Latest KFF Health News Stories
World’s Eyes Continue To Watch South Korea As Nation Takes Steps Back To ‘Normal’
Global pandemic developments are reported out of South Korea, Canada, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Greece, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentina, Panama, Brazil, China, Chile, Peru and other nations.
Young adults and the poor have been hit especially hard, the Census Bureau report finds. More public health news is on problems from being isolated, tips from the Dalai Lama on facing isolation, imbibing bad news, healthy travel suggestions for flyers, traffic concerns, navigating parenting disagreements, hungry rodents, technology’s watchful eye, and a tale of two infected parents, as well.
Supreme Court Won’t Overturn Ohio Order To Release At-Risk Inmates, But Leaves Door Open For Future
The case centered around Ohio’s Elkton Federal Correctional Institution, where one in four inmates have tested positive for COVID-19. The Supreme Court justices kept the decision narrow and didn’t close the door on any future cases that might have similar circumstances. Prisons have been fertile ground for the virus and advocates worry about the safety of inmates across the country.
Eviction Crisis Looms For Low-Income Americans Hit Hardest By Pandemic’s Economic Devastation
Experts predict an avalanche of evictions across the country. Even before the current joblessness crisis, eviction was troublingly common in America. Researchers estimate that about 3.7 million eviction cases were filed in 2016, a year when the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent. It’s now closing in on 15 percent. Other news on the economy focuses on credit card fraud and jobless benefits.
DOJ Closes Stock Sale Investigations Of 3 Senators, Hints That Agents Are Focusing On Sen. Burr
Investigators closed probes into the stock activities of Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) at the beginning of the pandemic. However, Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) is still under investigation over records that show he and his wife sold between $600,000 and $1.7 million in stock in more than 30 transactions in late January and mid-February.
Republicans Sue To Stop House From Using Proxy Voting System, Calling It Unconstitutional
But the lawsuit may face an uphill battle in the courts, where judges have been reluctant to second-guess Congress’s ability to set its own rules.
White House Halted Rule That Would Have Required Health Systems To Prepare For Airborne Pandemic
OSHA experts were confident new airborne infectious disease regulations would make hospitals and nursing homes safer when future pandemics hit–but those rules are time consuming and unpopular. In spring 2017, President Donald Trump’s team stripped the regulation out of OSHA’s agenda.
Global Vaccine Race Likely To Devolve Into Nationalistic Battle Between U.S., China
In another landscape, the global vaccine race could bring the world together for the greater good of mankind. But in the current atmosphere it’s far more likely that the development of the vaccine will only stoke nationalistic tendencies. Meanwhile, only about half of Americans say they would get the vaccine if it’s available.
Taxpayers Have Poured Millions Into Remdesivir’s Development, But Won’t Have A Say On Pricing
Remdesivir’s development was heavily subsidized by the government, yet Gilead Sciences will be able to place whatever price tag it wants on the drug that so far has been the only one to pass gold-standard trials as a COVID-19 treatment. Meanwhile, the VA defends its use of controversial anti-malarial drugs that study’s have revealed to have dangerous side effects. Other news on hydroxychloroquine is reported, as well.
HHS Watchdog Ousted By Trump After Damning Preparedness Report Vows Investigations Will Go On
Christi Grimm, HHS’s principal deputy inspector general, defended her report that hospitals faced severe shortages at the start of the pandemic. The assessment drew criticism from President Donald Trump, who attacked Grimm as being politically biased. He nominated a full-time replacement for Grimm weeks later.
Twitter Adds Fact-Checking Link To Trump’s Tweets Falsely Claiming Mail-In-Voting Leads To Fraud
The links lead to articles that offer bullet-point fact checks on President Donald Trump’s false claims. Trump has been particularly vocal about his opposition to mail-in-voting as more states start to take steps to expand access in anticipation of a second virus wave in the fall. Meanwhile, Americans are spending more time on social media than ever — and that’s not a good thing as they encounter more and more disinformation.
Biden Blasts Trump As An ‘Absolute Fool’ For Caving To ‘Macho’ Pressure And Not Wearing Mask
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden offered a stark contrast to President Donald Trump on Memorial Day when he appeared in public with a mask. Biden criticized Trump’s insistence on not wearing one as contrary to doctors’ advice and Trump’s own experts’ guidance.
GOP Governors Offer To Roll Out Welcome Mat For Republican Convention If Trump Moves It
President Donald Trump threatened to move the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina if Gov. Roy Cooper (D) can’t guarantee that it would be able to be held as normal under the state’s shut-down policy. Both Florida and Georgia offered up their states to host the convention — which can bring an economic boost to host states. In other news, Trump insists his Fourth of July event will go on as planned.
Media outlets report on news from Nevada, New York, Virginia, District of Columbia, Oklahoma, Florida, Delaware, Alabama, Ohio, California, Texas, Rhode Island, Georgia, Maine and Massachusetts.
Even As States Start To Reopen, 20 Report An Increase In New Cases
Some states in the South are seeing double-digit increases but have no plans to pull the emergency break on their reopening schedule. Meanwhile, experts predict a slow burn period for the summer. And experts take a look at the early days of the pandemic, how hot spots became hot spots, the danger of “super spreaders” and more.
100,000 American Lives: Sheer Scope Of Loss Difficult For Humans To Grasp, Experts Say
America will hit 100,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths this week, but it’s hard to fully conceptualize the enormity of that tragedy. “Can you picture 30,000 people or 50,000 people? And when you get into the millions, what do you even do with that?” Lorenzo Servitje, an assistant professor of literature and medicine at Lehigh University, tells AP.
Viewpoints: U.S. Is Once Again Failing Native Americans, Other Minorities On Health Care
Editorial pages focus on these pandemic topics and others.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
Trump Wants To Bring Drug Manufacturing Back To United States. Pharma, Not So Much.
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical development and pricing stories from the past week in KHN’s Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
