First Edition: Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025

KFF HEALTH NEWS ORIGINAL STORIES

KFF Health News: Trump Claims 'No Downside' To Avoiding Tylenol During Pregnancy. He's Wrong. 
Obstetricians have long advised their pregnant patients that Tylenol is the safest option to reduce fever or pain. President Donald Trump stood before a national audience on Sept. 22 and contradicted that. “Don’t take Tylenol,” Trump said during an hourlong White House press conference that included his leading health appointees. “There’s no downside. Don’t take it. You’ll be uncomfortable. It won’t be as easy, maybe, but don’t take it. If you’re pregnant, don’t take Tylenol.” His advice has no clear basis in research and contradicts long-standing science and medical guidance. (Czopek, 9/24)

KFF Health News: She Had A Broken Arm, No Insurance — And A $97,000 Bill 
As soon as she fell, Deborah Buttgereit knew she couldn’t avoid going to the hospital. “I could hear the bones moving around in my elbow,” said Buttgereit, who was 60 when she slipped on a patch of ice in December outside her apartment in Bozeman, Montana. Emergency room scans showed she had fractured her left arm near the joint. Doctors told her she needed surgery to repair it. (Houghton, 9/24)

KFF Health News: Amid Confusion Over US Vaccine Recommendations, States Try To ‘Restore Trust’ 
When the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met last week, confusion filled the room. Members admitted they didn’t know what they were voting on, first rejecting a combined measles-mumps-rubella-chickenpox vaccine for young toddlers, then voting to keep it funded minutes later. The next day, they reversed themselves on the funding. Now Jim O’Neill, the deputy health and human services secretary and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s acting director (a lawyer, not a doctor), must sign off. (Gounder, 9/24)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute' 
Zach Dyer reads the week’s news: Some independent rural hospitals are joining forces to try to survive, and public health guidance on head lice at school clashes with parents’ preferences. (9/23)

AUTISM

The New York Times: F.D.A.’s Approval Of A Drug For Autism Upends Review Process
In taking the unusual step of approving an old generic drug as a treatment for autism, the Food and Drug Administration stunned some experts by departing sharply from the agency’s typical standard for reviewing drugs. The drug, leucovorin, has long been used to treat the toxic effects of chemotherapy, but it was endorsed as a therapy for some people with autism by President Trump and top U.S. health officials during a White House briefing on Monday. The move flipped the standard process: Typically, a pharmaceutical company carefully studies a drug, often with input from the F.D.A. on the design of rigorous studies, and then files a formal application for approval. But in this case, the agency said it reviewed medical research and made the approval decision to expand the drug’s use on its own. (Jewett and Mueller, 9/23)

FiercePharma: FDA To Tweak Tylenol Safety Label, Relabel Decades-Old GSK Drug As 'Autism Symptom' Treatment
The FDA has already begun the process to change the safety label of acetaminophen to reflect evidence that could suggest an increased risk of autism and other neurological conditions such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The "precautionary principle" of the label edit “may lead many to avoid using acetaminophen during pregnancy, especially since most low-grade fevers don’t require treatment,” FDA Commissioner Martin Makary, M.D., explained in an FDA release. (Becker, 9/23)

AP: Dr. Trump? The President Reprises His COVID Era, This Time Sharing Unproven Medical Advice On Autism
President Donald Trump isn’t a doctor. But he played one on TV Monday, offering copious amounts of unproven medical advice that he suggested -- often without providing evidence -- might help reduce autism rates. The presentation recalled the early days of the coronavirus pandemic during Trump’s first term, when the president stood for daily White House briefings and tossed out grossly inaccurate claims — including famously suggesting that injecting disinfectants could help people. “I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning?” Trump asked in April 2020. “As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.” (Weissert, 9/23)

NBC News: What Doctors Say About Taking Acetaminophen While Pregnant After Trump's Autism Claims
Dr. Laura Riley, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, said patients have come in since Trump’s briefing anxious and unsure what to do. “There was a lot of head-shaking,” Riley said. Riley said that after Trump warned about acetaminophen use during pregnancy, she's had patients asking, “‘the next time I get a headache, what should I do?’” Her response: “Take Tylenol.” “There’s no reason for you to tough it out,” Riley said. “That’s not an appropriate way of managing pain.” (Szabo and Dunn, 9/23)

Stat: Pushback Grows To Trump's 'Tough It Out' Advice During Pregnancy
Federal health officials are telling Americans no, they shouldn’t take Tylenol during pregnancy for fear of autism and yes, they should try a drug used in cancer care to treat children who have developed autism. The medical world disagrees. “We were actually pretty alarmed by some of the output that was coming from the administration,” Marketa Wills, CEO and medical director of the American Psychiatric Association, said in an interview. At a remarkable White House briefing on Monday, President Trump and his top health and science officials said Tylenol use in pregnancy caused some cases of autism in children and said leucovorin, a form of vitamin B9, could treat the disease. (Cooney, Gaffney and Merelli, 9/24)

The New York Times: Harvard Dean Was Paid $150,000 As An Expert Witness In Tylenol Lawsuits 
The dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who consulted with top Trump health officials ahead of Monday’s warning about Tylenol and autism, was paid at least $150,000 to serve as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiffs in lawsuits against the maker of Tylenol. Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, a leading epidemiologist, disclosed the figure in a court deposition he gave in the summer of 2023 that is publicly available in federal court filings and was reviewed by The New York Times. He had previously disclosed that he had served as an expert witness in the case but not how much money he had made. (Robbins and Ghorayshi, 9/23)

FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS AND FUNDING FREEZE

AP: Trump Administration Rehires Hundreds Of Federal Employees Laid Off By DOGE
Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work. The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation, during which time the GSA in some cases racked up high costs — passed along to taxpayers — to stay in dozens of properties whose leases it had slated for termination or were allowed to expire. (Goodman and Foley, 9/23)

San Francisco Chronicle: Judge Orders Trump Administration To Restore UC Research Grants
A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump’s administration to restore more than $500 million it withdrew in research grants from UCLA and other University of California schools that it accused of unduly favoring racial and gender minorities and allowing antisemitism on campus. The Trump administration froze more than $324 million in research funding to UCLA on Aug. 1 and said the university would have to pay the government $1 billion and change its admission policies to recover the money. U.S. District Judge Rita Lin of San Francisco had previously ruled that the administration failed to justify the funding cutoffs, and on Monday she ordered three federal agencies to return grants it had withdrawn from researchers in science, health and the environment. (Egelko, 9/23)

GOVERNMENT SPENDING

Politico: House Centrists Attempt Quiet Rescue Of Obamacare Subsidy Talks 
House centrists are discussing the outlines of a possible compromise to extend Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies in hopes of jump-starting stalled talks over the soon-to-expire tax credits that have also emerged as a key fault line in the brewing government shutdown battle. The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus has privately broached whether an income cap should be imposed on who can benefit from the subsidies. Several Republicans in the group have floated a $200,000 cap, according to three people granted anonymity to describe the talks. (Hill and Guggenheim, 9/23)

Politico: Republican Lawmakers Face Internal Rift Over Abortion 
Republican leaders on Capitol Hill were already looking at a messy political battle over the looming expiration of billions of dollars in Obamacare subsidies. Then the anti-abortion advocates showed up. With a possible government shutdown less than a week away, Democrats’ big ask is that Republicans agree to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, which were expanded by Congress in 2021 and are set to sunset at the end of the year. But now prominent anti-abortion groups are wading into the debate, pounding the halls of Congress to make their case that the enhanced tax credits for ACA insurance premiums function as an indirect subsidy for services designed to end pregnancies. The argument could make conservative Republicans who already loathed the policy dig in further against greenlighting an extension. (Guggenheim, Hill and Ollstein, 9/24)

The Washington Post: A Shutdown Would Give Trump More Power Over Federal Spending
The Trump administration would have broad authority to make decisions about spending if the government shuts down next week — and it would also have broad authority to make those decisions if the government stays open under a long-term funding extension. Congress has operated under such an extension for months and is trying to pass another short-term extension, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, before federal funding laws expire. Without action, a shutdown would start Oct. 1 just after midnight. (Bogage and Beggin, 9/23)

MORE ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Axios: Trump's "Most Favored Nation" Plan: Drugmakers Meet President Halfway On Drug Prices
Big drug companies so far are responding to President Trump's demand they commit to his "most favored nation" pricing policy by raising prices abroad without cutting them in the U.S. Why it matters: That only gets halfway toward Trump's goal of ending what he calls "global freeloading" and getting other developed countries to foot more of the cost while lowering costs for Americans. (Sullivan, 9/24)

NPR: Does Trump's Plan To Get Homeless People Off The Streets Violate Civil Liberties?
President Trump is promising to sweep homeless people off America’s streets. One controversial part of his plan could force thousands of people into institutions where they would be treated “long-term” for for addiction and mental illness. Critics say the policy raises big concerns about civil liberties and cost. But parts of this idea - known as “civil commitment” are gaining traction with some Democratic leaders. (Donevan and Ryan, 9/23)

Politico: Hegseth Axes Panel That Encourages Women To Enter Military
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has shuttered a nearly century-old committee created to expand the role of women in the military, part of a broader effort to redefine the image of the armed forces. The closure of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services — one of dozens of study groups that offer guidance to the secretary — is Hegseth’s latest effort to rid the Pentagon of efforts that don’t fit into his “warrior ethos” vision for the department and service academies. (Mcleary, 9/23)

AP: Veterans Who Aren't Citizens Fear Being Swept Up In Trump's Deportations 
After serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq, Julio Torres has the American flag and Marine Corps insignia tattooed on his arms to show his pride in serving a country he calls home. And after struggling with post-traumatic stress syndrome, drug addiction and a related criminal charge following his deployment, the 44-year-old has found new purpose as a pastor preaching a message of freedom to those facing similar problems. But these days, his community in East Texas feels more like jail than the land of the free. As President Donald Trump works to carry out his mass deportation agenda, Torres, who was born in Mexico and migrated legally to the U.S. when he was five years old, is afraid to venture far from home. (Groves, 9/24)

HEALTH INDUSTRY AND PHARMACEUTICALS

The CT Mirror: Why New Cigna, Aetna Billing Policy Is Causing Alarm In CT Doctors
Physicians in Connecticut and around the country are sounding the alarm about a new policy by insurers they say could lead to lost revenue and increased administrative burden for providers, but confusion persists about how the policy will be enacted. On July 1, Cigna announced an update to its reimbursement policy. (Golvala and Carlesso, 9/24)

Becker's Hospital Review: Gaps In Hospital Charity Care Can Leave Patients With Surprise Bills: Report
While hospital financial assistance programs help protect low-income patients from overwhelming medical costs, a loophole in the system has left many with unexpected bills, even when they qualify for “full” coverage of hospital charges, CBS News reported Sept. 22. Nonprofit hospitals are required to provide free or discounted care to patients who are eligible to ensure their tax-exempt status. While for-profit hospitals are not required to offer financial assistance to patients in need, they often do. (Ashley, 9/23)

FiercePharma: Lilly Reveals Plans For $6.5B API Production Facility In Texas
Eli Lilly has revealed the location of the second of its four large-scale manufacturing facilities that it plans to build in the U.S., selecting Houston as home to a $6.5 billion plant that will produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for oral drugs. Lilly will build the newly announced plant at Generation Park in Houston. The location is not a surprise. In May, a government listing of state incentive applications detailed Lilly’s interest in purchasing 236 acres on the massive campus, which is 20 minutes northeast of downtown Houston. (Dunleavy, 9/23)

STATE WATCH

AP: Connecticut Agrees To $2 Million Settlement Of Lawsuit Over Nurse's Killing
Connecticut officials have agreed to a $2.25 million settlement of a lawsuit over a sex offender’s killing of visiting nurse Joyce Grayson at a halfway house in 2023 — a case that reignited calls for better protections for home health care workers across the country. A state judge in Hartford approved the settlement on Thursday in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Grayson’s husband. Meanwhile, settlement talks with other defendants in the lawsuit, including Grayson’s employer, are continuing, said Kelly Reardon, a lawyer for Grayson’s family. (Collins, 9/23)

San Francisco Chronicle: Parts Of Santa Cruz County To Ban Sale Of Filtered Cigarettes, Cigars
Parts of Santa Cruz County are set to prohibit the sale of filtered cigarettes and cigars in what officials said was the first ban of its kind in the United States. The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted last year to ban the sale of filtered cigarettes and cigars in unincorporated areas on Jan. 1, 2027 — if two cities in the county passed similar laws, officials said. This year, the cities of Santa Cruz and Capitola approved similar bans on June 24 and Sept. 11, respectively. (Flores, 9/23)

North Carolina Health News: NC Lawmakers Target Crime With Stricter Pre-Trial Release — Not Mental Health Funding
Exactly one month after 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed while riding the Charlotte light rail on Aug. 22 — a crime that garnered statewide and national attention — Republican state lawmakers on Monday introduced a bill dubbed “Iryna’s Law” that they say will make North Carolina safer. The legislation sailed through both chambers of the General Assembly over two days and was sent to Gov. Josh Stein Tuesday. (Crumpler, 9/24)

Enlace Latino NC: North Carolina Students Face Reduced Access To Fresh, Local Meals Amid Federal Funding Cuts
At L. Gilbert Carroll Middle School in Robeson County, Principal Zach Jones watches the lunch line carefully, ensuring every student gets a tray. Many arrive hungry; breakfast and lunch at school may be the only meals they can count on. “Every morning, every student comes through and gets a plate for breakfast. Even if they don’t eat it, they can share it. The same goes for lunch. That way our students who we know may have some food insecurities, are getting fed,” he said. (Cotto, 9/22)

The Jefferson County Beacon: How Our Most Vulnerable Are Being Pushed To The Brink— And Finding Nourishment And Connection 
The bounty that the seas and network of small farms produce masks an omnipresent reality in Jefferson County — food insecurity. Nearly 4,960 county residents lack consistent access to nutritious food each day—just under 15 percent —a rate similar to the state average, according to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and Feeding America data. (France, 9/22)

Colorado Sun: Anschutz Gives $50 Million Mental Health Grant To CU
Billionaire Phil Anschutz and his family have given so much money to the University of Colorado over the years — roughly $300 million and counting — that the university’s medical campus in Aurora bears the family’s name. On Tuesday, the school announced a new contribution from The Anschutz Foundation: $50 million to help create a collaborative initiative to improve mental health care across the state. The money is being called a “challenge grant” because it is the first donation to seed an overall $200 million fundraising campaign for what will be known as the CU Anschutz Campus Mental Health Collaborative. (Ingold, 9/24)

OUTBREAKS AND HEALTH THREATS

CIDRAP: Illinois Announces First Powassan Virus Case 
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) yesterday reported a Powassan virus infection in a state resident, who became seriously ill, for the first time. In a statement, the IDPH said investigators are still trying to determine if the patient was exposed to a tick bite in Illinois or another state. Officials will conduct tick surveillance, including dragging and testing ticks for Powassan and other viruses, in parts of Illinois where the patient spent time before symptoms began. (Schnirring, 9/23)

AP: 'Nightmare Bacteria' Cases Driven By NDM Gene Are Increasing, CDC Says 
Infection rates from drug-resistant “nightmare bacteria” rose almost 70% between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientists. Bacteria that are difficult to treat due to the so-called NDM gene primarily drove the increase, CDC researchers wrote in an article published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Only two antibiotics work against those infections, and the drugs are expensive and must be administered through an IV, researchers said. “The rise of NDMs in the U.S. is a grave danger and very worrisome,” said David Weiss, an Emory University infectious diseases researcher, in an email. (Stobbe, 9/23)

CIDRAP: US Lab Data Show Sharp Increase In Superbug Incidence
New data from a network of US laboratories shows incidence of a multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogen has surged in recent years. In a review of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Laboratory Network, researchers from the CDC and state health departments report that the age-adjusted incidence of carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CP-CRE) clinical cultures reported to the network rose by 69% from 2019 through 2023. In addition, incidence of a particular type of carbapenemase gene that was once rare in the United States saw a more than four-fold increase. (Dall, 9/23)

FiercePharma: Moderna Says Updated mNEXSPIKE Induces Strong Immune Response
Moderna has early in-human data showing its next-generation COVID-19 vaccine, mNEXSPIKE, has the potential to offer strong immune protection against the latest rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 virus. Moderna’s updated mNEXSPIKE vaccine showed an average greater-than-16-fold increase in neutralizing antibodies against the LP.8.1 sublineage in individuals 12 years of age or older, the company said Tuesday. The result comes from a postmarketing clinical study of the latest 2025-26 formula of mNEXSPIKE, which is designed to target LP.8.1. By comparison, the company’s first-generation mRNA vaccine, Spikevax, generated a greater-than-eightfold increase in LP.8.1-neutralizing antibodies across the same age groups, Moderna said. (Liu, 9/23)

CANCER

The Washington Post: What Researchers Suspect May Be Fueling Cancer Among Millennials 
Studies suggest modern life may be fueling the rise of cancer in younger adults, with factors like ultra-processed foods and chemicals under scrutiny. (Cha, Valiño and Keating, 9/23)

NPR: The Cancer Quietly Killing Young People
If more and more young people are dying of colorectal cancer, why aren't we talking about it? Is it because we're too ashamed of our bodies? Rates of colorectal cancer are rising, especially for people under 50. But it's hard to raise awareness for a cancer that a lot of us find hard to talk about. In a recent essay for The Cut, writer Laurie Abraham described her experience of colon cancer, which included a lot of embarrassment. Talking about your bowel movements is...not fun. Can you relate? (Luse, Rose and Pathak, 9/24)

NBC News: Zuza Beine, Instagram Influencer Who Documented Cancer Diagnosis, Dies At 14
Zuza Beine, the young Instagram content creator who shared her cancer diagnosis with a massive online audience, died Monday morning, her family said Tuesday. She was 14. Zuza, a Wisconsin native, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at age 3 and had been sharing the details of her treatment with 1.8 million followers on her “zuzas_way_to_healing” Instagram account. (Reilly, 9/23)