FTC Calls For Broad Steps To Better Protect Online Privacy For Kids

The New York Times: U.S. Regulators Propose New Online Privacy Safeguards For Children
The Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday proposed sweeping changes to bolster the key federal rule that has protected children’s privacy online, in one of the most significant attempts by the U.S. government to strengthen consumer privacy in more than a decade. The changes are intended to fortify the rules underlying the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, a law that restricts the online tracking of youngsters by services like social media apps, video game platforms, toy retailers and digital advertising networks. Regulators said the moves would “shift the burden” of online safety from parents to apps and other digital services while curbing how platforms may use and monetize children’s data. (Singer, 12/20)

In other news from the administration and Capitol Hill —

The New York Times: Supreme Court Will Consider Hold On Biden’s Air Pollution Plan
The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it would hear arguments in February on whether it should temporarily stop the Biden administration from requiring factories and power plants in Western and Midwestern states to cut air pollution that drifts into Eastern states. The court’s brief order did not suspend the program in the meantime or add the case to the court’s merits docket. Oral arguments in cases that reach the court by way of an emergency application, as in this case, are quite rare. (Liptak, 12/20)

Politico: Artificial Intelligence Is Already In Use At HHS
As Washington scrambles to regulate artificial intelligence in health care, the Department of Health and Human Services already uses the technology in its day-to-day work — and expects AI to play a larger role over the next several years. HHS is one of the top agencies using AI — fourth only to NASA and the Departments of Commerce and Energy — according to a recent Government Accountability Office report which looked at implemented or planned AI uses reported by department. (Cirruzzo, 12/20)

Politico: FAA Creates New Panel To Focus On Air Traffic Controller Fatigue
The FAA said Wednesday that it is creating a new panel of experts to review fatigue issues across its air traffic controller workforce. The three-member panel “will examine how the latest science on sleep needs and fatigue considerations could be applied to controller work requirements and scheduling,” the FAA said on Wednesday. Those experts aim to identify potential ways the FAA “could better address” fatigue among its controllers. The study will also review previous controller fatigue research, the agency said. (Pawlyk, 12/20)

Politico: House Dems Call For Hearing On Heat-Related USPS Injuries
House Oversight and Accountability Committee Democrats are pushing the panel to investigate whether the U.S. Postal Service is doing enough to protect employees from extreme heat. In a letter sent Tuesday to Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), 14 Democrats said they were "troubled by reports of unsafe working conditions driven by extreme heat and inadequate workplace safety procedures." (Alvey, 12/20)

On medical device safety —

Reuters: US FDA Identifies Recall Of Philips Medical Imaging Devices As Most Serious
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday classified the recall of Philips' (PHG.AS) medical imaging devices as most serious as their use could cause serious injuries or death. The company's U.S.-listed shares were down about 1%. Philips was recalling some models of the Panorama 1.0T HFO device in the U.S. due to risk of explosion during a "quench procedure" caused by excessive buildup of helium gas. (12/20)

Bloomberg: Philips Recalls Medical Imaging Gear On Risk Of Explosion
Royal Philips NV recalled an MRI device as the US Food and Drug Administration raised concerns about a risk of explosion, adding to the company’s woes as it fights litigation over sleep apnea gear. The Dutch medical equipment maker issued a voluntary recall of its Panorama 1.0T HFO magnetic resonance imaging system due to a problem related to excessive pressure buildup of helium gas. In a worst-case scenario this could lead to a rupture with enough force to result in property damage or injury, Philips said in a statement. (Roach, 12/21)

KFF Health News: Deep Flaws In FDA Oversight Of Medical Devices, And Patient Harm, Exposed In Lawsuits And Records
Living with diabetes, Carlton “PeeWee” Gautney Jr. relied on a digital device about the size of a deck of playing cards to pump insulin into his bloodstream. The pump, manufactured by device maker Medtronic, connected plastic tubing to an insulin reservoir, which Gautney set to release doses of the vital hormone over the course of the day. Gautney, a motorcycle enthusiast, worked as a dispatcher with the police department in Opp, Alabama. (Schulte and Hacker, 12/21)

On news concerning menthol tobacco products —

The Hill: Top Biden Officials Meet With Black, Public Health Leaders Following Menthol Ban Delay
Top Biden administration officials this week met with prominent civil rights and public health leaders in the wake of the administration’s decision to delay a ban on menthol cigarettes. The unannounced meeting was not formally on the public schedule, but it followed a similar call officials had last month with tobacco industry lobbyists — including former lawmakers — who advocated against the proposed ban. (Weixel, 12/20)

Reuters: Juul Seeks US Authorization For Its New Age-Restricted Menthol Pods
Juul Labs said on Tuesday it was seeking U.S. authorization for its new menthol-flavored pods, which require user age verification, to be used with its e-cigarette device that is under review by regulators. Juul's e-cigarettes were briefly banned in the U.S. in June 2022 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded the company had failed to show that the sale of its products would be appropriate for public health. Following an appeal, the health regulator put the ban on hold and agreed to an additional review of Juul's marketing application. (12/20)

Also —

KFF Health News: Inside The Pentagon’s Painfully Slow Effort To Clean Up Decades Of PFAS Contamination
Oscoda, Michigan, has the distinction as the first community where “forever chemicals” were found seeping from a military installation into the surrounding community. Beginning in 2010, state officials and later residents who lived near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base were horrified to learn that the chemicals, collectively called PFAS, had leached into their rivers, lakes, and drinking water. (Norman and Kime, 12/21)

KFF Health News: The Year In Opioid Settlements: 5 Things You Need To Know
This year, about $1.5 billion has landed in state and local government coffers from court settlements made with more than a dozen companies that manufactured, sold, or distributed prescription painkillers and were sued for their role in fueling the opioid crisis. That money has gone from an emerging funding stream for which people had lofty but uncertain aspirations to a coveted pot of billions of dollars being invested in real time to address addiction. (Pattani, 12/21)