The Wall Street Journal: Biden, Senators Agree To Roughly $1 Trillion Infrastructure Plan
President Biden and a group of 10 centrist senators agreed to a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan Thursday, securing a long-sought bipartisan deal that lawmakers and the White House will now attempt to shepherd through Congress alongside a broader package sought by Democrats. Mr. Biden and Democratic leaders said that advancing the deal on transportation, water and broadband infrastructure will hinge on the passage of more elements of Mr. Biden’s $4 trillion economic agenda. The two-track process sets up weeks of delicate negotiations to gather support for both the bipartisan plan and a separate Democratic proposal, a challenging task in the 50-50 Senate and the narrowly Democratic-controlled House. (Duehren, Peterson and Siddiqui, 6/24)

The Washington Post: Biden Announces Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal 
The new spending includes $312 billion for transportation projects, $55 billion for water infrastructure and $65 billion for broadband — figures hashed out by the five Democrats and five Republicans who had negotiated for weeks on the package. That is nowhere near as sweeping as Biden’s own infrastructure measure, which he detailed in April, and it essentially ignores his $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, which focuses on social safety-net programs that Biden characterizes as “human infrastructure.” (Kim, DeBonis and Stein, 6/24)

The Hill: Biden Says He Won't Sign Bipartisan Bill Without Reconciliation Bill 
President Biden on Thursday said he won’t sign the bipartisan infrastructure deal if Congress doesn’t also pass a reconciliation bill, committing to a dual track system to get both bills passed. “I expect that in the coming months this summer, before the fiscal year is over, that we will have voted on this bill, the infrastructure bill, as well as voted on the budget resolution. But if only one comes to me, this is the only one that comes to me, I’m not signing it. It’s in tandem,” Biden told reporters at the White House. (Gangitano and Chalfant, 6/24)

NPR: Here's What's In The Bipartisan Infrastructure Proposal
According to the White House, the price tag comes in at $1.2 trillion over eight years, with more than $500 billion in new spending. How the measure would be paid for was a central point in negotiations, with Republicans opposed to undoing any of the 2017 tax cuts. The plan "makes transformational and historic investments in clean transportation infrastructure, clean water infrastructure, universal broadband infrastructure, clean power infrastructure, remediation of legacy pollution, and resilience to the changing climate," said a White House fact sheet on the plan released Thursday. (Sprunt, 6/24)

USA Today: Infrastructure Bill: What We Know About The Bipartisan Legislation
The Biden administration proposed increasing tax enforcement within the IRS, redirecting unused unemployment insurance relief funds, allowing states to sell or purchase unused toll credits for infrastructure and repurposing unused relief funds from 2020 emergency relief legislation, among other ideas to fund the deal. (Quarshie, 6/24)

The New York Times: Biden Officials Consider Phasing Out Rule That Blocked Migrants During Pandemic
The Biden administration is in the later stages of planning how to phase out a Trump-era public health rule that has allowed border agents to rapidly turn away most migrants who have arrived at the southern border during the pandemic, according to two administration officials. It is possible that in the coming weeks, border officials could start allowing migrant families back into the country, with an eye toward lifting the rule for single adults this summer. The plan, while still not final, is sure to ​complicate an already thorny issue for President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is visiting the border on Friday as Republicans accuse the administration of being slow to address what they describe as an unrelenting surge of migrants trying to enter the country. Lifting the rule will only exacerbate that. (Sullivan and Kanno-Youngs, 6/24)

Reuters: Nearly 3,300 Migrants Stranded In Mexico Were Kidnapped, Raped Or Assaulted - Report
Nearly 3,300 migrants stranded in Mexico since January due to a U.S. border policy have been kidnapped, raped, trafficked or assaulted, according to a report by a human rights group released on Tuesday. The report, by New York-based Human Rights First, documents cases of migrants and asylum seekers stuck in Mexico since U.S. President Joe Biden took office on Jan. 20. The number of cases has jumped in recent weeks from roughly 500 such incidents logged in April to 3,300 by mid-June. (Hesson, 6/22)

CBS News: Migrant Children Endure 'Despair And Isolation' Inside Tent City In The Texas Desert
The level of distress among migrant boys and girls held by the U.S. government at a tent city in the Texas desert has become so alarming that they are constantly monitored for incidents of self-harm, panic attacks and escape attempts, people who worked at the federal site told CBS News.Some children held at the large tent complex at the Fort Bliss U.S. Army base have required one-on-one supervision 24 hours a day to ensure they don't hurt themselves. Others have refused to eat or spend most of their days sleeping on cots. Workers said they saw migrant girls and boys with cut marks on their wrists and arms. (Montoya-Galvez, 6/22)

KFOX: Sunland Park Residents Say Not Unusual For Migrants To Ask Them For Refuge
People living in Sunland Park, New Mexico near the border wall say they’ve been receiving knocks on their door from migrants. Migrants who are crossing into the U.S. are seeking refuge in neighborhoods, according to residents who live near the border wall in Sunland Park. “There are times I see them running here,” said Uriel Horta. (Castillo, 6/24)

In other news —

ProPublica: The U.S. Is Closing A Loophole That Lured Mexicans Over The Border To Donate Blood Plasma For Cash 
A federal agency is closing a legal loophole that allowed U.S.-based blood plasma companies to harvest plasma from thousands of Mexicans a day, who were lured by bonus payments and hefty cash rewards, as a 2019 ProPublica and ARD German TV investigation showed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced on June 15 that effective immediately, it would no longer permit Mexican citizens to cross into the U.S. on temporary visas to sell their blood plasma. A statement provided to ProPublica and ARD said that donating plasma is now considered “labor for hire,” which is illegal under the visitor visa most border residents use to cross into the United States to make donations. (Lind and Dodt, 6/24)

NBC News: Asylum-Seekers, Attorneys Decry 'Horrendous' Louisiana ICE Detention Center
During his 46 days at the Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana, an asylum-seeker who was detained there said he witnessed “horrible conditions” that were “not suitable for humans.” The recently paroled detainee, who did not want to use his name pending his asylum case, spoke on the phone with NBC News and recounted there was little food, a lack of toilets, no hot water and extremely cold temperatures inside the facility. (Sesin, 6/22)

CNBC: Biden Says More Americans Will Die As Delta Variant Spreads: 'You Know It's Going To Happen'
President Joe Biden said Thursday that Covid deaths in the United States will continue to rise due to the spread of the “dangerous” delta variant, calling it a “serious concern.” “Six hundred thousand-plus Americans have died, and with this delta variant you know there’s going to be others as well. You know it’s going to happen. We’ve got to get young people vaccinated,” Biden said at a community center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Mendez, 6/24)

The New York Times: As The Pace Of Vaccinations Slows, Biden Makes A Personal Appeal
President Biden implored Americans on Thursday to “knock on doors and talk to friends and neighbors” about getting vaccinated, as the White House opened a campaign-like blitz to persuade people around the country to get their shots. Mr. Biden’s speech, in North Carolina, came as the government is shifting its strategy from mass vaccination sites to a more localized effort — deploying top officials to local communities, with an eye toward younger Americans who have not had the access or are reluctant to get vaccinated. (Kanno-Youngs, 6/24)

The Hill: White House Deploys Top Officials In Vaccine Blitz
The White House on Thursday engaged in an all-out blitz to urge Americans to get vaccinated, scattering top officials around the country to tout the shots even as the administration has acknowledged it won’t meet its Fourth of July goals for the vaccines. President Biden toured a mobile vaccination unit and helped launch a community canvassing event on Thursday in North Carolina, a state that has seen a slowdown in residents getting their shots. ... First lady Jill Biden was joined by Anthony Fauci on Thursday for two stops in Florida. (Samuels, 6/24)

CNN: Surgeon General Warns Misinformation Is The Greatest Threat To Covid-19 Vaccination Efforts 
With a dangerous Covid-19 variant on the rise, health experts are urging people who are still hesitant to get their vaccinations. But the US Surgeon General warns a big obstacle stands in their way: Misinformation. "There is so much misinformation out there about the vaccine, coming through so many channels -- a lot of it being spread on social media," Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN's Erin Burnett. "It's inducing a lot of fear among people." (Holcombe, 6/25)

PBS NewsHour: As U.S. States And Cities Hit Vaccine Goals, Deep Disparities Persist
The United States has made remarkable progress in getting people vaccinated against COVID-19. When President Joe Biden took office, he pledged to dole out 100 million shots during his first 100 days in office, a target he eventually doubled and met a week ahead of schedule. Now, nearly 320 million vaccines have been administered across the country and 53 percent of eligible Americans — more than 150 million people — have completed their vaccination series. But the overarchingly rosy picture at a national scale doesn’t always hold up when put under the microscope. Vaccine distribution varies widely state to state, city to city and community to community. (Isaacs-Thomas, 6/24)

Also —

Axios: Bipartisan Group Of Senators Urges Blinken To Vaccinate Americans Abroad 
Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) are leading an effort urging the Biden administration to coordinate with the Defense Department to donate supplemental COVID-19 vaccine doses to U.S. embassies and consulates. Millions of Americans living in countries where they are not considered eligible for the vaccine or those living in places where vaccines are not being authorized by the FDA or the World Health Organization may have to wait for months or even years to receive a vaccine. (Mucha, 6/24)

KHN: The WHO Didn’t Reverse Its Position On Kids And Covid Vaccines
A social media post circulating on Facebook and Instagram claims that the World Health Organization recently flipped its policy recommendation about children receiving a covid-19 vaccine. “The WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION recently reversed its stance on children getting the Covid vaccine. Sorry to all those dumb parents who rushed out to get their 12 year olds vaccinated. Oops you injected your kids with poison and it’s no longer recommended. Personally no one should but at least save the children!,” the post reads. (Knight, 6/25)

The Hill: West Virginia Governor Says Unvaccinated 'Entering The Death Drawing' 
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) rebuked people who were choosing not to get the COVID-19 vaccine during a news conference on Thursday, saying they were “entering the death drawing.” “Well when you turn your back and say, nope I’m not doing that — all you’re doing is entering the death drawing. There were six — there were six today. How many is there going to be the next time we sit down? How many is there going to be on next Tuesday?” Justice said. (Vakil, 6/24)

In other news about the vaccine rollout —

AP: Hawaii To Ease Testing Rules For Travelers Vaccinated In US
Hawaii will drop its testing and quarantine rules for fully vaccinated domestic travelers in two weeks. Gov. David Ige said Thursday the state will drop the current travel restrictions for vaccinated U.S. mainland travelers on July 8. Those using the quarantine exemption must upload their vaccination cards to a state website and also bring a hard copy while traveling. (Jones, 6/24)

The CT Mirror: More COVID Vaccines Are Being Wasted As Demand Drops
At a recent COVID vaccine clinic in eastern Connecticut, where the Uncas Health District was offering all three varieties of vaccine, one person requested Moderna. That meant officials had to open a vial of the Moderna vaccine. Each vial contains 10 doses. “We are at the point where we aren’t going to turn anybody away who wants to get vaccinated,” said Patrick McCormack, the director of the health district. “We have needed to be more creative in how we manage our doses, so we don’t waste them, and so far we have done pretty well — but it is getting harder.” (Altimari and Pananjady, 6/25)

Philadelphia Inquirer: How Many People In Pa. Got Vaccinated And Still Got COVID-19? The State Isn’t Counting
Pennsylvania is not tracking all coronavirus cases in vaccinated residents, leaving the state without data that can help demonstrate vaccine efficacy, detect the spread of variants, and fully inform unvaccinated people of the risks they may face. As other states report data that indicate nearly all their cases now are found in unvaccinated residents, the Pennsylvania Department of Health told The Inquirer it could not say what proportion of new coronavirus infections has occurred in those who aren’t immunized or what share of people hospitalized with the virus had been vaccinated. (McDaniel and McCarthy, 6/24)

Houston Chronicle: Half Of Texas Republicans Say They Won't Get COVID-19 Vaccine, New Poll Finds
Nearly half of Texas Republican voters say they do not plan to receive a COVID-19 vaccination, according to new polling released Thursday by Quinnipiac University. All told, pollsters found, about one-third of Texas adults said they do not plan to get vaccinated, whereas about 70 percent said they have already received or are planning to get inoculated. Pollsters found “sharp differences” in views on vaccines among political parties, with about 30 percent of independents saying they’ll forego vaccines and 13 percent of Democrats saying the same. (Downen, 6/24)

The Hill: MLB's Astros Offering Free Tickets To Fans Who Get The COVID-19 Vaccine 
The MLB’s Houston Astros are offering fans the opportunity to get free tickets by receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The Astros on Thursday announced a partnership with the Houston Methodist Hospital called “MLB Vaccinate At The Plate,” where fans can receive tickets to two select games if they get vaccinated at the event.  (Oshin, 6/24)

In updates on vaccine mandates —

The Boston Globe: State’s Largest Health Care Providers To Require All Employees Get COVID-19 Vaccines
The state’s largest hospital systems on Thursday said they will mandate that all of their employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of a moral imperative to keep patients safe. Leaders of Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Wellforce, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute said requiring vaccination for employees is critical for protecting vulnerable patients, especially those who are immunocompromised. Together, these hospital systems employ more than 135,000 people. All employees, including those who don’t work directly with patients, must get vaccinated, though they can request exemptions for medical or religious reasons. (Dayal McCluskey, 6/24)

San Francisco Chronicle: Unions Push Back On S.F. Vaccine Mandate As Black Employees' Advocates Call It Insensitive
San Francisco’s employee unions snapped back against an order that city workers receive a coronavirus vaccination on penalty of firing, calling for a more collaborative approach, while an advocacy group warned that Black workers could be disciplined more often than others under the mandate. The Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents 20,000 San Francisco employees, called the policy a “threatening mandate” Thursday. SEIU and other unions said the city would have to negotiate it with unions rather than imposing it unilaterally. (Asimov, 6/24)

The CT Mirror: CSCU Board Votes To Require COVID Vaccines For Students In The Fall
The Connecticut State Colleges and Universities governing board approved a policy Thursday that will require students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus in person this fall. The policy states that any student who is participating “in any on-campus activities in person for any reason at any of the institutions” will have to be fully vaccinated and report their compliance to the college or university they are attending. (Watson, 6/24)

Politico: College Vaccine Mandates Rile GOP States 
Conservative state lawmakers are moving to block public and private universities from requiring returning students to have proof of Covid vaccinations or get the vaccine itself, in a push that could complicate President Joe Biden’s effort to get shots to young adults. Executive orders or legislation in states like Arizona and Florida ban universities from mandating students show proof of vaccination status and come as the more transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus is surging. College-age Americans have the lowest vaccination rates and are least likely to make plans to get a shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Leonard, 6/24)

Health News Florida: Celebrity Cruises No Longer Requiring Proof Of Vaccination In Florida 
Celebrity Cruises is no longer requiring passengers to show proof of vaccination on voyages out of Florida. The cruise company now only recommends that passengers 16 years and older be vaccinated. Celebrity updated its travel requirements webpage to specify that Florida passengers “who decline or are unable to show proof of vaccination at boarding will be treated as unvaccinated and subject to additional protocols, restrictions and costs for COVID-19 testing." (Mayer, 6/24)

WNEM: CDC Investigating Teen’s Death Days After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine 
Federal health officials are investigating after a Saginaw teen died just days after receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Saginaw County Health Department learned about the death from the county medical examiner on Thursday, June 17. The 13-year-old received a dose of the vaccine three days before his death. Since the teen was recently vaccinated, his death was reported to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The state health department was also notified of the death. (Borowy, 6/23)

Fox News: NIH Study Assessing COVID-19 Vaccine In Pregnant, Postpartum Moms
The National Institutes of Health launched a new observational study to evaluate the immune responses generated by COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and postpartum individuals. The study, dubbed MOMI-VAX, will also assess vaccine safety and the transfer of vaccine-induced antibodies through breast milk. "Tens of thousands of pregnant and breastfeeding people in the United States have chosen to receive the COVID-19 vaccines available under emergency use authorization," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAD), which is funding the study, said in a news release. "However, we lack robust, prospective clinical data on vaccination in these populations. The results of this study will fill gaps in our knowledge and help inform policy recommendations and personal decision-making on COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and in the postpartum period." (Hein, 6/24)

CIDRAP: Study: Skin Reactions Occur In About 2% Of MRNA Vaccine Recipients
A study yesterday in JAMA Dermatology shows that, among 40,000 healthcare employees receiving either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines, only 1.9% reported injection-site skin reactions, including itching, rash, and swelling, after their first dose. (6/24)

Axios: Oxford Researchers Say They Developed COVID Vaccine Efficacy Predictor 
Researchers at Oxford University said Thursday they developed a method for predicting the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines by a blood test. The model "can be used to extrapolate efficacy estimates for new vaccines where large efficacy trials cannot be conducted," the researchers said in their paper, which was submitted for peer review for publication in a scientific journal on Thursday. (Chen, 6/24)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccination Tied To Reduced Household Transmission
COVID-19 transmission among household members may be reduced 40% to 50% when a person has been vaccinated 21 days or more, according to a New England Journal of Medicine letter to the editor yesterday. (6/24)

Also —

The Atlantic: The MRNA Vaccines Are Extraordinary, But Novavax Is Even Better
At the end of January, reports that yet another COVID-19 vaccine had succeeded in its clinical trials—this one offering about 70 percent protection—were front-page news in the United States, and occasioned push alerts on millions of phones. But when the Maryland-based biotech firm Novavax announced its latest stunning trial results last week, and an efficacy rate of more than 90 percent even against coronavirus variants, the response from the same media outlets was muted in comparison. The difference, of course, was the timing: With three vaccines already authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the nation is “awash in other shots” already, as the The New York Times put it. (Bastian, 6/24)

AP: Nearly All COVID Deaths In US Are Now Among Unvaccinated
Nearly all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. now are in people who weren’t vaccinated, a staggering demonstration of how effective the shots have been and an indication that deaths per day — now down to under 300 — could be practically zero if everyone eligible got the vaccine. An Associated Press analysis of available government data from May shows that “breakthrough” infections in fully vaccinated people accounted for fewer than 1,200 of more than 853,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That’s about 0.1%. (Johnson and Stobbe, 6/24)

USA Today: Nearly All COVID Deaths In The US Are Among Unvaccinated, Data Shows
“Breakthrough” infections, or COVID cases in those fully vaccinated, accounted for 1,200 of more than 853,000 hospitalizations in the U.S., making it 0.1% of hospitalizations. Data also showed that 150 of more than 18,000 COVID-19 related deaths were fully vaccinated people, which means they accounted for 0.8% of deaths. Although the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only gathers data on breakthrough infections from 45 states that are reporting such cases, it demonstrates how effective the vaccine is at preventing deaths and hospitalizations due to COVID-19. (Aspegren, Yancey-Bragg and Vargas, 6/24)

CNBC: Covid Is Deadlier This Year Than All Of 2020. Why Do Americans Think It's Over?
As the U.S. pushes ahead with its reopening, easing mask mandates and lifting public health restrictions, much of the rest of the world is seeing an alarming surge in the number of Covid-19 infections and deaths. The stark contrast underscores how unevenly the coronavirus pandemic has spread, now hitting low-income nations harder as they struggle with access to vaccines, the rapid spread of new variants and heavily burdened health-care systems. (Meredith, 6/24)

And more about the spread of the coronavirus —

Fox13 News: Florida Leads Nation In New Daily Cases Of COVID-19, Doctors Say
Things may be feeling more normal in the community, but the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, especially in the Sunshine State. Florida leads the nation for new daily cases of COVID-19 and Bay Area hospitals say the patients landing in their beds tend to be younger and unvaccinated. "We are still averaging around 1,500 cases a day, and that's pretty much flattened out over the last week or so, which is the highest level in the country right now," said University of South Florida College of Public Health Distinguished Professor Dr. Thomas Unnasch. "People who haven't been vaccinated are the ones that are getting still getting sick and getting hospitalized, and in many cases, dying from the infection." (Hawley, 6/24)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Reports Jump In Coronavirus Cases, Reaching Numbers Seen In Early February 
The Missouri health department on Thursday reported a huge jump in coronavirus cases — 1,232 — a number not seen regularly since early February. The average daily number of new cases has been on the rise since the start of June, going from about 400 to nearly 700 a day, driven by the presence of the more infectious and dangerous Delta variant and dismal vaccination rates. Thursday’s jump moves the daily average to 759. Neighboring Illinois, with a higher vaccination rate and twice the population, is averaging 222 cases a day. (Munz, 6/24)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Spike In New Cases Persists A 3rd Day
An upswing in new coronavirus infections continued in Arkansas for a third day Thursday as the state's count of cases rose by 383. After falling a day earlier, the number of people hospitalized in the state with covid-19 rose by three, to 282, just short of the recent high of 285 it reached Tuesday. The state death toll from the virus, as tracked by the Department of Health, rose by three, to 5,890. "Today is the third day with a report of greater than 380 new COVID-19 cases in Arkansas," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a tweet. (Davis, 6/25)

Los Angeles Times: With Delta Variant On The Rise In L.A. County, Vaccinations Urged
Confirmed cases of the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus are on the rise in Los Angeles County, prompting renewed calls for residents to take advantage of the available vaccines. While COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death rates remain low countywide, this particular variant — which could be two times as transmissible as the conventional strain — presents particular risk of prolonging the pandemic, which would primarily affect those who have yet to get their shots. “This is a pandemic of unvaccinated people,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a briefing Thursday. (Money and Lin II, 6/24)

The Oregonian: Coronavirus In Oregon: 232 New Cases And 1 Death As Oregon Health Officials Anticipate ‘Rapid Growth’ Of Delta Variant 
Oregon health officials announced 232 new coronavirus and one COVID-19 death Thursday. The Oregon Health Authority said it expects the Delta variant of the coronavirus to spread rapidly in coming weeks as evidence shows it is more transmissible than other forms of the virus. So far, officials have identified only 10 cases of the Delta variant in Oregon, compared to 3,091 cases of other concerning variants. (Zarkhin, 6/24)

The Boston Globe: Nursing Homes Struggle To Reduce A Serious COVID Risk: Many Employees Resist Vaccination
If any nursing home had a reason to ensure everyone was fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it would be the Leavitt Family Jewish Home in Longmeadow. Sixty-three residents died last year from the disease. Yet, six months after staffers there became eligible for shots, more than 30 percent have yet to be fully vaccinated. Now, the Leavitt is pairing up with behavioral psychologists from the University of California, Berkeley to test the effectiveness of making the shots super convenient by reserving one for each unvaccinated employee and then asking them to either get their jab in the home during one of their shifts or decline the shot specifically reserved for them. (Lazar, 6/24)

NBC News: Covid's Lingering Effects Can Put The Breaks On Elective Surgery
As the number of people who have had Covid-19 grows, medical experts are trying to determine when it’s safe for them to have elective surgery. In addition to concerns about respiratory complications from anesthesia, Covid-19 may affect multiple organs and systems, and clinicians are still learning the implications for surgery. A recent study compared the mortality rate in the 30 days following surgery in patients who had a Covid-19 infection and in those who did not. It found that waiting to undergo surgery for at least seven weeks after a Covid-19 infection reduced the risk of death to that of people who hadn’t been infected in the first place. Patients with lingering Covid-19 symptoms should wait even longer, the study suggested. (6/24)

Scientific American: Gut Reactions: Microbes In The Digestive Tract Influence COVID Severity
Research indicates that SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID—can directly attack the epithelial cells that line the GI tract, entering via the molecular doorway of angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). These cells express high levels of ACE2, as do the cells lining the lungs, the primary site of infection. But the gut is not merely a passive target for the virus. Evidence suggests it is also a player in determining the severity of COVID-19. (Legg, 6/24)

CIDRAP: Alpha SARS-CoV-2 Variant Tied To More Severe Outcomes
Infection with the Alpha (B117) SARS-CoV-2 variant may pose a heightened risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes, according to two observational studies from England and Denmark published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. ... Of the 198,420-person primary care group, 59.4% were infected by Alpha, 0.4% were admitted to a critical care unit (CCU, similar to a US intensive care unit), and 0.4% died by 28 days. Of the 4,272 CCU patients, 62.8% were infected by Alpha, and 15.5% died in the hospital. (Van Beusekom, 6/23)

KHN: A Break From Breathlessness: How Singing Helped Me Through Long Covid
Singing was the only time I felt in control of my lungs and, paradoxically, able to forget about them. It was October and my shortness of breath had worsened after weeks of teasing improvement. I felt breathless walking or resting, lying down or sitting, working or watching Netflix, talking or silently meditating. But not while singing. (Zuraw, 6/25)

Also —

Stat: Scientists Grapple With Picking Up Research They Put On Hold During Covid
In the earliest days of the pandemic, it was the small, long-underfunded coterie of dedicated coronavirus researchers answering almost all of the world’s questions about the emerging threat. But as SARS-CoV-2 took off, researchers from other specialties flooded in, drawn by the scale of the emergency, a desire to put their skills to use, and the competitive nature of scientific inquiry. For experts with even marginally relevant expertise, the question became, “What can I do?” (Joseph, 6/25)

The Washington Post: ‘Nightmare Scenario’ Book Excerpt: Inside The Extraordinary Effort To Save Trump From Covid-19
A five-day stretch in October 2020 — from the moment White House officials began an extraordinary effort to get Trump lifesaving drugs to the day the president returned to the White House from the hospital — marked a dramatic turning point in the nation’s flailing coronavirus response. Trump’s brush with severe illness and the prospect of death caught the White House so unprepared that they had not even briefed Vice President Mike Pence’s team on a plan to swear him in if Trump became incapacitated. (Paletta and Abutaleb, 6/24)

The Hill: Trump Discussed Sending Infected Americans To Guantanamo Bay: Book 
Former President Trump reportedly suggested sending Americans infected with COVID-19 to Guantanamo Bay in an effort to stem the rapidly growing number of cases on U.S. soil in the early days of the pandemic, according to a new book. Trump, during a February 2020 meeting in the Situation Room as administration officials were discussing whether to bring infected Americans home for care, reportedly asked the attendees “Don’t we have an island that we own?” and “What about Guantánamo?” (Schnell, 6/21)

The Hill: White House Did Not Brief Pence Team On Swearing Him In After Trump COVID-19 Diagnosis: Book
When former President Trump contracted COVID-19 in October, the White House was reportedly so unprepared that officials had not briefed then-Vice President Mike Pence’s team on a plan to swear in Pence if Trump was unable to carry out the duties of the presidency, according to a new book. The revelation comes from the book “Nightmare Scenario: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic That Changed History,” authored by Washington Post journalists Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta. The book is set to be released on Tuesday. (Schnell, 6/24)

The Guardian: Trump Hoped Covid-19 Would ‘Take Out’ Former Aide John Bolton, Book Claims 
Donald Trump wanted Covid-19 to “take out” his former national security adviser John Bolton, a new book is set to reveal, as a heated summer of further colourful revelations about the controversial former president spills out from competing tomes. The forthcoming Nightmare Scenario will stake out the claim, in addition to telling of how Trump advocated shipping Americans who contracted coronavirus while abroad to the prison at Guantánamo Bay. (Betancourt, 6/23)

Yahoo News: Trump Reportedly Joked About COVID-19 And Mocked People Who Got Sick
Former President Donald Trump last year reportedly tried to joke about COVID-19 "for months," mocking people who got sick and saying he hoped his former national security adviser, John Bolton, would die from the virus. That's according to the new book Nightmare Scenario written by Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta, an excerpt of which was reported Wednesday by Axios. They write that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump "tried to joke about the virus for months, sometimes even mocking people who had become ill." (Morrow, 6/23)

In other news about former President Trump —

New York Post: Trump Blasts COVID Lab-Leak Detractors, Says China Must Pay
Former President Donald Trump is blasting early detractors of the “lab-leak theory” ​in a new interview, pointing out he “called it a long time ago” that the coronavirus may have escaped from the virology lab in Wuhan — adding, “we have to make China pay.” “​I said it a long time ago​,​ right from the beginning​. And when you look at Wu​han and that’s where it all started​,​ and then you look at the ​Wuhan lab and that’s what they were doing​,​ it seemed pretty obvious to me​.​ I called it a long time ago​,” Trump said in an interview Wednesday on Fox Nation. (Moore, 6/24)

Stateline: CDC Extends National Eviction Moratorium
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday extended the national eviction moratorium it first imposed in September to July 31. The eviction ban, designed to help keep people in their homes and thus slow the spread of COVID-19 in crowded settings such as homeless shelters, was set to expire next week. More than 7 million households were behind on rent last month and nearly half are at risk of eviction, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. State leaders are bracing for a potential wave of evictions when the federal moratorium expires. (Quinton and Hernández, 6/24)

NPR: CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium Through July
The Biden administration says the extension is for "one final month" and will allow time for it to take other steps to stabilize housing for those facing eviction and foreclosure. The White House says it is encouraging state and local courts to adopt anti-eviction diversion programs to help delinquent tenants stay housed and avoid legal action. The federal government will also try to speed up distribution of tens of billions of dollars in emergency rental assistance that's available but has yet to be spent. In addition, a moratorium on foreclosures involving federally backed mortgages has been extended for "a final month," until July 31. (Fessler, 6/24)

CBS News: CDC Extends COVID-19 Ban On Most Evictions Through July 31 
The move comes after activists and lawmakers pleaded with the Biden administration to extend the measure, even as the U.S. has been marking the lowest levels of COVID-19 cases and deaths since the beginning of the pandemic. "The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a historic threat to the nation's public health. Keeping people in their homes and out of crowded or congregate settings — like homeless shelters — by preventing evictions is a key step in helping to stop the spread of COVID-19," the CDC said in a brief statement announcing the extension. (Tin, 6/24)

And the Biden administration nominates a housing chief —

Politico: Biden Picks Housing Advocate To Lead FHA
President Joe Biden will nominate housing nonprofit executive Julia Gordon to be the commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration, the White House said Thursday. Gordon is the president of the National Community Stabilization Trust, which facilitates the rehabilitation of homes in underserved markets. She was also the housing director at the Center for American Progress and managed the single-family policy team at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. (O'Donnell, 6/24)

In related news on homelessness —

Bay Area News Group: As More Bay Area Homeless Camps Are Closed, Activists Fight Back
As the Bay Area continues to move closer to a pre-COVID-19 normal, officials are starting to disband many of the homeless encampments that had been allowed to stay in place — and expand — throughout the pandemic. But some camp residents aren’t going without a fight. A coalition of activists and unhoused people representing encampments throughout the Bay Area joined forces Tuesday to demand local agencies stop displacing people from their camps. They argue COVID-19 remains a threat, and federal health guidelines — which recommend allowing camps to stay where they are if individual housing is not available — are still in place. (Kendall, 6/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: S.F. Officials Want $15 Million For Tent Sites - Despite Angst Over Yearly $60K Cost Per Tent
San Francisco’s homelessness department is pushing to continue an expensive tent encampment program that it says is crucial for keeping people off the sidewalks, despite its high price tag of more than $60,000 per tent, per year. The city has six so-called “safe sleeping villages,” where homeless people sleep in tents and also receive three meals a day, around-the-clock security, bathrooms and showers. The city created these sites during the pandemic to quickly get people off crowded sidewalks and into a place where they can socially distance and access basic services. (Thadani, 6/23)

The Wall Street Journal: As Austin Booms, Homelessness Faces Crackdown 
Cities nationwide are grappling with how to respond to homelessness after the coronavirus pandemic. This rapidly growing city of nearly 1 million has an estimated 3,160 people experiencing homelessness, according to an estimate by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, a nonprofit that serves as the lead agency for homeless services in the Austin area. While that is a small number compared with many West Coast cities, the issue gained visibility after a change to city policies led homeless encampments to spread across downtown Austin and popular walking and biking paths. (Findell, 6/24)

Bangor Daily News: Using Ramada Inn As A Shelter Offers Bangor A Model For Fighting Homelessness, Director Says
A Bangor hotel that has used all 60 of its beds to house homeless residents since last fall is expected to stop serving as a shelter at the end of September. But the shelter director said that use of the hotel over the past year could be a model for Bangor’s future efforts to fight homelessness. The Ramada Inn on Odlin Road has served exclusively as a homeless shelter since September 2020, when Penobscot Community Health Care began running it as an extension of its Hope House shelter under a contract with the Maine State Housing Authority. The initial goal for the shelter was to keep residents socially distant amid the COVID-19 pandemic as the city’s existing shelters could accommodate fewer guests because of distancing requirements. (Marino Jr., 6/24)

Also —

The Washington Post: Workers Transformed A McDonald’s In France Into A Food Bank 
As the coronavirus overwhelmed Europe, the occupied building became the unlikely hub of an impromptu aid-distribution effort. (Noack and Mehl, 6/24)

Modern Healthcare: Democrats Propose $400 Billion Medicaid Boost For Home Care
Congressional Democrats on Thursday unveiled a bill that would significantly expand access to services that help seniors and people with disabilities receive care in their homes and communities, following up on President Joe Biden's demands for such an investment in an infrastructure bill. The proposal, sponsored by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and high-ranking House and Senate Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), would offer increased Medicaid funding for states offering home- and community-based services (HCBS) if they agree to certain conditions. Democrats are planning to include the proposal in a forthcoming budget bill that only needs 50 votes to pass the Senate. (Hellmann, 6/24)

Detroit Free Press: Dingell Wants Expanded Home Care For Medicaid Recipients
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, wants Congress to provide states more funding in the future to expand home and community-based care to Medicaid recipients and to make sure the people providing those services are better paid. On Thursday, she introduced legislation that, if enacted, would do that. An identical bill was also introduced in the U.S. Senate. (Spangler, 6/24)

In news about Medicaid in Puerto Rico —

Miami Herald: Puerto Rico Governor Goes To D.C. To Advocate For Solution To Island’s Medicaid Woes
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi is in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to advocate for the American territory to achieve parity in federal funding for Medicaid, a cornerstone goal of his administration that he is trying to push in a Democratic-controlled Congress. “Puerto Rico should have state-like treatment on the Island’s Medicaid program; anything less than that is discrimination against the most vulnerable citizens of our Island based on their geographic location,” the governor said. (Ortiz-Blanes and Roarty, 6/22)

The Hill: Puerto Rico Presses Congress To Prevent 'Medicaid Cliff'
Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi (D) said Thursday that a looming “Medicaid cliff” and a slew of political and economic challenges all come back to the island’s status as a U.S. territory. The debate over status will remain at the core of the island's politics indefinitely, he said, unless Puerto Rico becomes a state or a sovereign nation. "Whenever I'm told about prioritizing, I say the status issue permeates everything else. It is an existential issue. You always have to deal with this issue until you resolve it," Pierluisi told The Hill in an interview. (Bernal, 6/25)

Also —

The Hill: House Passes Veterans Contraception, LGBTQ Business Bills Previously Blocked By GOP 
The House passed two bills on Thursday to promote credit fairness for LGBT-owned businesses and ensure that veterans can access contraceptive health care without copays, after both measures failed to advance under an expedited process last week. House Democratic leaders had scheduled votes on the two bills last week under a fast-track process used for bipartisan legislation that requires a two-thirds supermajority for passage, since they were under the impression that Republicans would support them. (Marcos, 6/24)

AP: Georgia Sued For Ban On Gender-Affirming Care Under Medicaid
Two transgender women are suing the state of Georgia, saying they’ve been denied access to gender-affirming health care under its Medicaid program. The American Civil Liberties Union filed the federal lawsuit Thursday in Atlanta on behalf of Shon Thomas and Gwendolyn Cheney. The suit says Georgia bans gender-affirming surgeries in violation of the U.S. Constitution, the Affordable Care Act and the Medicaid Act. (6/24)

CBS News: Trans Kids Fight For Health Care Rights 
Dylan Brandt, one of the roughly 2% of U.S. high schoolers who identify as trans, began his transition when he was 13-years-old. Chronicling bits of it on TikTok, he went from long blonde hair to appearing more masculine. With psychological counseling and under supervision from a pediatrician, he started taking cross-sex hormones by injecting testosterone. He explained that as early as fourth grade he'd had confusing feelings that stretched on until his teenage years. (Doane, 6/21)

NBC News: Under Trump, Gains In Health Care Coverage For Latino Children Mostly Erased
Latino children were disproportionately affected by an overall increase in child uninsured rates between 2016 and 2019 when Donald Trump was president, according to a recent study. More than 1.8 million Latino children lacked health coverage as of 2019, a rate of 9.3 percent, according to the study from the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University released June 8. That is an increase of 354,400 children compared to 2016, when the uninsured rate of Latino children was at 7.7 percent. The uninsured rate of non-Latino children increased from 3.7 percent in 2016 to 4.4 percent in 2019. (Acevedo, 6/23)

Stateline: Enrollment In Health Insurance Lags Among Latino Children
Not long ago, Graciela Camarena, a community health worker in the Rio Grande Valley, had a perplexing case. Over a two-year period, the U.S.-born daughter of a single, working mother kept getting turned down for Medicaid coverage even though her brother was enrolled in the public health plan. The situation was fraught because the 12-year-old girl was ailing. She had developed breathing problems and was always fatigued, to the point that she couldn’t participate in gym class. (Ollove, 6/24)

Also —

The CT Mirror: Undocumented Immigrants Become 'Permanent Patients' In Hospitals
Six months have passed since Maria has stepped outside Yale New Haven Hospital. No fresh air. No wind, rain or sun on her skin. No home-cooked meals. Just air conditioning, lukewarm cafeteria meals and the view from her window, overlooking the hospital’s parking garage. ... Hospitals are required by federal regulations to provide life-sustaining treatment to uninsured undocumented immigrants who show up in the emergency department and to treat them until they can be discharged safely. In Connecticut, however, undocumented immigrants don’t have access to outpatient services or less-expensive nursing home care if they require ongoing treatment after hospitalization. (Thomas and Pananjady, 6/15)

Salem Statesman Journal: Undocumented And Uninsured: How Oregon Could Address Racial Inequities In Health Care
Guadalupe Romero Munoz’s father, Nicholas, first complained about a blister on the heel of his right foot in December. In January, as the blister continued to grow, Munoz took his father to a local urgent care clinic. The clinic urged the family to take Nicholas to a specialist instead. But because his father is undocumented and barred from enrolling in the Oregon Health Plan, the family was unable to do so. Without access to health insurance and care, the infection in Nicholas’ foot worsened. (Lugo, 6/22)

KTVU: Covered California Offers Health Care To Some For As Low As $1 A Month, Thanks To Federal Funds
Folks who got economically beaten and battered by the pandemic, have a real opportunity, announced Monday, to get high-quality healthcare for quite literally, a pittance: a dollar a month. Covered California, the state-managed low-cost medical insurance provider, announced that thanks to the funding from the federal American Rescue Plan, record numbers of people are signing up for very good insurance for at an incredibly cheap price. (Vacar, 6/22)

WOAI: Congressman Proposes New Bill To Help Texans Get Medical Coverage
You could soon be one of millions of Texans covered by health insurance. Congressman Lloyd Doggett is proposing a new bill to help many struggling to see a doctor and get the care they need. "I should have the right to be able to go take care of myself, without knowing that there's going to be insane financial repercussions," Vanessa Vega said. Something Vanessa Vega, 25 and a grad student, says she cannot do that as she scrambles to afford health care. ... Running out of options, Vanessa contacted Congressman Lloyd Doggett's office, asking what was being done to create a solution for an issue millions of people currently have after 12 states, including Texas, have refused to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act. (Guzman-Tracy, 6/21)

Stat: In Reversal, Eli Lilly Will Now Seek Fast Approval For Alzheimer's Treatment
Eli Lilly said Thursday that it will seek a fast U.S. approval for its drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease, taking advantage of the unprecedented regulatory path established by Biogen. The pharma giant intends to submit its drug called donanemab to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year. Lilly will request the agency grant the drug accelerated approval based on its ability to reduce amyloid plaques in the brain. (Feuerstein, 6/24)

Axios: Eli Lilly To Apply For FDA Approval Of Unproven Alzheimer's Treatment 
Eli Lilly plans on filing an application for an "accelerated approval" of its experimental Alzheimer's treatment, donanemab, with the FDA later this year, the pharmaceutical company said today. The FDA possibly set a new precedent for more unproven Alzheimer's drugs to gain the agency's stamp of approval, after it gave a controversial conditional approval to Biogen's Alzheimer's drug earlier this month. (Herman, 6/24)

Stat: Will FDA Quickly Review A Lilly Drug To Alleviate Cost Concerns For Alzheimer's Treatments? 
In an unexpected move, U.S regulators granted Eli Lilly (LLY) a breakthrough designation for its experimental Alzheimer’s drug, raising intriguing questions about competition and pricing in a quickly evolving marketplace already filled with controversy. This was the second time this week, in fact, that the Food and Drug Administration granted this type of designation to an Alzheimer’s drug being developed, the other bestowed on Biogen (BIIB) and Eisai (ESALY). (Silverman, 6/24)

Also —

ABC News: Doctors Face Dilemma On Whether To Recommend New Alzheimer's Treatment 
This month, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease -- the first in nearly 20 years. But the decision was not without controversy, with doctors split on how they feel about the treatment. Since the approval, doctors have faced questions from patients and families desperate for good news, but they are conflicted on whether to recommend and prescribe the new drug, developed by Biogen. (Leyden, 6/24)

Stat: Pfizer Halts Global Distribution Of Smoking Cessation Pill
After finding potential carcinogens in some lots of Chantix, Pfizer (PFE) late last month halted worldwide distribution of smoking cessation pill. The drug maker, which is now running tests, took this step after finding nitrosamine levels that were above an “acceptable” daily intake, according to the company. Consequently, regulators in Canada and South Korea, for instance, have posted recall notices for the medicine, which is called Champix outside the U.S., is recalled. Pfizer also sent letters to distributors about its actions. (Silverman, 6/24)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Reuters: U.S. Approves Roche Drug For Emergency Use Against Severe COVID-19
U.S. health regulators have approved Roche's arthritis drug Actemra for emergency use to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients, giving an extra boost to a medicine that was already allowed to be administered on compassionate grounds. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Thursday it had issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Actemra to treat adults and pediatric patients hospitalized with COVID-19. (6/25)

Bloomberg: Tamiflu-Like Drugs Face Long Odds Against Covid ‘Runaway Train’
The flu fighter Tamiflu is one of the most recognizable antiviral medications in the world -- but its weaknesses suggest that devising a similarly simple treatment for Covid-19 will be challenging. After spending some $20 billion to develop vaccines at top speed, the U.S. is turning its attention to treating Covid-19 after a person is infected. Last week, health officials said the Antiviral Program for Pandemics will use $3.2 billion to target drugs for Covid and other viruses with the potential to foment pandemics. (Torrence, 6/24)

Stat: CDC Advisory Panel Backs Use Of Dengue Vaccine In High-Risk Areas
An expert panel voted Thursday to advise that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend use of a controversial dengue vaccine, despite the fact that it can only be given to a small fraction of U.S. children and requires a pre-vaccination test in order to be used safely. The 14-0 vote by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices clears the way for rollout of Sanofi’s three-dose Dengvaxia vaccine, assuming the CDC accepts the advice. The CDC very rarely overrides recommendations from the group, known as ACIP. (Branswell, 6/24)

The New York Times: New Therapy For Aggressive Prostate Cancer Improves Survival 
An experimental therapy has prolonged life in men with aggressive prostate cancer that has resisted other treatments, offering new hope to patients with advanced illness and opening the door to a promising new form of cancer therapy. Among men who received the new therapy, there was a nearly 40 percent reduction in deaths over the course of the clinical trial, compared with similar patients who received only standard treatment, researchers reported on Wednesday. (Rabin, 6/24)

Axios: The Growing Global "Infodemic" Around Stem Cell Therapies 
An industry centered around unproven stem cell therapies is flourishing due to misinformation. Stem cells offer a tantalizing potential to address a large number of diseases, like Parkinson's, ALS, cancers and bodily injuries. But only a small number of therapies have been found safe and effective through clinical trials, while misinformation continues to proliferate. (O'Reilly, 6/24)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: CVS Wins California Drug Overcharge Trial
CVS Pharmacy on Wednesday was cleared of allegations that it overcharged multiple classes of insured customers by more than $121 million for generic drugs. The individually insured customers representing classes from six states alleged that by not reporting its discounted prices for health savings pass program members as its "usual and customary" prices, CVS was in violation of state consumer protection statutes. However, a federal jury in California unanimously absolved CVS of these claims after less than a day of deliberation. A CVS spokesperson said the company was pleased with the verdict. (Devereaux, 6/24)

The New York Times: Ei-Ichi Negishi, Nobel Prize Winner In Chemistry, Dies At 85 
Ei-ichi Negishi, who shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2010 for developing techniques now ubiquitous in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, died on June 6 in Indianapolis. He was 85.His death, at a hospital, was announced by Purdue University, where Dr. Negishi was a professor for four decades. No cause was given. (Chang, 6/24)

AP: UN: 275 Million People Used Drugs Worldwide In 2020
Around 275 million people used drugs worldwide last year, while over 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders, according to the World Drug Report released Thursday by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna. The report also said many countries saw a rise in the use of cannabis during the coronavirus pandemic. In surveys of health professionals across 77 countries, 42% said cannabis use had increased. A rise in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical drugs was also observed in the same period. (6/24)

AP: In Pandemic, Drug Overdose Deaths Soar Among Black Americans
It was September, and as the COVID-19 pandemic intensified America’s opioid addiction crisis in nearly every corner of the country, many Black neighborhoods like this one suffered most acutely. The portrait of the opioid epidemic has long been painted as a rural white affliction, but the demographics have been shifting for years as deaths surged among Black Americans. The pandemic hastened the trend by further flooding the streets with fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid, in communities with scant resources to deal with addiction. (Galofaro, 6/24)

In other news about the drug epidemic —

Albuquerque Journal: 20K Doses Of Opioids Unaccounted For At Peralta Pharmacy
A pharmacy in Valencia County can no longer fill prescriptions after inspections found more than 20,000 doses of opioids unaccounted for. The state Board of Pharmacy reached an agreement with Joe’s Pharmacy, owner Michael Leon Otero and pharmacist-in-charge Shirley Jojola on May 26. The settlement comes after federal Drug Enforcement Agency inspections in 2018 and 2019 found “substantial deficiencies” in the pharmacy’s operations, including the unaccounted for doses of various opioids. The state pharmacy licensing board accepted the surrender of Otero’s board-issued licenses last month. (Grijalva, 6/24)

WTNH: Doctors See Alarming Trend Of Kids Brought Into ER For Drug Overdoses, Fentanyl In Their System
An alarming trend being seen at Connecticut Children’s in Hartford; young children, some even infants, being brought into the emergency room for a drug overdose. They all have fentanyl in their system. Three overdoses within a week and they have had about half a dozen or so in the last month – two of them in Hartford. (Wilson, 6/23)

Detroit Free Press: EMS Calls For Overdoses Up Across Michigan In 2021
The number of EMS runs for opioid overdoses has increased again this year, according to new data provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Across the state, EMS units responded to 13% more probable opioid overdoses during the first five months of this year, compared to the same time frame in 2020. The breakdown from January to May: 5,782 runs this year; 5,121 runs in 2020: and 4,500 in 2019. (Kovanis, 6/24)

Portland Press Herald: Drug Overdose Deaths Continue To Rise At Record Pace In Maine  
Fatal drug overdoses continue to rise in Maine, setting a pace that could eclipse the record number of deaths that occurred last year during the coronavirus pandemic.Through April, the state has reported 199 confirmed or suspected overdose deaths, a monthly average of roughly 50 deaths. That’s more than the 163 fatal overdoses during the same period last year, when the monthly average was nearly 41. Overall, a record 504 people died of a drug overdose in 2020, a 33 percent increase over the 380 people who died of a drug overdose in 2019. (6/23)

Also —

AP: CDC: HIV Tests Rare In Medical Settings Among WVa Drug Users
Emergency departments and inpatient medical personnel rarely conducted HIV testing on intravenous drug users in a West Virginia county with one of the nation’s highest spikes in such cases, according to a federal investigation released Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented the preliminary findings during a meeting of state and local health officials, the Department of Health and Human Resources said in a news release. (Raby, 6/24)

The Washington Post: Kim Blalock, Alabama Mom Battling Chronic Back Pain, Faces Felony Charge After Taking An Opioid While Pregnant 
Kim Blalock, who says she has chronic back pain, battled excruciating aches during her most recent pregnancy, so she turned to painkillers prescribed by her doctor, hoping for relief. Instead, the 36-year-old mother of six has endured a distressing ordeal: Her baby tested positive for the opioid, which precipitated an investigation that led an Alabama prosecutor to charge Blalock with prescription fraud in a case her attorneys say is an unprecedented violation of a pregnant woman’s privacy and freedoms. Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly said this is the first time he has prosecuted a pregnant woman refilling her prescription as fraud. (Kornfield, 6/24)

Crain's Chicago Business: Chicago County Faces One-Two Punch Of Nurse Strikes
Hundreds of nurses are holding a one-day strike Thursday against Cook County Health, forcing the health system to postpone some surgeries and divert ambulances elsewhere. Around 900 nurses, represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee, are striking over staffing concerns. Another 330 in "essential areas" were prevented from striking after Cook County Health "received a court-ordered injunction Wednesday," according to a statement. (Asplund, 6/24)

Axios: Doctors Face Hurdles To Mental Health Care Amid Rising Distress 
With an already high-pressure job — made exponentially more stressful amid the pandemic — physicians around the U.S. faced soaring levels of mental distress in the last year and a dearth of resources to help them, Vox reports. The providers who are often the first line of defense in caring for patients with mental health crises face major hurdles — including fear of harm to their career and lack of support from employers — to getting help themselves. (Reed, 6/24)

Savannah Morning News: St. Joseph's/Candler Still Grappling With Effects Of Ransomware Attack
Nearly a week after a ransomware attack was first detected at St. Joseph's/Candler, the area's largest healthcare system is not yet back to normal. Spokesman Scott Larson released this update Wednesday afternoon: "St. Joseph’s/Candler is continuing to investigate the 6/17 cybersecurity incident and has been in contact with the FBI. Our physicians, nurses and staff are working diligently to provide patient care. SJ/C is admitting patients and performing surgeries, and oncology services are currently on schedule." (Landers, 6/23)

Modern Healthcare: Health Catalyst To Buy Twistle For $104.5M
Health Catalyst plans to acquire patient engagement company Twistle, the data warehousing and analytics company said Thursday. Salt Lake City-based Health Catalyst will acquire Twistle's equity interests for an estimated $104.5 million, plus a potential earn-out of up to $65 million based on performance targets, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Health Catalyst plans to fund the purchase with $57.5 million in cash and $47 million in company stock. (Kim Cohen, 6/24)

Axios: Wall Street Bets Big On Mental Health Provider LifeStance 
Mental health care provider LifeStance Health has traded publicly for two weeks, and its stock has soared 57% from its $18 IPO price, giving the company a $10.6 billion valuation. LifeStance's business rests on the idea that future demand for mental health services will continue to grow in the wake of the pandemic. (Herman, 6/24)

KHN: No Vacancy: How A Shortage Of Mental Health Beds Keeps Kids Trapped Inside ERs 
One evening in late March, a mom called 911. Her daughter, she said, was threatening to kill herself. EMTs arrived at the home north of Boston, helped calm the 13-year-old, and took her to an emergency room. Melinda, like a growing number of children during the covid-19 pandemic, had become increasingly anxious and depressed as she spent more time away from in-person contact at school, church and her singing lessons. (Bebinger, 6/25)

ABC News: Women Provided 3 Times More Child Care Than Men During Pandemic, Analysis Finds 
During the coronavirus pandemic, a working-age woman, on average, provided 173 additional unpaid hours of child care, according to a new analysis. That is nearly three times the amount of additional unpaid hours of child care taken on by a working-age man, according to the analysis from the Center for Global Development, a nonprofit organization that works to reduce global poverty. (Kindelan, 6/25)

In other public health news —

Scientific American: Gray Hair Can Return To Its Original Color--And Stress Is Involved, Of Course 
Few harbingers of old age are clearer than the sight of gray hair. As we grow older, black, brown, blonde or red strands lose their youthful hue. Although this may seem like a permanent change, new research reveals that the graying process can be undone—at least temporarily. (Kwon, 6/22)

Fox News: Chocolate For Breakfast? Study Suggests Potential Benefits
Starting your day off with chocolate, or even sneaking in a bit before bed may not have the dire effects on weight gain you’d suspect, especially if done correctly among a certain population. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital studied the impact of adding milk chocolate to the diets of postmenopausal women for a paper published in The FASEB Journal. The study analyzed 19 postmenopausal women who were involved in a randomized, controlled cross-over trial. The women consumed 100g of milk chocolate either within one hour of waking up or within one hour of going to bed. The researchers compared weight gain and other measures to women who had no chocolate intake. (Hein, 6/24)

The Washington Post: Peloton Faces Backlash From Users Of Its Tread+ Treadmill After CPSC Safety Recall
Peloton appears to have taken a new misstep in its handling of the high-profile safety recall for its Tread+ treadmills, which have been tied to dozens of serious accidents involving children and adults. (Frankel, 6/24)

WUSF Public Media: Managing 'Reopening Anxiety' And Tips To Spot It In Kids
More and more people are returning to pre-COVID activities like going to the office or gathering with friends in public without masks. It's been a welcome relief for some, but can be stressful for others. A survey conducted earlier this month by the Florida Association of Managing Entities, which works with behavioral health providers around the state, found one in three Floridians are experiencing more social anxiety than they did prior to the pandemic. (Colombini, 6/24)

In celebrity news —

The New York Times: Is The Forced Contraception Alleged By Britney Spears Legal?
Among the stunning assertions that the pop star Britney Spears made to a Los Angeles probate judge this week, as she sought to end her protracted conservatorship, was one that shook experts in guardianship law and reproductive rights deeply. She said a team led by her father, who is her conservator, prevented her from having her IUD removed because the team did not want her to have more children. “Forcing someone to be on birth control against their will is a violation of basic human rights and bodily autonomy, just as forcing someone to become or stay pregnant against their will would be,” said Ruth Dawson, a principal policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports reproductive rights. (Hoffman, 6/24)

The Hill: Britney Spears Case Casts Harsh Light On Conservatorships
Britney Spears's cries for help in court have cast a critical light on conservatorships, as the public has become both more aware and more sensitive to mental health struggles. But her explosive claims Wednesday have also reignited a national conversation on freedom, dignity and how much is too much when it comes to legal intervention. ... Pundits on both sides of the aisle — and some who don't typically weigh in on the plights of pop stars — denounced the long-running conservatorship, expressing particular horror at Spears's accusation that she is restricted from making decisions about her body and fertility. (Kurtz, 6/24)

The Hill: New York Adds Third Gender Option To Birth Certificates, Licenses
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday signed a law that will add a third gender option to birth certificates and licenses in the state. The Gender Recognition Act allows nonbinary individuals to select “X” for their gender on driver’s licenses and there will be an option on birth certificates to select “parent” instead of mother or father, a press release by the governor states. (Lonas, 6/24)

AP: Most Nevada Workplaces Can Relax Sanitation Procedures
The state agency that oversees workplace safety is relaxing guidelines for businesses, allowing them to wipe down most surfaces with soap or detergent, rather than disinfectants that kill the coronavirus. “When no people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are known to have been in a space, cleaning once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove viruses that may be on surfaces and help maintain a healthy facility,” according to guidance published Thursday by Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (6/24)

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Poverty, Air Pollution Cause Cancer Spike In Louisiana Industrial Areas, Tulane Study Says
The combination of air pollution and poverty is triggering higher rates of cancer in Louisiana, according to a new study led by the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic. Released this week, the study indicates low-income communities with high levels of toxic air pollution had average cancer rates of about 515 cases per 100,000 residents. That’s statistically higher than the 482-case average statewide and the 487-case average for low-income areas with less air pollution. (Baurick, 6/24)

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Court Favors Mom In Girl's Inoculations
In a 4-3 ruling, the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a circuit judge's denial of a mother's request to stop the state Department of Human Services from immunizing her daughter, who was in foster care. The state's divided high court sent the case back to Pulaski County Circuit Judge Patricia James for further proceedings consistent with the court's ruling. Alexius Macklin appealed an order of the Pulaski County Circuit Court regarding her 1-year-old daughter, M.S., who was neglected, according to the Arkansas Supreme Court. Macklin didn't challenge the adjudication itself, but challenged the circuit court's denial of her motion to bar the department from immunizing M.S. over Macklin's objection. (Wickline, 6/25)

WMFE: As Pandemic Wanes, Syphilis Numbers On The Rise In Leon County 
The number of syphilis cases in Leon County is up sharply from last year. State and local health officials are looking to launch an aggressive campaign to reduce the numbers. The nearly two dozen people on Wednesday’s Syphilis Prevention Coalition Zoom call heard sobering numbers from Leon County Health Department program manager Dale Harrison. “We have 129 cases of syphilis right now compared to 86 cases last year,” Harrison says. (6/24)

Georgia Health News: Respiratory Infection RSV Surges In South As Mask Use, Distancing Decline
Doctors in Georgia and other Southern states have seen since April an unusual surge of a common respiratory virus that affects children and older adults. The spike in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at this time of year is linked, at least in part, to children and others no longer widely wearing masks or social distancing to prevent COVID-19 infection, experts say. When masks began coming off, “we knew we’d see a really bad RSV season,’’ said Dr. Stephen Thacker, a pediatric infectious disease specialist in Savannah. “Kids are getting infected at the same time.’’ (Miller, 6/24)

Louisville Courier-Journal: CDC Says Kentucky Among States With Salmonella Cases Linked To Poultry
Kentucky is among the states where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found Salmonella cases, with at least 17 sick people in the commonwealth. One person has died in neighboring Indiana from the disease, according to the CDC, and the multistate outbreaks have been linked to backyard poultry. In total, the CDC discovered 474 infections in 46 states, though not all cases will be caught or reported. A third of sick people are children younger than 5. There have been 103 hospitalizations and one death. (Ladd, 6/24)

ABC News: Discord Over Whether To Halt South Carolina Abortion Case 
The parties involved in a lawsuit over South Carolina’s new ban on almost all abortions disagree about how the case should be handled while the U.S. Supreme Court considers similar litigation from Mississippi. Those supporting the restrictions argue they should be allowed to collect information for their defense in the coming months. (Kinnard, 6/24)

Reuters: First COVID-19 Case Could Have Emerged In China In Oct 2019 - Study
The virus that causes COVID-19 could have started spreading in China as early as October 2019, two months before the first case was identified in the central city of Wuhan, a new study showed on Friday. Researchers from Britain's University of Kent used methods from conservation science to estimate that SARS-CoV-2 first appeared from early October to mid-November 2019, according to a paper published in the PLOS Pathogens journal. (Stanway, 6/24)

Reuters: Antibodies Triggered By Chinese COVID-19 Shots Less Effective On Delta Variant - Researcher 
Antibodies triggered by two Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are less effective against the Delta variant compared with other strains but the shots still offer protection, a Chinese disease control researcher told state media. (6/25)

In other global developments —

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Offers Afghanistan 3 Million J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Doses
The Biden administration plans to deliver three million doses of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine next week to Afghanistan, which is battling its deadliest wave of the pandemic amid a rapidly deteriorating security situation. The White House is offering the single-dose vaccines ahead of President Biden’s Friday meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Afghanistan’s chief peace negotiator, Abdullah Abdullah. They plan to discuss how Washington can continue supporting the embattled Afghan government, which lost large territories to the Taliban this month, once the U.S. military completes its withdrawal. (Lubold and Trofimov, 6/24)

Bloomberg: Record Vaccinations May Not Stop Deadly Third Wave In India
Officials in New Delhi rejoiced earlier this week when India hit a single-day record by administering more than 8 million Covid-19 vaccinations. But even this unprecedented pace may not be fast enough for a country just emerging from a devastating second wave to head off a third one, experts say. They also question whether this week’s push averaging about 4.6 million doses a day, up from about 3 million for most of the past month, can be sustained. (Kay, 6/24)

The Wall Street Journal: Race Between Covid-19 Vaccines And Delta Variant Plays Out In U.K. 
The highly transmissible Covid-19 Delta variant is generating rapidly rising caseloads in the U.K., but smaller increases in hospitalizations and fatalities, in a hopeful sign that mass vaccination can prevent a repeat of the heavy toll of sickness and death seen earlier in the pandemic. The other message is one of caution. Epidemiologists say the U.K.’s experience shows how easily the variant can spread even within populations where vaccine uptake is high. That underscores the risk of further outbreaks of Covid-19 in the U.S. and other advanced economies, as well as the urgency of widening and accelerating vaccination programs. (Douglas and Shah, 6/23)

Fox News: Man Believed To Have Longest Coronavirus Infection Had Virus For 300 Days
A 72-year-old man in England is believed to be have had "the longest known PCR confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 infection" after testing positive for coronavirus some 300 days. Dave Smith, of Bristol, is described in medical papers documenting his case as being immunocompromised and with a history of cancer, which may have put him at an increased risk for prolonged infection. In a preprint paper, released ahead of the July European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) conference where his case will be presented, doctors noted that the virus did not clear after a 15-day course of Remdesivir. On day 265 of his illness, he was treated with two monoclonal antibodies, casirivimab and imdevimab, and his health improved "dramatically." Forty-five days after the treatment, the virus was not detected in RT-PCR tests. (Hein, 6/24)

AP: Russia Mandates Vaccinations For Some As Virus Cases Surge
In light of the surge, at least 14 Russian regions — from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the remote far-eastern region of Sakhalin — made vaccinations mandatory this month for employees in certain sectors, such as government offices, retail, health care, education, restaurants, fitness centers, beauty parlors and other service industries. Moscow authorities said companies should suspend without pay employees unwilling to get vaccinated, and they threatened to temporarily halt operations of businesses that don’t meet the goal of having 60% of staff get at least one shot by July 15 and both shots by Aug. 15. (Litvinova, 6/25)

Fox News: WHO Flags Concerns At Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine Production Plant
The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed concern about how one of the plants involved in Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine production fills the vials, and whether mitigation measures to reduce risk of cross-contamination are adequately implemented. WHO, which is currently reviewing the vaccine, conducted the inspection between May 31 and June 4, and also noted issues concerning tracing and identifying batches at the site, which is located in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, Reuters reported. In response, Pharmstandard-UfaTIVA said all issues had been resolved, and that none pertained to the safety or efficacy of the vaccine itself. (Hein, 6/24)

The New York Times: Israel, A World Leader In Vaccinations, Faces A New Outbreak
Israel has been a trailblazer in the post-pandemic world, largely returning to normal in May following one of the world’s fastest vaccination drives. But dozens of new cases recently emerged at schools in two cities, Modiin and Binyamina, leading to hundreds of people being quarantined. Israel has made 12- to 15-year-olds eligible for vaccination, but many have yet to get shots. (6/25)

Bloomberg: Beta Variant Of Coronavirus Behind Surge In Seychelles, Most Vaccinated Nation
Seychelles, which has vaccinated a greater proportion of its people than any other nation, said genetic sequencing of samples shows that the so-called Beta variant, first discovered in South Africa last year, is behind a surge in cases. The Indian Ocean island nation has mainly offered Sinopharm and AstraZeneca Plc vaccines, the latter made under license in India and known as Covishield, to its 98,000 people. The health ministry has reported that at least two people fully vaccinated with Covishield have recently died of the coronavirus. (Gappy and Sguazzin, 6/24)

The New York Times: Musical Chairs? Why Swapping Seats Could Reduce Orchestra Aerosols. 
If musical instruments were people, trumpets would be super spreaders. When a trumpeter blows into the mouthpiece, tiny respiratory droplets, known as aerosols, travel out of the musician’s mouth, whiz through the brass tubing and spray into the air. During a deadly pandemic, when a musician might unwittingly be exhaling an infectious virus, that poses a potential problem for orchestras. And the trumpet is not the only musical health hazard. (Anthes, 6/23)

KQED: California And Florida Took Dramatically Divergent Pandemic Paths. Who Did Better?
From the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, the governors of California and Florida have taken almost polar opposite approaches to managing an unprecedented health crisis: California Gov. Gavin Newsom shut down his state early, prioritizing public health; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis largely kept his state open for business, prioritizing the economy. California just fully reopened on Tuesday, while Florida has been open all year, save for a short lockdown last spring. The split mirrors the political divisions that have bedeviled the United States during the pandemic — with both sides claiming victory at various times. But now, more than a year of data is offering some clear takeaways on which state’s approach has produced better outcomes on a number of fronts. (Lagos and Switalski Muñoz, 6/17)

The Washington Post: India’s Black Fungus Outbreak: Recovering Covid Patients Grapple With Removal Of Eyes
When the coronavirus pandemic tore through India this year, its ferocity killed tens of thousands of people. But thousands of those who survived were soon back in hospitals with an ominous fungal infection called mucormycosis. The complaints ranged from a blurring of vision to droopy eyelids or discharge from the nose. At high risk were diabetic people or those with very weak immune systems. In many cases, the only treatment is the removal of the fungus from the infected area — and that area is often the eye. (Sen and Masih, 6/22)

Also —

Scientific American: Cancer Clues Found In Gene Behind 'Lemon Frost' Gecko Color 
“There's been very little molecular genetic work done in reptiles, and so it's fantastic to see an instance where a group has been able to track down the genetic basis of a really interesting trait,” says Douglas Menke, a geneticist at the University of Georgia, who was consulted for the study but was not directly involved in the work. This research could also open new avenues for studying human melanoma, an aggressive cancer of our pigment-producing cells. It is newly diagnosed in about 100,000 people in the U.S. each year and kills more than 7,000 annually. (Bender, 6/24)

NPR: Climate Change Could Expand Spread Of Flesh-Eating Parasites In The U.S.
Three years ago, Laura Gaither and her family spent their summer vacation in Panama City Beach, Fla. One afternoon, while rinsing sand off her feet, the 35-year-old Alabama resident felt something biting her legs and noticed tiny black bugs on her skin. Gaither brushed them away, and later, when she described the bites to local residents, they told her that she had likely been bitten by sand flies. Three of Gaither's five kids had been bitten, too, but she didn't worry. The marks on their legs and arms looked like ant or mosquito bites, which can cause burning and itching, but usually subside within a week. But about two weeks later, back at home, Gaither noticed that the bites had morphed into small open wounds. They worsened over the next couple of weeks, but when she took her children to their pediatrician, "he just chalked it up to eczema," Gaither said. (Petroni, 6/25)

The Wall Street Journal: India’s Yoga Capital Hit By Downward-Facing Prospects Due To Covid-19
As yoga grew in popularity in recent years, foreign visitors flocked to the northern Indian town of Rishikesh, which brands itself as the world’s yoga capital. But the pandemic has hit the town of 100,000 on the banks of the Ganges River, with international tourists unable to visit and many of its yoga schools forced to close for much of the past year. (Anand, 6/21)

The Washington Post: The Psychological Toll Of Tornado Forecasting 
Many meteorologists who live in tornado-prone parts of the country have had to issue warnings for their own neighborhoods or remain on the job while a twister struck their houses. Even when their loved ones aren’t directly in the storm’s path, the split-second decisions meteorologists must make about whether to issue tornado warnings can have long-lasting effects on their communities. When people are killed, it can be traumatic for the forecasters who were doing everything they could to save lives during the event. (Stone, 6/22)

The Washington Post: For Americans Struggling With Poverty, ‘The Safety Net In The United States Is Very, Very Weak,’ Expert Says 
A Q&A with Mark Robert Rank, 66, professor of social welfare at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and co-author of "Poorly Understood: What America Gets Wrong About Poverty." (Heim, 6/22)

The Washington Post: World’s Most Premature Baby Just Had His First Birthday 
Right before Richard Scott William Hutchinson was born, his doctors delivered the news that he had “a zero percent chance of survival,” his parents said. Richard, the world’s most premature baby to survive, proved them wrong: He just turned 1.On June 5, 2020 — four months before her due date — Richard’s mother, Beth Hutchinson, abruptly went into labor. She was 21 weeks and two days pregnant, meaning only about halfway to full gestation. (Page, 6/23)

The Washington Post: What Is Hyperpigmentation And How Is It Treated? 
Donna Gould, a 43-year-old aesthetics student in Cocoa Beach, Fla., can’t remember a time when bug bites and scrapes didn’t leave her with dark spots on her skin. “I just assumed I was a slow healer.” Ten years ago, Gould finally asked a doctor about the spots, thinking they were from a vitamin deficiency. “The doctor told me my skin type is prone to hyperpigmentation,” Gould said, “and that the spots were my increased melanin reacting to inflammation.” (Mandell, 6/21)

The New York Times: The Warnings About The Coronavirus That Were Ignored 
There were curious characteristics about the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 1977-78, which emerged from northeastern Asia and killed an estimated 700,000 people around the world. For one, it almost exclusively affected people in their mid-20s or younger. Scientists discovered another oddity that could explain the first: It was virtually identical to a strain that circulated in the 1950s. People born before that had immunity that protected them, and younger people didn’t. But how on earth had it remained so steady genetically, since viruses continually mutate? Scientists guessed that it had been frozen in a lab. It was often found to be sensitive to temperature, something expected for viruses used in vaccine research. (Zeynep Tufekci, 6/25)

USA Today: COVID-19 Lab Leak Investigation: Deleted Data Adds To Origin Mystery
A respected U.S. scientist researching the evolution of the COVID-19 virus has uncovered an intriguing mystery with potentially troubling implications: Some of the virus’ earliest genetic fingerprints were quietly deleted last year from an important international database at the request of Chinese scientists. The deleted data raises questions about whether efforts have been made to “obscure” information in scientific databases that hold clues to knowing where the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated – and whether the pandemic started with a chance human encounter with an infected animal, or through a laboratory accident in Wuhan. (Alison Young, 6/24)

The Washington Post: Doubts About China’s Transparency On The Pandemic Origins Are Piling Up 
To get closer to the spark that caused the pandemic, it is essential to find the earliest cases of people who became infected. Evidence from these patients could suggest whether the virus jumped from an animal host to a human, in a zoonotic spillover, or whether the infection came from an inadvertent accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which was actively studying bat coronaviruses and their potential to infect people. So far, the earliest cases have not been found. When a joint mission of the World Health Organization and China made its initial attempt to look into the origins of the pandemic, a working group focused on “unlocking the potential” of global genomic sequence databases. The scientists hoped they might find genetic blueprints that would hold clues about the evolution of the virus and its pathway to people. In its March 30 report, the joint mission listed the key global databases, including the Sequence Read Archive managed by the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. The archive says it is “the largest publicly available repository of high throughput sequencing data.” (6/24)

Stat: For Now, Stem Cells For Covid-19 Are Mostly A Shot In The Dark 
The uncertainty over how to effectively treat Covid-19 is proving to be an opportunity for people interested in stem cells. It is such a hot area that there are dozens of clinical trials underway testing different kinds of stem cells and other cells against Covid-19. And many stem cell clinics have started pitching cell therapies for Covid-19 in the past year. As a stem cell researcher, I don’t think this approach will be a transformative way to treat Covid-19, but I worry that the buzz around it could do harm. (Paul Knoepfler, 6/25)

Newsweek: Vaccine Donations To Taiwan Strengthened Democratic Partnerships 
The United States sent 2.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan on Sunday—more than triple its initial commitment—as Taiwan fights off an upswing in cases. The U.S. donation represents one of the largest batches of vaccines it has sent abroad, accounting for over a third of its announced donations to Asia. The U.S. donation followed a separate shipment of 1.24 million doses from Japan on June 4, the Suga administration's first donation of vaccines abroad. (Vincent Chao, 6/25)

The Los Angeles Times: Incentives For COVID Vaccines Work But Send Wrong Message 
As we claw our way out of the pandemic, state governments across the country are offering all kinds of rewards for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. In return for getting your shot, you could take a thrilling lap around the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, win a free fishing and hunting license in Maine, or get your own custom shotgun in West Virginia. In California, residents who get vaccinated have a chance at $1.5 million as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vaccination lottery program, Vax for the Win. There’s some evidence that these incentives are working. Since California launched its lottery on May 27, more than 900,000 residents began their vaccination process. According to the California Department of Public Health, the state saw a 13% increase in vaccinations from the last week of May to the first week of June. (Caroline Petrow-Cohen, 6/25)

Kansas City Star: Kansas, Missouri Export Organs For Transplants Elsewhere 
A nationwide rule implemented last year has sent increased numbers of locally donated livers elsewhere. And as we were warned would happen, area recipients are suffering and even dying as a result. Transplants are down, patients waiting for a liver are sicker, and the costs and logistical problems associated with transporting the organs have increased. In the 16 months since the rule change in February 2020, transplants at the University of Kansas Health System dropped from 93 in the prior 16 months to 67 — a nearly 30% drop. Two additional patients on the wait list also died, as compared with the previous 16 months. (Michael Ryan, 6/25)

The Baltimore Sun: Climate Change Threatens More Than The Environment; It’s A Public Health Crisis 
Heat waves are occurring more often in the United States. Their frequency has increased from an average of two heat waves per year in the 1960s to six per year during the 2010s. Global temperatures are rising: 2016 was the hottest year on record, and the 2010-2020 was the hottest decade ever recorded. And sea levels are rising along most of the U.S. coastline, by as much as 8 inches in some locations. Left unaddressed, rising global temperatures, driven by carbon pollution, threaten to make extreme weather events more frequent and severe. Human health will suffer as a consequence, and Black communities will bear the brunt of this harm. (Leon McDougle, 6/24)

Stat: Wealthy Hospitals Should Be Last In Line For The New Residency Slots 
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that President Biden signed into law in March includes funding for the creation of an additional 1,000 residency slots for newly minted physicians at hospitals across the country. The provision is one of many in the bill that aims to help health systems provide essential care to their patients and communities. While this important ramp-up is long overdue, an inequitable allocation of these residencies will defeat its purpose. (David Lenihan, 6/25)

The CT Mirror: Terminally Ill Patients Don't Want To Die
The opinion piece by Dr. Barry Wu and Dr. Andre Sofair published on June 22 was so UNfair that I felt compelled to write a response. Their letter, like so much of what I hear from opponents of medical aid in dying, was just misleading, starting with the misuse of the term “assisted suicide,” which seems to be the obligatory bumper-sticker sound bite. Terminally ill patients don’t want to die. They want to live, but that’s not going to happen, regardless of good doctors’ thoughts and prayers. They just don’t want to live out their last days without dignity. (Paul Bluestein MD, 6/24)

Newsweek: In Health Care, Not Discriminating Is Not Enough 
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed social fissures in virtually every aspect of American life, revealing, for some, a gulf of inequity among different populations and their health outcomes all too well known to many. As one study found, social determinants account for a jaw-dropping 80 percent of health care disparities. In America, we increasingly saw these disparities—especially during the pandemic—pronounced along racial and ethnic lines. Importantly, they also exist along sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) lines. (Mandi L. Pratt-Chapman, 6/24)

The New York Times: What I Saw In My First 10 Years On Testosterone 
Ten years ago this month, on an otherwise ordinary lunch break from my job as an editor at a local newspaper, I received my first testosterone injection from a no-nonsense doctor at a hospital in Boston. I was 30 years old and desperate to be known. I also wanted it known that despite the media fixation on a trite narrative about what it meant to be trans, I was not “a man trapped in a woman’s body or any cliché like that,” as I emailed my friends and family. I was a man and I was born trans, and I could hold both of those realities without an explanation that could be written on the back of a napkin. (Thomas Page McBee, 6/25)

Bloomberg: Eli Lilly Donanemab Approval Push Tests FDA Standards 
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Biogen Inc.'s controversial Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm earlier this month without firm evidence that the drug helps patients, it created concern that other unproven treatments might follow. That scenario is already here. Eli Lilly & Co. announced Thursday that it plans to file for accelerated approval for its experimental Alzheimer's treatment donanemab this year based on its ability to clear amyloid brain plaques believed by some to cause the disease. That's the same unprecedented justification and pathway the FDA used for Aduhelm. Lilly is clearly reacting to the agency's shifted goalposts; in April, the company told investors it wouldn't seek a quick approval because the regulator said there wasn't enough data. (Max Nisen, 6/24)