Morning Breakouts

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Anti-Vaxxers Won’t Have A Place On CDC’s Advisory Panel, RFK Jr. Says

Morning Briefing

The Health and Human Services secretary will announce on X the “highly credentialed physicians” who will replace the 17 committee members he just fired. More are calling for Kennedy’s resignation as frustration grows.

All Of USAID’s International Workforce Will Be Eliminated By Sept. 30: Report

Morning Briefing

In a cable sent Tuesday and obtained by The Guardian, the State Department said it will “assume responsibility for foreign assistance programming previously undertaken by USAID” starting June 15. Plus: What NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya told a Senate panel Tuesday about recent budget cuts.

House GOP Alters Portions of Megabill That Jeopardized Quick Senate Passage

Morning Briefing

SNAP is among the provisions being revised after Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) complained about it. Meanwhile, states are working to cushion the blow the GOP tax bill will have on their budgets.

Although Rare, Appendix Cancer More Prevalent In Under-50s, Study Shows

Morning Briefing

As many as one-third of cases are among young adults. Meanwhile, the number of fentanyl and other drug overdose deaths in those under 35 dropped by nearly 47% between 2021 and 2024. Other news is on treatment for OCD, a study on dementia risk, and more.

New York Lawmakers Pass Bill Opening Door For Medically Assisted Suicide

Morning Briefing

The bill will allow terminally ill New Yorkers to end their life on their own terms, and it now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul. “It’s not about hastening death, but ending suffering,” Democratic state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal said. Plus: 27 states and the District of Columbia have sued to block their citizens’ 23andMe data from being sold.

Policy Change Could Allow Abusers To Have Gun Rights Restored More Easily

Morning Briefing

Lawmakers and gun violence experts voice concern over the Trump administration’s proposed change and what it could mean for domestic violence survivors. Also in the news: forced reset triggers; a rise in firearm deaths of children and teenagers in states that loosened gun laws; and more.

Montana Supreme Court Declares Abortion Restrictions Unconstitutional

Morning Briefing

Monday’s ruling concluded a multiyear legal challenge over three reproductive rights restrictions. Also in reproductive health news: Wisconsin now has five abortion clinics; Ohio Republicans want to bring back a 24-hour waiting period for abortions; Texas isn’t budging on abortion bans; and more.

Doctor Shortage Could Grow More Dire With Bill’s Limits On Med School Loans

Morning Briefing

If a $150,000 cap on direct federal unsubsidized loans stands, some fear fewer students will be able to afford medical school. Graduates carry an average debt of $212,341, the Association of American Medical Colleges found. Plus, Republicans take a swing at changes to the One Big Beautiful Bill.

NIH Halts Anti-DEI Policy That Was Required To Get New Research Grants

Morning Briefing

It’s unclear what prompted the change, which is effective immediately, Stat reported. In related news, a federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing anti-DEI and anti-trans policies against groups that provide help for the LGBTQ+ community.

RFK Jr. Ousts Panel Of CDC Vaccine Advisers, Presumably Picks Successors

Morning Briefing

New members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have not yet been identified, but they are expected to meet later this month. Separately, the FDA has approved Merck’s monoclonal antibody clesrovimab to protect infants from RSV.

3 Health Care Companies To Lay Off Hundreds Of Workers

Morning Briefing

The cuts are coming to Virginia Mason Franciscan (based in Tacoma, Washington), Prime Healthcare (based in Ontario, California), and Bayada Home Health Care (based in Moorestown, New Jersey). Plus: Affinia Healthcare is now fully accredited for its new family medicine residency program.

Risk Of Diabetes Is Higher With Sugary Beverages But Not Sugary Foods

Morning Briefing

A study, which spanned multiple continents, found that drinking sugar consistently led to higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, but consuming it from food sources showed no such link. In other lifestyle news: a BowFlex recall; dating apps’ effects on mental health; and more.

Dozens Sickened In 7 States From Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Eggs

Morning Briefing

Twenty-one people have been hospitalized in an egg recall that spans nine states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming. Other news comes from Washington, D.C., Michigan, Massachusetts, Utah, Missouri, California, Louisiana, and Florida.

Depressed? You Are Not Alone: Health Workers Report High Rate Of The Blues

Morning Briefing

Over one-fifth of health care and other service workers say they have been diagnosed with depression, a study had found. Also in the news: the Federation of American Hospitals; Adventist HealthCare; BayCare; and more.

Emergency Officials Unclear How — Or Even If — They Can Help In Disasters

Morning Briefing

Summer is approaching, bringing potentially deadly floods, tornadoes, and wildfires along with it. But recent staffing changes and policy directives at FEMA have left local emergency officials unsure what kind of help — medical, financial, or otherwise — they’ll be able to offer.

Doctors Implore AMA To Challenge Trump’s Health Agenda More Strongly

Morning Briefing

Cuts to Medicaid and NIH, along with trade tariffs, will make it harder to give Americans the kind and quality of care they need, doctors argue. “Quiet advocacy is insufficient,” one AMA member said.

As Measles Cases Close In On 30-Year High, WHO Warns US Must Act Now

Morning Briefing

With 1,168 confirmed cases across 33 states — more than four times as many cases as last year — the country is at risk of losing its disease-elimination status. U.S. leaders must focus on vaccine efforts to prevent it from becoming endemic, the WHO’s vaccine director says.