Latest KFF Health News Stories
Even Brief Periods Of Vigorous Activity Can Help Cognition Scores
News outlets cover research that highlights how physical inactivity is linked to a slight decline in memory and thinking activities, and that even six to nine minutes of movement can help. Also: weight loss, the body positivity movement, breast density, heavy metals in dark chocolate, and more.
Nursing Home Staff Levels At Lowest In Nearly 30 Years
A report from the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living shows that there are 210,000 fewer workers than before the pandemic — the lowest level since 1994. Dollar General, CVS Health executives, Elevance Health, and more are also in the news.
Florida Supreme Court Will Decide If 15-Week Abortion Ban Is Constitutional
The Florida Supreme Court agreed to hear a lawsuit filed against the state’s new law. The 15-week restriction will remain in place while the legal challenges play out.
Newsom Demands Stricter Federal Gun Laws, But Legislative Reality Is Bleak
The gun used in Saturday’s Monterey Park shooting — CNN reported that it was a Cobray M11 9mm semi-automatic weapon compatible with 30-round magazines — was likely illegal to possess in California. However, the shooter could have legally obtained it in another state. As gun rights advocates point out, gun control only truly works if every state does it.
Trauma Of Gun Violence Devastates Another Community
As residents in California’s Half Moon Bay cope with the immediate aftermath of a shooting that killed seven people, other communities that are still paying the mental health toll of similar tragedies encourage seeking help from trained counselors.
Second Mass Shooting In California: 7 Dead In Half Moon Bay
A 67-year-old resident of Half Moon Bay, a city outside San Francisco, is suspected in the shootings and is in custody. The Wall Street Journal reports it was a targeted attack, with the gunman planning to kill specific people. California is still reeling from a mass shooting Saturday in Monterey Park, near Los Angeles.
Once-A-Year Covid Shot Plan In The Works By FDA
Like the flu shot, the FDA outlined a proposal Thursday that would encourage Americans to get an annual covid vaccine that’s tailored to that year’s expected dominant strains. The plan was released ahead of a vaccine advisory committee meeting at which tweaks to covid protocols will be discussed.
Amazon Wants To Sell You New Things On Subscription: Prescription Drugs
The retail giant is launching the medication delivery service RxPass, a $5-a-month service for Amazon Prime members. It’s aimed at consumers with common conditions. Advertising for “orphan drugs,” transplant lists for Black kidney failure patients, and more are also in the news.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial writers examine abortion issues and other public health topics.
Trans Fats In Foods Still Threaten Heart Health Of 5 Billion People: WHO
In other news, the U.S. military is investigating whether nine officers’ cancers are related to their work decades ago at a nuclear missile base in Montana. Separately, the Washington Post reports on whether gel nail polish and UV polish curing lamps are safe.
Prosecutors: Elizabeth Holmes Tried To Leave US After Conviction
Prosecutors allege that Holmes, the former Theranos CEO, booked a one-way flight to Mexico. Government attorneys flagged Holmes’ legal team when they discovered the January 2022 flight, three days before it was set to take off. In other pharma news, Martin Shkreli may be held in contempt; N.Y.U. Langone Health pulls out of a Type 1 diabetes trial; and more.
Home Health Agencies May Face Financial Strife After CMS Pay Bump
2023’s “small” pay bump from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will not keep up with home health agencies’ rising expenses, Modern Healthcare reports. The Wall Street Journal reminds us that the home caregiver industry experiences high turnover, impacting patients.
Spotlight On Gun Violence After Lunar New Year Mass Shooting
News outlets report on a massacre in the Los Angeles area during Lunar New Year celebrations, where 10 people were killed before the gun was wrestled from the suspect’s hands at a second scene. Also: California’s strict gun laws, hate speech on Twitter, and other related news.
Tennessee Ends HIV Program That Has Links To Planned Parenthood
The program was designed to prevent and treat HIV, but top Tennessee health officials wrote to Planned Parenthood to say it would receive no more federal funding, and the state also terminated its partnership with the organization to provide HIV testing. HIV experts are reported to be “stunned.”
No Spike In Opioid Deaths After Easing Of Treatment Drug Rules: Study
A new study, reported by CBS News and Stat, shows that even though buprenorphine became more easily accessible in an effort to tackle the opioid abuse crisis, deaths caused by the treatment still remain a small fraction of overall drug mortality.
CDC Data Show Covid XBB.1.5 Now Behind Half Of New US Infections
While the omicron subvariant is quickly becoming dominant in the U.S., CIDRAP notes that a feared-for bump in cases caused by people gathering over the holidays hasn’t yet been seen in the data. Also in the news: redistribution of unused N95 masks, mask mandates, the FDA’s covid plan, and more.
DOJ Investigating Abbott Laboratories After Baby Formula Incident
Abbott has denied there’s any conclusive evidence linking its products to the infant illnesses and deaths attributed to Cronobacter sakazakii found in its Michigan factory, Axios says, but the Department of Justice is now investigating. Former covid czar Jeff Zients is also in the news.
Biden Issues Presidential Memorandum To Protect Abortion Pills
Vice President Kamala Harris made the announcement during a speech in Tallahassee, Florida. Her location choice came as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, scored a court victory against a state prosecutor who had been suspended for refusing to seek criminal charges against people who seek or provide abortions.
At Rallies Across US, Pro-Life Activists Vow To Stop Abortion Everywhere
At Sunday’s March For Life in Washington, D.C., the first since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, abortion foes proclaimed, “We will march until abortion is unthinkable.”
