Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
First Edition: Tuesday, June 30, 2026
KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES
KFF Health News: These Church Members Disagree On Politics. Together They’re Wiping Out Medical Debt
Some issues, like immigration or student loans, are too divisive to unite Trinity Moravian Church.This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. “We’ve got quite a spread of political beliefs,” said the Rev. John Jackman, who leads this 114-year-old red-brick church near Winston-Salem’s old textile mills. Conservative Republicans sit with liberal Democrats. Supporters of President Donald Trump mix with his fierce critics. “It’s definitely a purple congregation,” Jackman said. (Levey, 6/30)
KFF Health News: Would Hunters Take A Lyme Disease Vaccine? We Asked
It’s tick season, possibly the worst in a decade. More and more Americans are being exposed to these parasites as climate change expands the range where they can survive. That means more people are also exposed to the bevy of health conditions they can cause, such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the alpha-gal-triggered red meat allergy, and, most common of all, Lyme disease. For the latter, there may be some additional protection on the horizon. (Sable-Smith, 6/30)
KFF Health News: He Dreamed Of Becoming A Physician Assistant. New Loan Rules May Thwart Him
Benjamin Pinckney, 46, has dreamed of becoming a physician assistant since just after his 20th birthday. He had been targeted by a drive-by shooter in Jacksonville, Florida, and hospitalized with two gunshot wounds. During his weeklong hospitalization, he said, a physician assistant changed the course of his life by visiting his hospital bed each day and warning him that Black men with gunshot wounds often end up paralyzed — or worse. (Sausser, 6/30)
SUPREME COURT
NPR: Supreme Court Cements Trump's Power Over Agencies Long Considered Independent
The ruling essentially turns FTC commissioners into at-will employees, who serve at the pleasure of the president. It also effectively ends Congress' requirement that the FTC be bipartisan, so that no one party has too much sway. ... The agency's commissioners are antitrust experts, uniquely positioned to keep watch over all kinds of companies — big tech companies, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers and media companies — ensuring their practices aren't harming regular people. (Hsu and Totenberg, 6/29)
CNN: Trump Must Pay E. Jean Carroll $5 Million After Supreme Court Denies His Appeal Of Sexual Abuse Verdict
The Supreme Court Monday declined to take up an appeal from President Donald Trump over a $5 million verdict and finding that he sexually abused and defamed E. Jean Carroll, a decision that means the president will now have to pay the magazine columnist. (Fritze, 6/29)
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
Fierce Healthcare: HRSA Opens Applications For $140M In Rural Health Grant Funding
The Health Resources and Services Administration highlighted on Monday $140 million in newly opened grant funding opportunities focused on rural health priorities such as substance use treatment, workforce development and telehealth. Applications for the slew of grants opened over the last few weeks and are set to close throughout July. (Muoio, 6/29)
Fierce Healthcare: HHS Moves To Step Up Oversight Measures For TEFCA
The Trump administration unveiled new efforts to strengthen oversight of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), including hiring a federal IT contractor to provide audit, review and compliance support. TEFCA is the government-backed health data-sharing initiative that allows patients, providers and payers to share health records. It was mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act back in 2016 and went live in December 2023. (Landi, 6/29)
Stat: Vijay Kumar Leaves FDA's Office Of Therapeutic Products
Vijay Kumar, acting director of the office that reviews cell and gene therapies at the Food and Drug Administration, is stepping down from his role, according to an email obtained by STAT. (Lawrence, 6/29)
The Washington Post: FDA Staff Recommendation Undercuts RFK Jr.’s Push To Expand Peptides
Food and Drug Administration career scientists said there isn’t enough evidence to allow certain peptides to be produced by compounding pharmacies, contradicting Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to expand access to the popular wellness products. The recommendation from FDA regulators was quietly posted online Monday as Kennedy’s health department added several new members, many of whom are physicians, to a panel that will review some peptides next month. At least seven of the members have ties to peptide-related businesses and clinics. Another member is the son of a congresswoman who has urged Kennedy to convene the panel. (Roubein and Weber, 6/30)
The Hill: RFK Jr. Rejects Cassidy's Criticism Of Broken Promises
Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday dismissed criticism from GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy (La.) that he is breaking promises. Speaking to NewsNation’s Anna Kooiman in Atlantic City, N.J., Kennedy said he met with Cassidy roughly a month ago and told the Louisiana Republican his critiques are untrue. “I went through every promise that I made to them and I’ve kept them all,” the HHS secretary added, recalling his conversation with Cassidy. “I won’t speculate as to why Senator Cassidy is saying those things. I think anybody can make that speculation. But what he’s saying is not true.” (Rego, 6/29)
HEALTHCARE COSTS AND COVERAGE
AP: Half Of States Sue Trump Administration Over Medicaid Work Rules
Democrats in 25 states and the District of Columbia on Monday sued the Trump administration over its recent guidance on new Medicaid work requirements, arguing the strict rules will prevent eligible Americans from accessing the care they need. The attorneys general and governors who filed the lawsuit allege that an interim final rule released earlier this month by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services oversteps the text of the law last summer that set in motion the changes to Medicaid. (Swenson, 6/29)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Ambetter Health Is Pulling Out Of New Hampshire’s ACA Marketplace In 2027
Ambetter Health has announced that it will no longer offer healthcare plans on the health insurance marketplace in New Hampshire starting next year. (Richardson, 6/29)
The Hill: PBM Lobbying Group Goes On Offense Against Pharmaceutical Industry
The nation’s top pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) lobbying group is going on the offensive, stepping up its advocacy efforts against the pharmaceutical industry after Congress passed a PBM industry overhaul last winter. The pharmaceutical industry spent years pointing fingers at pharmacy benefit managers as the reason for high drug costs, and Congress finally was able to get PBM reforms over the finish line as part of a larger government funding bill. (Weixel, 6/29)
Stat: Trump Low-Cost GLP-1 Plan A Likely Boost For Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk
The Trump administration’s grand bargain with drugmakers on GLP-1s was based on a simple premise: lower prices in exchange for higher sales volume. Instead, the companies secured higher volume without the lower prices in some cases. (Wilkerson, 6/30)
ON CAPITOL HILL
Roll Call: Kids Bill Faces Uncertainty After House Passage
Online safety legislation focused on children and teens that has come under fire from key senators passed the House Monday, setting the stage for continued wrangling as Congress seeks to address concerns raised by parent and free speech groups. (Mollenkamp, 6/29)
The Hill: Rep. Jahana Hayes Released From Hospital After Blood Clot
Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) in a Sunday post said she had been hospitalized after a blood clot. Hayes said she was discharged on Sunday after two days at the hospital. “A health update from me. Listen to your body, and seek care if you’re not feeling well. Thank you to all the Dr’s, nurses, technicians and the entire team at St. Mary’s Hospital for the excellent care I received,” Hayes said on the social platform X. Hayes’s post also featured a video of her in which she said she was “reaching out with a quick update.” (Suter, 6/29)
IMMIGRATION CRISIS
NBC News: Venezuelans Deported From U.S. Hours Before Earthquakes Hit Are Missing, Some Confirmed Dead, Families Say
Some families in Venezuela are mourning and others are desperately trying to find loved ones who had been deported from the U.S. and arrived hours before the earthquakes struck last week. The deportees were being processed at the Hotel Santuario La Llanada in the coastal state of La Guaira, one of the hardest-hit areas. Families have confirmed some deportees have died while others are unaccounted for. (Sesin, 6/30)
EBOLA OUTBREAK
CIDRAP: Ebola Outbreak Spreads To 4th Province In DR Congo
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has spread to a fourth province, according to media reports. Sources at DRC’s National Institute of Biomedical Research told Agence France-Press that an Ebola case was detected in Haut-Uele province after a patient traveled there from Ituri province, which is the outbreak’s epicenter. Haut-Uele is north of Ituri and borders South Sudan and the Central African Republic. Like Ituri, the province sees heavy cross-border movement and trade, which health officials fear is helping the virus spread. (Dall, 6/29)
GUN VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH
The New York Times: 6 Are Killed During A Rare Mass Shooting In Germany
A 45-year-old man killed six adults and wounded several others in a shooting attack at a child welfare facility in northern Germany on Monday, in what the local authorities described as a dispute over the custody of the man’s daughter. The daytime assault in the small city of Stade, roughly 30 miles west of Hamburg, killed six employees of the facility and a neighboring youth center, and it shocked a country where strict gun laws have made mass shootings a rarity. (Tankersley and Schuetze, 6/29)
AUTISM
CIDRAP: Tylenol During Pregnancy Doesn’t Increase Risk Of Child’s Autism Or ADHD, Study Suggests
There is no association between using acetaminophen (Tylenol) during pregnancy and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine. It adds to the evidence highlighting acetaminophen’s safety during pregnancy. (Holohan, 6/29)
HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: SSM Doctor Wins $6.8M Verdict Against Health System In Sex Discrimination Suit
St. Louis jury has awarded a doctor who accused SSM Health system of sex discrimination and retaliation more than $6.8 million in wages and punitive damages. Dr. Deborah La Scola's 2024 complaint accused SSM of better compensating her male colleagues through emergency department on-call earnings and higher pay. (Bauman, 6/29)
Modern Healthcare: Yale New Haven Health CEO Steps Down
Christopher O’Connor, CEO of Yale New Haven Health, is stepping down immediately, the system said Monday. Pamela Sutton-Wallace, president of Yale New Haven, will serve as interim CEO while the board conducts a search for O’Connor’s successor, the system said in a news release. O’Connor will serve as a special advisor to the board’s chair until a successor is named. (DeSilva, 6/29)
Modern Healthcare: Nursing Shortage Addressed With Covista, Advocate Partnership
Covista and Advocate Health are forming a partnership to funnel nursing graduates directly into Advocate’s hospitals through scholarships, clinical training and loan repayment assistance, with recruiting set to begin next month. The collaboration between the nation’s largest nurse educator and one of the Chicago-area’s largest providers is the latest in a series of moves to address a widening nursing shortage that has strained hospitals across the country. (6/29)
The New York Times: $22,000 Per Hour: Assistants Use A Legislative Loophole To Outearn Surgeons
A law meant to end surprise medical billing has led to large paydays for some surgical assistants, who can earn far more than the doctors they help. (Sanger-Katz and Kliff, 6/29)
Modern Healthcare: Carbon Health California Deal Settles Lawsuit
Carbon Health Technologies is the first company to be penalized under a beefed up California law prohibiting corporate practice of medicine. The San Francisco-based primary care and telehealth provider must reorganize the management structure of 54 clinics in California, which the state asserted are improperly controlled by a management services organization instead of physicians, state Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) announced Friday. (McAuliff, 6/29)
Modern Healthcare: Why Northwell, CommonSpirit Are Leaning Into Direct Contracting
Employers ranging from guitar shops to large chain grocery stores are contracting directly with providers to offer health benefits to employees, altering their longtime relationships with payers. The health systems and employers are negotiating reimbursement rates themselves with bundled pay arrangements. They share in the risks and savings. (Hudson, 6/29)
PHARMACEUTICALS
Bloomberg: Amgen Drug Tavneos’ Main Study Retracted By Medical Journal
A clinical trial used to approve Amgen Inc.’s pill Tavneos was retracted Monday from the New England Journal of Medicine, putting the drug’s continued sales at risk. Two of the study’s authors requested the retraction, the journal said Monday. The journal cited a US Food and Drug Administration investigation that found the results of nine patients were changed after the study’s database was finalized and some researchers were unblinded, meaning they were told which patients got the experimental drug and which did not. (Swetlitz and Langreth, 6/29)
Stat: AstraZeneca To Pay $34M To Settle Kickback Charges Filed By Texas AG
AstraZeneca agreed to pay $34 million to settle claims that the company paid kickbacks to improperly influence prescriptions paid for by Texas Medicaid. (Silverman, 6/29)
MedPage Today: New Drug Approved For Thyroid Eye Disease
The FDA approved veligrotug (Lumvoa) for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED), regardless of disease activity or duration, Viridian Therapeutics announced on Friday. Veligrotug is the first treatment with labeling for the active and chronic forms of the disease, with trials showing a statistically significant effect on both diplopia response and complete resolution in both, according to the drugmaker. (Monaco, 6/29)
MedPage Today: FDA Expands Risankizumab Label In Psoriatic Disease
The FDA expanded the indications for risankizumab (Skyrizi) in plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis to include treatment of children 6 years and older, AbbVie announced. (Ingram, 6/29)
The Baltimore Sun: Inhalable Insulin Found Safe For Children
An insulin inhaler proved safe for treating children as young as 4 years old, improving satisfaction and reducing weight gain compared with those taking injected insulin, researchers from Johns Hopkins Hospital told The Baltimore Sun. (Hille, 6/29)
STATE WATCH
AP: Marijuana Can Be Sold For Recreational Use In Virginia Starting In 2027
Five years after becoming the first Southern state to legalize possession of marijuana, Virginia has approved a legal way to sell it to recreational users. State budget legislation enacted Monday will allow up to 350 cannabis shops to open across Virginia beginning July 1, 2027. The move marks the latest expansion of access to the drug — which remains illegal at the federal level — through state-level policymaking. (Rankin, 6/30)
AP: Arkansas Banning Government Food Aid For Candy And Soda In Spite Of Court Ruling
Arkansas is moving forward with its plan to ban government food aid from being used to buy candy and soda beginning on Wednesday, even though a federal judge ruled last week that similar restrictions in other states violated federal law. Announcing the plan on Monday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders cited an urgent need to combat a “chronic disease epidemic” in America, including high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. (Loller, 6/29)
Verite News: High Court Frees Former Death Row Prisoner Jimmie Duncan
Former Louisiana death row inmate Jimmie “Chris” Duncan is officially a free man following a unanimous ruling Monday by the Louisiana Supreme Court. In the opinion, justices upheld a lower court’s decision to toss out Duncan’s 1998 conviction for killing his former girlfriend’s toddler, Haley Oliveaux, citing flawed forensics practices used to convict him. Justice Cade R. Cole wrote on behalf of the seven-member court that new evidence presented by Duncan’s legal team left no doubt that his conviction should be overturned. (Webster, 6/29)
Public Health Watch: Maternal Health ‘Deserts' Endanger Some Texas Women, Babies
Sarah Gipson knew something was wrong when the normally chatty sonogram technician fell silent and called for the doctor. Gipson was in the 32nd week of her high-risk pregnancy, and she felt horrible. She was seeing stars, had constant ringing in her ears, and had been on bed rest for several weeks. (West, 6/29)
Iowa Public Radio: 'Welcome To Hell': Kids Allege Physical, Sexual Abuse At Missouri Treatment Center
When Taylor Kiesel arrived at Change Academy at Lake of the Ozarks, a youth residential treatment center in Missouri, another student cautioned her. "Welcome to hell," the kid said. Kiesel, then 16, soon learned why. She and other former students said staff at the center, known as Calo, neglected and assaulted the children and teenagers whose developmental trauma they were tasked with healing. (6/29)
San Francisco Chronicle: California Lawmakers Pass $351.7B Budget Deal. Here's What It Does
Gov. Gavin Newsom and California lawmakers approved a $351.7 billion state budget Monday — the last one Newsom will sign as governor — that increases some business and health care taxes and bolsters the state’s reserve funds. The budget will also extend caps on corporate tax credits that would otherwise have expired in 2027. It also includes increased spending on housing and homeless aid, as well as money for county election offices to speed up vote counting. (Bollag, 6/29)
Jackson Hole Community Radio: First Measles Case Detected In Teton County In At Least 15 Years
The Wyoming Department of Health reported a positive measles case in an unvaccinated adult in Teton County. The person lives and works inside Grand Teton National Park. Following a Thursday hospital discharge, that person is safe and recovering in isolation, said Teton County Public Health Director Dr. Travis Riddell. (Boyd-Fliegel, 6/29)
AP: Heat Wave Prompts Cooling Centers In The Midwest, Outdoor Activity Warnings
Summer camps and other outdoor activities were canceled Monday as tens of millions of people across the Midwest endured a heat wave that is expected to spread eastward this week. Communities opened cooling centers and urged people to take it easy and stay hydrated. Forty-seven million people across big chunks of the Midwest and parts of the Ohio Valley are under an extreme heat warning through at least Tuesday. Temperatures are forecast to reach the 90s, with heat index values, or “feels-like” temperatures, expected to top 100 degrees (37.8 degrees Celsius) in the region, according to the National Weather Service. (Fingerhut and McCormack, 6/30)
