Latest KFF Health News Stories
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Editorial pages express views about the future of health policy and how policy impacts the pandemic.
Different Takes: Reconsider Holiday Plans And Save Lives; Rethink Masks, Lockdowns
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic issues and other health issues, as well.
First Cases Emerge On US Military Bases In Marshall Islands
Two infected workers arrived from the U.S., ending the nation’s ability to claim no cases. News is from New Zealand and Italy, as well.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to sit back and enjoy. This week’s selections include stories on COVID, drug addiction, pregnancy, children’s health and the 2001 anthrax scare.
Advocates Express COVID Concern About California Prisoner Transfers
News is from California, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York, Mississippi, Texas, Utah, Rhode Island and North Carolina.
Walmart Stashes Away Guns, Ammo Ahead Of Election
You can still buy them, but they won’t be on display, the company says.
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence, Top Contender For Heisman, Has COVID
The star athlete won’t play in this weekend’s game against Boston College. In other sports and recreation news: A wife of a Tampa Bay Rays player has tested positive, as well as several on a pit crew for NASCAR driver William Byron; JetBlue will let people sit in the middle seats; and more.
Vermont Hospitals Hit In Cyberattack
The University of Vermont Health Network is working with the FBI to investigate the attack. The FBI, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Services had issued a joint warning Wednesday about an “imminent” threat.
Lab Tests Show CRISPR Gene Editing Can Damage Embryos
The work done by Columbia University researchers shows that the tool, recently awarded a Nobel Prize, can cause potential harm. News is on immunotherapy and neurology, as well.
‘Hope’: Survival Rates Of COVID Patients Improve Dramatically
Since a March high of 25.6%, death rates dropped to 7.6% in August, according to researchers at NYU Langone Health. Other news is on antibodies, vaccine distribution and more.
Pelosi Clings To Stimulus Deal Hopes, But Tensions Flare With Mnuchin
The two argued back and forth Thursday about a letter the House Speaker wrote to the Treasury secretary faulting Republicans for the failed talks.
Trump’s Celebrity Campaign To ‘Defeat Despair’ Excluded Those Who Support Gay Rights, Documents Show
The $265 million public campaign collapsed in September. Democrats on the House Oversight and Reform Committee released the records Thursday and accused HHS Secretary Alex Azar of “a cover-up to conceal the Trump administration’s misuse of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars for partisan political purposes.”
Thousands Died At Nursing Homes Certified By Medicare For Infection Controls
Inspections conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the early part of the pandemic cleared 8 out of 10 nursing homes of infection-control violations, The Washington Post reports.
Insurers Must Reveal Prices Under Rule Finalized By HHS
The new regulation requires health insurance companies to disclose prices for common services and procedures.
Biden Rolls ‘Drive-In Rallies’ Into Swing States
The Biden campaign has employed strict safety protocols throughout the pandemic, forcing it to try new approaches in the final days of the campaign.
Big Trump Rallies Go On Despite Dangers Of Virus Surge, Heat
Thousands of supporters, often maskless, continue to crowd together to hear President Donald Trump on the campaign trail. A few cases of coronavirus infections are emerging. And in Florida, even the heat posed health concerns. Hurricane Zeta did postpone plans for a North Carolina event.
Minnesota Mail-In Absentee Ballot Extension Rejected In Court
Another legal ruling muddies the waters of which ballots will be counted in next week’s elections and which ones will not, as state efforts to ensure voter safety are challenged in court.
Hidden Data Reveals Where Hospitals Are Reaching Capacity With COVID Patients
NPR obtained Department of Health and Human Services documents detailing hospitalization trends that the Trump administration withholds from the public. In related news, medical facilities in Wisconsin, Maryland and Texas battle the fall surge while preparing for winter.
A Case A Second. 1 Death Every 107 Seconds. US COVID Rates Shatter Records.
The coronavirus is spreading rapidly across nearly every part of the U.S., in what the White House task force calls an “unrelentless surge.” One model predicts that deaths could triple by January if states don’t take steps to curb the outbreak.
