Latest KFF Health News Stories
Journalists were not permitted inside any of the cells at the Clint, Texas facility, which has drawn controversy this week over reports of inhumane conditions. They were also prohibited from having conversations with detained children, citing government policies. “Don’t talk to her,” one agent said to a reporter who saw a girl, who appeared to be 10 or 11 years old, crying uncontrollably while speaking in Spanish with a relative on a phone in a processing room. “If you ask her anything you’ll be thrown out,” the agent warned. Meanwhile, The Associated Press explains what happens when a child is detained.
“It is obvious that the dignity and well-being of children is not even an afterthought in the design of the center,” Dr. Dolly Lucio Sevier, a pediatrician who met nearly 40 immigrant children at the facility on June 15, said in a declaration filed to the court. The lawsuit asked for an emergency injunction allowing immediate inspections by a public health expert of all Customs and Border Protection facilities in Texas’ El Paso and Rio Grande Valley sectors.
Lawmakers from both chambers are now facing a ticking clock to make a deal before their scheduled recess, as gruesome reports and heartbreaking photos of conditions from the border continue to capture the nation’s attention. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called President Donald Trump with an appeal to make changes. Trump seemed open, but it’s unclear if the Senate will accept any amendments without assurances from the White House that Trump will sign the measure into law. Meanwhile, the new secretary of Homeland Security faces pressure to resign.
The surprising request from one of the most conservative circuit courts in the country suggests that the judges who will hear the case over the health law’s constitutionality could toss out the appeal on procedural grounds. In that scenario, the lower court ruling overturning the law would stand. Legal experts have long-thought that the case would fail eventually and that the health law would prevail, but this move calls into doubt that prediction.
Hope For Unresponsive Patients: New Test Could Detect Consciousness, Predict Brain Recovery
Specialized computer analysis of routine EEG recordings will likely help guide treatment decisions in the excruciating first days after a brain injury, experts said. Public health news also focuses on lead exposure, low sperm count’s link to junk food, an AIDS documentary, breast cancer, the upside of foot calluses, safe grilling, a new scabies treatment, CBD and more.
Each year in the U.S., about 17,500 women and 9,300 men get HPV-related cancer through sexual activity. Previously the vaccine was recommended only for preteen girls and boys to protect them before exposure to the virus, with catch-up vaccinations through age 26. The CDC usually accepts the recommendations of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
A suit filed against the University of Chicago Medical Center and Google demonstrates the difficulties technology companies face in handling health data as they forge ahead into one of the most promising — and potentially lucrative — areas of artificial intelligence: diagnosing medical problems.
Beyond ‘Medicare For All’ Squabbles: Candidates Talk Drug Prices, Abortion And Immigration
The candidates on the first night of the Democratic debates vied to be the one who voters would believe could take on Big Pharma. The Democrats also touched on abortion rights, but did avoid some of the hot-button topic’s more controversial points. Other health care issues like immigration also made an appearance on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, Thursday brings Night Two of the crowded debates.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) was quick to defend “Medicare for All” and attack the insurance industry, saying that the other Democratic presidential candidates who argue it is impossible are just not willing to fight for it. Some of the more centrist candidates, including Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, pushed back on Warren’s stance. “I think we should be the party that keeps what’s working and fixes what’s broken,” Delaney said.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Different Takes: Push Back On Marijuana Legislation Tells Story Of Parents’ Concerns For Their Teens
Editorial pages focus on the marijuana legislation and its impact on public health.
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others.
Background checks can help authorities discover guns that aren’t registered with the state, gun safety advocates say, adding that the program could have prevented last week’s fatal shooting of rookie Sacramento police officer Tara O’Sullivan. Meanwhile, gun owner groups complain about the new ID requirement. News on gun violence is from Missouri, as well.
Media outlets report on news from Alaska, New York, Florida, Minnesota, Arizona, Louisiana, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Georgia, Iowa, Texas and Michigan.
As many as 31 million women might have had a traumatic brain injury and 21 million might have had multiple mild ones. Yet there’s little research on the lasting effects in women. In other public health news: worker safety, burnout, genetic testing, wildfires, heart attacks, menstrual products, and anger.
Many of the leaders of the gay rights movement during the Stonewall Riots have been denied the benefits of the revolution. Also, members of the LGBTQ community discuss the successes and failures of the movement with PBS.
Link Between Common Class Of Drugs, Increase In Dementia Risk Deepened With Wide-Ranging Study
The researchers looked at anticholinergic drugs that work by blocking a chemical called acetylcholine, which acts as a neurotransmitter and is involved in many nervous system functions including muscle movements, heart rate, the widening of blood vessels, respiratory functions and muscle contractions in the stomach during digestion. Previous research has found a link between the drugs and dementia, but a new study strengthens those findings.
“This is a decisive step to help prevent another generation of San Francisco children from becoming addicted to nicotine,” said City Attorney Dennis Herrera in a statement. The city is the headquarters for Juul, one of the leading brands of e-cigarettes. The company is working on a ballot initiative to get the issue out in front of voters in November.
“People with a new cancer diagnosis are often feeling vulnerable and scared,” said Renee DiResta, a researcher who studies disinformation. Facing the horrors of such a diagnosis and treatment, some people start searching for information and community online. But even as tech giants like YouTube and Facebook try to crack down on false health information shared on their platforms, it’s nearly impossible to get it all. In other health and technology news: robocalls, securing data and digital chronic disease management.
Although the injunction applies only to one company, it is widely seen as a warning to others that perform similar procedures. The stem cell industry has flourished widely without regulations, but officials are starting to crack down on dangerous, unproven treatments.
