First Edition: Monday, Oct. 13, 2026

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: People Say These Peptides Hurt Them. Their Stories Are Muffled In MAHA’S Push For Medical Freedom

After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible. “It was like I was underwater, like it took the most to do anything,” he said. Meetze stopped taking the drug but endured fatigue and anxiety for months afterward, and his eyes and muscles twitched, he said. (Maxmen, 10/13)

KFF Health News: Fears About Kids’ Online Safety Unite Democrats And Republicans

The U.S. Senate candidates in Texas could hardly be more different: James Talarico, a former seminarian turned Democratic state lawmaker who speaks in calm cadences about love and empathy, and Ken Paxton, the pugnacious Republican state attorney general who speaks about a refusal to compromise. They share an enemy, though. They dislike social media’s effects on children’s mental health. Talarico, who did not respond to a request for comment, has endorsed a social media ban for kids under 16, while denouncing “predatory algorithms that divide us on an hourly, daily basis.” As a legislator, he co-authored a bill targeting explicit deepfakes — digital imitations of individuals that are often made or manipulated by artificial intelligence and used for harassment on social media. (Tahir, 10/13)

KFF Health News: The Sometimes-Awkward Art Of Asking For A Second Opinion

When Carol Daniel, a veteran broadcast journalist who lives near St. Louis, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2022, her husband encouraged her to seek a second opinion. She was worried that consulting another doctor might seem like a betrayal. Daniel said she wondered: “Am I cheating on him? Am I going behind his back? Am I acting like I don’t trust him by seeking a second opinion?” (Anthony and Farmer, 10/13)

KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘On Air’: Journalists Go Behind Health Headlines From Georgia, Michigan, And Russia

KFF Health News senior correspondent Jordan Rau discussed the use of antipsychotic drugs in sedating dementia patients on Michigan Public’s Stateside on Oct. 6. (10/10)

MEASLES

NBC News: A Sixth Measles-Related Death Is Reported In Pennsylvania

A sixth measles-related death was reported Monday in Pennsylvania, involving a 39-year-old woman in Franklin County, amid the state’s largest outbreak in three decades. In a statement, the county coroner’s office office said the woman had underlying medical conditions, though it did not provide specifics. A spokesperson for the Franklin County coroner’s office said the “primary cause of death was a probable acute cardiac event due to possible complications of the measles.” (Edwards, 10/12)

Politico: New York And Pennsylvania's Split Screen Approach To Measles

Pennsylvania and New York’s Democratic governors have taken vastly different approaches to fighting measles outbreaks in their states. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul is calling in the Trump administration to help, while Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro attempted to go it alone for months without federal assistance. Both are up for reelection this year. (Gardner and Kaufman, 10/11)

ABC News: US Surpasses 4,000 Measles Cases With Infections Confirmed In 45 States: CDC

Measles cases in the United States have surpassed 4,000 this year, according to data updated Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A total of 4,080 cases have been confirmed, with most reported by 45 states and Washington, D.C. Eighteen of this year's total have been among international visitors to the U.S., according to the CDC. (Kekatos, 10/9)

NPR: Do Adults Need Another Measles Shot?

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against measles. For most adults, one shot of the MMR is considered enough protection. But there are certain situations that call for a second dose. (Godoy, 10/12)

MORE OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS

CIDRAP: Long-COVID Symptoms May Be Linked To Bacterial Mix In The Mouth, Lungs

People who have severe long COVID have a very different oral and pulmonary microbiome than those with mild symptoms, and the differences are linked to specific symptoms, which scientists say may lead to a clearer picture of the condition and better ways to treat it. The findings come from an observational study by the longitudinal, multicenter UK Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 (PHOSP-COVID) Collaborative Group and published yesterday in the European Respiratory Journal. (Van Beusekom, 10/12)

CIDRAP: Kenyan Officials: No New Ebola Cases In Past Week

Kenya has not recorded any new cases of Ebola, the Ministry of Health said yesterday. Officials said they have conducted 293 tests since a patient ‌died on October 5 after testing positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the virus. The man, a Kenyan national who had worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for 11 years, died within days of landing in Nairobi after traveling to Kenya via the DRC and Uganda. (Soucheray, 10/12)

NPR: Did Russia Play By The Rules In Reporting Lab Worker's Death?

A global treaty signed by 197 countries — including Russia — requires reporting any death that could be a sign of an outbreak to come. (Emanuel, 10/9)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

The Hill: HHS Recommends Regulating Synthetic Kratom Derivatives

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday added its recommendations to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) move to schedule synthetic kratom extracts, putting its support behind the push to regulate the substances colloquially called “gas station opioid.” In July, the DEA announced plans to temporarily schedule a psychoactive compound derived from kratom called 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and other related compounds as Schedule I, placing it in a category indicating no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. (Choi, 10/9)

AP: Experts Urge Parents To Prepare Kids For Possible Livestreamed Execution

This is not an article about politics, capital punishment or whether the Fort Hood shooter deserves to be executed in public for his crimes. Instead, it’s focused on the unprecedented parental challenge of handling the near-certain prospect that children will hear of or see footage of the Dec. 3 U.S. execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan if the Trump administration follows through with plans to livestream the event. The danger stretches beyond the broadcast itself, because history shows graphic video from the event could be clipped, copied and pushed into children’s social feeds even if the original stream is restricted. (Kellman and Boone, 10/13)

NBC News: Houston Man Run Over By ICE Vehicle Will Need Additional Surgery, Advocates Say

A man who was injured when an ICE officer’s car ran over him has had surgery on his leg but needs additional procedures to reconstruct the leg and other parts of his body, an advocate for the man said Monday. Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, had leg and hip injuries and a shattered ankle after the officer’s vehicle struck him during a pursuit Saturday, said Cesar Espinosa, a co-founder and the executive director of FIEL, who was speaking on Parra’s behalf. Parra cannot put weight on his leg for six weeks and must wait for swelling to reduce before doctors can perform additional surgery, he said at a news conference Monday. (Gamboa, Thompson and Gonzalez, 10/13)

Military.com: Air Force Major Who Called For Trump’s Impeachment Is In Solitary Confinement 24 Hours A Day: Attorney

Maj. Jason Watson is "still in solitary confinement 24 hours a day," his attorney, Christopher Mutimer, told CNN on Friday, Oct. 9. "Even if he gets an hour to eat or to exercise, he's alone," Mutimer said. "He's looking at having his liberty potentially taken away. ... He is looking at being removed from the military, losing his benefits and potentially spending significant time in jail." Prosecutors charged Watson under three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), including the rarely used Article 88, which bars officers from using "contemptuous words" against the president. (Gramegna, 10/12)

The New York Times: Cancer Vaccines Are The N.I.H.’s Next ‘Big Bet’

A new type of cancer treatment — vaccines — is so promising that it demands a national effort to expedite discoveries, said the director of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Anthony Letai. “We can do things that would not otherwise be done,” he said of new resources being made available at the National Institutes of Health. “We can place big bets on new ideas.” (Kolata, 10/9)

CAPITOL WATCH

ELECTIONS

AP: False Claims That Talarico Was Treated At Mental Health Facility Spread

Republican officials and conservative social media users spread unfounded rumors in recent days that state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in a competitive Texas Senate race, had suffered a mental health crisis. Questions about Talarico’s whereabouts began spreading after the candidate was not seen in public for nine days. But he and his campaign have repeatedly attributed his absence to the flu. (Goldin and Bedayn, 10/12)

NBC News: Abortion Isn’t Top Of Mind For Voters, But Democrats Are Betting It Could Motivate Their Base

Abortion was a dominant theme in the 2022 midterm elections, which took place just months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This time around, the issue isn’t top of mind for as many voters — but Democrats are still betting it could motivate their base and independents, particularly in a handful of high-profile races. (Bendix, 10/12)

HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY

Healthcare Dive: Hospitals Sue Over Revamped 340B Rebate Pilot

Hospitals are suing the HHS for a second time over the agency’s controversial plan to convert 340B drug discounts into a rebate system. The American Hospital Association, along with a Maine hospital lobby and four safety-net hospitals, filed the complaint Friday alleging that the switch from upfront discounts to post-purchase rebates threatens the financial viability of hospitals in the drug discount program. (Hughes, 10/12)

Knowable Magazine: U.S. Doctors Are Aging, Raising Concerns About Patient Safety

Richard David Heekin’s long career as an orthopedic surgeon ended catastrophically. Heekin stepped down at 65 after patients accused him of continuing to operate while impaired by a progressive neurological condition that affected his balance and speech. Within three years of his 2020 retirement, at least 522 lawsuits had been filed against him and Ascension St. Vincent’s Riverside Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. Plaintiffs charged that the hospital knew of the surgeon’s declining condition but allowed him to keep operating. (Ellison, 10/12)

HealthDay: Pharma Payments Influence Doctors' Prescriptions, Study Finds

Pharma companies are influencing doctors to prescribe pricey drugs by wooing them with money and gifts, a new evidence review has concluded. Payments and gifts from the pharmaceutical industry also increase the quantity of drugs doctors prescribe, the Cochrane Library review found. (Thompson, 10/13)

Chicago Tribune: Plastic Surgeon Ayoub Sayeg Fights Illinois License Suspension

An embattled plastic surgeon whose license has been suspended in three states in recent months is seeking a court injunction in Illinois that would allow him to continue treating patients at his Chicago clinic. (Gutowski and Pratt, 10/11)

PHARMA AND TECH

Stat: Concerns Grow On Safety Of Neurocrine Biosciences Rare Disease Drug

Two months after the release of an open letter on potential safety issues tied to a rare disease drug sold by Neurocrine Biosciences, patient advocates and some experts are expressing growing alarm over the perceived risks of the therapy. (Feuerstein, 10/13)

MedPage Today: Joint Pain Supplement Tied To Patient's Weight Gain, Stretch Marks

A supplement marketed for joint pain and arthritis was the likely culprit in one man's iatrogenic Cushing's syndrome, researchers reported. A man in his 40s presented with features of Cushing's syndrome, including rapid weight gain and stretch marks on his abdomen, Hima Darapu, MD, of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, and Sagarika Gokul, MD, of Prisma Health in Greenville, both in South Carolina, wrote in BMJ Case Reports. (Jeffrey, 10/12)

NPR: Ongoing Lawsuits Allege GLP-1s Can Cause Serious Harm. But We Don't Know How Often

Scant data about serious adverse effects makes it harder to answer scientific and legal questions about how often the drugs might cause serious harm like blindness or pancreatitis. (Noguchi, 10/10)

Bloomberg: Google Debuts $180 Fitbit Edge Tracker, Replacing The Fitbit Charge 6

Google introduced an updated premium fitness band with a screen, a device that’s a cross between smartwatches and more discreet health gadgets that offer continuous tracking. The $180 Fitbit Edge, announced Monday, has an oval, 1.34-inch display that makes it look like a smartwatch, even though it’s a purpose-built fitness gadget. The device has a replaceable battery — a first for Fitbit — that’s rated to last a week at a time and can recharge to a day’s worth of power in five minutes. Other additions include automatic workout detection, an altimeter and wellness features such as proactive health monitoring and the ability to track changes in insulin resistance. (Kelly, 10/12)

STATE WATCH

The Texas Tribune: Texas Proposes Eliminating Children’s Autism Program

For years, 7-year-old Israel Solis couldn’t communicate with the world around him. Born with autism and nonverbal, he would bite and scratch himself in frustration when someone couldn’t understand his needs. Therapy through a state-subsidized program gave him a voice: using a picture system he’s learned from his providers in Houston, he’s now able to convey his desires. But Texas wants to eliminate the state program entirely, stunning advocates, providers and parents. (Draeger-Mazer, 10/12)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Appeals Order To Cool All Prisons By End Of 2029

Lawyers for Texas have appealed a federal judge’s order requiring all state lockups to be climate controlled before 2030 to the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, continuing a yearslong legal fight over air conditioning in the country’s largest prison system. (Nguyen, 10/12)

AP: NYC Mayor Mamdani Orders Review Of NYPD Use Force Policies

Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday ordered the New York Police Department to conduct a sweeping review of how officers use force against civilians, moving to address growing discord among progressives who want the democratic socialist to exert stronger control over the nation’s largest police department. In a news release, Mamdani announced a slate of additional police oversight measures that include increased funding for the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD and policies to increase accountability when officers are accused of misconduct. (Izaguirre, 10/12)

Beacon: Kansas City: Missouri Hospital Closes Labor And Delivery After Bankruptcy Sale

For pregnant women living north of Interstate 70 in central Missouri, there weren’t many places to deliver a baby. Fitzgibbon Hospital in Marshall was one of them. Now it isn’t. Fitzgibbon delivered 252 babies in 2025. In April, the hospital filed for bankruptcy protection and began sale negotiations for its 60-bed hospital and its 99-bed long-term care facility. (Cunningham, 10/8)

CNN: How Guaranteed Income Changed One Mother’s Pregnancy

When My’Isah Savage was pregnant, she felt like she was constantly at the doctor’s office. “Especially during the first trimester, they want you there like every day,” she said. With an exasperated sigh, she remembered the 8-mile trip across the city that would take more than an hour each way on public transportation. Money was tight, and those were hours she wasn’t working. (McPhillips, 10/10)

North Carolina Health News: Bipartisan Bill Aims To Close Rural NC’S Health Workforce Gaps

Two North Carolina congressional representatives — a Republican and a Democrat — have teamed up on federal legislation meant to recruit and retain doctors, nurses and other health care workers in rural communities. (Baxley, 10/13)

Maryland Matters: Deadly Heat Shatters State Records For Emergency Calls, Fatalities

The annual Maryland heat season ended with a record-breaking year for heat-related illnesses and deaths, with the state reporting that 61 Marylanders died due to hyperthermia in the season that ended Sept. 30. It shattered the previous record of 42 fatalities, set in 2012, according to available public data, and came close to doubling last year’s 34 deaths, continuing a troubling four-year rise in heat-related fatalities. (Brown, 10/10)

The New York Times: Six Flags Closes Multiple Rides After Death On Georgia Roller Coaster

One rider died and several others were injured at Six Flags Over Georgia, the police said. The company said it was temporarily closing nine rides in the U.S. and Canada as a precaution. (Walker and Chung, 10/12)

BOTCHED EXECUTION

NPR: Christa Pike Out Of The Hospital And Back In Prison After Botched Execution

Christa Pike was released from a local hospital and is back in prison, at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Tennessee, her attorneys Luke Ihnen, Randy Spivey, Stephen Ferrell and Kelly Gleason said in a statement on Saturday. (Duster, 10/10)

The New York Times: Calls Show How Confusion Delayed Emergency Response For Christa Pike

The emergency response to Christa Pike’s botched execution last month was delayed by about half an hour, because of confusion over the authenticity of the 911 call, according to dispatch and radio calls released on Monday. ... The confusion seemed widespread. The initial 911 call did not come, as it might normally, from the central control at the Tennessee Department of Correction, and the caller did not have the right security verification. (Cochrane, 10/12)

WSMV4: 911 Call Transcript From Botched Christa Pike Execution Released

Authorities have released the transcript of the 911 call made from Riverbend Maximum Security Institution the night of Christa Pike’s attempted execution. (Cohen, 10/12)

LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH

NPR: Sauna’s Potential Health Benefits Draw Scientists’ Interest

A group of international researchers is pushing to rigorously study the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies. They hope to bring scientific legitimacy to the age-old practices. (Stone, 10/11)

The Hill: Diet Soda Matched Water For Weight Loss In New Study

A recent study comparing British adults who drank either water or diet soft drinks while losing weight or maintaining their weight reached a surprising conclusion: There was essentially no difference between the two groups. Researchers at the University of Liverpool tracked nearly 500 overweight or obese adults over two years and assigned participants to consume either water or a set amount of nonnutritive sweetened soft drinks each day. (Ramsey, 10/12)

POP CULTURE AND CELEBRITIES

The New York Times: RJ Mitte, Who Played Walter White’s Son On ‘Breaking Bad,’ Dies At 34; He Brought His Own Experience Of Living With Cerebral Palsy To The Role

RJ Mitte, the actor best known for playing the son of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White on “Breaking Bad,” died on Monday in Brownsville, Texas. He was 34. Mr. Mitte was born with cerebral palsy and brought his experience of living with the disability to the role of Walter White Jr., who was known as Flynn, on the Emmy-winning show. Mr. Mitte would go on to continue disability advocacy work, as an ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy and Shriners Children’s, and as president of the Mitte Foundation, an organization that supports philanthropic efforts and community initiatives in Brownsville. (Tumin, 10/12)

GLOBAL WATCH

AP: Pope Leo XIV Is Set To Enter Rome Hospital For Lung Surgery

Pope Leo XIV was expected to be admitted to a Rome hospital Tuesday for the removal of a lung nodule, an operation that experts say will determine whether the lesion is malignant and if other treatment is needed. Leo has offered a rare level of transparency about the first publicly disclosed major health problem of his 17-month papacy. He revealed the discovery of the small, localized nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and announced that he would have it removed. (Winfield and Barry, 10/13)

CNN: AI Is Among 17 Potentially ‘Catastrophic Threats’ That Researchers Say Require Targeted Action

More than a dozen “interconnected catastrophic threats” pose significant risk to global health and wellbeing through the remainder of the 21st century, researchers say – including the potential for extinction. But targeted action from world leaders can help avoid worst-case scenarios. (McPhillips, 10/10)

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