand of generic insulin and sell it at below-market prices to people with diabetes like Sabrina Caudillo. Caudillo said she feels like a “prisoner” to the three major pharmaceutical companies that control the price of insulin, which ranges from $300 to $400 per vial without insurance. The price Caudillo paid in 2017, when she was diagnosed, is etched into her memory: $274. (Hart, 6/7)

KHN: Listen: California Positions Itself As An Abortion Sanctuary State 
While half the states in the U.S. plan to ban or restrict abortion care if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, California is positioning itself to be a sanctuary of abortion access and preparing to welcome people from around the country seeking that care. The state’s Democratic-led legislature is considering 13 bills, a package designed to reduce the costs of abortion and make access to abortion easier. It includes proposals to protect people from law enforcement action if they have an abortion or help provide one. Gov. Gavin Newsom has pledged $125 million in state funds to back these efforts. (Dembosky, 6/7)

Bloomberg: Doctors, Nurses Plead For ATF's Dettelbach Confirmation Slowed By Republicans
A coalition of doctors, hospitals and nurses called on the Senate to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with some arguing the agency is an urgent priority following a string of horrific mass shootings. Eight medical organizations issued endorsements for the nominee, Steve Dettelbach, on Monday in letters obtained by Bloomberg News. But the ATF has long gone without a Senate-confirmed leader because of political disputes over guns between Republicans and Democrats. (Wingrove, 6/6)

Fierce Healthcare: Healthcare Access, Gun Control Top Of Mind For Doctors: Survey
U.S. physicians rank healthcare access, substance abuse and racial disparities as the leading social issues facing the country, followed closely by gun control and climate change. A strong majority, 85%, cited healthcare access as their most important concern, followed by substance/opioid abuse (66%), racial disparities (54%), gun control (53%) and climate change (51%), according to a new Medscape survey. Nearly all the doctors surveyed say they support gun background checks, and a majority are in favor of abortion access with some restrictions by trimester. (Kreimer, 6/6)

PBS NewsHour: Why Doctors Are Calling Gun Violence In The U.S. An Epidemic
Gun violence ripped through multiple communities last weekend, with dozens killed or injured in shootings nationwide. A growing number of health care providers say gun violence is a public health issue. Dr. Joseph Sakran, a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore who survived a life-threatening gunshot wound as a teenager, joins John Yang to discuss. (6/6)

KOIN6: 'Public Health Emergency:' Local Doctors, Faith Leaders Call For Gun Reform
Northwest doctors and faith leaders told KOIN 6 Monday that they view the country’s gun crisis as a “public health emergency” and are calling for action. “It is a public health emergency that needs to be addressed with public health measures,” said Mike Sinanan, the President of the Washington State Medical Association. We believe common-sense measures to reduce the availability of guns to the wrong people is a critical step in handling this public health emergency.” (Burch, 6/6)

The Hill: Senators Say They Need More Time On Gun Talks
Senate negotiators say they are making progress toward a deal to address gun violence, but they aren’t there yet. Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the lead Republican negotiator, on Monday said negotiators are “hovering above the target” but haven’t nailed down anything.   Cornyn said negotiators need at least another week to resolve their differences and urged Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has warned he will only give negotiators a short period of time to reach a deal, not to rush anything to the floor.   (Bolton, 6/6)

CBS News: Cornyn Says He's "Optimistic" There Are "60 Plus" Votes For Gun Legislation
Sen. John Cornyn said Monday he's "optimistic" there will be "60 plus" votes on gun control legislation a bipartisan group of senators has been negotiating.  That would be enough to overcome a filibuster and send a bill to the floor. The Texas Republican is part of the group trying to craft a measure in the wake of deadly shootings last month in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas. (6/7)

The Hill: Illinois Democrat Hopes Uvalde Survivor’s Testimony Will ‘Change Hearts And Minds’ On Gun Control
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said in a new interview that he hopes the testimony of an Uvalde fourth grade student who survived the school shooting by pretending to be dead will help sway public opinion on gun control. Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old student from Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, is one of nine individuals scheduled to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, according to a Friday announcement. (Rai, 6/6)

Crain's New York Business: New York Hospitals Expand Gun Violence Prevention Efforts
New York hospitals and health systems are launching and expanding their own violence intervention programs, leveraging their role as trauma responders to not only heal gunshot wounds but use public health measures to prevent them in the first place. Public health research into gun violence has historically been limited, due to a move by Congress in the 1990s that restricted federal agencies from using funding for injury prevention and control to advocate or promote gun control. But hospitals and health systems are fighting back with efforts to reframe gun violence as a public health issue, pointing to a recent spate of mass shootings across the U.S. and new federal data that found guns were the leading cause of death in 2020 for children between the ages of 1 and 19. (Kaufman, 6/6)

WXXI News: Three Weeks After Buffalo Mass Shooting, Hochul Signs Gun Bills Into Law
Three weeks and two days after the mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed 10 gun control bills into law, including raising the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle from 18 to 21. Hochul’s hometown of Buffalo is grieving in the aftermath of the racist shooting at the Tops market that killed 10 African Americans on May 14. “I’m speaking to you today as the governor of a state in mourning,” Hochul said. “And the citizen of a nation in crisis.” The bills are aimed at closing some loopholes that allowed the alleged 18-year-old gunman to evade the state’s red flag laws and purchase a semi-automatic rifle and body armor. (DeWitt, 6/6)

AP: Defense Attorneys In Florida School Shooting Try To Withdraw
The public defenders representing Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz tried to withdraw from his death penalty trial Monday after the judge ordered them to move forward with jury selection even though one member of their five-member team is sick with COVID-19. (Spencer, 6/6)

Fox News: CDC Raises Monkeypox Alert To Level 2, Recommends Masks During Travel
The CDC raised its alert level for monkeypox to level 2 on Monday, recommending that travelers wear masks, among other health measures. While not on the level of COVID-19, monkeypox has spread across the globe out of Africa since March. Monkeypox symptoms begin as relatively flu-like but soon expand to the swelling of lymph nodes and a rash across the body and face. Ultimately, painful lesions form on rash areas, leaving severe scarring. "Cases of monkeypox have been reported in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia," the CDC wrote in its alert. (Hagstrom, 6/6)

AP: UK: 77 New Monkeypox Cases, Biggest Outbreak Outside Africa
British health officials reported 77 more monkeypox cases on Monday, raising the total to more than 300 across the country. To date, the U.K. has the biggest identified outbreak of the disease beyond Africa, with the vast majority of infections in gay and bisexual men. Health officials warn that anyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, is potentially at risk of catching monkeypox if they are in close contact with a patient, their clothing or their bed sheets. (Cheng, 6/6)

Los Angeles Times: Suspected Monkeypox Cases Rise In California; Officials Expect More To Come
The number of confirmed and suspected monkeypox cases in California climbed to six on Monday as officials in L.A. County and San Francisco said they were prepared to see more cases. Officials said it was crucial that people become aware of the symptoms and healthcare providers be on alert for new cases, as the telltale rash — which has been seen in some recent cases first in the genital area — can sometimes appear similar to more common sexually transmitted infections. Health officials say they’re hoping to contain the monkeypox outbreak but say it’s possible there is already community spread of the virus. (Lin II, 6/6)

Fox News: Monkeypox Cases May Have Been Spreading Undetected In US, Europe For Years
Monkeypox cases may have been spreading out of Africa undetected for years before the initial case was confirmed on May 13, according to the World Health Organization. Monkeypox is a well known virus that does not pose anything like the threat of COVID-19. Typically, Monkeypox cases are only found in those outside of Africa when an individual has recently traveled to the continent. The cases in May popped up nearly simultaneously across the globe in people who have not recently been to Africa, however. "The sudden and unexpected appearance of monkeypox simultaneously in several non-endemic countries suggests that there might have been undetected transmission for some unknown duration of time followed by recent amplifier events," the WHO wrote. (Hagstrom, 6/6)

Stat: 'Testing Bottleneck' For Monkeypox Puts Control At Risk, Experts Warn 
Infectious disease specialists are growing increasingly concerned by the U.S. strategy for testing for monkeypox, warning that it’s creating a bottleneck and squandering the limited time the country may have to get the outbreak under control. Under the current system, specimens must be sent to one of 74 laboratories across the country before being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts who spoke with STAT argue the United States should be testing more broadly for monkeypox, allowing more labs to become part of the process. (Branswell and Joseph, 6/7)

The Hill: Biden Announces Fifth Baby Formula Mission, Shipment To Come From Germany 
President Biden on Monday announced a fifth mission to bring infant formula to the U.S. from overseas, with the most recent shipment arriving from Cologne, Germany. The shipment of Nestlé infant formulas will be transported to Fort Worth, Texas, on June 9. The products will be distributed through Nestlé and Gerber distribution channels, according to the White House, with additional deliveries expected to be announced in the coming days. (Choi, 6/6)

The New York Times: Parents Of Premature Babies Struggle Amid Formula Shortage
Cameron Stripling’s twin girls were born in February, 13 weeks before their due date, weighing a little over one pound each. Though one of her babies is still in a neonatal intensive care unit in Anchorage, Alaska — six hours from her home — Ms. Stripling, 27, considers herself “really, really lucky.” ... Yet despite her overall positivity, Ms. Stripling’s days are grueling and her thoughts are increasingly consumed by the ongoing nationwide baby formula shortage. (Pearson, 6/6)

The 19th: FEMA Clarifies Its Message On Breastfeeding Resources 
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) updated its website last week to make clear that breastfeeding resources are eligible for financial assistance for families affected by disasters – a message that’s all the more crucial as parents contend with a nationwide formula shortage. The clarification comes during the formula crisis, the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season and as the Western United States faces historic wildfires. FEMA’s updated guidance follows a push by Illinois Democrats Rep. Lauren Underwood and Sen. Tammy Duckworth to make breastfeeding more accessible to vulnerable families. (Norwood and Kutz, 6/6)

Stateline: New York Passes Legislation To Create Abortion Sanctuary
With weeks to go before the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to overturn its landmark Roe v. Wade decision ensuring the right to abortion, New York is the latest blue state to pass new laws in anticipation of an influx of patients from states poised to ban the procedure. New York lawmakers passed a package of bills, which Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she will sign, that would establish the state as a haven for people who want access to abortion, whether they live in the state or not. But lawmakers stopped short of passing a proposed equal rights amendment to the state’s constitution that would guarantee a right to abortion. So far, Vermont is the only state whose legislature has passed a proposed constitutional right to abortion, which will be on the ballot in November. New York’s 2022 legislative session ended last week. (Vestal, 6/6)

CIDRAP: Republican US Counties Saw More COVID-19 Deaths 
Majority-Republican counties experienced 73 more COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 people than their Democratic counterparts, suggests an observational study today in Health Affairs. A team led by University of Maryland researchers analyzed COVID-19 death and vaccination data and 2020 presidential election returns from 3,109 US counties from Jan 1, 2020, to Oct 31, 2021. The researchers hypothesized that partisan differences in attitudes toward the pandemic and compliance with local mask, physical distancing, and vaccine policies would lead to differences in death rates. (Van Beusekom, 6/6)

AP: COVID Cases Rise Again In Idaho, But Undercount Is Likely 
Coronavirus cases are again on the rise in Idaho, according to data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, but the numbers are likely an undercount. The statewide positivity rate was 9% on June 5, Boise television station KTVB reported. That’s above the state’s goal of 5% and is consistent with community spread of the virus, said Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke’s Health System. (6/6)

Axios: Nursing Homes Face Closure Risks Amid Staff Shortages Post-COVID
Nursing homes across the U.S. are facing closure risks amid staff shortages and higher operating costs as the country emerges from the pandemic, according to a survey by the American Health Care Association released Monday. Nearly 60% of nursing homes in the U.S. are operating at a financial loss and nearly three-quarters are concerned about possible closures due to staffing shortages, per the survey. Staffing shortages at nursing homes and health care facilities have persisted throughout the pandemic, putting a strain on both workers and affecting the care patients receive. (Saric, 6/6)

AP: COVID Hits Buttigieg, Others Who Attended Michigan Event 
At least 15 people who attended a public affairs conference last week on Michigan’s Mackinac Island have tested positive for COVID-19, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The gathering is put on each year by a business group, the Detroit Regional Chamber, and attracts more than 1,000 public officials, journalists and others who discuss a variety of political and policy issues. Four Republican candidates for governor held a debate. Participants were required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test. (6/6)

AP: Pennsylvania Governor Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf tweeted that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. The 73-year-old governor said in the tweet he has mild symptoms. He said he tested positive in the evening. “I’m grateful that I recently got my second vaccine booster,” Wolf said in his tweet. (6/7)

The New York Times: My Family Got Covid. So Why Did We Test Negative?
As a science journalist, I’ve read dozens of research papers about Covid-19, and I’ve interviewed so many virologists, infectious disease physicians and immunologists over the past two years that I’ve lost count. But nothing prepared me for what happened after my 7-year-old daughter tested positive for Covid-19 nearly two weeks ago. It started the way you might expect: On a Sunday evening, my daughter spiked a fever. The next morning, we got an email informing us that she’d been exposed to the coronavirus on Friday at school. I gave her a rapid antigen test, which quickly lit up positive. I resigned myself to the possibility that the whole family was, finally, going to get Covid-19. (Moyer, 6/6)

AP: NY Governor Urged To Support Bill Protecting Vaccine Privacy
Privacy advocates are urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to affix her signature on a bill that would protect sensitive information gathered from people being vaccinated against COVID-19. Advocates say the unfettered sharing of information could be misused by a raft of entities, including law enforcement who the New York Civil Liberties Union suggests could use that data in criminal proceedings. (Calvan, 6/4)

Bay Area News Group: Can New Novavax COVID Vaccine Win Over The Anti-Vaxxers?
With three COVID vaccines already authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Americans have easy access to plenty of shots. But a fourth one, under review Tuesday, is entirely different — and uses a traditional vaccine design that more people may be inclined to trust. The vaccine, made by Novavax, works just as well as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the company’s studies show. Its side effects seem milder. It’s easier to store. At least 41 other countries — including Australia, Canada, South Korea and the 27 members of the European Union — have approved it. And it enlists the same familiar technique as vaccines against flu, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough. (Krieger, 6/6)

The Washington Post: Long Covid Could Change The Way We Think About Disability 
Mallory Stanislawczyk was hesitant to make the call. She hadn’t spoken to her friend in years. But the friend, who gets around in a wheelchair, was the only person the 34-year-old nurse practitioner could think of who would understand her questions. About being ready to accept help. About using a wheelchair. And about the new identity her battle with long covid had thrust on her. “I think she is the first person I said to, ‘I’m disabled now,’” Stanislawczyk recalled telling the friend. “‘And I’m working on accepting that.’” (Sellers, 6/6)

The Boston Globe: For Many People With Long COVID, A Good Night’s Sleep May Be Hard To Get, Study Says
Researchers from the Cleveland Clinic say they’ve found that a substantial number of people who have long COVID have sleep problems. Researchers looked at a group of 682 patients from the Cleveland Clinic’s Recover clinic, which helps long-COVID patients, and found that 41.3 percent reported at least moderate sleep disturbances, including 8 percent who reported severe sleep disturbances. “The prevalence of moderate to severe sleep disturbances reported by patients presenting for [long COVID] was very high,” the researchers said in an abstract published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep. Researchers were laying out their findings Monday and Tuesday at a meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies. (Finucane, 6/6)

Crain's Detroit Business: Pfizer To Make COVID-19 Pill Ingredients In Michigan
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. announced Monday it would invest $250 million into its 1,300-acre operations center in West Michigan to produce ingredients for its COVID-19 antiviral pill Paxlovid. The facility in Portage, just south of Kalamazoo, will be the company's only U.S. facility making medicinal ingredients in the pills. The investment will create 250 jobs at the plant, Pfizer said in a news release. The timeline for the investment is unclear. Paxlovid, which received an emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December, is a prescription drug therapy designed for use in mild or moderate cases of the deadly coronavirus. (Walsh, 6/6)

The Washington Post: D.C. Tries To Improve Low Compliance Rate For Routine Youth Vaccines
District officials launched a campaign Monday that will allow children to more easily get their routine vaccines this summer at recreation centers, school-based health centers, and mobile vaccination sites in neighborhoods across the city. City officials said they will use covid-19 contact-tracing teams to contact families, hoping to increase a youth vaccination compliance rate that has plummeted during the pandemic. (Stein, 6/6)

Modern Healthcare: Medicaid Enrollees Must Share Lawsuit Awards With States, Supreme Court Rules
States can seek reimbursement for future medical expenses from Medicaid beneficiaries' injury settlements, the Supreme Court decided in a 7-2 opinion issued Monday. Justice Clarence Thomas penned the majority opinion, which asserts that federal Medicaid law allows states to collect private settlement funds for medical expenses and doesn't expressly limit that to previously paid bills. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett joined Thomas. Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. (Goldman, 6/6)

Stateline: More States Adding Medicaid Benefit For Doula Services
Faced with a crisis in maternal mortality, particularly among women of color, more states are extending Medicaid coverage to doula services. Doulas are trained professionals who provide emotional, physical and educational support to women before, during and after childbirth. According to an analysis by the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, at least 17 states are considering, planning or implementing policies to provide Medicaid reimbursement for the services of doulas. (Ollove, 6/6)

Modern Healthcare: Legal Experts Expect 'More Scrutiny' Of Medicare Prior Authorization From Feds
As the federal government's attention to improper Medicare Advantage prior authorization denials intensifies, insurers should consider examining their policies if they want to avoid trouble. Hospitals have called on the Justice Department to use the False Claims Act against Medicare Advantage carriers that improperly deny coverage. Health insurance companies ought to take a closer look at their policies and how employees are trained to implement them, said Scott Stein, a partner at Sidley Austin and editor of the law firm's False Claims Act blog. (Goldman, 6/6)

Modern Healthcare: Teladoc Hit With Investor Lawsuit After Share Price Sinks
Teladoc Health has been hit with a lawsuit accusing the company of violating federal securities laws and downplaying challenges it faced in its mental health and chronic care businesses. Shareholder Jeremy Schneider sued Teladoc, company CEO Jason Gorevic and chief financial officer Mala Murthy in a federal court in the Southern District of New York Monday, alleging he and others purchased company shares at "artificially inflated prices." The share price has dropped drastically in recent months after "alleged corrective disclosures," the lawsuit alleges. (Kim Cohen, 6/6)

Fox News: Telehealth Could Get More Expensive With Public Health Emergency Set To End This Year
Telehealth visits could soon get pricier for a lot of Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic showed how much can be done from the comfort of home -- doctor's visits included. But now, more doctors will have to see patients in-person, because the federal public health emergency started during the pandemic is set to end soon. The pandemic has sparked "significant" labor shortages and workforce changes, according to nurse executive Nanne Finis, who oversees and assesses how hospitals are run. (Addison, 6/6)

Modern Healthcare: HCA Healthcare Hit With More Price Inflation Allegations
The city of Brevard, North Carolina, sued HCA Healthcare for allegedly inflating healthcare costs after it acquired Mission Health. Nashville, Tennessee-based hospital giant HCA controls more than an 85% of the acute care market in the Asheville, North Carolina area, and at least 70% of that market in the surrounding region, city officials claim in a complaint filed Friday in a North Carolina federal court. That leverage allegedly allowed HCA to force insurers and employers into anticompetitive contracts that included all-or-nothing provisions that required them to include all of their facilities in the health plan networks and steered patients away from competitors. (Kacik, 6/6)

AP: Group Formed To Oversee Distribution Of Opioid Settlement
Kentucky took a step Monday to turn a massive settlement into action to combat opioid addiction, as Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced members of a group overseeing the state’s share. The Bluegrass State will receive $483 million from settlements finalized this year with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors. It was part of $26 billion in nationwide settlements. (Schreiner, 6/6)

Bloomberg: Sackler Criminal Case Sought By Connecticut AG Over Opioids
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said he’ll ask the state’s top prosecutor to consider criminal charges against members of the billionaire Sackler family over improper marketing of the opioid painkiller OxyContin by their company, Purdue Pharma LP. While the Sacklers agreed in March with Connecticut and other states to pay as much as $6 billion to resolve all opioid lawsuits against Purdue and themselves as part of a bankruptcy case, that deal doesn’t preclude prosecutors from exploring a criminal case. (Feeley and Hill, 6/6)

NBC News: 988 Suicide Prevention Hotline Launches In July. How Will We Pay For It?
The mental health version of 911 is set to launch nationwide next month with hopes it will be a game changer for suicide prevention and other emergencies, but some mental health professionals worry they will not be ready to handle the anticipated flood of calls. “We have all of the technology,” said Jennifer Piver, the executive director of Mental Health America of Greenville County in South Carolina. “We do not have the funding for staff, for salaries.” The new national three-digit number — 988 — is meant to connect people in mental health crises with those who are specially trained to respond to such situations. The easy-to-remember number launches July 16. (Edwards, Siegel and Snow, 6/7)

AP: Fences Dramatically Cut Suicide At Tampa Bay's Skyway Bridge 
For decades, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge has been one of Tampa Bay’s most iconic landmarks. But the 190 foot-high peak has also drawn hundreds of people wanting to take their own life. Most who have jumped from the top of span have died. Each time, witnesses, first responders and loved ones are left traumatized. Now, nearly a year since fences along the top of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay were completed, suicide rates have decreased dramatically. (De Leon, 6/5)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Tracking System For Sexual Assault Kits Debuts In Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s new system for tracking sexual assault kits as they move from hospital staff to law enforcement and crime lab testing has now launched, Attorney General Josh Kaul said Monday. The tracking system was created as a result of legislation signed into law in December. It allows survivors of sexual assault to log onto a database using a barcode, and not any personally identifiable information, to view the status of the kit as it goes through the testing process. The system’s debut continues a yearslong effort by the Wisconsin Department of Justice to improve the investigations of sexual assault kits statewide. In 2014, Kaul’s predecessor, Brad Schimel, launched an effort to test thousands of untested kits held by law enforcement and hospitals. (Hughes, 6/6)

AP: Partly Treated Sewage Found Running Into Blackstone River 
Environmental officials are urging residents to avoid a stretch of the Blackstone River after finding that sewage was leaking into the river from a wastewater treatment plant on Sunday. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management said it’s investigating the discharge of partly treated wastewater from the Woonsocket Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. Officials said they were made aware of the discharge Sunday morning and that it is “currently ongoing.” (6/5)

AP: NC Medical Marijuana Bill Goes To House With Final Senate OK 
Legislation making it lawful to smoke marijuana or consume cannabis-infused products for medical purposes in North Carolina cleared the state Senate on Monday evening. After no debate, the measure received bipartisan support by a vote of 36-7. The margin was similar to the outcome of an initial Senate vote last week that followed floor discussion. The bill now goes to the House, where chances for passage before this year’s primary work session adjourns in a few weeks appear long. Speaker Tim Moore has said the issue may have to wait until next year. (6/6)

AP: Health Department: Mississippi Medical Marijuana Months Away
It could be the end of the year before medical marijuana is available in Mississippi because businesses need time to receive licenses and to grow, test and prepare to sell the products, state Health Department officials said Monday. The department opened the licensing application process last week for patients and caregivers interested in using medical cannabis as allowed under a new state law; for medical practitioners who will certify patients for medical cannabis use; for facilities that will grow, process and test the products; and for businesses that will transport medical cannabis and dispose of waste. (Pettus, 6/6)

ABC News: Federal Judge OKs Oklahoma’s Lethal Injection Method 
A federal judge in Oklahoma on Monday ruled the state’s three-drug lethal injection method is constitutional, paving the way for the state to request execution dates for more than two dozen death row inmates who were plaintiffs in the case. Judge Stephen Friot's ruling followed a six-day federal trial earlier this year in which attorneys for 28 death row inmates argued the first of the three drugs, the sedative midazolam, is not adequate to render an inmate unable to feel pain and creates a risk of severe pain and suffering that violates the U.S. Constitution’s Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. (Murphy, 6/6)

AP: Hard Rock Boss Confers With NJ Governor On Casino Smoking
The chairman of the global Hard Rock casino and entertainment company spoke recently with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy about the “economic challenges” of banning smoking in casinos, which a bill pending in the state Legislature would do. Murphy has said he will sign a bill banning smoking in the nine Atlantic City casinos if the Legislature passes it. A spokeswoman said Monday he maintains that stance, but declined further comment. (Parry, 6/6)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Transgender Athlete Bill Could Require Genital Checks
As soon as House Republicans passed a bill to block transgender girls from playing on female sports teams in K-12 or college, opponents started questioning how physicians would verify a minor's biology. They claim girls of all ages could be required to undergo full pelvic exams if an opposing team's coach, player or parent questioned their sex. They're right. House Bill 151, also called the "Save Women's Sports Act," says if a participant's sex is disputed, she must verify her sex with a physician in "only" the following ways. 1. An exam of her internal and external reproductive anatomy. 2. Her normal "endogenously produced levels of testosterone." 3. An analysis of her genetic makeup. (Staver, 6/6)

AP: Bama Company Recalls 1-Lb Crabmeat Sold In 4 Southern States
An Alabama seafood company is recalling 1-pound (0.45 kilogram) packages of crab meat because federal inspectors found listeria bacteria on cooking equipment and in the cooking room. Irvington Seafood of Irvington, Alabama, said in a notice posted Friday on the Food and Drug Administration website that it has suspended production of the packages while it and the FDA investigate. (6/5)

CNN: Overweight People Lost 35 To 52 Pounds On Newly Approved Diabetes Drug, Study Says 
A weekly dose of a medication recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes may help adults without diabetes lose weight as well, a new study found. Tirzepatide, which is sold under the brand name Mounjaro, was studied in people without diabetes in three dosages: 5, 10 and 15 milligrams. Participants with obesity or who were overweight and took the 5-milligram dose lost an average of 35 pounds (16 killograms), those on the 10-milligram dose lost an average of 49 pounds (22 kilograms), and participants on the 15-milligram dose lost an average of 52 pounds (23.6 kilograms). (LaMotte and Langmaid, 6/6)

The Herald-Times: 'Life Saver' Skin Patch To Detect, Instantly Reverse Drug Overdose In Development
Quick detection and treatment can save an overdosing person's life, but it puts the responsibility on a nearby individual to know what to do and have the resources on hand to do it. That's why two researchers from Indiana University, Feng Guo and Ken Mackie, are developing a wearable device that can both detect and treat an opioid overdose as it happens. "(The device) could be really convenient because they don't really need a kind of specialist or bystander to have the (naloxone). It could be a kind of automated system to save that person's life," Guo said. "That's why Ken and I think this could be a life saver for the opioid overdosing patient." (Smith, 6/6)

Stat: Praxis' Novel Antidepressant Fails Make-Or-Break Trial
A novel antidepressant from Praxis Precision Medicines failed to outperform placebo in a pivotal study, the company said Monday, casting doubt on what was meant to be a nuanced approach to the brain’s natural regulatory system. The drug, a once-daily oral treatment known as PRAX-114, missed its primary and secondary goals in a study enrolling about 200 patients with major depressive disorder. After two and four weeks of treatment, patients receiving PRAX-114 did not see their symptoms significantly improve compared to placebo, the company said. Praxis did not disclose details of the trial results. (Garde, 6/6)

Stat: Many Black Cancer Patients Not Offered Access To Clinical Trials, Survey Finds
Nobody offered Stephanie Walker a clinical trial when she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Nobody talked to her about what her options might be in clinical trials. She didn’t have a nurse or patient navigator, either, who could guide her through the treatment process. “It was just me, the oncologist, and his PA,” Walker, a registered nurse and patient advocate with the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, said. It frustrates her to look back on that time, especially in the context of a new study that she and other patients and patient advocates led that examines the experiences of Black women with metastatic breast cancer. According to the study results that Walker presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting on Monday, the majority of Black women with metastatic breast cancer don’t get enrolled into clinical trials. Only 40% of Black respondents said they were even offered a trial. (Chen, 6/6)

CNET: Apple's Safety Check For IOS Aims To Help People Facing Abusive Relationships
Apple on Monday announced a new Safety Check feature for iOS 16 aimed at people in abusive relationships. The feature lets users review and reset who has access to location information as well as passwords, messages and other apps on an iPhone. Apple debuted the feature at its annual WWDC event. Safety Check is a response to the fact that phones can become stalking devices in abusive relationships, with features that can be convenient in some relations giving abusers dangerous information. That's especially true when people try to leave their abusers, a time that domestic violence experts say is the most dangerous point for survivors. "Many people share passwords and access to their devices with a partner," said Katie Skinner, a privacy engineering manager at Apple, at the event Monday. "However, in abusive relationships, this can threaten personal safety and make it harder for victims to get help." (Hautala, 6/6)

Bloomberg: China Fears Wind Is Blowing Covid Virus In From North Korea
Officials in a Chinese city on the border with North Korea say they can’t figure out where persistent new Covid-19 infections are coming from -- and suspect the wind blowing in from their secretive neighbor. Despite being locked down since the end of April, daily cases have been trending up in Dandong, a city of 2.19 million. Most of the infected people found in the community during the past week hadn’t been outside of their housing compounds for at least four days prior to their diagnosis, according to the city’s Center for Disease Control. (6/7)

CNN: Singapore's Dengue 'Emergency' Is A Climate Change Omen For The World 
Singapore says it is facing a dengue "emergency" as it grapples with an outbreak of the seasonal disease that has come unusually early this year. The Southeast Asian city-state has already exceeded 11,000 cases -- far beyond the 5,258 it reported throughout 2021 -- and that was before June 1, when its peak dengue season traditionally begins. Experts are warning that it's a grim figure not only for Singapore -- whose tropical climate is a natural breeding ground for the Aedes mosquitoes that carry the virus -- but also for the rest of the world. That's because changes in the global climate mean such outbreaks are likely to become more common and widespread in the coming years. (Chen, 6/6)