First Edition: March 2, 2022

KHN: Covid Expert Joins Exodus Into Business, Where Science Parlays Into Profits
Millions of free covid-19 rapid tests arriving in Americans’ mailboxes are long-awaited vindication for Dr. Michael Mina, who, as a Harvard assistant professor, had been advocating for two years that the best way to limit covid is to identify it quickly, cheaply, and widely with rapid antigen tests so infected people know to isolate themselves. ... On Oct. 22, he was one of a small group of experts on a Zoom call to advise the Biden administration to urgently ramp up testing by purchasing and sending Americans free tests. But three weeks after that call, on Nov. 12, Mina announced he was leaving academia to become an executive at eMed, a startup that sells some of the most expensive rapid tests. (Hancock, 3/2)

KHN: Desperate For Cash: Programs For People With Disabilities Still Not Seeing Federal Funds
Matthew Southern, 35, who has intellectual and developmental disabilities, is able to stay out of an institution because health aides paid through a Medicaid program assist him and his roommate with ordinary tasks. But amid a worker shortage worsened by the pandemic, Southern’s father, Dan, has had to step in to fill in gaps in his son’s care by volunteering at their home 45 minutes away from his northwestern Atlanta suburb. He blames the low pay across the industry. “No one wants to work for $12 an hour,” Dan Southern said. “People can work at Burger King and make more money.” (Weber and Miller, 3/2)

KHN: Biden’s Promise Of Better Nursing Home Care Will Require Many More Workers
The Biden administration has identified core impediments to better nursing home care in its proposed overhaul of the industry, but turning aspirations into reality will require a complex task: mandating adequate staffing levels for all homes without bankrupting those that can’t afford far higher labor costs. President Joe Biden’s proposals for the nation’s 15,000 skilled nursing facilities — released in advance of his State of the Union address Tuesday night — would lead to the most substantial increase in federal nursing home regulation since Congress reformed the industry in 1987. (Rau, 3/2)

KHN: Dangerous Levels Of Lead Were Found In The Water Of About Half The Schools Tested In Montana 
About half of Montana schools that had tested their water by mid-February under a new state rule had high levels of lead, according to state data. But the full picture isn’t clear because less than half of the state’s school buildings had provided water samples six weeks after the deadline. For many schools with high lead levels, finding the money to fix the problem will be a challenge. The options aren’t great. They can compete for a dwindling pool of state money, seek federal aid passed last year, or add the repairs to their long lists of capital improvement projects and pay for the work themselves. (Houghton, 3/2)

The Washington Post: Biden Declares Pandemic Reset, Saying Covid ‘Need No Longer Control Our Lives’
The delicate balance Biden sought to strike — highlighting the wide availability of vaccines, treatments, masks and tests that people can use to protect themselves, while urging continued vigilance — underscores the challenge he faces in coming weeks and months. The administration is simultaneously under pressure to ease restrictions and enable a return to normalcy while polls show that most Americans still want some mitigation measures in place as the virus continues to circulate, if at lower levels. (Abutaleb, Sun and Diamond, 3/1)

NBC News: Biden Says Americans Can 'Remove Their Masks,' Resume Pre-Covid Work, Life Routines
President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night that the world had “reached a new moment” in the coronavirus pandemic and called on Americans to begin resuming their pre-Covid work and lifestyle routines. “Because of the progress we’ve made, because of your resilience and the tools we have, tonight I can say we are moving forward safely, back to more normal routines,” Biden said. “We can end the shutdown of schools and businesses. We have the tools we need,” he added a moment later. “It’s time for Americans to get back to work and fill our great downtowns again. People working from home can feel safe to begin to return to the office. (Edelman, 3/1)

Stat: Biden Walks A Fine Line On Covid Optimism In State Of The Union
In addition to the public health measures, Biden announced that the Department of Justice would soon appoint a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud, with the intention of “going after the criminals who stole billions in relief money meant for small businesses and millions of Americans.” (Facher, 3/1)

Politico: White House To Unveil Blueprint For The Next Covid Phase 
The White House is planning to unveil its wide-ranging strategy for the next phase of the pandemic response on Wednesday morning, according to an internal document obtained by POLITICO. The Covid-19 strategy is expected to lay out how the nation can safely ease public health restrictions and restore some sense of normalcy as the U.S. enters what officials hope will be a less disruptive endemic stage of the virus. (Cancryn, 3/1)

The Hill: Biden Says 'COVID-19 No Longer Need Control Our Lives' 
Biden cautioned, though, that the virus is not going to completely go away, a fine line for the administration to walk given the threat of a new, more dangerous variant in the future. The delta variant’s rise threw a wrench in the administration’s plans after Biden previously touted progress at the Fourth of July last year. “I know some are talking about ‘living with COVID-19,’” he said. “Tonight — I say that we never will just accept living with COVID-19. We will continue to combat the virus as we do other diseases. And because this virus mutates and spreads, we have to stay on guard.”  (Sullivan, 3/1)

CNBC: People Who Test Positive For Covid Can Receive Antiviral Pills At Pharmacies For Free, Biden Says
President Joe Biden on Tuesday said the Americans who test positive for Covid-19 can receive antiviral pills for free at local pharmacies and community health centers under a new program that launches this month. “We’re launching the ‘Test to Treat’ initiative so people can get tested at a pharmacy, and if they’re positive, receive antiviral pills on the spot at no cost,” Biden said during his State of the Union speech Tuesday. The administration will launch hundreds of sites nationwide at CVS, Walgreens and Kroger as well as community health centers this month, a White House official said. (Kimball, 3/1)

The New York Times: Biden Announces Initiative To Pair Covid-19 Tests With Treatment
President Biden, looking to usher the nation out of the coronavirus crisis into what some are calling a “new normal,” used his State of the Union address Tuesday night to sketch out the next phase of his pandemic response, including a new “test to treat” initiative aimed at providing patients with new antiviral medications as soon as they learn they are infected. With caseloads declining across the country, the coronavirus — perhaps the biggest challenge of the first year of Mr. Biden’s presidency — took a back seat in the speech to Russian aggression in Ukraine and the economy. Still, the president did not miss an opportunity to give himself a pat on the back for the latest Covid-19 trends. (Stolberg, 3/1)

CNN: Americans Can Order Another Round Of Free At-Home Covid-19 Tests Next Week
Americans can order additional free at-home Covid-19 tests supplied by the US government starting next week. "If you already ordered free tests, tonight, I'm announcing you can order another group of tests. Go to Covidtest.gov starting next week and you can get more tests," President Joe Biden said during his Tuesday State of the Union address. In January, the government launched its effort to provide free rapid antigen tests to any household that requested them through that website or by calling 800-232-0233. There was a limit of four tests per residential address. (Dillinger and Mizelle, 3/1)

CBS News: Biden Uses State Of The Union To Call For Focus On "Burn Pits," Which He Believes Affected His Son Beau 
President Biden on Tuesday used his first State of the Union address to issue a call to action for Congress to do more to assist veterans experiencing enduring health issues after exposure to burn pits while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, elevating a matter that hits close to home for him. Mr. Biden raised the long-term harms to veterans who were exposed to burn pit smoke while deployed overseas as he laid out his four-pronged so-called "unity agenda," which included enhanced support for veterans. (Quinn, 3/1)

NPR: Reynolds Says When It Comes To Masking And Schools, Republicans 'Actually Listened To The Science'
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds devoted a sharp paragraph or two in her speech to speak directly to the many parents in the United States who were clamoring months ago for an end to mask mandates in schools. Those parents, and the Republicans who supported them, "actually listened to the science," she said. Here Reynolds performed a deft sleight of hand — because, of course, up until last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the government's arbiter of what the science actually says, supported universal masking in schools. Given the CDC's position, anyone who supported mask-free schools before the availability of vaccines or, arguably, during omicron's alarming rise, may have been listening to the science, but it's hard to argue they were following it. (Turner, 3/2)

NPR: State Of The Union Attendees Needed A COVID Test. 6 Legislators Tested Positive
At least six legislators announced Tuesday that they had tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the evening's State of the Union address. To attend Tuesday's speech, guests — even those who are fully vaccinated — are required to produce a negative test. Sen. Alex Padilla of California, Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington, Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida and Rep. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania — all Democrats — announced by statements or tweets on Tuesday that they had tested positive. (Sullivan, 3/1)

Stat: CDC Data Suggest Pfizer Vaccine Protection Holds Up In Kids 5-11
Does the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine provide less protection to children aged 5 to 11 than to adolescents 12 to 17? A study from New York state released Monday suggests that’s the case. But new data from 10 states released Tuesday tell a different story. The data, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suggest that two doses of the Pfizer vaccine aren’t very protective against infection for either age group in the face of the Omicron variant, but that protection against severe illness appears to be holding up equally in both sets of children. They do not suggest more rapid waning, or more marked waning, among the younger group of children. (Branswell, 3/1)

AP: Pfizer Shots Protect Kids From Severe COVID Even In Omicron
Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine gave children 5 and older strong protection against hospitalization and death even during the omicron surge that hit youngsters especially hard, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday. New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention come a day after a study of New York children suggested the vaccine may not be as effective in 5- to 11-year-olds as in older kids -- especially at blocking milder infections. That data raised the question of whether kid-sized doses given to those under 12 might be too low. (Neergaard, 3/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine Protected Kids During Omicron, CDC Study Finds 
The Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE was highly effective at reducing the risk of severe disease in children 17 years and younger during the Omicron surge but didn’t work as well at preventing infection, according to a new government study. The two-dose vaccine reduced the risk of Covid-19 hospitalization in children 5 to 11 years by 74% and by 92% or higher in children 12 to 17, according to the study published Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Hopkins, 3/1)

NBC News: Long Covid Symptoms May Be Linked To Nerve Damage, A Small Study Suggests
A study published Tuesday could offer new clues about a potential cause of long Covid-19 symptoms — and possible avenues for treatment. The small, 17-person study, led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and the National Institutes of Health, examined the many symptoms behind long Covid and found they may, in part, be driven by long-term nerve damage. ... Evaluations of the 17 patients studied found evidence of peripheral neuropathy in 59 percent of them, or 10 people. (McCausland, 3/2)

Boston Herald: COVID Long-Hauler Says It’s Like Having ‘An Ice Pick’ In Your Brain
Nagging brain fog COVID long-haulers suffer from may be linked to nerve damage, MGH doctors suggest. “It was like having an ice pick in my brain,” one long-hauler told the Herald Monday. “I kept shivering and had chronic fatigue. I slept 13 hours at a time and the fear of not being able to breathe gave me PTSD. It was like having a spider across your lungs.” A new study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the National Institutes of Health suggests that some patients with long-COVID have long-lasting nerve damage that appears caused by infection-triggered immune dysfunction. (Dwinell, 3/1)

USA Today: Hawaii COVID Travel Requirements End: No More Test Or Proof Of Vaccine
Hawaii is lifting its strict COVID-19 entry requirements on March 26, Gov. David Ige announced Tuesday. Travelers will no longer need to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine or a negative COVID-19 test to bypass a mandatory quarantine. The five-day quarantine, which has applied to those who don't show vaccine proof or a negative test, is going away, too. The state is keeping its indoor mask mandate, however. (Gilbertson, 3/1)

The Boston Globe: Boston To Lift Mask Mandate For Some Indoor Spaces Saturday
In yet another sign of the city’s return to pre-pandemic life, the Boston Public Health Commission voted Tuesday to end the indoor mask mandate for businesses and other venues starting this weekend. The seven-member board cited a dramatic decline in rates of coronavirus infection and hospitalizations and increasing numbers of residents who are vaccinated and boosted. The unanimous vote came less than two weeks after Mayor Michelle Wu ended Boston’s proof-of-vaccination requirement for indoor dining, gyms, and entertainment venues. The face mask mandate ends on Saturday. (Fox and Gardizy, 3/1)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Likely To Drop Indoor Mask Order Friday
Los Angeles County will likely lift its universal indoor mask mandate Friday, a significant acceleration of the expected timeline following changes in federal face-covering guidance. While nothing is set in stone, the potential changes would align L.A. County’s mask rules with those unveiled Monday by the California Department of Public Health, meaning it would be strongly recommended — but not required — for both vaccinated and unvaccinated residents to wear masks in public indoor settings. (Money and Lin II, 3/1)

The Washington Post: D.C. Drops Outdoor Mask Mandate At Schools
The District will no longer require public school students and staff to wear masks while outside on school grounds, the school system’s chancellor informed families in a letter Tuesday. The new rule goes into effect immediately. (Stein, 3/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Carnival And Norwegian Cruises Go Masks-Optional For Most
Major cruise lines including Carnival and Norwegian are loosening onboard mask rules starting Tuesday. Carnival Cruise Line recommends—but doesn’t require—masks on board starting March 1. The same policy goes for Norwegian Cruise Line ships departing from U.S. ports. Royal Caribbean Cruises relaxed its mask requirements for fully vaccinated guests in February. They are optional for fully vaccinated guests. (Pohle, 3/1)

AP: NYC To Wind Down Most Coronavirus Contact Tracing
New York City’s coronavirus contact tracing program will end its universal tracing efforts toward the end of the next month, with officials citing a significant caseload drop, high vaccination rates and new treatments as the rationale. “Having these strong protections in place defines a new phase in the pandemic where we can learn to live with COVID,” said Dr. Ted Long, executive director of NYC Test & Trace Corps, in an email sent to workers on Monday. (3/2)

Houston Chronicle: More Than Half Of Texans Have Been Infected By COVID-19, According To CDC Estimate
More than half of Texans had been infected by COVID-19 as of late January, according to a nationwide blood sample survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey was based on samples from 52 commercial laboratories across the country and included specimens that were collected as part of routine care and sick visits unrelated to the virus. The specimens were tested for a specific type of antibody developed in response to an infection but not vaccination. (Gill, 3/1)

Bangor Daily News: Almost A Quarter Of Mainers Have Likely Contracted COVID-19
Some 133,000 more Mainers may have contracted COVID-19 than the state’s official case count reflects, according to a new federal study that provides a greatly expanded picture of the number of people who may have been infected with the virus since it arrived nearly two years ago. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed blood samples taken through January in search of COVID-19 antibodies that would show people had been infected with the virus. It did not look at antibodies produced by vaccination. (Andrews, 3/2)

The Washington Post: Poll: Most Americans Say Coronavirus Is Not Yet Under Control And Support Restrictions To Curb Spread 
Most Americans say some restrictions on normal activities should remain in place to try to control the coronavirus, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, which finds that public wariness of the pandemic lingers even as federal health officials and a growing roster of governors have softened mask advice. (Goldstein and Guskin, 3/1)

The New York Times: Mardi Gras Resumes In New Orleans After Pandemic Lull 
Across New Orleans, in a combination of joy, defiance, trepidation and celebration, Mardi Gras returned on Tuesday with one eye on the pain of the past two years in a city especially hard hit by the pandemic and the other very much looking forward to strutting, parading and moving on. Last year, all Carnival parades were canceled, and celebrations were scaled back to small, same-household gatherings and decorated porches known as “house floats.” But this month, New Orleans’s Carnival celebration returned in full swing, raising hopes about the city’s resurgence from devastating pandemic losses. (Reckdahl and Kasakove, 3/1)

AP: Justices Seem To Favor Docs Convicted In Pain Pill Schemes 
In a case stemming from the opioid addiction crisis, the Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to side with two imprisoned doctors who wrote thousands of prescriptions for pain medication in short periods. The justices signaled they would rule that the doctors’ trials were unfair because they were prevented from mounting a “good faith” defense that they did not intend any harm to patients. (Sherman, 3/1)

The Washington Post: NIH Orders Sweeping Review Of Potentially Risky Experiments On Viruses And Other Pathogens 
The National Institutes of Health this week ordered a sweeping review of government policies for experiments involving potentially dangerous viruses and other pathogens, a move the agency said will balance the benefits and risks of such research but is unrelated to the debate over the coronavirus pandemic’s origin. The review will be conducted by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, and NIH hopes to have recommendations by the end of the year. In essence, this is a plea for help in deciding where to draw the line on research, identifying the experiments that require special safety measures or are too dangerous to be initiated. (Achenbach, 3/1)

The Boston Globe: Nurses At Roger Williams Medical Center Vote To Join Union
The nurses at Roger Williams Medical Center voted Tuesday to join the United Nurses and Allied Professionals, the state’s largest health care union. The nurses voted by a 2-1 margin in favor of joining the union. Polls closed at 4 p.m. The vote adds about 220 new union members, according to spokesman Brad Dufault. “The 2-1 margin of victory indicates deep dissatisfaction with Prospect CharterCare’s management,” said Lynn Blais, UNAP’s president. “This victory comes on the heels of hundreds of other CharterCare employees who have voted to join the UNAP over the last few years.” (Gagosz, 3/1)

Modern Healthcare: Feds Report $88B In Medical Debt On Credit Reports
Consumer credit reports contained $88 billion in medical debt as of June, a problem the federal agency that enforces financial protection rules vows to crack down on. Medical debt is far and away the most common type of liability on credit reports. On Tuesday, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau officials questioned whether it belongs there at all. As of last year, 58% of all third-party debt collections were for medical debt, the agency determined in a new report. About 20% of U.S. households owe medical debt, which appears on 43 million credit reports, the CFPB found. (Bannow, 3/1)

Houston Chronicle: Family Of Trans Texas Teen Sues Abbott, DFPS As State Begins Identifying Gender-Affirming Care As Child Abuse
Three civil rights groups are swinging back at Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest offensive against transgender children with a lawsuit filed Tuesday against the Republican incumbent accusing him of inflicting “terror and anxiety” among vulnerable children through discrimination and harassment. The suit follows Abbott’s edict, the week before a contentious primary election, stating that parents who allow their teenagers to seek gender-affirming care should be investigated as child abusers. The Travis County civil rights case was brought on behalf of a state employee who was put on leave from her job and had investigators show up at her home because she and her husband are supporting their 16-year-old daughter’s care for gender dysphoria. The suit targets the governor as well as the mother’s employer, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, seeking to halt the agency from treating parents as abusive if they support gender-affirming medical care for their teens. (Banks, 3/1)

NPR: The ACLU Sues To Block Texas From Investigating Parents Of Trans Youth
The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and Lambda Legal have filed a lawsuit seeking to block a statewide directive that transgender rights advocates describe as an attempt to persecute trans children and their families. The suit, filed on Tuesday, is aimed at stopping the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services from enacting Gov. Greg Abbott's orders to investigate parents and doctors who provide trans children with gender-affirming care. Abbott has also suggested parents should be prosecuted. His order follows Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's nonbinding opinion last month saying that providing access to sex reassignment surgery, puberty blockers, testosterone and estrogen treatments all constituted child abuse. (Romo, 3/1)

Fox News: Paxton Claps Back After Biden Condemns 'State Laws Targeting Transgender Americans'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton responded after President Biden called on Congress to sign the Equality Act and condemned Republican state laws that he characterized as attacks on transgender Americans and their families in the State of the Union address Tuesday. "For our LGBTQ+ Americans, let’s finally get the bipartisan Equality Act to my desk," Biden began. "The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is simply wrong. As I said last year, especially to our younger transgender Americans, I will always have your back as your president, so you can be yourself and reach your God-given potential." (O'Neil, 3/1)

KCUR: Transgender Kids Testify Against Missouri Bill Banning Them From Sports: ‘They’re Playing For Fun’
The Missouri Senate Education Committee heard testimony on Tuesday on a bill that would bar transgender women from participating in sports teams that match their gender identity. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mike Moon, a Republican from Ash Grove, is called the “Save Women’s Sports Act.” It would prohibit students who were assigned male at birth from participating in middle school, high school and post-secondary teams for women or girls. Avery Jackson, a 14-year-old from Kansas City, told the committee that transgender kids like her should be able to play sports without the issue becoming politicized. (Fortino, 3/1)

AP: Cooper Administration Delivers NC Medicaid Expansion Pitch 
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration made perhaps its most promising pitch yet to legislators on Tuesday to expand Medicaid, with a key health regulator calling it more advantageous than ever to cover hundreds of thousands of additional low-income adults. Addressing a House-Senate committee created specifically to study expansion, state Medicaid director Dave Richard said a surge in traditional Medicaid enrollment during the coronavirus pandemic and a fiscal sweetener from Washington make taking the step even more appealing. (Robertson, 3/1)

Mississippi Today: Mississippi Legislature Medicaid Expansion
State Republicans have balked at expanding Medicaid, but are embracing legislation that would take advantage of the federal program to pay for healthcare for very sick incarcerated people — and likely create a money-making opportunity for nursing homes. Senate Bill 2448, which passed the Senate with little opposition and is now with the House Medicaid Committee, would allow “medically frail” inmates to be paroled to “special care facilities.” These would be specially licensed nursing homes where Medicaid could help pay for their care. (Taft, 3/1)

AP: Georgia Senate: Require In-Person Exams For Abortion Pills 
A Georgia woman would have to be examined by a physician in person and sign a consent form before she could be prescribed abortion pills under a bill passed Tuesday by the state Senate. Senate Bill 456, which passed 31-22 on a party-line vote, is part of a nationwide push by anti-abortion groups to limit the ability of physicians to prescribe abortion pills by telemedicine. It now moves to the House for more debate. (Amy, 3/1)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Senate Approves Bill To Ban The Mailing Of Abortion Pills
The Georgia Senate approved on a party-line vote a bill that would ban women from receiving the abortion pill through the mail. Senators voted 31-22 to approve the measure, with Republicans supporting the measure, which now goes to the state House. Senate Bill 456, filed by state Sen. Bruce Thompson, R-White, would require pregnant women to see a doctor in person before being able to obtain mifepristone, the abortion pill. Pills could not be sent through the mail or given on state property — or at any k-12 school or college that receives state funds. A doctor would also have to perform an ultrasound before the drugs could be prescribed and schedule a follow-up visit. (Prabhu, 3/1)

AP: House Panel Advances Bill To Regulate Medication Abortions
Kentucky lawmakers took a first step Tuesday toward putting more regulations on medication abortions, responding to the increased use of pills rather than surgery to terminate early pregnancies. A Republican-controlled House committee advanced a far-reaching abortion bill that would ban shipment of such medication by mail. It would require an in-person visit with a doctor, rather than using telehealth, before undergoing a medication abortion. (Schreiner, 3/1)

AP: Senate-Passed Bill Aims To Overcome Nursing Shortage 
The Kentucky Senate took aim Tuesday at overcoming a chronic nursing shortage by boosting enrollment in nursing schools and luring out-of-state nurses into the state’s workforce. The measure cleared the Senate on a 36-0 vote and advances to the House. (Schreiner, 3/1)

Miami Herald: Rules For Visiting Florida Nursing Homes May Soon Change 
Mary Shannon Daniel reads almost every comment in the Facebook support group. It’s meant for Florida families attempting to visit loved ones in long-term care, and the posts pile up quickly — especially in the last few months during the omicron wave of the coronavirus. “We haven’t seen our loved ones in 2 weeks.” “My dad is locked down as we speak. … No visits in, no visits out.” “It’s been over a month due to positive cases.” She answers all of the posts she can, informing families about current federal guidance that says families should be allowed to visit facilities, COVID-19 outbreak or not. (Critchfield and Wilson, 3/2)

The Boston Globe: R.I. House And Senate Unveil Bills To Legalize Recreational Marijuana
After failing to agree on competing proposals last year, the House and Senate on Tuesday unveiled legislation to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana for adults in Rhode Island, beginning Oct. 1. With support from legislative leaders, Senator Joshua Miller, a Cranston Democrat, and Representative Scott A. Slater, a Providence Democrat, introduced identical 115-page bills that would legalize the sale and possession of up to 1 ounce of cannabis for those age 21 and up. The bills would allow people to keep up to 10 ounces of marijuana at home for personal use, and they’d let people grow a small amount of marijuana at home. (Fitzpatrick, 3/1)

AP: Applications To Run Safe Injection Sites Being Accepted 
Organizations that want to operate so-called harm reduction centers in Rhode Island, where people dealing with addiction can take heroin and other illegal drugs under proper medical supervision, can now submit an application to the state Department of Health. (3/1)

AP: South Carolina Drug Overdose Deaths Increase 50% In 2020 
Drug overdose deaths in South Carolina increased by more than 50% after the COVID-19 pandemic started, state health officials said. Final figures from death certificates show 1,734 people died in drug overdoses in South Carolina in 2020, a 53% increase from the 1,131 deaths reported in 2019, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control said. (3/1)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana Lawmakers Pass Bill Attempting To Close Rape Law Loophole
After years of failed attempts to change Indiana law, the Senate unanimously voted to pass language aimed at closing a rape loophole about the definition of consent. Under House Bill 1079, a person who has sexual intercourse with someone who attempts to "physically, verbally, or by other visible conduct refuse the person's acts" commits rape. Indiana law currently states that intercourse is only considered rape if it's done by force or if it occurs with someone who is mentally incapacitated or unaware that it’s happening. That means it's not always clear to jurors with no law experience if someone pulling up their clothes or saying "stop" falls under any of those categories. (Lange, 3/1)

CNN: Dementia Linked To Premature Menopause For Women, Study Says 
Entering menopause before age 40 is linked to a 35% higher risk of developing dementia later in life, a preliminary study finds. Premature menopause, as it is called, occurs when a woman's ovaries stop creating hormones and the menstrual cycle ends by age 40. That's about a dozen years earlier than the typical onset of menopause, which is age 52 in the United States, according to the US Department of Health and Human Service's Office on Women's Health. "What we see in this study is a modest association between premature menopause and a subsequent risk for dementia," said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, president of the American Heart Association. He was not involved in the study. (LaMotte, 3/1)

NBC News: Baby Formula Recall Spotlights Rare, Dangerous Cronobacter Sakazakii Bacteria
A recall of powdered baby formula from Abbott Laboratories is highlighting the danger of Cronobacter sakazakii, a bacterium that causes that causes rare but serious infections in infants. ... Cronobacter is found naturally in the environment and can live in dry foods, including powdered formulas, powdered milk and starches, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can affect people of all ages, but it is especially dangerous in infants. (Burke, 3/2)

NPR: Infant Formula Promoted In Misleading, Aggressive Ways, Says UNICEF/WHO Report
"Advertisements will make me buy infant formula, if I see a beautiful and chubby baby on TV, well-fed and smiling." That's the feedback from a mother in Lagos, Nigeria, one of 8,500 mothers and pregnant women in eight countries interviewed for a new report, How Marketing of Formula Milk Influences Our Decisions on Infant Feeding just released by the World Health Organization and UNICEF. The report focuses on marketing practices employed by companies that make up the $55-billion-a-year global infant formula business. (Kritz, 3/1)

The Atlantic: Ukraine’s Surrogacy Industry Has Put Women In Impossible Positions 
Nothing crystallizes the “her body, my baby” conundrum of surrogacy quite like a war. Should a surrogate be tucked away somewhere safe, to protect the child she’s growing for someone else? Or should she be with her own family, or in her hometown, or even out on the streets defending her nation? That is a live question in Ukraine right now. Ukraine is an international surrogacy hub, one of only a handful of countries in the world that allows foreigners to enter into surrogacy arrangements. That means people from the United States or China or Germany or Australia can go there and hire a local woman to gestate their child. There are conditions—the parents have to be straight and married and have a medical reason for needing a surrogate—but surrogates are plentiful, paying them is legal, and establishing legal parenthood for the intended parents is uncomplicated. (Motluk, 3/1)

The Boston Globe: ‘I Personally Think He’s Unhinged’: Analysts Question Putin’s Mental State After Ukraine Invasion
Less than a week before Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, world leaders gathering at a luxurious German hotel to talk global security indulged in a familiar pastime: discussing what they saw as the Russian president’s odd behavior. “We met with Chancellor Olaf Sholz, and he was telling us about his meeting that he had with Putin,” said Representative Bill Keating of Massachusetts, who attended the Munich Security Conference, where the new German chancellor complained about Putin’s unusual COVID protocols. “He wanted his own government’s health people to examine him before they would meet — it’s the chancellor of Germany!” Keating said. “And of course, he refused, but he thought that was something out of the norm.” (Bidgood, 3/1)