Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GenBioPro, Leading Mifepristone Manufacturer, Enters Abortion Fight
The New York Times: Abortion Pill Maker Enters Legal Fight Over F.D.A. Rules
The country’s largest manufacturer of abortion pills is wading into the first major legal battle over abortion of President Trump’s second term. The company, GenBioPro, on Tuesday asked a Texas court to add it to the list of defendants in a lawsuit filed in October by three Republican state attorneys general. The move was a significant offensive action on an issue seen as a vanguard in the fight over access to abortion. (Lerer, 2/25)
The Gazette: Bill Would Require Iowa Doctors Inform Patients Of Medication Abortion 'Reversal'
Health care providers in Iowa would be required to tell patients that it may be possible to reverse the effects of a medication abortion, something reproductive rights advocates and medical groups say is not supported by science. Republican members of a three-member House subcommittee on Tuesday advanced House Study Bill 186 for consideration by the full House Health and Human Services Committee. (Barton, 2/25)
In other public health news —
St. Louis Public Radio: A New Cancer Study Shows Black Cancer Death Rates Decreasing
Cancer mortality rates are declining among African Americans, but death rates are still the highest of any racial group, according to the latest study from the American Cancer Society. The organization’s latest report, Cancer Statistics for African American and Black People, 2025, which was published this month in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, shows that from 1991 to 2022, death rates among Black men decreased by 49%, while death rates for Black women fell 33%. (Henderson, 2/25)
Fortune Well: The Truth About American Drinking Water: Report Shows Widespread Presence Of Hazardous Chemicals
Between the ongoing controversy around fluoridated water and the recent discovery of a chemical in our water systems that may or may not be toxic, the safety of American drinking water is murky, to say the least. And today, with a new report revealing that tap water is delivering harmful chemicals like PFAS (“forever chemicals”), heavy metals, and radioactive substances to millions of Americans—often at levels far beyond what scientists consider safe—it got even murkier. (Greenfield, 2/26)
Stat: Ultra-Processed Foods Fueling Global Rise In Baby Food Market
The foods we eat as young children help set the course for the rest of our lives. Regular doses of peanut butter and eggs before age 1 can help prevent food allergies. A baby who gnaws on spinach and soft bouquets of broccoli, with their slightly bitter flavors, is more likely to enjoy vegetables as an adult. As for what happens when babies and toddlers grow up on ultra-processed foods — well, that’s what health experts are increasingly worried about. (Todd, 2/26)
The Washington Post: Congo Reports Over 50 Deaths From Mystery Illness
An unknown illness has killed 53 people in a northwestern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a significant portion of deaths taking place within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, according to the World Health Organization, which describes the outbreak as posing “a significant public health threat.” At least 431 cases have been reported since January of individuals suffering from fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, headaches and fatigue, according to the WHO’s Africa office. (Ho, 2/25)
