Latest KFF Health News Stories
First Edition: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Sleep-Related Infant Deaths Soar 12%, With Notable Racial Disparities
Meanwhile, overall infant mortality rates from 1999 to 2022 dropped by 24%, researchers found. Additional news of public concern covers breast milk guidance for air travelers, heart disease stats, the link between sugar-laden drinks and Type 2 diabetes, and more.
Viewpoints: Relational Communication Is How Doctors Can Combat Misinformation And Prevent Burnout
Editorial writers examine these public health issues.
Largest US Tuberculosis Outbreak On Record Happening Now In Kansas
According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 67 active TB cases and 79 latent cases have been reported since the beginning of 2024 in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. Separately, a rare strain of bird flu has been detected at a farm in California’s Merced County.
Wyoming House Committee Passes Bills Making Abortion All But Impossible
Meanwhile, Wisconsin Supreme Court race could determine the future of abortion in the state; Minnesota will implement insulin price cap; Denver hospital opens its free naloxone vending machine; and more.
Walgreens Unlikely To Sell To Private Equity Firm Sycamore Partners
Pharmacy chain Walgreens has been struggling for over a year and has been in talks to sell to Sycamore Partners, a deal that is now “mostly dead.” Meanwhile, some independent pharmacies are opting to not stock drugs that are under negotiation because of significant loss of revenue that they may sustain. Other news includes layoffs, cardiac device recalls, and more.
HHS Nominee RFK Jr. Won’t Rule Out Seizing Drug Patents To Lower Prices
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he would consider authorizing the government to seize from manufacturers the patents of high-dollar medicines that were developed with taxpayer money and give them to drug makers to bring down costs, Politico reports. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups are unsure about whether to back his nomination. More news is on vaccine policy and skepticism.
The president’s executive order cites diagnoses “that require substantial medication or medical treatment” and could affect many thousands of servicemembers. It likely also would stunt efforts to reduce the military stigma surrounding asking for help. Plus: Troops who were dismissed for not getting a covid shot will be reinstated with full back pay.
White House Halts Federal Grants And Loans, Rattling Health Agencies
Although the memo specifically mentioned gender-affirming care, it is unclear how many other federal programs will be affected. It does not include Medicare. Meanwhile, NIH researchers can resume their work as long as they don’t violate the communications freeze, and the CDC was ordered to stop working with the World Health Organization immediately.
First Edition: Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Iowa Faces Backlash Over Swapping ‘Evolution’ For ‘Biological Change’
The current K-12 curriculum draft downplays human impacts on climate change, critics contend. The state is still reviewing feedback, and the draft has not been approved. Also in the news, transgender care in North Dakota; developmental disability costs in Montana and Maryland; and more.
Viewpoints: A Biological Threat Could Slip Through The Cracks While US Agencies Are Paused
Opinion writers discuss these public health topics.
Record Number Of Americans Involved In Change Healthcare Data Breach
On Friday, UnitedHealth Group said 190 million people were affected by last year’s cyberattack. That’s about 55% of the country’s population and more than doubles the previous record.
Health Experts Try To Find Common Ground With HHS Nominee RFK Jr.
Despite Kennedy’s anti-vaccine history, which greatly alarms professionals in the health sector, some see his promises to improve Americans’ diets as a step in the right direction. Also, with Kennedy’s hearings scheduled for this week, news outlets explore vaccine issues.
Trump Cancels Security Detail For Former Covid Task Force Adviser Fauci
The AP reported that President Donald Trump told reporters in North Carolina on Friday that he wouldn’t feel any responsibility if harm befell him or others whose security teams were revoked. Dr. Anthony Fauci says he has hired his own security detail. Also in the news: rising rates of influenza.
Trump Administration Snuffs Out Proposal For Menthol Cigarette Ban
The ban would have been especially felt in Black communities and could have significantly cut down on the number of kids who start smoking. Plus: rolling back environmental protections for Black and Latino communities, poor medical care at border facilities, and more.
Health Agencies Grappling With Fallout From Communications Freeze
At the federal level, NIH purchasing has been halted, an HHS authors’ article won’t be published, and the FDA’s diversity webpage detailing cancer studies has gone dark. At the state level, the blackout reverberates to North Carolina, which takes in billions of dollars for medical and biomedical research.
US Halts Funding To Foreign Groups That Provide Abortion Services
The “Mexico City Rule,” long championed by Republicans, also withdraws funding from organizations that counsel or advocate such services. In other news, the Justice Department has curtailed efforts to prosecute abortion clinic protesters.
First Edition: Monday, Jan. 27, 2025
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers dissect these public health issues.
