Latest KFF Health News Stories
‘Glad To See This Happen In My Lifetime’: Confederate Symbol To Be Removed From Mississippi’s Flag
Mississippi is the sole U.S. state to still feature the racially charged Confederate flag in its state flag. Lawmakers voted over the weekend to remove the controversial symbol and Gov. Tate Reeves (R) says he will sign the bill. And in another response to the growing national attention on racial issues in the U.S., Princeton University says it will remove Woodrow Wilson’s name from its public policy school.
Short-Term Plan Enrollment Grew In 2019 Despite Excluding Many Preexisting Conditions
A House committee investigation found enrollment up 600,000 over the year before.
Trump Campaign Ordered Removal Of Social Distancing Signs At Tulsa Rally, Source Says
Also: Vice President Mike Pence postpones campaign events in Arizona and Florida; Joe Biden’s campaign releases diversity statistics.
Economic Downturn Provides ‘National Study’ Of How The Health Law Performs
The health law’s effect in this period of intense need may help determine its future, The New York Times reports.
A Federal Agency Tells Its Employees: No References To ‘Anything COVID Related Is Needed’
The Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service sent a memo to its federal employees that they should make no references “to any stay-at-home orders, travel restrictions, or anything COVID related…” without the agency’s leadership approval. Meanwhile, Stat examines the U.S. pandemic response. Other news from the administration relates to immigration, citizenship and the VA.
Trump Retweets, Then Deletes, Video With ‘White Power’ Chant
The president thanked the “great people” shown in the video, which was uploaded Saturday.
Trump Team Struggles With Public Health Realities And Political Rallies
The president’s recent statements about testing continue to draw fact-checker scrutiny and stiff criticism from anti-Trump Republicans.
Pence, White House Point To ‘Remarkable Progress’ Against COVID, Despite Rapid Surges In South, West
During the White House task force’s first public briefing in two months and during a public event in Texas on Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence touted efforts by the Trump administration and the states to control the virus spread. He said recent spikes were primarily impacting young people and is now urging the wearing of masks.
A New Global Mark: 500,000 Coronavirus Deaths Worldwide
Over 500,000 deaths around the world have now been officially attributed to COVID-19. There have been over 10 million confirmed cases globally — with more than 2.5 million of those in the U.S. — though the actual number is likely higher.
In Fla., Case Counts Mount; Gov. DeSantis In The Hot Seat
The recent surge is triggering concern among the state’s tourism workers, who worry whether the increase in coronavirus will undermine the state’s ability to attract visitors.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers weigh in on these pandemic topics and others.
Editorial pages focus on these public heath issues and others.
Global news reports focus on Italy, Germany, Portugal, England, France, Mexico, Russia, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, India, Pakistan, and South Africa.
Longer Looks: Coronavirus Coverage And Female Expertise; Prison Reform; Doomscrolling; And More
Each week, KHN finds interesting reads from around the web.
New Studies Tackle COVID-19’s Effect On The Brain, Other Organs
In other news, researchers have joined forces to study how Alzheimer’s takes root in the brain.
FDA Approves Drug For Rare Type Of Childhood Epilepsy
In other pharmaceutical industry news, Novartis will pay more than $345M to settle criminal charges in a bribery scandal.
Judge Deciding On Legality Of Hawaii’s Quarantine Says She’ll Disregard DOJ’s Input
U.S. District Judge Jill Otake will decide a case that challenges Hawaii’s strict COVID quarantine policy. Although the Justice Department weighed in against the policy, Otake said the agency doesn’t have the authority to amend the lawsuit in a case where it is not a plaintiff.
“Whenever he’d see me, he’d try to grab onto me,” Bill Hucker, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, says of his 4.5-year-old son. “And every time the little guy fell down and I could hear him cry, I wanted to be there with him. Instead of being able to help out, everything was dumped on his mom.” In other health industry news: Medical residents start rotations in a new reality; the continuing challenges of PPE; and more.
‘Critical Point In Fight’: Texas Rethinks Plans, Cancels Elective Surgeries
Hospital administrations in Houston and Dallas are now saying they think they have enough beds to accommodate the additional hospitalizations due to the upsurge. In some instances, the number of COVID patients has doubled since Memorial Day. “All the hospitals have a plan to expand as necessary,” said Peter Urbanowicz, a former U.S. Health and Human Services Department chief of staff who is helping Dallas County coordinate the region’s hospitals. “They’re going to use every nook and cranny of the hospital.”
