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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Friday, Dec 19 2025

Full Issue

Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed

Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on bioethics, surrogacy, football helmets, obesity, and California's CARE Court.

Stat: As Dangerous Eugenic Ideas Spread, NIH Falls Silent

Cuts to the Human Genome Research Institute’s communication offices left a bioethics vacuum. (Molteni and Oza, 12/18)

The Wall Street Journal: The Chinese Billionaires Having Dozens Of U.S.-Born Babies Via Surrogate 

Videogame executive Xu Bo, said to have more than 100 children, and other elites build mega-families, testing citizenship laws and drawing on nannies, IVF and legal firms set up to help them. (Long, Foldy and Wei, 12/13)

Bloomberg: High School Football Embraces A Helmet Cover To Shield Kids' Brains

Guardian says its products can’t eliminate the risk of concussions, and some researchers have cast doubt on whether the helmet covers do much to prevent head injuries at all. Still, high schools across the country are giving them a try. (Lovinger, 12/17)

ABC News: How The Global Food System Is Impacting Obesity And Climate Change: Study

The same global food system that is fueling rising obesity rates is also accelerating climate change, according to a sweeping new scientific review that argues both crises share common roots and solutions. The review, published Thursday in Frontiers in Science, links the rise of ultra-processed foods and beef-heavy diets to worsening health outcomes and growing environmental damage. (Valliyil, 12/18)

Also —

CalMatters: How Gavin Newsom's CARE Court Lost Its Teeth In The Legislature 

Gov. Newsom called for 'accountability' on homelessness with CARE Court. Three years later, the state has rarely compelled mental health treatment. (Yu and Yee, 12/17)

CalMatters: ‘False Hope’: Why Families Who Celebrated Newsom’s New Mental Health Court Feel Let Down By It

Ronda Deplazes thought Gov. Newsom’s CARE Court could save her son as he struggled with mental illness. Two years later, she and other families say little has changed for them. (Wiener, 12/17)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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