Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Mass Shootings, Abortion Case Prompt DHS Warning Of Elevated Threats

Morning Briefing

The Department of Homeland Security warned of potential violent threats and extremist activity over the next several months An anti-abortion center in Buffalo and a pregnancy clinic in North Carolina are in the news for being targeted already.

Senate Gun Talks At Pivotal Point But Quick Action Unlikely

Morning Briefing

Some lawmakers say they are encouraged that negotiations could yield new gun measures. Yet, as the players shift, a compromise is still far off. And others worry that the limited proposals that could pass wouldn’t do enough to curb the spate of violence.

CDC Posts, Then Deletes, Guidance On Airborne Risks Of Monkeypox

Morning Briefing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it removed the recommendation that travelers worried about monkeypox should wear a mask because it was causing confusion. Although public health officials have been linking many of the cases in this outbreak to close sexual contacts, monkeypox can also be spread through the air for short distances.

FDA Authorization For Novavax’s Covid Vaccine Endorsed By Advisory Panel

Morning Briefing

The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 21-0 in favor of the Food and Drug Administration granting emergency use authorization for the Novavax covid vaccine. If the FDA adopts the recommendation, a fourth shot option may soon be available in the U.S.

Judge Rules Oklahoma’s Controversial Lethal Injections Are Permitted

Morning Briefing

The three-drug protocol used for executions in Oklahoman was challenged by allegations it causes “impermissible pain and suffering,” but after a complex legal case involving many medical opinions, it has been ruled constitutional. Meanwhile, in Ohio a transgender sports bans may lead to genital checks.

Adding High Fence To Florida Bridge Has Dramatically Reduced Suicides

Morning Briefing

Before the nearly 11-foot-high fence was added June 23, 2021, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge averaged between 12 and 15 suicides a year. But in the past year, just four people have jumped and died. Meanwhile, a new nationwide suicide hotline struggles for funding ahead of its launch on July 16.

Connecticut Will Try Criminal Case Against Sacklers Over Opioid Crisis

Morning Briefing

The state’s top prosecutor will be asked by Attorney General William Tong to consider criminal charges against Sackler family members over the marketing of OxyContin. Separately, Kentucky is forming a group to oversee how the state’s $483 million opioid payout will be distributed.

Newly-Approved Diabetes Drug Found To Also Boost Weight Loss

Morning Briefing

Tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes but a study shows it can also help with weight loss, quite dramatically. Dramatic remissions of some B-cell lymphomas are also reported in an early study of Adicet Bio’s CAR-T treatment.

Bill Would Make New York Safe Haven For Out-Of-Staters Seeking Abortion

Morning Briefing

The package of bills, which is awaiting Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature, would ensure legal protections for abortion providers and prevent law enforcement from cooperating with out-of-state agencies, as well as prohibit medical malpractice insurance companies from taking adverse actions against providers who care for nonresidents, Stateline reports. Meanwhile, abortion opponents and supporters are gearing up for a decision from the Supreme Court this month.

Supreme Court Rules Florida Can Claw Medicaid Costs From Legal Damages

Morning Briefing

A legal case the Miami Herald says “drew attention” from officials across the U.S. has concluded with a ruling that Florida’s Medicaid program is entitled to some of the cash from a settlement payout made after a young girl was injured by a truck. Separately, Medicaid doula services increase.

Biden Administration Will Now Allow Nationwide WIC Waivers For Formula

Morning Briefing

The Agriculture Department, which runs the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutritional program, will offer nationwide waivers so that families can access infant formula that’s not normally approved for use in the program. The USDA has already provided waivers to states to give to parents; North Carolina and Ohio are among the first states to put those to use.

Embattled Biden Nominee For ATF Gets Boost From Health Care Providers

Morning Briefing

Many health care providers are urging that the nation consider gun violence a public health issue, and one group representing doctors, nurses and hospitals called for the Senate to confirm Steve Dettlebach as the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At the same time, negotiations in the Senate on new gun safety restrictions continue slowly.

Florida May Have Hurt Covid Response By Undercounting Cases, Deaths: Audit

Morning Briefing

A review by Florida’s Auditor General found that severe case misreporting early in the pandemic may have hampered the state government’s response to the effectiveness of its covid precautions. Meanwhile, a study shows Republican counties saw more covid deaths than Democratic ones.

US Limits On Monkeypox Testing May Squander Window To Control Outbreak

Morning Briefing

Some public health experts say the U.S. must expand the 74 labs currently authorized to test suspected monkeypox samples. Meanwhile, HHS orders more vaccine to bolster the national stockpile, while the CDC raised its monkeypox alert to level 2 as global cases surpass 1,000.

FDA Advisers To Consider More ‘Traditional’ Covid Shot From Novavax

Morning Briefing

A federal advisory committee will meet today to discuss authorization of the U.S.’s fourth covid vaccine. News outlets examine whether this more old-fashioned vaccine tech will tempt some hold-outs. Covid booster shots, vaccination data privacy, and more are also reported.