Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

55% Greater Risk Of Asthma For Vets Stationed In Iraq, Afghanistan: Study

Morning Briefing

Researchers also found higher risks of chronic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and nasal polyposis. Also, ByHeart baby formula has been recalled due to a multistate outbreak of infant botulism. Plus, research shows 1 in 27 women are informally sharing breast milk.

Trump Claims Most Americans Will Get $2,000 Tariff Dividend Payout

Morning Briefing

There’s no specific plan for the payments, which Congress would likely need to approve. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about whether Trump overstepped his authority in levying tariffs without congressional support. Plus: Would 50-year mortgages help the housing crisis?

Hunger Pains And Confusion Grow As Courts, States, Trump Battle Over SNAP

Morning Briefing

On Sunday night, an appeals court denied President Donald Trump’s efforts to halt the release of full funding for November’s payments. Trump also threatened Friday to penalize states that paid full benefits and ordered them to claw back the money. It’s unclear if that demand still stands.

ACA Subsidies Still In Limbo As Senate Nears Deal To End Longest Shutdown

Morning Briefing

Eight senators voted with the Democratic caucus to advance a compromise measure to fund the government through the end of January. SNAP benefits would resume, but the extension of health care tax credits is not included. Plus, President Trump renews call to repeal Obamacare.

Judge Rules Social Media Giants Must Face Trial Over Youth Addiction Claim

Morning Briefing

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat’s parent companies will be forced to face trial in the claim that they designed social media platforms to addict youths. Trials are set to start in January, after Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl ruled against the companies this week in their last chance to avoid trial.

LGBTQ+ Advocates Decry Ruling That Blocks Gender Changes On Passports

Morning Briefing

The Supreme Court let stand a Trump administration policy that bars people from updating their gender markers. One ACLU director quickly denounced the decision, calling it an “attempt to dehumanize, humiliate, and endanger transgender, nonbinary, and intersex Americans.”

Applications For $50B Rural Health Fund Are In From All 50 States

Morning Briefing

Half of the money will be divided equally among all states with approved applications, while the other $25 billion will be awarded at the discretion of CMS chief Mehmet Oz and will be based on criteria such as whether the states have adopted MAHA policies. Also: AI-powered prior authorization programs; a nurse staffing agency challenges the $100K visa fee; and more.

Full SNAP Payments Must Be Sent To States Now, Judge Tells Trump Admin

Morning Briefing

After weeks of back-and-forth over how much money should be paid out and when, a U.S. district judge set today as the deadline for the government to disburse funds. The administration plans to appeal. Plus, House Speaker Mike Johnson won’t ensure a vote on expiring ACA subsidies.

CMS Announces Rx Deal For Medicaid; Trump Touts Plan To Discount GLP-1s

Morning Briefing

Medicaid’s new “GENEROUS” plan would allow participating states to buy certain drugs at prices that align with what is paid in other countries, Fierce Healthcare reported. In separate news, President Donald Trump’s weight loss drug announcement was interrupted when an attendee collapsed.

FDA Pulls Back On Safety Inspections For Foreign Food, Blames Staffing Cuts

Morning Briefing

ProPublica reports the vast majority of the nation’s seafood and more than half of its fresh fruit come from foreign markets, which have been increasingly linked to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The FDA has seen the loss of 1 in 5 of its workers responsible for ensuring America’s food and drug safety.

Pa. Court Hears Medicaid Case That Could Redefine Abortion Access

Morning Briefing

Most of Wednesday’s proceedings focused on whether Pennsylvania women have a constitutional right to abortion care at all, one news outlet reported. Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania until the end of the 23rd week of pregnancy.

Radiation May Be Redundant For Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients

Morning Briefing

A study found that treatment with mastectomy, lymph-node surgery, and advanced anti-cancer drugs was sufficient for survival among women with early-stage breast cancer. Other news is on pancreatic cancer drugs, FDA warnings on unapproved botox, and more.