The New York Times: After Florida Shooting, Trump Focuses On Mental Health Over Guns
President Trump announced on Thursday that he would visit Parkland, Fla., where a gunman killed 17 people this week in the deadliest school shooting in years, and would work with state and local leaders “to help secure our schools, and tackle the difficult issue of mental health. ”The president tweeted his condolences to the families of the victims in the hours after the shooting on Wednesday, and as images of terrified students sprinting frantically away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School dominated the news, Mr. Trump’s aides urged him to make a public statement. But he opted not to say anything more until Thursday, when he delivered a subdued seven-minute speech at the White House. (Rogers, 2/15)

The Associated Press: Trump Cites Mental Health -- Not Guns -- In Speech On Shooting
Not always a natural in the role of national comforter, Trump spoke deliberately, at one point directly addressing children who may feel "lost, alone, confused or even scared." "I want you to know that you are never alone and you never will be," Trump said. "You have people who care about you, who love you, and who will do anything at all to protect you." (Lucey, 2/15)

Bloomberg: Trump Calls For Action On Mental Health After Shooting, Gives No Specifics
He ignored a question about gun control after his statement, and said nothing about guns or gun laws in his address. He said that the U.S. must “tackle the difficult issue of mental health,” but offered no specifics. “It is not enough to simply take actions that make us feel like we are making a difference. We must actually make that difference,” he said. (Epstein, 2/15)

Politico: Advocates Warn Against Linking Mass Shootings, Mental Illness After Trump Tweet
Advocates cautioned Thursday against making assumptions about the links between mental health issues and violence after President Donald Trump said the suspect in a mass shooting at a Florida high school was "mentally disturbed." “So many signs that the Florida shooter was mentally disturbed, even expelled from school for bad and erratic behavior,” Trump tweeted Thursday. In televised remarks on the shooting, which resulted in the deaths of 17 people, he said his administration was tackling "the difficult issue of mental health." (Alexander, 2/15)

The New York Times: Focus Turns To Gun Access By The Mentally Ill After Florida Shooting
Gov. Rick Scott of Florida said on Thursday that he would call on state lawmakers and law enforcement authorities to keep firearms away from the mentally ill. “How do we make sure that individuals with mental illness do not touch a gun?” the Republican governor said at a news conference, taking an unusually strong stance on a gun control issue. Scott Israel, the Broward County, Fla., sheriff, called on lawmakers in Washington and Tallahassee to expand police powers by allowing officers to detain people for a mental health evaluation on the basis of worrisome social media posts or “graphic threats.” (Mueller, 2/15)

The Associated Press: Budget Undercuts Trump Focus On Mental Health, School Safety
President Donald Trump is calling for a focus on mental health and school safety in response to shootings like the one that took 17 lives in Florida, but his budget would cut funding in both areas. Trump's latest budget would slash the major source of public funds for mental health treatment, the Medicaid program serving more than 70 million low-income and disabled people. The budget also calls for a 36 percent cut to an Education Department grant program that supports safer schools, reducing it by $25 million from the current level of $67.5 million. (Alonso-Zaldivar and Danilova, 2/16)

Politico: School Safety Money Would Be Slashed In Trump Budget
Two days before the school shooting in Florida that left 17 dead, the Trump administration proposed cutting millions in federal education programs meant to help prevent crime in schools and assist them in recovery from tragedies. Funds targeted for reduction or elimination in the Trump administration's fiscal 2019 request have helped pay for counselors in schools and violence prevention programs. (Hefling, 2/15)

The Hill: Trump Health Chief Supports CDC Research On Gun Violence
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said Thursday that he would allow his department to conduct research into the causes of gun violence, a major Democratic priority. Democrats on Thursday pushed for lifting a provision that restricts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from conducting research into gun violence as part of their response to the mass shooting at a Florida school on Wednesday. (Sullivan, 2/15)

Politico: Trump’s New Health Chief Backs CDC Research On Gun Violence
Azar told an Energy and Commerce subcommittee that a provision passed two decades ago limiting the CDC's work on gun violence only prevents it from taking an advocacy position — not from doing research. "My understanding is that the rider does not in any way impede our ability to conduct our research mission," he said. "We're in the science business and the evidence-generating business, and so I will have our agency certainly working in this field, as they do across the broad spectrum of disease control and prevention." (Cancryn, 2/15)

The Hill: GOP Chairman: Congress Should Rethink CDC Ban On Gun Violence Research
Congress should reexamine a policy that bars the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from studying gun violence as a public health issue, the GOP chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said Thursday. “If it relates to mental health, that certainly should be done,” Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), a staunch Second Amendment advocate, said Thursday during an appearance on C-SPAN’s “Newsmakers." (Wong, 2/15)

The Washington Post: Mnuchin Calls On Congress To Look Into Gun Violence Issue After School Shooting, Breaking With Rest Of White House
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Thursday called on Congress to look into issues related to gun violence less than 24 hours after 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Florida. “I will say, personally, I think the gun violence — it’s a tragedy what we’ve seen yesterday, and I urge Congress to look at these issues,” Mnuchin said at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing. (Paletta, 2/15)

The Associated Press: Lots Of Talk, Little Action In Congress After Shootings
For a brief moment after the Las Vegas massacre last fall, Republicans and Democrats in Congress talked about taking a rare step to tighten the nation’s gun laws. Four months later, the only gun legislation that has moved in the House or Senate instead eases restrictions for gun owners. The October deaths of 58 people in Las Vegas and other mass shootings have sparked debate but have had scant impact on the march toward looser gun laws under the Republican-controlled Congress. There’s little sign that the shooting deaths of 17 people at a Florida high school Wednesday will change that dynamic. (Daly, 2/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Missed Warnings In The Florida School Shooting
The teenager accused of killing 17 people at a Florida high school had alarmed authorities, neighbors and classmates, who recounted such behavior as obsessing over weapons, shooting small animals with a pellet gun and harassing neighbors’ pets. (Kamp, Calvert, Campo-Flores and de Avila, 2/15)

Politico: How The Alleged Florida Shooter Escaped Years Of Warnings
Despite the fact that [Cruz] was well known to local police, school and mental health officials, he legally purchased the AR-15 that he used to gun down his former classmates. Cruz slipped through the gaps in a dysfunctional mental health system and a gun background check setup not designed to stop mentally ill people who haven’t been incarcerated or court-ordered into treatment. (Emma, Ehley and Ducassi, 2/15)

CNN: How To Talk To Kids About Tragic Events
After horrific events like shootings or attacks by terrorists, parents are faced with this dilemma: What do I tell my kids? How can I talk to them about something so senseless and indiscriminate? About something that we can't make sense of ourselves? "It's important to explain to children the rarity of these events," said Dr. Gail Saltz, who has been in private practice as a psychiatrist for more than 20 years and serves as a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill-Cornell School of Medicine. (Wallace, 2/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: They’ve Prepared In Drills. They’ve Heard Prayers. Now Students Want Real Solutions To Gun Violence
While there are few polls detailing young people’s views on gun violence, the limited data suggest a nuanced view that includes support for some toughening of regulations. In a 2013 survey of 941 high school students across the country conducted by Hamilton College of Clinton, N.Y., a large majority of students, 85 percent, supported stricter laws on background checks for gun purchases. (Tucker, 2/15)

The Washington Post: Psychologists Warn Of Dangers Of ‘Excessive And Intrusive’ Media Coverage Of School Shootings
The National Association of School Psychologists is holding its annual meeting in Chicago this week, an event given new urgency by shootings at a Florida school on Wednesday that left at least 17 people dead. On Thursday, it released guidance on how the media should cover the shootings, warning of the “dangers of intrusive or excessive coverage.” (Strauss, 2/15)

The New York Times: New Health Secretary Faces First Test As Idaho Skirts Federal Law
Alex M. Azar II, the new secretary of health and human services, said Thursday that he would closely scrutinize a plan by Idaho to allow the sale of insurance that does not comply with the Affordable Care Act, an early test of how he will enforce a law he opposes. But he said it was too early to know what action he might take. “We’ll be looking at that very carefully and measure it up against the standards of the law,” Mr. Azar said at a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee. (Pear, 2/15)

The Wall Street Journal: White House Sidesteps Idaho Dispute On Health Insurance
The dispute has put the new HHS secretary in the political crosshairs, caught between an administration that is seeking to dismantle the ACA and Democrats who insist the health law must continue to be enforced as long as it is still in force. Mr. Azar said the decision last month by the Idaho Department of Insurance to let insurers offer consumer plans that could charge higher premium rates to people with pre-existing conditions was a sign that too many people can’t afford coverage under the ACA. (Armour, 2/15)

Modern Healthcare: Azar Promises Careful Consideration Of Blue Cross' Idaho Plans
HHS Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday indicated he would work with Idaho on reshaping its individual market in the wake of the state's plans to allow insurers to sell plans that flout Affordable Care Act coverage rules. That paves the way for a potential showdown with congressional Democrats who want to defend the ACA but have very little political power to do so. In his budget defense before the Senate Finance Committee, Azar refused to lay out an immediate plan of action against Idaho's proposal for "state-based plans" that don't comply with some ACA requirements as long as the insurer offers ACA-compliant plans too. (Luthi, 2/15)

In other health law news —

The Hill: GOP Negotiators Meet On ObamaCare Market Fix
Top Republican negotiators on a bill to stabilize ObamaCare markets met on Thursday to discuss a way to bridge the gap between House and Senate measures. GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.) and Susan Collins (Maine) met with House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) to discuss an effort to get ObamaCare stability measures included in a coming long-term government funding bill due in March, known as an omnibus. (Sullivan, 2/15)

The New York Times: Intrigue At V.A. As Secretary Says He Is Being Forced Out
The secretary of veterans affairs, David J. Shulkin, for a year enjoyed rare bipartisan support in Washington as he reformed his department, but now officials in the Trump administration are trying to replace him. An email sent in December by Jake Leinenkugel, the White House senior adviser on veterans affairs, expressed frustration with Dr. Shulkin and listed ways to topple the leadership of his department once key legislation was passed. (Philipps and Fandos, 2/15)

Politico: Lawmakers Give VA Secretary A Pass On Travel Scandal
House Veterans Affairs Committee members largely gave VA Secretary David Shulkin a pass over a scathing inspector general's report on his visit to Europe last summer after Shulkin promised to repay the VA for his wife's airfare and other trip expenses. At a hearing on the administration's $198 billion VA budget proposal, members on both sides tut-tutted over the $122,000 cost of the trip but treated it as a distraction that they urged Shulkin to clear away so he could deal with substantial problems like paying for veterans care by community providers, EHR modernization, unused VA assets and streamlining benefit appeals. (Allen, 2/15)

The Wall Street Journal: VA Secretary Says He’ll Reimburse U.S. For Disputed European Travel Costs
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Thursday he would reimburse the U.S. government for costs associated with a trip to Europe that was the subject of a critical internal-watchdog report, and added that he wouldn’t resign. Dr. Shulkin told reporters that he would pay back the government for his wife’s travel costs for the summer 2017 trip to Copenhagen and London and make a contribution to the U.S. treasury equal to the cost of tickets to the Wimbledon tennis tournament in July. (Nicholas, 2/15)

In other ethics concerns raised about the Trump administration —

The Hill: Top Dems Seeks Answers From HHS On Ethics Lapses
A top House Democrat wants answers from the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) about how he plans to combat repeated ethical lapses throughout the agency. In a letter, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) asked HHS Secretary Alex Azar to commit to “performing a top-down review of HHS and each of its operating divisions to determine the extent to which the Department is abiding by all applicable federal ethical regulations and policies.” (Weixel, 2/15)

The Hill: House Votes To Add Requirements For Americans With Disabilities Act Lawsuits
The House on Thursday passed legislation that would create additional requirements for filing lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The legislation, which passed 225-192 largely along party lines, would prevent people from filing lawsuits alleging violations of the ADA unless business owners are given written notice and fail to offer a written response describing improvements or to make substantial progress in removing the barrier by the end of a six-month period. (Marcos, 2/15)

In other news —

Modern Healthcare: Trump's Proposed Budget Cuts Could Hinder 21st Century Cures Implementation
President Donald Trump's budget wish list released Monday included a $22 million cut to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, a proposal that could make the agency struggle to implement some provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act. As he did last year, Trump is calling for a 37% cut to the ONC's budget for fiscal 2019. The ONC's remaining $38 million would be part of the broader proposed HHS budget, which Trump intends to slash by $18 billion. Congress recently passed a two-year budget deal, and it's unclear whether lawmakers will act on any of Trump's budget ideas. (Arndt, 2/15)

The Washington Post: Nine Organizations Sue Trump Administration For Ending Grants To Teen Pregnancy Programs
Planned Parenthood has joined forces with eight other local government, health care, and advocacy organizations to take the Trump administration to court over the defunding of a national teen pregnancy program. On Thursday, the groups filed four separate lawsuits in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Washington, in Maryland and the District of Columbia, arguing that approximately $220 million in grants was wrongfully terminated. The Obama-era Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPP) was created by Congress to conduct rigorous scientific research into what approaches work to lower teen pregnancy rates and try to provide the best ones to at-risk youths. (Cha, 2/15)

The Hill: Groups Sue Over Trump Cuts To Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program
"The lawsuits ask that the funding for the program be reinstated to serve the 1.2 million young people that would benefit from the program," Planned Parenthood said in a press release. In August, an office within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified 81 institutions across the U.S. that the five-year grants they were awarded would end two years sooner than planned. (Hellmann, 2/15)

The Associated Press: Lawsuits Challenge US Cuts To Anti-Teen Pregnancy Grants
The lawsuits — filed in federal courts in Washington, Maryland, and the District of Columbia — say the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unlawfully plans to end the five-year Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program grants in June after three years. The funding, which offers about $100 million annually, provides sex education, youth development and abstinence education. (2/15)

Reveal: Planned Parenthood, Youth Groups Sue Government For Teen Pregnancy Cuts
In President Donald Trump’s 2019 budget proposal unveiled Monday, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program would be replaced with abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. (Kay, 2/15)

The Hill: ACLU Sues To Block Ohio Law Banning Down Syndrome Abortions
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Ohio, along with the ACLU Foundation, is suing to block a recently passed law that will ban abortions in the state on the basis of a fetal diagnosis of Down syndrome. The ACLU on Thursday filed the lawsuit requesting a temporary restraining order, calling the law "unconstitutional." (Hellmann, 2/15)

Reuters: Rights Group Sues To Block Ohio Down Syndrome Abortion Ban
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Cleveland abortion provider Preterm, seeks to delay enforcement of the law, which is scheduled to go into effect March 23.The law was passed by the state legislature and signed by Governor John Kasich last December. Kasich had previously called the law "appropriate." Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. (Palmer, 2/15)

Meanwhile —

The Associated Press: Abortion-Rights Supporters Push Back Against Gains By Foes
Foes of abortion have pushed through several hundred state laws restricting access to the procedure over the past decade. This year, as never before, abortion-rights supporters are fighting back nationwide with proposals to protect and expand access to abortion and contraception. Successes are most likely in the dozen or so states where Democrats control policymaking. But the initiatives unfolding this year aspire to at least raise the issue of reproductive rights even in conservative states that have passed the toughest anti-abortion laws. (Crary, 2/15)

The Washington Post: Immigrant Rights Group In Email Says It Was Warned Not To Mention Abortion To Teens
A major legal services group for immigrant children told its lawyers nationwide not to discuss abortion access, even if minors in custody ask for help understanding their legal rights, for fear it would jeopardize a multimillion-dollar contract with the Department of Health and Human Services. The constraints on what government-funded lawyers can say to young detainees was contained in an email from the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice, which said it acted after a phone call with an HHS employee. Vera’s instruction to lawyers comes as the Trump administration has tried in court to block access to abortion procedures for undocumented teens in federal custody. (Marimow and Sacchetti, 2/15)

CNN: Aetna Inquiry Widens Over Ex-Medical Director's Comments
Three more states announced this week that they are opening investigations of Aetna after a former medical director for the insurer admitted under oath that he never looked at patients' medical records when deciding whether to approve or deny care. Colorado, Washington and Connecticut -- where Aetna is headquartered -- have joined California in looking into the statement, which came during a sworn deposition in a lawsuit against Aetna. California began its investigation recently after being told of the statement by CNN. (Drash, 2/15)

Modern Healthcare: Anthem Makes Changes To Controversial ED Program
After facing pushback from healthcare providers and lawmakers, Anthem has tweaked its controversial emergency room program that doesn't pay for patient ER visits if conditions are later determined not to have been emergencies. Indianapolis-based Anthem said it has made several exceptions to the ER program so it will always pay for some types of ER visits. (Livingston, 2/15)

And in other news from the health care industry —

Bloomberg: Amazon Bets On Band-Aids As Health Industry Braces For Shakeup
Amazon.com Inc. may have big ambitions to shake up health care, but it is starting small. The Internet giant is angling to become the go-to source for basic medical supplies such as latex gloves, bandages and sutures. While that’s not the sort of splashy entrance into the U.S. health sector that some investors have braced for, it could be a sounder route for Amazon to set itself up as a long-term player. (Langreth, Tracer and Soper, 2/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Roche To Acquire Healthcare-Software Company Flatiron For $1.9 Billion
Pharmaceuticals firm Roche Holding AG has agreed to buy the shares it doesn’t already own of Flatiron Health Inc., an oncology software company, for $1.9 billion, the companies said Thursday.Switzerland-based Roche said the deal is part of an effort to accelerate its development and delivery of medicines for cancer patients. Roche already owns 12.6% of New York City-based Flatiron Health, which was launched in 2012. (Al-Muslim, 2/15)

San Jose Mercury News: Ex-Googlers Sell Startup To Drugs Giant For $1.9 Billion
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche and the cancer-technology firm Flatiron founded by Nat Turner and Zach Weinberg confirmed the $1.9 billion deal Thursday that Roche said would speed development of new cancer treatments and help it with regulators. (Baron, 2/15)

The Washington Post: This Season's Flu Vaccine Is Only 36 Percent Effective, But Experts Say You Should Still Get It
This season’s flu vaccine offers limited protection against the viruses sweeping the country, with its overall effectiveness of 36 percent falling to 25 percent against the most virulent and predominant strain, according to a government report released Thursday. (Sun, 2/15)

The New York Times: The Flu Vaccine Is Working Better Than Expected, C.D.C. Finds
This year’s vaccine is about 25 percent effective against the H3N2 strain of flu that is causing most illnesses and deaths, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.In a bigger surprise, the vaccine is about 51 percent effective in children, according to the C.D.C.’s preliminary analysis. In Australia, the same vaccine was rated about 10 percent effective overall against H3N2, and a recent Canadian analysis found it to be about 17 percent effective there. (McNeil, 2/15)

Stat: Flu Shot Didn't Protect Three-Quarters Of People Against Most Common Strain
While the vaccine was more effective against influenza B viruses (42 percent protection) and H1N1 viruses (67 percent protection), that is cold comfort given that those viruses have been much more minor players this flu season, at least to date. That is especially true of H1N1; only about 8 percent of people who had a positive flu test this season were infected with viruses from that influenza A family. (Branswell, 2/15)

The Wall Street Journal: Flu Vaccine Less Effective Than Earlier Estimates
During a briefing on Thursday, officials from the Department of Health and Human Services urged Americans to get flu shots, saying flu activity would likely remain intense for several more weeks. The main illness-causing strain of flu this season is the influenza A strain H3N2, known for its severity, according to the CDC, but both the A and B strains have proven serious and even deadly in past weeks. (Toy, 2/15)

NPR: Flu Vaccine Is More Protective Of Kids Than Older Adults This Year
"Even with current vaccine effectiveness estimates, vaccination will still prevent influenza illness, including thousands of hospitalizations and deaths," scientists from the CDC reported in the issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Thursday. And health officials say it's still not too late to get vaccinated — they expect flu season will last at least another few weeks. (Harris, 2/15)

Politico Pro: Trump Health Officials Urge Flu Shots, Predict More Children Will Die
“Given the severity of this year’s season, I spoke with President [Donald] Trump about the situation yesterday,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “We are committed to doing everything we can to make people aware of what they can do to avoid the flu and what they can do once they have it.” (Haberkorn, 2/15)

In other news —

Minnesota Public Radio: After Record Numbers, Flu Cases Drop Off Slightly
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 8 percent of all hospital visits nationwide are from the flu — rivaling the swine flu pandemic of 2009. The Minnesota Department of Health reports flu-related hospital stays are on track to surpass records from three years ago, when the H3N2 influenza virus put more than 4,000 Minnesotans in the hospital. (Enger, 2/15)

The Associated Press: 3 More Child Deaths From Flu Reported In Minnesota, Bringing Total To 4
State health officials say three more children have died of complications of the flu, bringing the number of Minnesota children who have died of influenza this season to four. The number of Minnesotans hospitalized with flu symptoms has topped 4,200. That’s the highest number since the Minnesota Department of Health began tracking flu hospitalizations in 2008. (2/15)

NPR: H7N4 Bird Flu Infects Chinese Woman
On Christmas Day last year, a 68-year-old woman in southern China came down with the flu. A week later she was hospitalized. The woman eventually recovered, but she spent three weeks in the hospital.The culprit? H7N4, a new type of bird flu. (Doucleff, 2/15)

Bloomberg: Nasty Flu Season Makes Things Worse For Health-Insurance Stocks
Health-insurance stocks have been taking a beating since Amazon.com, JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway announced an alliance to address the health-care needs of their workers late last month. A particularly nasty flu season isn’t helping any. Traders have been buying hospital stocks and selling insurers in a rotation that has become increasingly pronounced as this year’s strain of influenza proves unusually resilient, and the latest vaccine less effective than usual. (Flanagan, 2/15)

The Washington Post: One Small Town, Two Drug Companies And 12.3 Million Doses Of Opioids
Two of the nation’s biggest drug distributors shipped 12.3 million doses of powerful opioids to a single pharmacy in a tiny West Virginia town over an eight-year period, a congressional committee revealed Thursday. The Family Discount Pharmacy in Mount Gay-Shamrock received the drugs from McKesson Corp. and Cardinal Health between 2006 and 2014, according to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The committee is investigating the sale of pills in West Virginia by wholesale drug distributors, which are required by law to monitor and report to the Drug Enforcement Administration suspicious purchase orders for opioids. When they do not, millions of pills can be diverted to users and dealers from a single pharmacy. (Bernstein and Zezima, 2/15)

The Associated Press: Bill Gives Parents ‘New Tool’ To Fight Child’s Addiction
One more day without treatment for a person struggling with opioids — as a Maryland delegate, a recovery expert and parents of children mired in addiction have said — could be the difference between life and death. A relatively recent spike in deaths related to the synthetic opioid fentanyl, its cousin carfentanil and ever-emerging variations of the two has emphasized the importance of getting addicts into treatment immediately, said Delegate Nic Kipke, R-Anne Arundel. (Mann, 2/15)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Bass Proposes Alternative Plan To Safe Injection Sites, Expungement Of Drug Records
Three weeks after Philadelphia officials announced they would encourage the opening of a safe injection site to combat the opioid overdose crisis, Councilwoman Cindy Bass has released a five-point plan aimed at exploring alternatives to the sites — and said the city should consider expunging the records of people convicted of low-level drug offenses. City officials said much of the plan was already included in their own task force’s plan to fight the opioid epidemic, and expungement of records would likely require a change in state or federal law. But the suggestion has gained steam in recent weeks among the site’s supporters and detractors alike. (Whelan, 2/15)

Arizona Republic: Arizona Health Committee Advances Bill To Legalize Needle Exchanges
A bill to decriminalize needle-exchange programs is advancing in the Arizona House of Representatives. Supporters call it an early, yet significant, legislative victory for advocates and experts who say the efforts are essential in combating injection-drug use and preventing the spread of blood-borne disease. (Pohl, 2/15)

The New York Times: Diplomats In Cuba Suffered Brain Injuries. Experts Still Don’t Know Why.
A group of American diplomats stationed in Havana appear to have symptoms of concussion without ever having received blows to their heads, medical experts have found. The diplomats originally were said to have been victims of a “sonic attack,” a possibility that the Federal Bureau of Investigation reportedly ruled out in January. The experts’ report, published late Wednesday in the journal JAMA, does not solve the mystery, instead raising even more questions about what could have caused the brain injuries. (Kolata, 2/15)

CNN: Study: US Personnel Suffered 'Symptoms Resembling Brain Injury' In Cuba
According to the study, published in the medical journal JAMA, 21 workers sought medical attention beginning in late 2016 after suspected exposure to "auditory and sensory phenomena in their homes or hotel rooms." These findings have left doctors wondering whether this pattern of symptoms can occur in a previously unseen way, without head trauma. (Nedelman and Tinker, 2/14)

Stat: With New CRISPR Inventions, Its Pioneers Say, You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet
No one would be surprised if scientists announced tomorrow that CRISPR had leapt tall test tubes in a single bound, but until that happens, fans of the superhero genome-editing system will have to be content with a trio of almost-as-flashy (but potentially more useful) new tricks, all unveiled on Thursday. (Begley, 2/15)

Stat: Researchers Use Of Stem Cells Could Open Another Door To Immunotherapy
With a special type of stem cell that can be spun from skin or blood, researchers have developed a vaccine that helped stave off cancer in mice, opening up another branch in the booming field of immunotherapy. Cancer cells and stem cells share some of the same molecules on their surfaces. In the new research, which was described Thursday in the journal Cell Stem Cell, scientists injected mice with their own stem cells, essentially training their immune systems to launch attacks when they identified those molecules — called antigens — elsewhere, including on cancer cells. (Joseph, 2/15)

Stat: A Microbiome Connoisseur Becomes A Reluctant Entrepreneur
Outside of Emma Allen-Vercoe’s office is a bulletin board pinned with her team’s scientific papers since 2013. It’s the academic’s answer to a military uniform grown heavy with medals. But all of that research has come with a side effect: an impressive intimacy with the smells of human digestion. “This is what we formally call the poopy lab,” she said one morning at the end of January. “Every donor that we use has a distinct aroma, because they have a different profile of microbes in the gut, so it’s like a fine wine — just not quite so fine. I guess this is Eau de Ulcerative Colitis … which smells different from Eau de Obesity, and Eau de Healthy Person.” (Boodman, 2/16)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Living In An Ethnic Neighborhood Can Influence Health, For Good And Ill, Research Suggests
Researchers have long known that where you live – near a Superfund site, for instance – can affect your cancer risk. A new study suggests that who you live with – as in, your neighbors – can affect that risk, as well. The research, recently published in the journal Cancer, was led by Carolyn Fang, co-leader of the cancer prevention and control program at Fox Chase Cancer Center. (Bauers, 2/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Fragranced Products To Blame For Smog As Much As Cars, Study Finds
In another blow to vanity, a new study finds that shampoos, moisturizers and colognes people use every day cause just as much smog as the exhaust spewing out of car and truck engines on the streets and highways. The study, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and UC Davis, establishes a stronger link than ever before between air pollution and the lotions, perfumes, hair sprays, and other grooming and cleaning products that Bay Area residents use every day. (Fimrite, 2/15)

The Washington Post: Julian Craig, Former UMC Doctor, Files Whistleblower Lawsuit
The former chief medical officer of D.C.’s only public hospital has filed a lawsuit against the hospital and its management consultants, alleging that he was fired in retaliation for testifying before District lawmakers about problems at the facility. Julian Craig, who until December oversaw all clinical operations at United Medical Center in Southeast Washington, said in a complaint filed Thursday in D.C. federal court that he acted as a whistleblower to expose “malfeasance affecting patient health and safety” and “submission of fraudulent statements to Medicare and Medicaid.” (Jamison, 2/15)

North Carolina Health News: Health Officials Alarmed At Uptick In Teen Vaping
Six years after North Carolina legislators eliminated funding for teen tobacco cessation programs, health officials are noting a sharp uptick in the number of kids using nicotine products. While the percent of high school students smoking cigarettes is at a historic low in the past four years, researchers from the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch of the state Department of Health and Human Services have tracked a steady and increasingly steep climb in the number of kids using e-cigarettes. (Hoban, 2/15)

Pioneer Press: More Minnesota High School Students Vaping E-Cigarettes, Alarming Health Officials
The number of Minnesota high school youth vaping e-cigarettes has risen nearly 50 percent in three years, a statistic state health officials described as alarming on Thursday. “These findings really should be a red flag for us, a worry,” said state Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm during a news conference to unveil results of the Minnesota Department of Health’s triennial Minnesota Youth Tobacco Survey. “E-cigarettes do pose a serious health concern for our youth, as nearly all of these products contain nicotine.” (Lundy, 2/15)

San Francisco Chronicle: Paint Makers Told To Clean Up Lead-Based Product From California Homes
Paint companies have lost a California Supreme Court appeal and now face a court order to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to the state to remove lead paint from older homes in 10 cities and counties, including San Francisco and Oakland. The companies, however, want the voters to shift the costs to the state. (Egelko, 2/15)

The CT Mirror: Wadleigh To Step Down As Access Health CEO
James Wadleigh, CEO of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, Access Health CT, will step down from his post in April, Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman announced Thursday. Wadleigh has worked at Access Health CT since 2012. (Silber, 2/15)

Modern Healthcare: Federal, Illinois Regulators Approve Advocate-Aurora Merger
Federal regulators and their counterparts in Illinois have greenlighted the proposed merger between Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care, paving the way for their $10.7 billion cross-state system to become a reality. (Bannow, 2/15)

North Carolina Health News: UNC Clarifies Comments On Health Care Cost Control
A day after a UNC Health Care spokesperson said the health system couldn’t affect inflation or other variables related to health costs, he clarified his remarks. “I didn’t mean to imply that UNC Health Care has no influence on costs,” said Alan Wolf, a spokesperson for UNC Health Care, in response to an inquiry from North Carolina Health News. (Tosczak, 2/15)

The Associated Press: Family Of Woman Who Died After Surgery Blunder Gets No Money
An 81-year-old woman with a sore jaw died just weeks after a breathtaking mistake: Doctors at a Detroit-area hospital performed brain surgery on her because of a records mix-up. A jury awarded $20 million to Bimla Nayyar’s estate, but family members won’t see a dime. The verdict won by Geoffrey Fieger’s law firm was thrown out on very technical grounds that had nothing to do with the incredible blunder in 2012 at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn. (White, 2/15)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Farmers, Drug Enforcement Administration At Odds Over Hemp Products
Since hemp hasn’t been grown in Wisconsin in such a long time, and some of the products face legal challenges, it's unknown how many farmers will seek a hemp-growing permit from the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. State agriculture officials have a March 2 deadline to finish writing temporary rules for hemp production. (Barrett, 2/15)

JAMA Surgery: Association Between Bariatric Surgery And Rates Of Continuation, Discontinuation, Or Initiation Of Antidiabetes Treatment 
In this nationwide population-based cohort study of more than 30 000 adults, bariatric surgery was associated with a significantly higher 6-year postoperative antidiabetes treatment discontinuation rate compared with an obese control group, as well as with a low antidiabetes treatment initiation rate, with gastric bypass being the most effective procedure. Patients and physicians should be aware that morbid obesity remains a chronic disease even after bariatric surgery because 50.1% of patients with preexisting antidiabetes treatment remained on treatment 6 years after surgery. (Thereaux, Lesuffleur, Czernichow et. al., 2/14)

JAMA Internal Medicine: Outcomes Associated With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator In Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease 
In this cohort study of 5877 community-based patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease, use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators was not significantly associated with improved survival but was associated with increased risk for subsequent heart failure and all-cause hospitalization. The potential risks and benefits of implantable cardioverter defibrillators should be carefully considered in patients with heart failure and chronic kidney disease. (Bansal, Szpiro, Reynolds et. al., 2/5)

Health Affairs: Practices Caring For The Underserved Are Less Likely To Adopt Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visit 
In 2011 Medicare introduced the annual wellness visit to help address the health risks of aging adults. ...Compared to nonadopters, adopters had more stable patient assignment and a slightly healthier patient mix. At the same time, visit rates were lower among practices caring for underserved populations (for example, racial minorities and those dually enrolled in Medicaid), potentially worsening disparities. (Ganguli, Souza, McWilliams et. al., 2/1)

New England Journal of Medicine: History Of Childhood Kidney Disease And Risk Of Adult End-Stage Renal Disease
A history of clinically evident kidney disease in childhood, even if renal function was apparently normal in adolescence, was associated with a significantly increased risk of ESRD, which suggests that kidney injury or structural abnormality in childhood has long-term consequences. (Calderon-Margalit, Golan, Twig et. al., 2/1)

The New York Times: How To Reduce Shootings
Inevitably, predictably, fatefully, another mass shooting breaks our hearts. This time, it was a school shooting in Florida on Wednesday that left at least 17 dead at the hands of 19-year-old gunman and his AR-15 semiautomatic rifle. ...So let’s not just mourn the dead, let’s not just lower flags and make somber speeches. Let’s also learn lessons from these tragedies, so that there can be fewer of them. In particular, I suggest that we try a new approach to reducing gun violence — a public health strategy. (Nicholas Krist, 2/15)  

The Wall Street Journal: The Parkland Massacre And The Air We Breathe
All this change, compressed into 40 years, has produced some good things, even miraculous ones. But it does not feel accidental that America is experiencing what appears to be a mental-health crisis, especially among the young. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported as many as 20% of children 3 to 17 have, in any given year, a mental or emotional illness. There is research indicating depression among teenagers is worsening. (Peggy Noonan, 2/15)  

The Wall Street Journal: Responding To Parkland
Add 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz to the list of disturbed young men who have committed mass murder against other young men and women in their communities. ... On Thursday the gun-control side pointed to President Trump’s signing of a bill last year revoking an Obama rule requiring the Social Security Administration to forward to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System the names of disability recipients who need a third party to help them manage their benefits because of a mental impairment. But this overly broad Obama rule was opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union and National Rifle Association. That dispute nonetheless points to another part of the do-something demand: the violently mentally ill. (2/15)

USA Today: Florida School Shooting Demands More Than Thoughts And Prayers
Tragically, images of traumatized students, rushing single file out of classrooms with their hands in the air under the protective muzzles of police rifles, have become all too familiar. So, too, have the rote responses of leaders complaining vaguely about "absolutely pure evil" running amok (Florida Gov. Rick Scott) or focusing on "mental health" (President Trump), with nary a mention of the weapons of war used to carry out these massacres. The reality is, this should not be an either-or debate between mental health and guns. (2/15)

Boston Globe: Despite Rhetoric Of Inaction, States Can Help Prevent Mass Shootings
Here’s the reality of gun violence in America. The states with the toughest gun laws have lower rates of gun deaths than states with lax laws. Florida is a lax-law state. No permit or license is necessary to purchase a gun. (Scot Lehigh, 2/15)

The Washington Post: The Issue Is Not Mental Health. The Issue Is The Guns.
Don’t tell me the issue is mental health. Save the nonsense about “good guys” with weapons somehow being the answer. The truth is this: There would have been no tragic shooting Wednesday in Parkland, Fla. , if a troubled young man had not gotten his hands on a military-style assault rifle and as much ammunition as he wanted. (Eugene Robinson, 2/15)

Dallas Morning News: Florida Shooting Should Rally North Texas To Improve Safety Net For Vulnerable Students
In the wake of yet another school massacre — this one leaving 17 dead in southern Florida — our thoughts turn not just to the gun in the shooter's hands, but to the darkness in his mind. While this tragedy will no doubt ignite a gun-control debate, our focus today is on another significant fact that surfaces all too often in these stories: The "troubled" Florida shooter has a life story full of warning signs, including concerns around his emotional health. (2/15)

Columbus Dispatch: We Need Help For Kids With Mental Illness 
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Ohio, like all of America, is sickened by the evil act that took place yesterday at a school in Broward County, Florida. Our hearts go out to the victims whose lives were cut short and their families. Words are not enough. We must, as a society, find the root causes for these events to happen time and time again and take meaningful action.We don’t profess to have a solution that would eliminate the chances of this ever happening again, but we do have answers that would lessen the risk factors for acts of violence such as this. (Terry Russell, 2/16)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: The National Scourge Comes To Parkland, Fla. Ho-Hum.
President Donald Trump, in the traditional griever-in-chief response, said, “To every parent, teacher and child who is hurting so badly, we are here for you, whatever you need, whatever we can do, to ease your pain.” And surely Trump didn’t really mean “whatever we can do,” because that would include confronting the gun lobby. Trump and congressional Republicans quake at the thought. Instead they will cite mental problems, even though just a year ago they rolled back an Obama-era regulation that made it harder for the mentally ill to buy guns. (2/15)

Health Affairs: Will Federal Courts Uphold Trump Administration Medicaid Waiver Approvals? The Case For Skepticism
[O]ver its 50-plus year history, Medicaid waiver authority was almost exclusively used to expand Medicaid eligibility and benefits rather than to restrict them, or to try a different approach to delivering existing benefits. ... The [recent] approvals in Kentucky and Indiana, and possible pending approvals in other states, base their legal claim to be promoting the objectives of the Medicaid program on a far more brazen and cynical premise. The waiver approvals assert that taking away Medicaid from statutorily eligible individuals can act as an incentive that ultimately improves health: either by forcing the beneficiary to get a job to stay insured in the case of work requirements, or by “educating beneficiaries on enrollment requirements” in the case of lockouts from eligibility for beneficiaries who fail to complete an annual renewal or inform the state of income changes. (Eliot Fishman, 2/15)

New England Journal of Medicine: Caring For Ms. L. — Overcoming My Fear Of Treating Opioid Use Disorder
One of my colleagues started Ms. L. on buprenorphine treatment. When I saw her again for her diabetes, a space had opened between us. Then she didn’t show up to her next appointment. I called her and sent a letter, but she didn’t show up to the next one either. Months passed, and then a year. The night I found out that Ms. L. had died of an overdose, a heavy, wet snow was falling throughout the city, dampening the sound of traffic. ...What if I had treated her myself, instead of referring her? I don’t flatter myself that I could have provided her better care — I had complete confidence in my colleague. But Ms. L. and I had had a relationship. She had trusted me. And I’d turned her away.In the ensuing months, I earned my waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. I still harbored apprehensions about caring for patients with addiction, but I also knew that I could not turn away another Ms. L. I now care for a small panel of patients with OUD. (Audrey M. Provenzano, 2/14)

Stat: Collective Action Needed To Stem Burnout And Restore Clinician Well-Being
Every day, as people from all walks of life deal with burnout, they often turn to health care professionals for help. Yet the very people who dedicate their lives to keeping others healthy are the ones increasingly suffering from burnout. More than half of U.S. physicians report significant symptoms of burnout — that’s more than double the rates among professionals in other fields. If we want our nation’s health to flourish, we need to care for those who care for us. (Victor J. Dzau, 2/15)

New England Journal of Medicine: Does CVS–Aetna Spell The End Of Business As Usual?
Another day, another mega-deal — or so it seems. But the proposed $70 billion merger of CVS and Aetna would be the largest deal ever in the health care sector outside pharmaceutical company mergers and among the 20 largest deals in history. So this seems an appropriate occasion to pause and consider what it might mean for the health care delivery system. (Leemore S. Dafny, 2/15)

New England Journal of Medicine: When The CHIPs Are Down — Health Coverage And Care At Risk For U.S. Children
Congress failed to reauthorize the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) last fall, causing uncertainty and worry for families and state CHIP directors alike. After a period of stopgap funding, CHIP was reauthorized for 6 years in late January. (Lisa C. Dubay and Genevieve Kenney, 2/14)

New England Journal of Medicine: Medical Devices In The Real World
Recent legislation directs the FDA to consider how best to use real-world evidence to ensure device safety and effectiveness while accelerating access to new technologies. But rigorous observational statistical methods are needed to mitigate limitations of such data. (Frederic S. Resnic and Michael E. Matheny, 2/15)

Des Moines Register: Medicaid Bill Demonizes Low-Income Iowans With Delays, Drug Tests, Work Requirements
Actually Medicaid is not a “state welfare program.” It is a health insurance program largely funded by the federal government. Providing coverage to people helps ensure they have the care they need to be physically and mentally well enough to hold a job. It ensures health providers are paid to care for otherwise uninsured Iowans. ... The majority of able-bodied adults on Medicaid already have jobs, and many of them have full-time jobs. They are still poor enough to qualify for Medicaid. So we hope they would not be expected to pay for the drug use assessment [state Sen. Tom] Greene wants them to undergo. If illegal drug use is suspected, the individual “shall agree to participate in testing for illegal drugs,” according to the bill. (2/14)

The Roanoke (Va.) Times: The Next Step For Rebuilding Southwest Virginia’s Economy
Too many Southwest Virginia families struggle for access to health care often out-of-reach due to cost. As a result, preventable health concerns often become serious problems causing employees to miss work and families to suffer even greater financial strain. It is time to act. Yes, many in the General Assembly have been reluctant to accept the “free” money from Washington to expand the government-run Medicaid system. ... Our neighbors in the Commonwealth of Kentucky recently enacted, with the support of the Trump Administration, the nation’s first requirement that able bodied adults receiving Medicaid assistance should work or seek opportunities to gain the work skills necessary to find and secure a job. ... This model is a path forward, and one we can support. (Del. Terry Kilgore, 2/15)

San Jose Mercury News: Ban California Kids From Pop Warner Football
California sports advocates can no longer ignore this grim reality: Tackle football puts young children at risk of permanent brain damage. Safer alternatives, including flag football, exist. It’s time that California did away with the high-impact sport for kids until they reach high school. A good case can even be made that tackle football should be banned at all public schools. (2/15)