US Withholds Crucial Antiretroviral Drug From HIV-Plagued South Africa
An administration official noted that South Africa and other countries “have significant means of their own” to pay for lenacapavir. Critics say the plan appears politically motivated. Other administration news is about special education, SNAP, VA transparency, and more.
The Washington Post:
Trump’s HIV Drug Plan Shuts Out South Africa, The Nation Most Affected
Amid steep cuts to U.S. foreign assistance, the Trump administration is touting a new plan to provide a powerful HIV prevention drug to countries most affected by the disease in an ambitious push to end the spread of the virus that causes AIDS. But the program, which saw the first donated doses of lenacapavir delivered to Eswatini and Zambia last week, is already facing criticism from patient advocacy groups because the Trump administration refuses to provide the lifesaving antiretroviral medication free to South Africa, the country with the world’s largest HIV-positive population. Critics say the move appears politically motivated. (Taylor, 11/17)
More health news from the federal government —
The New York Times:
ICE Frees Blind Migrant Who Was Detained For Days In Isolation
Carlos Anibal Chalco Chango, 40, was released on Monday from an upstate New York jail where he had been held without his cane. It was a surprising move by an agency that rarely frees detainees. (Weiser and Ferre-Sadurni, 11/18)
Disability Scoop:
Ed Department Sheds Several Offices, But Spares Special Education
The Education Department said this week that it is entering into six so-called “interagency agreements” with four other federal agencies to “co-manage” programs related to K-12 education, postsecondary education and more. Notably, however, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, or OSERS — which houses offices overseeing implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and vocational rehabilitation — is not included. Neither is the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, or OCR, which handles disability discrimination complaints. (Diament, 11/19)
The Washington Post:
Trump Officials Give $1 Billion Loan To Restart Three Mile Island
Amid rising energy demands, the taxpayer-backed loan will go toward the unprecedented effort to reopen a mothballed U.S. nuclear plant that suffered a partial meltdown decades ago. (Halper, 11/17)
AP:
SNAP Benefits Are Flowing, But Work Requirements Are About To Begin
After a disruptive U.S. government shutdown, federal SNAP food assistance is again flowing to low-income households. But in the months ahead, many participants will have to abide by new work requirements. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provides monthly benefits — averaging around $190 per person — to about 42 million people nationwide. During the first couple weeks of November, many of those recipients missed their regular allotments as President Donald Trump’s administration battled in court over whether tap into reserves to fund the program while the government was shut down. (Lieb and Mulvihill, 11/19)
Military.com:
Bill Would Force VA To Reveal Secret List Of Toxic Exposure Illnesses
Lawmakers want the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to stop keeping veterans in the dark about which toxic exposure illnesses the federal agency is quietly studying behind closed doors. U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Presumptive Clear Legal Assessment and Review of Illnesses from Toxic Exposure Yields (CLARITY) Act in early November. If passed it would require the VA to establish a public website to educate veterans exposed to toxins on processes the agency uses to determine which conditions are correlated with military toxic exposures. (Radzius, 11/17)
