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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Friday, Aug 14 2026 UPDATED 9:28 AM

KFF Health News Original Stories 3

  • Trump Team’s Use of Arcane Budget Rule Threatens Medicaid Coverage
  • My Husband Was Kicked Out of Hospice for Dying Too Slowly
  • 'What the Health?' From KFF Health News: Trump's Vaccine Agenda

Vaccines 1

  • 'There Is No Good Justification' To Split MMR Vaccines, Experts Say

Administration News 1

  • HHS Refers Providers For Investigation Over Gender-Affirming Care Billing

Health Industry 1

  • Healthcare Advocacy Group Sues AMA Over Access To Billing Codes

Outbreaks and Health Threats 1

  • CDC: At Least 740 Hospitalized During Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

State Watch 1

  • Medicaid Funding Uncertainty Could Hinder PACE Expansion

Science And Innovations 1

  • Contrary To Expectations, Study Shows Cannabis Linked To Fewer Ectopic Heartbeats

Weekend Reading 1

  • Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed

Editorials And Opinions 1

  • Viewpoints: MAHA And Health Insurers Want To Track You Like A Car; Let's Hope Our Cyclospora Summer Leads To Change

From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:

KFF Health News Original Stories

Trump Team’s Use of Arcane Budget Rule Threatens Medicaid Coverage

Coverage for hundreds of thousands of Arkansas Medicaid enrollees next year is in question after the Trump administration refused to renew a key state waiver. The state might not be the last to have to adjust to an arcane rule change under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. ( Phil Galewitz , 8/14 )

My Husband Was Kicked Out of Hospice for Dying Too Slowly

Some seriously ill patients improve on hospice. About 1 in 16 patients enrolled in hospice care lose eligibility as a result. Here’s how to get appropriate care after receiving a terminal diagnosis. ( Kim Clark , 8/14 )

'What the Health?' From KFF Health News: Trump's Vaccine Agenda

President Trump is trying to unilaterally change the number and schedule of childhood vaccines in the U.S., though it remains unclear how much of an impact his orders will have. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sandhya Raman of Bloomberg Law join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss this story and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Paula Andalo, who wrote the latest “Bill of the Month.” ( 8/13 )

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Here's today's health policy haiku:

A SCARY SCENARIO

Parasite kills two.
Is the USA ready
for a bad virus?

— Valerie Madison

If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.

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Summaries Of The News:

Vaccines

'There Is No Good Justification' To Split MMR Vaccines, Experts Say

President Trump's push to split the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into separate shots would require drugmakers to revive a slate of individual vaccines that have not been widely used in the U.S. for decades. Drugmakers also would have to build manufacturing plants capable of producing millions more vaccine doses, the AP reported.
AP: Vaccine-Makers Unlikely To Split MMR Shots Despite Trump's Push

Public health experts have been quick to condemn an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at upending childhood vaccinations in the U.S., but the biggest obstacles may be the unprecedented financial and logistical challenges it would impose on parents, health providers and drugmakers. Monday’s announcement by the Republican president calls for separating combination shots — including the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine — into separate injections. Appointments for that and other vaccinations should be spaced out whenever possible, the order states. (Perrone, 8/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Keeps Childhood Vaccine Rules Despite Trump Order

California is not changing its childhood vaccination recommendations, or its requirement to have health insurers cover the inoculations, after President Donald Trump’s executive order that calls for reducing the number of vaccines U.S. children receive, state health officials say. The executive order, signed this week, calls for scaling back the number of routine childhood vaccinations, splitting the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine into three shots given at separate visits — a vaccine formulation that does not exist — and threatens legal action against states like California that do not allow religious or personal belief exemptions. (Ho, 8/13)

The Hill: Bill Cassidy Says He Trusts New CDC Director To Prioritize Science

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he has confidence that new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Erica Schwartz will stand up for science and won’t enforce President Trump’s executive order calling for major changes to the childhood vaccine schedule. “I anticipate Erica Schwartz will do the right thing,” Cassidy, chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday. “She made a point that her integrity was not in question, and she’s got the spine of somebody who’s been a senior officer in the Coast Guard.” (Weixel, 8/13)

‘What The Health?’ From KFF Health News: Trump’s Vaccine Agenda

President Donald Trump, apparently unhappy with the slow pace of efforts to change the federal government’s childhood vaccine schedule, issued a new executive order this week that would, if implemented, upend how children are protected from communicable diseases. But there are many obstacles to carrying out the president’s initiative, both legal and political. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled proposed new rules for food additives this week, but the rules don’t go as far as many health advocates had hoped. (Rovner, 8/13)

Regarding covid-19 vaccines —

The New York Times: Covid Vaccines Are Not Linked To Miscarriage. Here’s How We Know

Trump administration officials and other prominent Republicans falsely suggested this week that Covid-19 vaccines were linked to miscarriage, seizing misleadingly on old text messages of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s that were recently released by Republican senators. In January 2021, when Covid vaccines had just been released, Dr. Fauci and other Biden administration officials discussed the limitations of the data then available about vaccination during pregnancy, as well as the theoretical risks for pregnant women based on information available at the time. Since then, studies of hundreds of thousands of women have shown that Covid vaccination is not linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or preterm birth. (Astor and Rabin, 8/13)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Anti-Vaxxer’s Religious Defense Falls Flat At Appeals Court

A Marin County woman who worked as a pharmacist rejected her employer’s mandate to be vaccinated against COVID-19 because, she said, her body was “a temple of the Holy Spirit” that must be kept free of harmful substances. A federal appeals court was not convinced. Maria Ledezma had objected to vaccinations for many years, and her employer, Optum Health Services, was entitled to conclude that her objections were based on “personal health preferences and a self-directed judgment about what substances are harmful,” the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday in a 2-1 decision dismissing her suit against the company. (Egelko, 8/13)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccination May Have Prevented More Than 4,000 Deaths In One Washington County

COVID-19 vaccination may have prevented more than 16,000 hospitalizations and 4,000 deaths in one Washington county during the first eight months of the vaccine rollout, according to a new modeling study published last week in BMC Public Health. (Bergeson, 8/13)

Administration News

HHS Refers Providers For Investigation Over Gender-Affirming Care Billing

In a letter from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., more than 200 hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, and other providers were referred to federal investigators over youth transgender-care billing.
Modern Healthcare: HHS Targets Hospitals Over Gender-Affirming Care Billing

Hundreds of healthcare businesses have been referred to federal law enforcement for investigation over allegations of improper billing for minors’ gender-affirming care. More than 200 hospitals, health systems, physicians offices, pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers, federally qualified health centers and other health organizations were referred to the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General in a Wednesday letter from Secretary Robert F. Kennedy. (Early, 8/13)

In related Trump administration news —

Modern Healthcare: Rural Health Transformation Program May Fall Short, Senators Fear

One of the keys to passing President Donald Trump’s tax law last summer was the creation of the Rural Health Transformation Program. The program’s $50 billion fund played an instrumental role in getting a handful of wavering lawmakers on board, after they flagged the impact the law’s $1 trillion Medicaid cuts could have on rural hospitals. (McAuliff, 8/13)

Bloomberg: Democrats Press HHS On Cyclospora Outbreak, Trump-Taylor Farms Donations

Senator Elizabeth Warren is pushing the US’s top health official to detail the government’s cyclospora outbreak response in the wake of a major produce supplier’s campaign contributions to political groups tied to President Donald Trump. On Thursday, the Massachusetts Democrat sent US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a letter highlighting the connections between the Trump administration, cuts to foodborne illness surveillance and the parent company of Taylor Farms, the produce giant implicated in the outbreak. Warren said the influence of the company on the administration may have played a role on the response. (Nix, 8/13)

Regarding syphilis testing and pharmaceuticals —

CIDRAP: HHS Announces Expansion Of Prenatal Syphilis Testing

Yesterday the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a $4 million initiative to expand access to rapid, point-of-care syphilis testing. The goal is to reach women in emergency departments and other nontraditional healthcare settings. (Soucheray, 8/13)

MedPage Today: FDA Approves First CELMoD Drug For Multiple Myeloma

The FDA granted accelerated approval to the first cereblon E3 ligase modulation (CELMoD) therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, the agency announced on Thursday. (Bassett, 8/13)

CIDRAP: Prescriptions For Leucovorin Soar After White House Announcement On Autism

Following a White House press conference suggesting leucovorin as a treatment for autism in September 2025, and despite a lack of supporting data, US prescriptions of the drug soared, according to a paper published yesterday in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). (Holohan, 8/13)

Health Industry

Healthcare Advocacy Group Sues AMA Over Access To Billing Codes

PatientRightsAdvocate.org says it wants to bring transparency to the American Medical Association's billing codes used by Medicare and states to set reimbursement rates for healthcare professionals. They hope to publish the codes online and make them free to the public. The AMA currently charges licensing fees to use the codes.
The Washington Post: Group Sues AMA Seeking Transparency Over Medicare Billing Codes

A health care advocacy group on Thursday sued the American Medical Association in an effort to get more transparency over the association’s billing codes, which guide billions of dollars in health care payments. PatientRightsAdvocate.org hopes to republish the codes online and allow the public to search them free. The group, which has pushed for health care transparency, is challenging the AMA’s copyright over its billing-code system, known as the Current Procedural Terminology or CPT. (Diamond, 8/13)

Becker's Hospital Review: Judge Tosses Pharmacy Residents’ Suit Over Residency Matching System

A federal judge has dismissed a proposed antitrust class action accusing a group of hospitals and health systems, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and a residency matching organization of conspiring to suppress pharmacy residents’ pay, according to an Aug. 12 ruling. Judge Deborah Boardman of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland dismissed the case without prejudice; the former residents who brought it have until Sept. 11 to file an amended complaint. If they do not, the case will be closed. (Twenter, 8/13)

In other health industry developments —

Bloomberg: UnitedHealth Investor Suit Alleges Security, Governance Lapses

UnitedHealth Group Inc. board members ignored a raft of governance and oversight risks for years before catastrophic failures triggered billions in losses for investors, a shareholder lawsuit alleges. An amended complaint filed Aug. 7 in a Minnesota federal court reveals new information from former insiders about how UnitedHealth handled cybersecurity after an acquisition of a company that would later suffer the largest US healthcare data breach on record. (Tozzi and Voreacos, 8/13)

AP: Luigi Mangione Expected To Plead Guilty At Friday Court Hearing, AP Source Says

Luigi Mangione is scheduled to be in federal court Friday for a hearing at which he’s expected to plead guilty in connection with the 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mangione could still change his mind about the plea, said the person, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Previous plea talks in June broke down. (Sisak, Neumeister and Durkin Richer, 8/14)

Bloomberg: Selena Gomez Accused Of Fraud By Investors In Mental-Health Startup Lawsuit

Pop star Selena Gomez is being accused of fraud by investors who claim she failed to deliver on promises to leverage her global celebrity and social-media following to promote her mental-health startup, which collapsed last year. The startup, Wondermind Global Inc., claimed a valuation of $95 million when it sought money from investors in 2022 to develop products, including a mobile app, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Delaware federal court. Gomez, one of the founders, served as “chief impact officer” and head of marketing, the suit said. (Willmer and Voreacos, 8/13)

KFF Health News: My Husband Was Kicked Out Of Hospice For Dying Too Slowly

“No more operations,” he said.It was mid-January 2026, and my then-73-year-old husband, Mike Salmon, had just started bouncing back from a three-month ordeal of three operations related to aortic aneurysms, sepsis, and a terrifying descent into delirium tied to a stay in the intensive care unit. Now, after another potentially fatal aortic aneurysm and ambulance ride, the doctors clustered around his hospital bed said the fix involved two more major, risky operations. If Mike did nothing, the aneurysm or sepsis would likely kill him, they predicted. (Clark, 8/14)

Outbreaks and Health Threats

CDC: At Least 740 Hospitalized During Cyclosporiasis Outbreak

The latest numbers from the CDC show that nearly 14,000 cases have been confirmed, with more than 10,000 others awaiting lab confirmation. Plus, more foods have been recalled over salmonella concerns.
CIDRAP: More Recalls As US Faces Several Foodborne Illness Outbreaks

The summer of 2026 continues to bring toilet trouble for thousands of Americans, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today confirming 13,895 Cyclospora cases and an additional 10,455 infections under investigation. Of the total, 3,427 Cyclospora cases are new this week. And among the cases are two fatalities and at least 740 hospitalizations. (Soucheray, 8/13)

The Hill: Additional Salsas, Dips Recalled Amid Salmonella Outbreak

Additional salsas, guacamole, and more have been recalled in connection to a salmonella outbreak traced back to jalapeño peppers. Taylor Fresh Farms recently recalled multiple salsas, dips, guacamole, and more sold at various retailers across 26 states over the same peppers, supplied by Coast Citrus Distributors. The Mexico-based supplier may be responsible for more than 300 cases of salmonella reported across 27 states, federal investigators said.Several items sold at Whole Foods stores in Illinois and Texas were on that initial list of recalled dips. On Wednesday, the retailer announced a new recall for products containing jalapeños sourced from Coast Citrus Distributors over potential salmonella contamination. (Bink, 8/13)

On the migration of disease-spreading ticks —

NBC News: Ticks That Cause Lyme And Other Diseases Have Migrated South. Are Doctors Ready?

Angela Newman of Biltmore Forest, North Carolina, remembers the “bizarre” symptoms she began experiencing almost a decade ago. Blurry vision, a stiff neck, hypersensitive skin, numbness and weakness that would come and go. She saw a variety of medical specialists, undergoing an MRI, CT scan and psychiatric assessments. The doctors often dismissed her symptoms as anxiety or depression, Newman, 57, said. (Edwards, 8/13)

Global health updates —

Bloomberg: Ebola Outbreak Spreads To Sixth Congo Province, Africa CDC Says

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to a sixth province and is on track to be the worst in history if it’s not slowed soon, Africa’s top public health agency said. One person died from the disease in Congo’s Bas-Uélé province after they traveled from Isiro in neighboring Haut-Uélé province, Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday. (Kavanagh, 8/13)

CIDRAP: Global Rubella Cases Have Dropped Dramatically Despite 2024 Uptick, According To CDC Analysis

Global cases of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) have dropped 70% since 2012 as vaccine uptake soared, but they rebounded slightly in 2024, scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and their UK partners said in a recent report. Worldwide elimination is possible if enough people receive a rubella-containing vaccine (RCV) that is 97% effective at protecting against the virus, the CDC said. (Boden, 8/13)

Combating outbreaks and health threats —

The New York Times: A City Mobilizes Against A Stubborn Health Threat: Mosquitoes

It’s been 10 years, but Paulo Gomes still vividly remembers the terror he felt that his wife, Lucirene, would never return from the hospital, that she would die instead of the dengue she contracted from a mosquito bite, her body racked with fever and excruciating pain. She did come home, after 15 days, and recovered fully after several more months. But the experience forever changed how Mr. Gomes thought about mosquitoes. (Mandavilli, 8/13)

NPR: Lenacapavir Is A Mighty Weapon Against HIV. How's The Rollout?

Along the deeply rutted red dirt roads of central Uganda's Lake Victoria coast, there is little for miles beyond banana groves and bustling markets. The landscape is unassuming — and very dusty. Yet few places have done more to shape HIV care. Irene knows this well. For the past three years, the soft-spoken 22-year-old, who is HIV-negative, has been a participant in one of the most influential HIV clinical trials. She asked NPR to only use her first name for fear of discrimination within her community, where participating in an HIV trial can lead others to assume she has HIV. (Ruprecht, 8/13)

CIDRAP: AI-Created Bacteriophage Overcame Resistant Bacterial Strains, But Experts Emphasize Need For Safeguards

In Science, researchers from Stanford University and the Broad Institute report that the functional bacteriophages they created using artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly destroyed strains of Escherichia coli that had evolved resistance to naturally occurring phages, but experts call for safeguards to prevent the technology from being used for harm. (Van Beusekom, 8/13)

State Watch

Medicaid Funding Uncertainty Could Hinder PACE Expansion

Georgia, Connecticut, and Nevada are among the states offering Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, but operators are worried about Medicaid money. Other state health news is reported from Arkansas, Massachusetts, Texas, and elsewhere.
Modern Healthcare: PACE Expansion Faces Medicaid Funding Risks In New States

Uncertainty over Medicaid funding has providers weighing the risks of launching Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in new states. Georgia, Nevada and Connecticut are launching PACE and West Virginia is considering a program. However, operators are concerned about investing millions of dollars in new states that might set payment rates too low or not prioritize PACE. (Eastabrook, 8/13)

KFF Health News: Trump Team’s Use Of Arcane Budget Rule Threatens Medicaid Coverage

About 200,000 low-income Arkansans could see major changes to their health coverage next year after the Trump administration recently informed state officials it will not renew a key Medicaid agreement with the federal government. The decision by federal officials, citing authority granted under President Donald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending law, suggests the GOP-led state’s predicament could foretell other repercussions in how states are allowed to run the program under federal waivers. (Galewitz, 8/14)

More news from across the nation —

The New Bedford Light: Judge Orders Plymouth Co. Sheriff To Hand ICE Detainee Records To ACLU

The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office must hand over hundreds of anonymized health records of immigrant detainees following a Massachusetts court ruling. Judge James Budreau issued the order, released Wednesday, a month after attorneys for the sheriff and the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts sparred in Suffolk County Superior Court. “I think this is a decision that is important for government transparency and the rights of immigrant detainees,” said Dan McFadden, managing attorney at the state ACLU. “(The Sheriff’s Office) cannot exempt itself from public records law simply by contract with ICE.” (Andrade, 8/13)

NBC News: A Multistate Legal Battle Surrounds A Surrogate Who Fled To Texas To Have A Baby Against The Parents’ Wishes

A baby with a rare congenital heart condition was born Wednesday in the midst of an ongoing legal battle across multiple states among his parents, the surrogate who carried him and Texas’ attorney general, who filed a motion with a court to intervene in medical decisions for the baby. (Madani, Grinberg and Lavietes, 8/14)

Newsweek: Family Pushes For Permanent Ban After Son’s Death From Retail Opioid

A Texas family is speaking publicly after their son, Sam, died following exposure to a concentrated 7‑Hydroxymitragynine (7‑OH) product he believed was ordinary kratom. Their story comes as federal regulators move to classify 7‑OH and related compounds as Schedule I opioids, citing rising overdoses and the drug’s spread through gas stations and vape shops. (Castro, 8/13)

Women and children's health —

AP: California Prisons Fail To Protect Women From Sexual Abuse, DOJ Says

California ‘s prison system has systematically failed to protect incarcerated women from sexual abuse and harassment by guards, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday. The federal investigation also found that California’s corrections department failed to provide victims with a way to report sexual abuse and harassment without retaliation. On top of that, staff who were tasked with investigating the misconduct were often themselves accused of sexual abuse or harassment. (Riddle, 8/14)

AP: Kids Keep Getting Hurt On E-Bikes. Who’s Responsible?

As traumatic injuries and deaths surge among children involved in crashes on e-bikes and other electrified vehicles, one California prosecutor is cracking down by pursuing criminal charges against some of the young riders’ parents. It is just one way officials across the country are trying to tackle the growing issue, while families navigate a patchwork of local laws and guidance on what kind of souped-up cycles and scooters are safe or even legal for their kids to ride. (Marcelo, 8/14)

The Nevada Independent: How Nevada Made Big Strides To Keep Kids With Behavioral Health Issues Out Of Institutions

State officials announced a “dramatic drop” in the number of children with behavioral health disabilities who have been placed in institutional settings and other changes, including the launch of new services as well as service rate increases, marking progress on Nevada’s efforts to comply with federal disabilities law since the Department of Justice called out the deficiencies four years ago. Ann Jensen, administrator of Nevada Medicaid, described the decrease and new community-based mental healthcare model as a “big win” that needs to be celebrated. Still, she said it’s just the first of many improvements that must happen. (Mueller, 8/13)

Science And Innovations

Contrary To Expectations, Study Shows Cannabis Linked To Fewer Ectopic Heartbeats

While this new information may lead to new approaches for preventing or treating abnormal heart rhythms, experts caution that the overall health effects of inhaled cannabis may still be a net negative, MedPage Today reported.
MedPage Today: Researchers Try To Tie Cannabis To Irregular Heartbeats, Opposite Turns Out True

Defying expectations, regular cannabis users had fewer ectopic heartbeats on the days they reached for the joint or vape, a randomized crossover trial showed. (Lou, 8/13)

MedPage Today: Study Questions How Prostate Cancer Focal Therapy Is Being Used

While the use of focal therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer is limited, half of procedures occurred in settings that are not supported by current guidelines, according to a retrospective study. (Bassett, 8/13)

MedPage Today: JAK Inhibitor Might Be The Most Effective One Yet For Severe Alopecia

The JAK inhibitor upadacitinib (Rinvoq) dramatically improved hair regrowth for patients with severe alopecia areata in two parallel phase III trials, with results that appeared better than previously seen among the class of drugs. (Kneisel, 8/13)

MedPage Today: Preoperative GLP-1s Don't Diminish Bariatric Surgery Results, Study Suggests

Bariatric surgery patients who took GLP-1 medications prior to surgery lost the same amount of weight after 1 year as individuals unexposed to the blockbuster class of drugs, a retrospective review indicated. (Monaco, 8/13)

MedPage Today: Ozempic Teeth, Muscle Loss: Some Of The Buzziest GLP-1 Side Effects

GLP-1 drugs, used for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, have been touted for their many benefits, but it's their side effects that often make headlines, especially those with compelling monikers like "Ozempic teeth." (Fiore, 8/11)

Weekend Reading

Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed

Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today's selections are on grocery stores in libraries, the opioid crisis, heat deaths, and more.
The New York Times: Books And Bread: Free Grocery Stores In Libraries Tackle Food Insecurity 

Customers are able to choose their own groceries, often in private, instead of visiting a food pantry for whatever is available on a given day. (Burch, 8/10)

CBS News: A Massive Stroke Left A Man Partially Paralyzed. His Wife's Response Led To 'A Miracle' Recovery. 

Todd Meiklejohn's day was off to a normal, albeit early, start on Aug. 8, 2025. The teacher, who works in adult education, had risen around 6 a.m. to attend an early morning meeting. His wife, a nurse, had already left to go to the gym. He was going through the steps of his morning routine when he felt a sudden, squeezing pain. From there, his memory is blurry. He could only see out of one eye. He couldn't move his right side. He said he remained conscious but had no idea what was happening. (Breen, 8/8)

The New York Times: Grief, Addiction and a Dizzying Carousel: An Opera Tackles the Opioid Crisis

For the American composer Missy Mazzoli, the opioid crisis isn’t a distant news event. It’s family history. One cousin died, alone, of an OxyContin overdose in 2008. Three years later, another cousin died of an overdose of heroin, a drug she started using after getting hooked on prescription painkillers. “That destroyed my aunt and uncle,” Mazzoli recalled in an interview, “and it destroyed my father, really — the pain of losing someone like that.” (Marshall, 8/10)

The New York Times: Heat Kills Hundreds Of Workers Each Year. A Postal Carrier Was One. 

About half a dozen states explicitly protect workers from excessive heat. And some others, like Texas, prevent local governments from passing their own laws. (Lee, 8/12)

AP: Radiation Vest Tested During Artemis I Can Cut Astronauts' Exposure In Solar Storms, Study Suggests

A new study suggests a protective vest tested on a manikin during NASA’s first Artemis moonshot could drastically cut the radiation exposure of lunar astronauts during severe solar storms. Scientists reported Wednesday on the radiation-shielding vest worn around the moon by a female test dummy in 2022. No one was aboard that Artemis I debut flight, which paved the way for humanity’s long-awaited return to the moon in April by a flyby crew of four. (Dunn, 8/12)

AP: AI Companions Vanish Without Goodbyes As China Tightens Rules

Li Linlin cried for days after losing her AI boyfriend. She had exchanged about 700,000 words in messages over two years, and never got to say goodbye. Li, 24, wasn’t the only left mourning the loss of a virtual companion when major Chinese tech companies recently pulled the plug on their popular AI companion services to comply with new government restrictions. “It was like we were forced to be separated by our parents, but I still miss him,” Li said. (Ting, 8/10)

Editorials And Opinions

Viewpoints: MAHA And Health Insurers Want To Track You Like A Car; Let's Hope Our Cyclospora Summer Leads To Change

Editorial writers discuss these public health issues.
Stat: MAHA And Insurance Companies Both Want To Treat Human Bodies Like Cars

The rise of wearables could allow health insurance companies to treat human bodies like cars. (Andrea Becker and Paul Kamuf, 8/14)

Bloomberg: Is Lettuce Safe? Probably. Will Cyclospora Spur Change? Hopefully 

For the last month, Americans have viewed their lunchtime salads or even a single, crisp leaf of iceberg on their burger as a possible threat. Could it harbor cyclospora, the explosive-diarrhea-causing parasite that by early August had sickened thousands, hospitalized hundreds, and led to two deaths? (Lisa Jarvis, 8/14)

Chicago Tribune: A No Good, Very Bad Summer For Salad

July and August have seen two highly publicized produce recalls. How odd to find yourself afraid of your salad; frightened of guacamole; nervous around salsa. (8/14)

The New York Times: We Are Living In A New Inferno

Firefighters in Phoenix race to save lives in a city that’s only getting hotter. (Nita Blum-Reddick and Jonathan Pickett, 8/14)

Stat: U.S., U.K. Health Care Systems Share A Fatal Flaw

As populations age and chronic conditions become more common, a local prevention mindset is more important than ever. (Kyle Vanelli, 8/14)

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