Latest KFF Health News Stories
Federal Appeals Court Rules Alligator Alcatraz May Stay Open
The ruling came Thursday, halting a Miami judge’s ruling to break down the Everglades immigration center. Also: U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) is fighting to release a woman with cancer from immigration detention; fear of deportation is putting health and hunger at risk; and more.
Trump Administration To Distribute Gilead’s New HIV Meds To Millions
As plans for PEPFAR’s future move forward, up to 2 million people in lower-income countries will receive Gilead Sciences’ HIV prevention drugs. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports how reinstated CDC staff were tasked with dismantling their own departments, including the Division of HIV Prevention.
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 cancer, birth control, PFAS, heat waves, rats, and more.
HHS Broadens Catastrophic Coverage Eligibility On ACA Exchange
Starting Nov. 1, Affordable Care Act participants who don’t qualify for the advanced subsidies or cost-sharing reductions may apply for a hardship exemption. In other news: ACA insurers might need to revise 2026 prices; companies and their employees are looking at higher health care costs; and more.
Massachusetts, New York Break With FDA On Covid Vaccine Limitations
While Massachusetts will mandate insurance coverage for state-recommended shots, New York plans to give pharmacists the authority to offer vaccines to anyone over 3 without a prescription. Plus: Hawaii joins the West Coast Health Alliance; Georgia pumps the breaks on covid shots; and more.
RFK Jr. Grilled Over CDC Shake-Up, Vaccine Confusion, Abortion Pill Access
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. struck a defiant tone as senators — Democrat and Republican — pressed him for answers about the direction he is taking the department. “If we’re going to make America healthy again, we can’t allow public health to be undermined,” said John Barrasso, R-Wyo. Kennedy indicated more upheaval is to come. Plus, looks at claims made during the hearing.
First Edition: Friday, Sept. 5, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Scientists Find New MS Subtype Characterized By Cognitive Impairment
The unrecognized subtype exhibits minimal motor impairment. The researchers have created an accessible and effective online tool to assess cognitive impairment, which they noted is not currently a standard part of clinical practice. Other news looks at avian flu, measles outbreaks, and more.
Texas Poised To Enact Stricter Bans On Abortion Pills, Transgender Rights
Lawmakers passed a bill that would allow private citizens to sue out-of-state medical providers who mail abortion medication to Texas patients. They also passed a bill that would ban trans people from using public bathrooms or locker rooms that align with their genders. Both bills await the signature of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Study: People 65 And Older Receive Substandard Care For Opioid Disorder
Drug overdose deaths for people in that age group rose 11.4% between 2022 and 2023, CDC data show. Also: Scientists have developed a powerful non-opioid painkiller; controversy brews over involuntary addiction treatment; and more.
FDA: Pharma Firm Used Contaminated IV Bags For Epidural Injectable Drug
Amneal Pharmaceuticals lowered its standards to be able to continue using the bags even after the problem had been identified, the FDA said in a warning letter sent last week. Other news is on a one-shot early syphilis treatment trial, GLP-1 drugs, and more.
House Panel Sets Sights On Extending Health Care Provisions
The committee aims to secure bipartisan support for extending telehealth flexibilities in Medicare coverage as well as for provisions in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. Also in the news: ACA subsidies; health AI; and more.
Viewpoints: We Are Losing Our Freedom To Choose Vaccination; The CDC Is Becoming Unrecognizable
Opinion writers tackle vaccines, the CDC, and the U.S. drug supply.
Research Powerhouse Harvard Secures Win Over Trump’s $2B Funding Freeze
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston ruled the government violated the university’s free speech rights when it withheld grants, noting the administration “used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities, and did so in a way that runs afoul” of the law. A separate judge has blocked foreign aid cuts.
West Coast States Form Health Alliance In Response To Trump’s CDC
On Wednesday, the governors of California, Washington, and Oregon announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance, aimed at providing public health and vaccine guidance separate from the CDC. Other vaccine news comes from Colorado, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Florida.
Several Covid Vax Skeptics Might Join ACIP; RFK Jr. Testifies At Senate Today
Politico reports that it has seen an internal list that included the names of at least three people who have questioned the safety of mRNA vaccines. It’s unclear whether new members could join the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices before its next meeting Sept. 18-19. Plus: The FDA questions the safety of getting covid and flu vaccines at the same time.
First Edition: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Advanced-Stage Prostate Cancer Rates See Sharp Rise In Past Decade
The report also shows that declines in mortality rates have slowed, from 3%-4% per year to 0.6% per year in the past decade. Plus: A study looks at cancer-fighting properties of a plant-based nutrient. More news is on Alzheimer’s; the link between brain tumors and the birth control shot; and more.
Victims’ Families, Survivors Of Maine Mass Shooting Sue US Government
The plaintiffs argue that the U.S. Army could and should have done more to stop the 2023 shooting that killed 18 people in Lewiston, AP reported, because it reportedly knew that the gunman had mental health issues. Also: President Donald Trump raises the possibility of arming teachers who have served as “distinguished” military service members.
OpenAI Will Offer Parental Controls After California Teen’s Suicide
The change will be introduced to ChatGPT within the next month, the company said Tuesday. Plus: The suicide rate among older Coloradans has not budged in a decade, The Colorado Sun reported.
