First Edition: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KFF Health News:
Wash, Dry, Enroll: Finding Medicaid Help At The Laundromat
At a SuperSuds Laundromat just south of Washington, D.C., a steady stream of customers loaded clothes into washers and dryers on a recent Sunday morning, passing the time on their phones or watching television. Amid the low hum of spinning clothes, Adrienne Jones made the rounds in a bright yellow sweatshirt, asking customers about their health needs. “Do you have health coverage?” Jones, an outreach manager for Fabric Health, asked Brendan Glover, 25, who was doing laundry with his toddler in tow. (Galewitz, 2/5)
KFF Health News:
Trump’s Already Gone Back On His Promise To Leave Abortion To States
Abortion foes worried before his election that President Donald Trump had moved on, now that Roe v. Wade is overturned and abortion policy, as he said on the campaign trail, “has been returned to the states.” Their concerns mounted after Trump named Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime supporter of abortion rights, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services — and then as he signed a slew of Day 1 executive orders that said nothing about abortion. (Rovner, 2/5)
KFF Health News:
Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
Renu Rayasam delivers this week’s news: There are still no proven therapies for long covid despite more than $1 billion in federal funding, and some hospitals are assigning dogs to work alongside medical staff in hospitals to help them cope with burnout and stress. (2/4)
CNN:
Senate Votes To Confirm Pam Bondi As Attorney General
The Senate voted Tuesday night to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general, making the tenacious litigator the latest official to help fill out President Donald Trump’s administration. The vote was 54-46. Bondi is known for her battles in court for conservative causes. (Shelton and Rimmer, 2/4)
AP:
Doug Collins Confirmed As Trump's Veterans Affairs Secretary
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Doug Collins as secretary of veterans affairs, putting the former congressman and Iraq War veteran at the helm of a department that provides crucial care to America’s veterans. Collins, a former Air Force chaplain, was confirmed on a 77-23 vote, becoming the latest addition to President Donald Trump’s Cabinet. (Brown, 2/4)
The Hill:
Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Pass Committee Hurdles In Win For Donald Trump
Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday cleared crucial hurdles toward winning Senate confirmation, handing President Trump a key win as he looks for an early display of loyalty from GOP lawmakers. ... Skeptical Republicans on each committee made the decision to back them in the final days before the votes after Trump officials, including Vice President Vance, and other GOP leaders cajoled them into maintaining an unblemished slate of nominees who have gone through the committee process. (Weaver and Weixel, 2/4)
The Hill:
Cassidy Says He Secured Key Vaccine Commitments From RFK Jr.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he secured significant concessions from the Trump administration on vaccine safety that led to his vote Tuesday morning to advance the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Cassidy voted with all other Finance Committee Republicans on Tuesday to advance Kennedy’s nomination to the floor. (Weixel, 2/4)
Fortune Well:
Pfizer CEO Had Dinner With RFK Jr.: ‘I’m Cautiously Optimistic’ In Spite Of His History With Vaccines
In an earnings call Tuesday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla remained focused on the positive. He noted that he had dinner with RFK Jr. and said, “I focus more not on the things that we clearly disagree, like the vaccines, but on the things that we can agree and we can do things together… I’m cautiously optimistic.” (Steiner, 2/4)
The Hill:
Donald Trump Says 'Something Really Wrong' With Autism Rates Ahead RFK Jr. Vote
President Trump shared figures inflating the spike in autism in a post Tuesday morning promoting his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, highlighting a key data point in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s debunked theories around a link between autism and vaccines. “20 years ago, Autism in children was 1 in 10,000. NOW IT’S 1 in 34. WOW! Something’s really wrong. We need BOBBY!!! Thank You! DJT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. ... About 1 in 36 children now have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, compared to about 1 in 150 in 2000. (Gangitano, 2/4)
Bloomberg:
Department Of Transportation Memos Tie Funding To Birth Rate, Marriage Policy
Places with higher marriage and birth rates should get preference for federal transportation grants and initiatives, according to a set of US Department of Transportation memos. The policies, released one day after Sean Duffy was sworn in as Department of Transportation head, also seek to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda by ending support for projects that involve climate change, or racial and gender inequality. (Pierre-Louis, 2/4)
AP:
Trump Announces Withdrawal From UN Human Rights Body And Halt To Funding For Palestinian Refugees
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will withdraw from the top U.N. human rights body and will not resume funding for the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees. The U.S. left the Geneva-based Human Rights Council last year, and it stopped funding the agency assisting Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, after Israel accused it of harboring Hamas militants who participated in the surprise Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel, which UNRWA denies. (Lederer, 2/5)
The Washington Post:
Fear, Pain And Hunger: The Dire Impact Of U.S. Funding Cuts In Africa
Soup kitchens can no longer feed the hungry. First responders are unable to reach the dead and wounded. Mothers and fathers search in vain for the medicines that keep them alive. Across Africa, in bombed-out Sudanese cities, Kenyan clinics and Mauritanian refugee camps, the policies of the Trump administration are already having profound consequences for some of the world’s most vulnerable people. (Houreld and Chason, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Trump Officials To Put Almost All U.S.A.I.D. Workers On Leave
Nearly the entire global work force of the main American aid agency, known as U.S.A.I.D., will be put on leave by the end of Friday, according to an official memo the agency posted online Tuesday night. The notice said only a small subset of “designated personnel responsible for mission-critical functions, core leadership and specially designated programs” would be exempt. (Demirjian, Wong and Crowley, 2/4)
NBC News:
Federal Health Workers Terrified After 'DEI' Website Publishes List Of 'Targets'
Federal health workers are expressing fear and alarm after a website called “DEI Watch List” published the photos, names and public information of a number of workers across health agencies, describing them at one point as “targets.” It’s unclear when the website, which lists mostly Black employees who work in agencies primarily within the Department of Health and Human Services, first appeared. “Offenses” for the workers listed on the website include working on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, donating to Democrats and using pronouns in their bios. (Lovelace Jr. and Edwards, 2/5)
The Washington Post:
Deaf Federal Workers Face Uncertain Access Following Trump’s DEI Orders
Some deaf federal employees at some agencies aren’t able to access American Sign Language interpreting services and other accommodations as a result of President Donald Trump’s orders to remove all positions related to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, according to advocates working with deaf federal employees and interpreters. (Morris, 2/4)
Bloomberg:
Congress Urged To Protect Federal Statistics From Trump ‘Purge’
A federal statistics advocacy group is urging Congress to restore any government data removed by the Trump administration and prevent it from happening again. The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics has drafted a letter to Senate and House leadership upon the shutdown of some parts of government websites, as well as removal of several health datasets in recent days. COPAFS is collecting signatures from individuals and organizations until Friday. (Tanzi, 2/4)
MedPage Today:
Physician Group Sues Trump Health Agencies Over Scrubbed Sites, Data
Physicians have launched a legal challenge against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and federal health agencies for removing webpages from health-related websites. Doctors for America filed a lawsuit in federal court against the OPM, CDC, FDA, and HHS over the removal of a "broad range of health-related data and other information used every day" by health professionals and researchers. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Public Citizen Litigation Group, the legal arm of the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Public Citizen. (Henderson, 2/4)
MedPage Today:
Public Health Journal Won't Be Complicit In Trump Admin's Censorship
Studies censored by government employees will have a tough time getting published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), the journal's leadership said during an interview with MedPage Today's editor in chief. "We at the American Journal of Public Health have no interest in following the president's prohibitions on language," said Georges Benjamin, MD, publisher of AJPH and executive director of its parent organization, the American Public Health Association. (Fiore, 2/4)
MedPage Today:
ACOG Will Host Contraceptive Guidance For Ob/Gyns Amid CDC Website Purge
Amid a political environment in which government websites are being gutted of vital health information, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has stepped up to host PDFs of government-issued ob/gyn-related guidance at risk of being purged. The organization has long listed and linked out to clinical guidance from the CDC and other medical professional associations that it endorses. (Robertson, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
The Words Putting Science Funding In The Crosshairs Of Trump’s Orders
“Women.” “Diverse.” “Institutional.” “Historically.” (Johnson, Dance and Achenbach, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Judge Blocks Trump Effort To Move Trans Women To Men’s Prisons
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the Bureau of Prisons from enacting President Trump’s executive order to house transgender women with male inmates and stop medical treatment related to gender transitions. Judge Royce C. Lamberth, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said that three transgender prisoners who brought a suit to stop the order had “straightforwardly demonstrated that irreparable harm will follow” if their request for a restraining order were to be denied. (Dewan, 2/4)
Roll Call:
LGBTQ+ Groups Sue To Stop Trump Ban On Gender-Affirming Care
A coalition of families of transgender youth and advocacy groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday to stop the federal government from implementing an executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services and other federal agencies to examine policies related to gender-affirming care for children and teens. (Heller, 2/4)
Los Angeles Times:
Children's Hospital L.A. Stops Initiating Hormone Therapy For Trans Youth
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles said Tuesday that it is pausing the initiation of hormonal therapy for “gender affirming care patients” under the age of 19 as hospital officials assess last week’s executive order from President Trump targeting gender-affirming care for young people. The L.A. hospital, a major provider of care for transgender youth, also said it was maintaining an “existing pause” on gender-affirming surgeries for minors. (Alpert Reyes, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
USPS Suspends Packages From China As Trump’s Tariffs Start
The U.S. Postal Service abruptly suspended inbound package shipments from China and Hong Kong on Tuesday as President Donald Trump’s trade war began in earnest. The mail agency’s move may block or delay, at least temporarily, parcels from retailers including Shein and Temu and some from Amazon. (2/5)
Military.Com:
Thousands Of Marines Booted For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine Get Messaged About Returning
Thousands of Marines who were separated from the military for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine got messages from the service informing them of President Donald Trump's Jan. 27 executive order, which seeks to reinstate them into the armed forces with their previous rank and backpay should they decide to return. However, the specifics on what that return to service would look like were not clear as of Tuesday. Despite the messages going out starting on Jan. 30, the Marine Corps could not answer questions related to what type of service obligation those troops might incur if they decide to come back, what benefits they might receive or if they will be required to forgo compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs as a requirement. (Lawrence and Toropin, 2/4)
The Baltimore Sun:
Legionella Found In Baltimore County Hospital
Testing results show elevated levels of Legionella bacteria at a Catonsville psychiatric hospital, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Health confirmed Tuesday. Some of the hospital’s showers are shut down pending treatment for the bacteria. (Bazos, 2/4)
Modern Healthcare:
Baystate Health Layoffs Impact Nearly 100 Leadership Positions
Baystate Health has eliminated 98 corporate positions, or less than 1% of its workforce, as part of a larger cost-cutting initiative, the system said Tuesday. The Springfield, Massachusetts-based system also eliminated 134 leadership roles in November as part of an overall six-year, $1.2 billion investment plan. In both rounds of job cuts, some of the affected positions were vacant. (DeSilva, 2/4)
Modern Healthcare:
How Sutter Health, Advocate Health Fund Ambulatory Care Projects
New ambulatory facilities are a hot ticket among hospitals and health systems of all sizes, and providers are tapping into a variety of sources to foot the bill. Providers have for years sought to meet patient demand for lower-cost ambulatory services, and the need for facilities to house those services has only grown with an aging population. To stay relevant, providers need to funnel their capital toward ambulatory care. (Hudson, 2/4)
Modern Healthcare:
Moody’s Downgrades Insurance Credit Outlook
Moody’s Ratings downgraded its assessment of the health insurance sector from "stable" to "negative" on Friday. High medical costs and utilization are expected to continue challenging Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial insurance carriers this year, Moody’s Ratings projects. A report published Friday cites inflation, pharmaceutical spending and higher mental health utilization as headwinds. (Berryman, 2/4)
ABC News:
Black Kidney Patients Find Renewed Hope After Rules Change For Transplant List
Since the 1990s, a race-based method for assessing kidney function placed many Black patients lower on the transplant waitlist. However, thousands of these patients were moved up the list in recent years when a widely used lab test was found to calculate results differently for Black patients. "We have a long history in this country of actually biases against certain transplant candidates, in particular African Americans, because of the way that we calculate how bad the kidney function is," Dr. Edmund Pribitkin, a professor at Thomas Jefferson University, said. (Smith and Louallen, 2/4)
AP:
San Francisco Grants New Mayor 'Unprecedented' Powers To Battle Fentanyl Crisis
San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to give newly elected Mayor Daniel Lurie greater powers and flexibility to expedite the city’s response to a fentanyl crisis that has turned sidewalks into open-air dens of drug consumption and homelessness. The board voted 10-1 to eliminate competitive bidding requirements for some contracts and allow the administration to solicit private donations to quickly add 1,500 shelter beds and hire more public safety and behavioral health specialists. (Har, 2/4)
Wyoming Public Radio:
The Wyoming House Passed A Bill Banning Discrimination Based On COVID-19 Testing, Masking Or Vaccine Status
This year’s Legislature is considering several bills related to public health. HB 96 would prohibit discrimination based on COVID-19 face covering, vaccination or testing status. It applies to any person who receives subsidies from the state or federal government. In Wyoming statute, “person” includes individuals, partnerships, corporations, joint stock companies, associations, and any other public or private entity. Those in violation could pay up to $5,000 to the aggrieved. (Khera, 2/4)
Missouri Independent:
Missouri Prison Nursery Opens To Keep Mothers With Babies
Tara Carroll gave birth to her daughter in 2022 while serving a 22-year sentence in the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic & Correctional Center. Shortly after she finished laboring in the hospital, the baby was sent home with her husband while she returned to her prison cell. She didn’t leave her bed for a week. Back in an environment where she felt she always had to be strong, she wrestled with postpartum depression. (Spoerre, 2/4)
MedPage Today:
FDA OKs New Wearable Treatment For Parkinson's Disease
The FDA approved an apomorphine hydrochloride infusion device (Onapgo) to treat motor fluctuations in adults with advanced Parkinson's disease, Supernus Pharmaceuticals announced on Tuesday. The wearable device is the first subcutaneous apomorphine infusion device for Parkinson's and provides continuous treatment during the day, Supernus noted. (George, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Ozempic-Like Drug Failed To Treat Parkinson’s Disease In Trial
The idea was so tantalizing. Drugs in the GLP-1 class, which includes Wegovy and Ozempic, have proved miraculous in treating weight loss and other diseases. And some researchers hoped that the drugs could also help with some of the most difficult diseases to treat — those of the brain, like Parkinson’s. But now, at least for Parkinson’s, that hope seems dimmed. A rigorous study that randomly assigned Parkinson’s patients to take exenatide, a relative of Ozempic, showed absolutely no benefit or slowing of the course of the degenerative disease after 96 weeks. (Kolata, 2/4)