First Edition: November 25, 2019

Kaiser Health News: Not Yesterday’s Cocaine: Death Toll Rising From Tainted Drug
A pain pill prescription for nerve damage revived Gwendolyn Barton’s long-dormant addiction last year, awakening fears she would slip back into smoking crack cocaine. She’d done that drug and others for about 20 years before getting sober in 2008. But things were different back then. This time, the 62-year-old knew she needed to seek treatment before it was too late. (Ungar, 11/25)

Kaiser Health News: UVA Doctors Decry Aggressive Billing Practices By Their Own Hospital
Prominent doctors at UVA Health System are expressing public outrage at their employer’s practices to collect unpaid medical debt from its patients. A Kaiser Health News report in September that showed UVA sued 36,000 patients over six years for more than $100 million, seizing wages and savings and even pushing families into bankruptcy. (Hancock, 11/23)

Kaiser Health News: Last-Minute Loophole Could Undermine Texas Law Against Surprise Medical Bills
Texas’ bipartisan effort to shield patients from surprise medical bills could be weaker than lawmakers intended when it takes effect Jan. 1. Earlier this year, lawmakers from both parties came together on legislation to protect people in state-regulated health plans from getting outrageous bills for out-of-network care. The new law, known as Senate Bill 1264, creates an arbitration process for insurers and providers to negotiate fair prices in those cases. The intention of the law is to establish those fair prices without ever involving patients. (Lopez, 11/25)

The New York Times: It’s Enrollment Time For Obamacare
Shop, compare — and beware, when shopping for health insurance outside official government marketplaces. That’s the message from health experts during the annual plan selection period on state and federal marketplaces for Obamacare health insurance. Despite uncertainty about the future of the Affordable Care Act, people in many parts of the country will find more plan choices and lower premiums. (Carrns, 11/22)

Modern Healthcare: Litigation Funders Eye Billions In Outstanding Obamacare Payments
Health insurers are fielding offers from specialized investors who are betting big that the Supreme Court will force the federal government to fork over billions in unpaid Obamacare funds. Insurance companies and their attorneys say they've been approached with more and more frequency by litigation funding firms and other investors as the December oral arguments approach in the lawsuits over unpaid "risk-corridor" payments, and some investors are increasingly sweetening the deals. (Livingston, 11/22)

The New York Times: ‘Public Option’ Draws Voters Unsure About ‘Medicare For All’
One after another, voters at a recent campaign event here for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. expressed utter comfort with the centerpiece of his health care platform: an idea once so controversial that Democrats had to drop it from the Affordable Care Act to get the landmark law passed. The proposal would allow people of all incomes who aren’t old enough for Medicare to choose health coverage through a new government-run plan that would compete with private insurance, known by the less-than-catchy shorthand “public option.” (Goodnough, 11/24)

Politico: The Army Built To Fight ‘Medicare For All’
Chip Kahn took one look at the scene playing out inside the stately Hart Senate Office Building and knew he needed to do something about it. It was mid-September 2017 and Sen. Bernie Sanders had just ascended a stage to the cheers of more than a hundred health care activists, grassroots organizers and political supporters. The packed hearing room had played host to some of the most solemn moments in Washington's modern history: the crafting of a landmark missile treaty with the Soviet Union, the investigation of the 9/11 terror attacks, the consideration of at least five Supreme Court nominees. (Cancryn, 11/25)

USA Today: 'Medicare For All' Talk Misses Cost-Sharing Crunch For Older, Disabled Adults.
When Robert Davis's prescription medication money ran out weeks ago, he began rationing a life-sustaining $292,000-per-year drug he takes to treat his cystic fibrosis. On Tuesday, the suburban Houston man and father of two, got a lifeline in the mail: a free 30-day supply of a newer, even more expensive triple-combination drug with an annual cost of $311,000. The drug will bring him relief over the next month, but he's uncertain what will happen next. Although the 50-year-old has Medicare prescription drug coverage, he can't afford copays for it or other drugs he must take to stay healthy as he battles the life-shortening lung disorder. (Alltucker, 11/25)

The New York Times: 2020 Democrats Unapologetically Support Abortion Rights, Times Survey Shows
The Democratic presidential field has coalesced around an abortion rights agenda more far-reaching than anything past nominees have proposed, according to a New York Times survey of the campaigns. The positions reflect a hugely consequential shift on one of the country’s most politically divisive issues. Every candidate The Times surveyed supports codifying Roe v. Wade in federal law, allowing Medicaid coverage of abortion by repealing the Hyde Amendment, and removing funding restrictions for organizations that provide abortion referrals. (Astor, 11/25)

The New York Times: How The 2020 Democrats Responded To An Abortion Survey
The New York Times asked the Democratic presidential candidates to complete a survey on abortion and contraception. Following are the full responses we received, unedited except for corrected typos and punctuation. (Astor, 11/25)

The Associated Press: Trump Hears Opposing Viewpoints In Debate Over Youth Vaping
President Donald Trump on Friday heard opposing viewpoints in the debate over youth vaping but offered no insight into where he would ultimately come down on the issue after promising two months ago that he would ban most flavored e-cigarettes but later backtracking. He said the administration would announce its plan “very soon.” (Superville, 11/22)

Reuters: Trump Says Ban Of Some Flavored E-Cigarette Products Could Lead To Illegal Sales
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday expressed concerns that enacting his administration's proposed ban on many flavored e-cigarette and vaping products would lead to people obtaining them illegally. Trump also raised worries during a raucous meeting with public health and industry representatives that illegal e-cigarette and vaping products could be substandard. (11/22)

The New York Times: Trump Warns A Flavor Ban Would Spawn Counterfeit Vaping Products
“If you don’t give it to them, it’s going to come here illegally,” Mr. Trump said of flavored products, referring to how a “prohibition” would only increase the use of black-market products. “That’s the one problem I can’t seem to forget,” he said. “You just have to look at the history of it. Now, instead of having a flavor that’s at least safe, they’re going to be having a flavor that’s poison.” But e-cigarettes have been on the market for more than a decade, at least, and have grown increasingly popular, with little scientific evidence or oversight to prove they are safe. (Karni and Kaplan, 11/22)

The Washington Post: In Apparent Shift, Trump Warns About Dangers Of Banning Flavored E-Cigarettes
At the same time, Trump indicated support for legislation to raise the federal minimum age for buying tobacco products to 21 from 18, which is pending in Congress. While health groups generally support an age increase, they say “Tobacco 21,” as it is called, is not enough to check the increase in teen vaping. “Raising the age doesn’t fix the main problem,” Gary Reedy, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, said after the meeting. “As long as the flavors are there, kids are going to be enticed.” (McGinley and Wan, 11/22)

CNN: Trump's White House Meeting On Vaping Results In Contentious Debate
Besides raising the age limit to 21, the Vapor Technology Association's proposed plan includes restricting marketing practices and enforcing penalties for retailers that sell to minors, among other controls. In the meeting, "what was interesting was that other than raising the age to 21, the public health advocates were virtually silent" on the other restriction proposals, Abboud said. "This is the fundamental problem that we have. They simply want a ban and nothing short of a ban and bans don't work." (Howard, 11/22)

Reuters: Ban On Flavored Vapes Could Lead To Loss Of 150,000 Jobs, $8.4 Billion Sales Hit: Report
A potential U.S. ban on e-cigarette flavors could result in a loss of more than 150,000 jobs and a direct sales hit of $8.4 billion, according to a report released on Friday by a vaping industry trade group. Two months ago President Donald Trump's administration announced a sweeping plan to ban all e-cigarette and vaping flavors except tobacco, but a final decision has not been made. (11/22)

USA Today: Vaping Law Delays Left Kids At Risk Of Nicotine Poisoning
Federal regulators this year stepped up efforts to protect young children from a deadly vaping threat: accidents involving liquid nicotine in bottles with enticing candy colors and flavors. In February, the Consumer Product Safety Commission sent out notices about a safety requirement that it had previously ignored. In addition to child-resistant caps, vape juice containers must dramatically limit how much can spill out of an open bottle. A vial can contain enough poison to kill four toddlers.  (Stein, 11/25)

Vox: Vaping Is Still Safer Than Smoking. That Message Is Getting Dangerously Muddled.
Amid the many controversies about vaping’s health effects, there’s one thing public health experts agree on: E-cigarettes are less harmful than regular cigarettes. Tobacco kills up to half of its users, which is why cigarettes are considered the deadliest consumer product ever introduced to the market. Even with the uncertainty about vaping’s long-term risks, researchers have found that vapers are exposed to fewer toxins and carcinogens than cigarette smokers. The public, meanwhile, seems increasingly confused. (Belluz, 11/22)

The Associated Press: Michigan Halts Sale Of Marijuana E-Cigs Unless Re-Tested
Michigan on Friday halted the sale of marijuana vaping products until they are tested for a compound that has been identified as a culprit in e-cigarette-related lung illnesses. The state Marijuana Regulatory Agency’s emergency rules, which prohibit vitamin E acetate, apply to existing medical marijuana businesses and those in the process of being licensed to sell for recreational use as soon as Dec. 1. (Eggert, 11/22)

Reuters: Trump Says He Will Allow States To Import Prescription Drugs To Lower Costs
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he will soon release a plan to let Florida and other states import prescription medicines to combat high drug prices, and he blasted the Democrat-led House for not going far enough in a drug-pricing bill. "We will soon be putting more options on the table," Trump wrote in a series of tweets, adding that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "and her Do Nothing Democrats drug pricing bill doesn’t do the trick." (11/22)

CNBC: Trump Will Release Plan Allowing States To Import Drugs From Canada Soon
It’s unclear exactly how the plan has changed since the Department of Health and Human Services released an outline in July. According to the outline, states, wholesalers and pharmacists — acting as intermediaries for consumers — would draft a proposal for safe importation of drugs already available in the U.S. The groups would then submit the proposal to the Food and Drug Administration for approval. In most circumstances, it is illegal to import medications from other countries for personal use, according to the FDA. Canadian health officials and the pharmaceutical industry are against the proposal. (Lovelace, 11/22)

The Hill: Trump Draws Ire After Retreat On Drug Prices Pledge 
President Trump is backing off his 2016 campaign pledge to negotiate drug prices for Medicare with pharmaceutical companies, drawing fire from Democrats after months of talks on the issue with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). During his campaign, Trump famously broke with Republican orthodoxy with his support for having the government negotiate lower drug prices. (Sullivan, 11/24)

The New York Times: The Costly, Life-Disrupting Consequences Of Poor Diabetes Care
Diabetes, whether Type 1 or Type 2, may be the most underappreciated, misunderstood and poorly treated of all common medical problems, and many of the more than 30 million Americans affected by it are paying dearly with their health and lives as a result. Contrary to what many people think, diabetes is not just a disease of abnormal blood sugar control caused by a lack of insulin or an inadequate response to this crucial hormone. (Brody, 11/25)

Stat: With $9.7 Billion Acquisition, Novartis Bets That Heart Drugs Are Coming Back
Novartis’ $9.7 billion acquisition of The Medicines Company (MDCO), which the companies announced Sunday after days of rumors, is a story of second acts. It represents a new chance for a type of cholesterol-lowering drug that was once predicted to generate many billions of dollars in annual sales, but has so far disappointed drug makers and investors, to dominate the landscape for heart medicines. (Herper, 11/24)

The Wall Street Journal: Novartis To Buy Cholesterol-Drugmaker Medicines Co.
The cholesterol drug under development by Medicines, based in Parsippany, N.J., is aimed at patients who aren’t well-treated by older statin pills. Medicines won’t come cheaply. Its shares have risen as the company has reported positive data from testing of the drug, with the stock nearly quadrupling this year. Its shares closed at $68.55 Friday, meaning the deal values Medicines at 24% above a price that was already elevated by expectations of a deal. (Cimilluca, Lombardo and Rockoff, 11/24)

Stat: New Data On Takeda’s Dengue Vaccine Look Promising, But With Troubling Exception 
New data about the effectiveness of Takeda (TAK) Pharmaceutical’s experimental dengue vaccine will likely raise more concerns among the many people hoping the vaccine will be an effective and safe tool with which to combat the massive global burden of dengue fever. The company — which earlier this month published findings from a Phase 3 trial outlining responses to the vaccine after 12 months — presented 18-month data at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in National Harbor, Md. (Branswell, 11/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Takeda’s Dengue Vaccine Shows Promise
Effective measures to stop the spread of dengue are among the most urgent needs in global public health. Approximately 3.9 billion people in tropical regions of the world are at risk of infection with the virus, which is carried by an aggressive mosquito that teems in populated areas. An estimated 390 million people a year are infected with dengue. The World Health Organization listed dengue among 10 global health threats of concern in 2019. But only one licensed vaccine—Dengvaxia from Sanofi SA, is available so far, and it has had safety problems. Takeda’s ongoing clinical trial of its TAK-003 vaccine, involving approximately 20,000 children between the ages of 4 and 16 years in eight countries, is being closely watched. (McKay, 11/23)

NPR: For Your Heart, Eat Fish Or Take Pills? A Dose Of This Drug Equals 8 Salmon Servings
It's long been known that eating fish, especially cold-water fish such as salmon that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, is good for heart health. But, for the millions of Americans who are at high risk of heart disease, eating enough fish to make a difference isn't likely to be realistic for most. There's growing evidence that taking a very high-dose of purified fish oil, delivered in a prescription pill, can help prevent heart attacks and strokes among people who have elevated risks. (Aubrey, 11/25)

The New York Times: University To Students On Medicaid: Buy Private Coverage, Or Drop Out
Emily and Kullen Langston were enrolling in classes for the winter semester at Brigham Young University-Idaho when they hit an unexpected roadblock. The school, like many others, requires all students to have health coverage. But this month, the university made an unusual announcement: It would no longer accept Medicaid. Ms. Langston, 20, enrolled in the free government insurance program last year after becoming pregnant with the couple’s daughter, who is now 4 months old. Mr. Langston, 22, was planning to sign up for Medicaid in January, when it is set to expand in the state. (Kliff, 11/24)

The Associated Press: Lawsuit Challenges Medicaid Work Requirements In Michigan
Four enrollees in Michigan’s Medicaid expansion program filed a lawsuit Friday challenging work requirements that are set to take effect in January, arguing that the Trump administration lacked the authority to approve the rules that undermine the Affordable Care Act. The lawsuit, brought in federal court in Washington, D.C., asks the judge to declare the federal approval of the requirements illegal and to block them from being implemented. (Eggert, 11/22)

The Hill: Kansas Bishops Defend Support For Placing Conditions On Medicaid Expansion 
Kansas Catholic bishops are standing by their request to place conditions on Medicaid expansion in the state. The bishops have taken a stance to withhold their support of Medicaid expansion until the state meets some conditions, including passing a bill to allow citizens to vote on a constitutional amendment to remove abortion as a “natural right.”  (Coleman, 11/24)

The New York Times: 14,000 Lives: ‘Rare Case Where Racial Biases’ Protected Blacks
When the opioid crisis began to escalate some 20 years ago, many African-Americans had a layer of protection against it. But that protection didn’t come from the effectiveness of the American medical system. Instead, researchers believe, it came from racial stereotypes embedded within that system. As unlikely as it may seem, these negative stereotypes appear to have shielded many African-Americans from fatal prescription opioid overdoses. This is not a new finding. (Frakt and Monkovic, 11/25)

NPR: In The Fight For Money For The Opioid Crisis, Will The Youngest Victims Be Left Out?
Babies born to mothers who used opioids during pregnancy represent one of the most distressing legacies of an opioid epidemic that has claimed almost 400,000 lives and ravaged communities. In fact, many of the ongoing lawsuits filed against drug companies make reference to these babies, fighting through withdrawal in hospital nurseries. The cluster of symptoms they experience, which include tremors, seizures and respiratory distress, is known as neonatal abstinence syndrome. Until recently, doctors rarely looked for the condition. (Farmer, 11/22)

The Associated Press: Federal Addiction Treatment Dollars Off-Limits For Marijuana 
The U.S. government is barring federal dollars meant for opioid addiction treatment to be used on medical marijuana. The move is aimed at states that allow marijuana for medical uses, particularly those letting patients with opioid addiction use pot as a treatment, said Dr. Elinore McCance-Katz, whose federal agency doles out money to states for treatment programs. (11/22)

The New York Times: Barr Says Epstein’s Suicide Resulted From ‘Perfect Storm Of Screw-Ups’
Attorney General William P. Barr said in an interview published on Friday that the death of Jeffrey Epstein, the financier accused of sex trafficking, in a secure federal prison resulted from “a perfect storm of screw-ups,” rather than any nefarious act. Mr. Barr’s statement refuted suggestions from members of Mr. Epstein’s family that he may have been murdered. His remarks came the same week that two prison guards were criminally charged, accused in an indictment of failing to check on Mr. Epstein every half-hour as they were required to and then lying about it on prison logs. (Benner, 11/22)

The Associated Press: Paging Dr. Robot: Artificial Intelligence Moves Into Care
The next time you get sick, your care may involve a form of the technology people use to navigate road trips or pick the right vacuum cleaner online. Artificial intelligence is spreading into health care, often as software or a computer program capable of learning from large amounts of data and making predictions to guide care or help patients. (Murphy, 11/24)

Stat: Watch: What Is HIPAA, And What Does It Cover? 
Earlier this month, a federal regulator launched a probe into a partnership that allowed Google (GOOGL) to collect millions of patient records from the nonprofit hospital chain Ascension. At the crux of the investigation: whether the companies adhered to HIPAA, or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The federal law governs how doctors, hospitals, and researchers can use and share personal health information — and when they have to tell patients they are doing so. (Thielking, 11/22)

The New York Times: ‘I Have A Ph.D. In Not Having Money’
David Velasquez learned his first clinical lesson early on: The health care system wasn’t made to care for people like him. Mr. Velasquez, 24, never had a primary care physician, because his parents couldn’t afford the bills. When he was 12, his undocumented godmother died of cancer, having avoided hospitals until it was too late. Mr. Velasquez, the only college-bound member of his family, knew he needed to become a doctor. When he registered for the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, his junior year, he called the Princeton Review to ask for a discount on a $1,200 preparation package. (Goldberg, 11/25)

The Washington Post: Crib Bumpers Tied To Dozens Of Infant Deaths. Regulators Haven't Acted.
A paralyzing conflict inside the nation’s product safety regulator has prevented the agency from taking action against a popular baby product that studies have linked to at least 48 infant deaths over 27 years and that public health officials say should be banned, according to a Washington Post investigation. The cause of the breakdown is a small team inside the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission that does not believe the product — padded crib bumpers — played a role in most, if any, of the infants’ deaths, derailing the agency’s attempts to regulate or ban crib bumpers. (Frankel, 11/23)

The Washington Post: Agency Shows Which Alternative Medical Approaches Are Useful And Safe — And Which Ones Aren’t
Elderflower syrup. Turmeric milk. Cannabidiol oil. Natural health trends come and go. So how should you decide which ones to chase? The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health can help. Part of the National Institutes of Health, the agency is devoted to determining what complementary and alternative medical approaches are useful and safe — and which ones aren’t. (Blakemore, 11/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Questions To Ask About How Your Medical Data Could Be Used By Researchers
When research participants sign up for studies that are federally funded, they have to go through a process known as informed consent. That means the researchers must brief them on the risks and benefits of participating, like who might have access to their data or what they might be able to find out about their health, if anything, by joining a study. Traditionally, research has focused on gaining insights that can improve public health, rather than the health of the individuals who provide their data. (Hernandez, 11/24)

The Washington Post: CDC Warns Consumers Not To Eat Romaine Lettuce From Salinas Valley, Ca.
Federal health and regulatory officials warned consumers Friday not to eat romaine lettuce of any kind harvested from the Salinas Valley, one of California’s major agricultural regions, because it may be contaminated with a particularly dangerous type of E. coli bacteria that has sickened 40 people in 16 states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration told consumers to throw away any romaine lettuce they may already have purchased. (Sun, 11/23)

CNN: E. Coli Outbreak Reported In Romaine Lettuce Harvested From Salinas, California, CDC And FDA Say
So far, 28 people were hospitalized, though no deaths were reported, according to the FDA. Wisconsin has had 10 cases, the most reported from the 16 states, the CDC said. "If romaine lettuce does not have labeling information for its growing area or the source cannot be confirmed, consumers should not eat or use the romaine," said Frank Yiannas, FDA's deputy commissioner for food policy and response. "Restaurants and retailers should not serve or sell romaine lettuce if they cannot confirm it is from outside Salinas." (Vera, 11/22)

NPR: Flu Shot Doesn't Work As Well For Obese And Overweight People
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says flu season is starting to ramp up — and it's not too late to reduce your risk with a vaccine. But scientists have come to realize that flu vaccines are less effective for people who are overweight or obese. Considering that excess weight affects more than two-thirds of the U.S. adult population, that's a significant shortcoming. (Harris, 11/24)

The New York Times: Fitting In Family Fitness At The Holidays
Milk-gallon dead lifts, shared inchworms, synchronized walking and a little misdirection could be the keys to staying in shape and in harmony with loved ones during the holiday weeks ahead, experts say. While people who regularly exercise often worry about having too little time, willpower or familial good will available for workouts when they visit or host family and friends for the holidays, the researchers and athletes I spoke with felt that the greater challenge — and opportunity — lies in finding ways to rope in the gathered hordes, who might otherwise stay inactive. (Reynolds, 11/23)

The New York Times: Air Pollution May Damage The Brain
Long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with lower scores on tests of mental acuity, researchers have found. And one reason may be that air pollution causes changes in brain structure that resemble those of Alzheimer’s disease. The scientists studied 998 women ages 73 to 87 and free of dementia, periodically giving them tests of learning and memory. They used magnetic resonance imaging to detect brain atrophy, or wasting, and then scored the deterioration on its degree of similarity to the brain atrophy characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease. (Bakalar, 11/25)

NPR: For Older Cancer Patients, Geriatric Assessments Help Doctors Tailor Treatment
When Lorraine Griggs' 86-year-old father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he was treated with 35 rounds of radiation, though he had a long list of other serious medical issues, including diabetes, kidney disease and high blood pressure. The treatment left him frailer, Griggs recalls. A few years later, when his prostate cancer reoccurred, Griggs' father received a different kind of cancer care. Before his doctor devised a treatment plan, she ordered what's known as a geriatric assessment. (Platzman Weinstock, 11/23)

The Associated Press: Amazon Pulls Skin-Lightening Products After Groups’ Concerns
Amazon has pulled more than a dozen skin-lightening products with dangerous levels of mercury off its website after Minnesota public-health and environmental activists raised concerns. The company’s change came after two groups, the BeautyWell Project and the state branch of the Sierra Club, delivered a petition on Wednesday with over 23,000 signatures to Amazon’s fulfillment center in Shakopee, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. (11/22)

The Washington Post: Her Lungs Seemed To Be A Mess. But The Problem That Nearly Killed Her Lay Elsewhere.
Why, Gail Multop wondered repeatedly, couldn’t doctors put an end to her seemingly in­trac­table lung ailments? Multop’s problems seemed to progress slowly but relentlessly. In November 2016, she contracted pneumonia. A second bout followed six months later. By then, the early-childhood education specialist had developed a wracking cough and felt increasingly exhausted and short of breath. (Boodman, 11/23)

The New York Times: Veterans Join Airlines In Pushback Against Conduct Unbecoming A Support Dog
It seemed, in retrospect, a bit of a low point — a medium-size dog racing through an airplane at 30,000 feet, spraying diarrhea toward passengers throughout the cabin. But according to some transportation officials, it was an increasingly typical scene that has stemmed from the growing use of comfort animals on airplanes — a situation that some injured veterans say is making life harder on them. (Steinhauer, 11/23)

The Wall Street Journal: Walter Reed Failed To Examine Almost 2,000 CT Scans
Nearly 2,000 radiology scans went unread for several years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, leading to at least one documented delay in treatment and one physician fearing hundreds more, according to an internal investigation. A combination of faulty processes, oversights by physicians, technical snafus and a radiologist’s overwork led to a backlog of 1,300 unread Cone Beam Computed Tomography scans of patients’ faces and jaws from 2011 to 2016 at the Navy’s postgraduate dental school, according to the investigation, which was completed in August and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. (Kesling, 11/23)

The Associated Press: Pennsylvania To Fund Research Into Fracking Health Dangers
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf said Friday his administration will spend $3 million on a pair of studies to explore the potential health effects of the natural gas industry, taking action after months of impassioned pleas by the families of pediatric cancer patients who live in the most heavily drilled region of the state. Dozens of children and young adults have been diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma and other forms of cancer in a four-county area outside Pittsburgh, where energy companies have drilled more than 3,500 wells since 2008. (11/22)

The Associated Press: Vaccination Required After Mumps Found At Arkansas School
All University of Arkansas students are being required to have up-to-date vaccinations in order to attend classes following a mumps outbreak on campus. The state Department of Health on Friday issued a notice telling students they need to be immunized with at least two doses of the mumps vaccine or sit out of class for 26 days. The agency says nine cases of the viral disease have been diagnosed at the Fayetteville school this fall and other possible cases are being investigated. (11/24)