Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
From KFF Health News - Latest Stories:
KFF Health News Original Stories
Fed Up With the Healthcare Industry, This Red State Capped Insulin Prices for Patients
Republicans and Democrats in North Dakota worked together to limit what people with diabetes have to pay for insulin, joining a growing bipartisan push across the country to protect patients.
Medicaid Work Rules Don’t Apply to Native Americans. They Could Still Lose Coverage.
Work requirements don’t apply to tribal citizens. But federal health officials provided limited guidance on how states should check eligibility. “I’m extremely nervous,” a North Carolina tribal healthcare administrator said.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: How Would They Fix It?
The Democrats’ near sweep of the midterms has placed health reform firmly near the top of the national agenda. As fodder for the debate, KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner launched a project this year called “How Would You Fix It?” It features interviews with public officials, stakeholders, and thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum about how to make the U.S. healthcare system work better. This week’s podcast features insights from entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.).
Here's today's health policy haiku:
THE THING ABOUT GERMS
Travel restrictions?
— Barbara Pease
Whack-A-Mole for Ebola.
Borders are porous.
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.
Summaries Of The News:
Capitol Watch
Senators Open Inquiry Into Whether RFK Jr. Lied About 2019 Samoa Trip
AP: Senators Probe RFK Jr.'s Samoa Trip Testimony After AP And Guardian Showed Documents That Refute It
Two Democratic senators are launching an investigation into whether Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lied to Congress about his reason for a 2019 trip to Samoa after The Associated Press and The Guardian published documents in August refuting his testimony. AP and Guardian reporting in August showed that while Kennedy repeatedly told senators who held the key to his confirmation last year that his visit to Samoa before a deadly measles outbreak had “nothing to do with vaccines,” a letter he sent to the Samoan prime minister ahead of the trip showed otherwise. In the letter, Kennedy used the words vaccine or vaccination eight times. (Swenson, 11/12)
The New York Times: Kennedy’s Future: Will Democrats Try To Impeach Him, Or Actually Work With Him?
Most Democrats abhor the health secretary’s stance on vaccines, but some see an opportunity to win voters from his MAHA movement by joining with him on food and environmental issues. (Stolberg, 11/12)
Stat: Sen.-Elect Abdul El-Sayed On The State Of Public Health And RFK Jr.
Abdul El-Sayed will soon become the first epidemiologist in the Senate at a moment that would keep anyone with a public health background up at night. More than 5,000 Americans have been sickened by the measles this year and the United States is expected to lose its formal measles elimination status by the end of the month. Dengue fever is spreading in Florida, respiratory virus season is underway, and the United States just weathered a foodborne illness outbreak that sickened more than 20,000. (Florko, 11/13)
In related news about measles —
Bloomberg: CDC Director Backs Vaccine As Measles Deaths Mount Across US
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoting the measles vaccine as the country is on the precipice of losing its global status for eliminating the disease, Director Erica Schwartz said Thursday. Schwartz said the US “may or may not lose” measles elimination status after a scientific meeting at the Pan American Health Organization this week assesses whether the virus has spread continuously for a year. (Cohrs Zhang and Nix, 11/12)
The Guardian: CDC Reports Six Measles Deaths In 2026 As US Battles Worst Outbreak In 35 Years
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported six measles-related deaths in the US this year, according to figures published on its website on Thursday, as the country faces its most severe resurgence of the disease in decades. The newly reported total is twice the number of deaths recorded in 2025, highlighting the spread of the highly infectious virus, which was officially declared eliminated in the US in 2000. (Dunbar, 11/12)
More news from Capitol Hill —
Military.com: Bipartisan Bill Aims To Cut VA 'Red Tape' And Speed Up Health Care Innovation
Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., introduced a bipartisan bill Nov. 10 aimed at helping the Department of Veterans Affairs cut through bureaucratic delays and speed up the development of new health care treatments and technology for veterans. The Innovation for VA Technology and Entrepreneurship Act, known as the INNOVATE Act (H.R. 10984), is co-sponsored by Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas. The measure seeks to strengthen innovation efforts within the agency and expand access to emerging medical tools. (Dennis, 11/13)
Bloomberg: Democrats’ Affordability Vows Face Reality Test In Congress
For the incoming Democratic majority in Congress, running on affordability and the cost of living was an obvious choice. Now comes the hard part: making good on all those campaign promises. Democrats have said they will act quickly to restore health insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, and to reverse cuts to Medicaid and food benefits enacted by the Trump administration and congressional Republicans. (Mann, Roy and Dlouhy, 11/12)
KFF Health News: 'What The Health? From KFF Health News': How Would They Fix It?
The Democrats’ near sweep of the midterms has placed health reform firmly near the top of the national agenda. As fodder for the debate, KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner launched a project this year called “How Would You Fix It?” It features interviews with public officials, stakeholders, and thought leaders from across the ideological spectrum about how to make the U.S. healthcare system work better. This week’s podcast features insights from entrepreneur Mark Cuban, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), and Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). (11/12)
Cancer
In Major Shift, Older Men With Average Risk Of Prostate Cancer Urged To Get Screened Every 2 Years
Stat: Prostate Screening Guidelines Updated By American Cancer Society
In a major change to screening guidelines, the American Cancer Society recommended on Thursday that American men between ages 50 and 69 at an average risk of prostate cancer should test their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood levels every two years. The prior guidelines, released in 2010, left testing for average-risk men to their discretion, after assessing cancer risk with a physician. (Merelli, 11/12)
More news about cancer —
The Hill: Joe Biden Says He Didn't Hide Cancer Diagnosis While President
Former President Biden said in an interview published Wednesday he did not hide his aggressive stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis while he was in the White House, adding he would not have sought a second term had he been diagnosed early. People magazine released an interview with the 46th president ahead of the release of his upcoming memoir, “Promise Me, America,” set to be published by Hachette Book Group on Nov. 17. The outlet asked Biden about what he described as the public’s “cynical twist” of his diagnosis — referring to how some people accused him of hiding his illness while in office. (Mancini, 11/11)
Los Angeles Times: Cancer Institute Backed By Larry Ellison Plans Major Layoffs In Los Angeles
The Ellison Medical Institute — a cancer research center funded by tech mogul Larry Ellison — will cut a chunk of its staff in a couple of months. The Los Angeles-based research center, led by its founding chief executive and oncologist, David Agus, plans to permanently lay off 88 employees in January, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed Nov. 4. (Chakarian, 11/12)
ScienceDaily: Scientists Discover A Common Sugar May Help Cancer Cells Break Free And Spread
Scientists have uncovered a surprising way that fructose, a sugar commonly found in sweetened foods and drinks, may help aggressive ovarian cancer spread. Researchers discovered that cancer cells surviving chemotherapy release fructose that weakens the bonds holding neighboring tumor cells together, making it easier for cancer to spread. High dietary fructose levels and cholesterol-lowering statins also produced concerning effects in preclinical experiments. (11/11)
Newsweek: Ovarian Cancer Is Often Found Late—Scientists Uncover Hidden Early Warning
Researchers have found a way to detect an early warning sign of advanced ovarian cancer which is typically invisible to normal imaging methods. Experts at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian found that one blood marker could help clinicians identify whether a patient has serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma, a microscopic, non-invasive lesion that develops in the lining of the fallopian tube, which is an early sign of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. (Laws, 11/12)
News-Medical: New Surgical Approaches Aim To Improve Stomach Cancer Outcomes
Sometimes innovation in cancer care means developing something entirely new. Other times, it means returning to an old idea with the knowledge and tools to make it work better. (11/12)
The Washington Post: Breast Cancer Treatment Can Weaken Bones. Here’s How To Protect Them
A recent systematic review and meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Oncology found that breast cancer patients were more likely to develop osteoporosis or break a bone than those who hadn’t. (Felton, 11/13)
Also —
KCCI: Iowa Young Adult Cancer Rates Rise, Registry Says
More Iowa young adults are getting a cancer diagnosis. This year, the Hawkeye State was named No. 2 in the country for those aged 20 to 39 getting the disease. (Behnke, 11/12)
Iowa Public Radio: UI Study Finds Pesticides In Water, Leaves And Indoor Dust
A University of Iowa study provides new insights into the ways pesticides move through Iowa’s environment. The researchers detected common farm chemicals in samples from streams and rivers in northeast Iowa. They also found pesticides in leaves from Iowa City and indoor dust from homes across the state. A growing body of research suggests exposure to certain pesticides increases risks for adverse health outcomes, including cancer, neurological disorders and hormone disruptions. (Cramer, 11/12)
Mental Health
HHS Earmarks Nearly $25M For Research Into Psychedelics As Mental Health Treatment
The Washington Post: U.S. To Invest Millions In Psychedelics Research On Ibogaine, Psilocybin, Ketamine
The Department of Health and Human Services will invest millions to research and develop psychedelic drugs as mental health treatments, a growing interest for the Trump administration, officials announced Wednesday. The department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which funds high-risk, high-reward research projects, will invest up to $4.9 million in ibogaine, a psychedelic that has been touted for its potential to treat military veterans with traumatic brain injuries. (Wu, 11/12)
More mental health news —
NPR: Kratom And 7-OH Can Feel Like 'A Miracle.' They Can Also Be Addictive
Tyler's opioid addiction began in his early 20s, and when he decided he wanted to quit, he used kratom leaf powders to help ease withdrawal symptoms. Tyler, now 38, told NPR he thinks kratom helped him stop using opioids for a decade. (Carlson, 11/13)
STLPR: Autism Diagnoses Among Women Are Rising. A St. Louis Researcher Seeks To Understand Why
When she looks back on her childhood, Lyla Novakowski can pick out the signs of autism. As a child, “I tiptoe-walked everywhere, and they thought that I wanted to be a ballerina,” she said. “I was actually really clumsy. My mom used to call me stubborn and determined.” (Wicentowski, 11/12)
CNN: For 14 Years, An Autistic Boy Lived In Silence. Here’s What He Learned
Diagnosed with autism by age 3, Payam spent his entire childhood without the ability to speak. “In my experience, it is taught that autistics are unable to really understand much of anything,” Payam explained. “I wish educators would hear the grief and pain as their lessons slowly convince each vibrant child that they do not exist or belong.” (LaMotte, 11/13)
Stat: Across The U.S., Homegrown Experiments Aim To Save Kids From Their Phones
Some programs train ‘attention activists,’ while others look more like AA for iPad kids. (Cueto, 11/13)
Pharma and Tech
Allergy Drug Appears To Reduce Alpha-Gal Reactions To Red Meat, Study Shows
NBC News: For Alpha-Gal Patients, Allergy Drug Could Cut The Severity Of Reactions To Red Meat
There’s emerging evidence that the allergy drug omalizumab may reduce severe allergic reactions for alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy triggered by a tick bite. In a study presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, researchers found that 95% of participants using the drug experienced meaningful reductions in the frequency or severity of their allergic reactions. The study included 64 people with confirmed alpha-gal diagnoses who took omalizumab for an average of 23 months. The findings haven’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. (Cox, 11/12)
Bloomberg: Merck KGaA Drops Heart Drug As Novartis Trial Flop Sows Doubts
Merck KGaA plans to drop an experimental heart drug it’s acquiring through the takeover of Silence Therapeutics Plc in the wake of the failure of a similar treatment by rival Novartis AG. Adding to doubts about a once-promising treatment approach, Merck said it will not pursue an advanced study of zerlasiran, which is designed to lower lipoprotein(a), a cholesterol-carrying particle that is a known cardiovascular risk factor. (Wind and Muller, 11/12)
Stat: What To Know About Biogen's Big Looming Lupus Study Readout
More than two years have passed since Biogen announced results from a Phase 3 study in lupus. The drug was dapirolizumab and the outcome was positive, in case you were wondering. In the first half of December, Biogen will hope for a repeat, and once again, it’s another lupus drug, litifilimab, that is being evaluated in twin Phase 3 studies. (Feuerstein, 11/12)
Stat: Oura Acquisition Of Startup Raises Conflict-Of-Interest Questions For Eli Lilly
Pharma companies that make GLP-1 drugs have increasingly promoted telehealth companies that prescribe the popular treatments. With a new deal announced this week, one of those relationships is expected to grow more complicated. (Chen, 11/13)
MedPage Today: Prescriptions Down 25%, Overdoses Cut In Half: What Stopped A Gabapentinoid Surge?
High-profile media coverage of the harms associated with the gabapentinoid pregabalin (Lyrica) and tighter safeguards coincided with fewer prescriptions and overdoses in Australia, a retrospective study showed. Following a media campaign, tighter dispensing rules, and boxed warnings, pregabalin prescriptions and overdoses dropped significantly below projected trends -- falling by 25% and 47%, respectively -- reported Rose Cairns, PhD, of the University of Sydney, and co-authors in The BMJ. (George, 11/12)
Also —
Stat: Map Of Brain’s ‘Grand Central Station’ Offers Path To New Treatments
A massive scientific collaboration meant to unravel the mysteries of the human brain has produced the most detailed map yet of the basal ganglia, a region closely associated with a wide array of psychiatric and neurologic disorders. (Wosen, 11/12)
Health Industry
CMS Extends Medicare Enrollment Moratorium For 6 More Months On Hospice, Home Health Agencies
Fierce Healthcare: CMS Extends Paused Medicare Enrollments For Hospice, Home Health
The Trump administration is extending its moratorium on new Medicare enrollments from hospice and home health agencies. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Thursday that it will extend the moratorium by six more months as part of its efforts to combat fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicare program. (Minemyer, 11/12)
Microsoft outage affects workers across the world —
The New York Times: Microsoft Struggles to Repair Worldwide Outage
The outage, which affects software used by hundreds of millions of users, has caused headaches around the world. The company said its efforts to repair the problem were “not taking as expected.” (Hassan and Desai, 11/13)
More healthcare industry developments —
Modern Healthcare: CMS, ONC Open Electronic Prior Authorization Test Sprint
The federal government is inviting health insurance companies, hospitals and electronic health record companies to test their readiness for upcoming electronic prior authorization requirements. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the Health and Human Services Department and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday they will hold voluntary 10-12 week testing sprints for the industry to ensure their systems are prepared for looming interoperability standards. (Tepper, 11/12)
Modern Healthcare: Texas Drops Part Of Epic Systems Antitrust Lawsuit
Texas is dropping a portion of its lawsuit against Epic Systems. The suit was first filed by Attorney General Ken Paxton in Texas state court in December. It alleges the electronic health record company violates the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act by holding a monopoly in the acute-care hospital market. It also alleges Epic restricts parents from viewing their children’s medical records. Epic has denied the allegations. (Famakinwa, 11/12)
Chicago Tribune: Doctors At Vista Medical Center East Ask State For Help
Doctors at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan are asking the state for $9 million to help them shift control of the troubled hospital and its sister hospital near St. Louis, in a bid to keep the facilities open and eventually turn them into nonprofits. (Schencker, 11/12)
ABC News: Indefinite Strike Averted After Brigham And Women's Hospital, Nurses' Union Reach Tentative Deal
Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston and a union representing about 4,000 registered nurses reached a tentative deal late Wednesday, averting an indefinite strike. "We are pleased that Brigham and Women's Hospital has reached a tentative agreement with the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the MNA has called off its scheduled indefinite strike," the hospital said in a statement. (Kekatos, 11/12)
Axios: Doctors Want Liability Shield From AI Mistakes
The rapid deployment of artificial intelligence in hospitals and clinics is leading the nation's biggest physicians group to lobby for new legal protections if AI harms patients. (Bettelheim, 11/13)
Fierce Healthcare: UHG Releases Audit Of Its Medical Policy Development Practices
Over the past year, UnitedHealth Group has conducted a series of independent reviews of its practices as part of a broader turnaround effort at the company. The healthcare giant released the last of these analyses on Thursday, digging into the processes it uses to establish medical policies. The reviews were conducted by FTI Consulting and Rubrum Advising, a provider-led firm with expertise in medical coverage policies. (Minemyer, 11/12)
State Watch
DC Shooting Suspect Was A Doctor With A Beef Against Condo's HOA, Metro Police Say
Becker's Hospital Review: DC Shooting Suspect Identified As Physician, Health Tech Executive
Matt Lambert, MD, a 55-year-old emergency medicine physician and longtime health technology executive, has been identified by police as the gunman who killed one person and wounded four others Nov. 12 in Washington, D.C. Jeffrey Carroll, the Metropolitan Police Department’s interim chief, said during a press conference that just before 8 a.m., officers responded to a report of a shooting at the Vida Fitness center at the 1500 block of 15th Street NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood. (Scheetz, 11/12)
On HIV and AIDS —
The Texas Tribune: CDC Eliminates $29 Million For HIV Prevention In Texas
The federal government has cut $29.2 million from Texas health organizations that test thousands of people for HIV directly in their communities, the latest in a series of public health funding cuts statewide. Texas was the nation’s largest beneficiary of PS21-2102 funding, with grant money going to 11 community-based organizations (CBOs), mostly in urban areas, over the last five years. (Draeger-Mazer, 11/12)
The Washington Post: San Francisco Approves First Gay Bathhouse Since AIDS Epidemic
San Fransisco had as many as 20 gay bathhouses at their peak in 1982. Today there are none, but that may change soon. (Kirkpatrick, 11/12)
On caring for people with disabilities —
The CT Mirror: Advocates Concerned Lamont May Revisit Cuts To Disability Services
Disability rights advocates gathered Thursday to call on the Lamont administration to safeguard funding for programs serving people with disabilities, including a critical one that makes it possible for people to receive care of their choosing in their own homes, known as Community First Choice. (Tillman, 11/12)
The 19th: Caregivers Of Disabled Children See A Lifeline In Democrats’ Midterm Wins
Yasmina Halim approached this year’s midterms with “a sense of dread.” On election night, the 44-year-old went to bed early after Republicans won the major statewide races in Florida, where she lives with her family. Her 13-year-old daughter, Lily, is dying from a neurodegenerative condition called juvenile Tay-Sachs disease, and Halim works full-time caring for her. That sense of dread stemmed from looming cuts to Medicaid, as well as attacks on the right to inclusion for people with disabilities like her daughter. (Luterman, 11/12)
The Washington Post: College Students With Disabilities May Soon Face Less Red Tape
Students with disabilities may soon have an easier transition from high school to college if federal lawmakers move bipartisan legislation that aims to remove barriers for one of the fastest-growing populations in higher education. This week, the Senate passed the Respond, Innovate, Succeed and Empower (RISE) Act, which lets college students use existing documentation from their K-12 schools — such as an individualized education program or a 504 plan — to qualify for accommodations, rather than undergo new diagnostic testing. (Douglas-Gabriel, 11/12)
More health news from across the U.S. —
The 19th: Texas Democrats Could Change Abortion Laws In The State
After capturing control of key leadership positions, Texas Democrats intend to push for a repeal of the state’s near-total abortion ban, which has been linked to the death of multiple women. (Luthra, 11/12)
Florida Phoenix: Florida Department Of Veterans Affairs Wants More Money For Veteran Nursing Homes
The Florida agency that helps aging American veterans in the state is asking for tens of millions in extra funding in the coming year from the Florida Legislature. The money is needed to help the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs staff and run veterans nursing homes around the state. The budget request suggests the agency is dealing with a growing population at its locations along with more extensive health care needs for veterans who reside in the homes. (Sexton, 11/12)
The Marshall Project: Ohio Lawmaker Calls For Monitors For Children In Treatment Centers
An Ohio lawmaker who has proposed giving the state greater authority to shut down troubled residential treatment centers for children says that kids locked away need access to a professional who is ready to report abuse and neglect to police and state regulators. (Hailer, 11/11)
North Carolina Health News: NC House Democrats Outline Health Care Priorities For 2027
For the first time in 15 years, Democrats are poised to control the North Carolina House of Representatives — a political shift that should reshape the state’s approach to health policy. (Fredde, 11/13)
Los Angeles Blade: West Hollywood Creates Registry For Polyamorous Relationships
The West Hollywood City Council voted unanimously on Nov. 2 to create a registry for those in “multi-partner domestic relationships.” The measure gives those in polyamorous relationships the same legal rights afforded to monogamous couples. Those include visitation rights in hospitals and jails in West Hollywood and certain tenant protections. (Kaufman, 11/11)
MPR News: Medicare Advantage Plans Differ By County. Now Minnesota Seniors Are Navigating Unexpected Cost Increases
Steve Myhro, 71, and his wife, Sarah, 68, moved from Rochester to Nisswa a year and a half ago to be closer to family. He is a retired history and government teacher and she is a professional violinist. But the couple's new life in Crow Wing County has brought an unexpected financial twist: changes to Medicare coverage that could increase their annual health insurance costs by thousands of dollars. (Zurek, 11/13)
KFF Health News: Medicaid Work Rules Don’t Apply To Native Americans. They Could Still Lose Coverage
Two months before the deadline to implement new Medicaid work requirements, states had yet to receive detailed guidance from federal health officials on how to exclude Native Americans from those rules, leading to a patchwork of eligibility checks that pose challenges for qualified enrollees trying to keep their health insurance. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act excluded Native Americans from having to meet the work requirements to keep their Medicaid eligibility. (Jones, Houghton and Orozco Rodriguez, 11/13)
KFF Health News: Fed Up With The Healthcare Industry, This Red State Capped Insulin Prices For Patients
The Kritzberger family has farmed in the Red River Valley for more than a century. They once had livestock. Now they grow sugar beets, soybeans, and grains. Like many farmers, they labor to balance the books. “We’re in an incredible amount of debt,” Ang Kritzberger said as she walked the farm on a recent fall morning. For the past 10 years, the Kritzbergers have had another worry. Their daughter Nina has Type 1 diabetes. That’s landed the family in a national debate about how to protect patients from high insulin costs. (Levey, 11/13)
Weekend Reading
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The New York Times: 25 Years After The Anthrax Attacks, America Remains Vulnerable
Letters filled with anthrax spores exposed flaws in the United States’ biosecurity systems. Experts say many of those issues still exist. (Callaway, 11/11)
Cardinal News: New Documentary Keeps The Spotlight On Regulatory Failures And Human Toll Of Black Lung Disease In Central Appalachia
Frontline’s new documentary, “Coal’s Human Cost,” documents how we got here, from the first landmark regulation in the late 1960s to limitations on silica dust by the Biden administration that have not been enforced by the Trump administration, which also announced close to $700 million in June to sustain the industry. There were 2,000 new cases of black lung reported last year, according to the film. (Rubenstein, 11/10)
ProPublica: A Newborn Died In A Faith-Healing Sect. The State Of Oregon — And One Ex-Believer — Stepped In To Save Her Twin.
The stories of Evelyn and Marshall Phillips offer a rare view into the Followers of Christ — and reveal both the power and limits of Oregon’s efforts to compel parents to seek medical care for their children. (Crombie, 11/11)
The Washington Post: Why ‘Brainier’ Sports May Be Better For People With ADHD
There’s a bit of folk wisdom among mothers of kids with ADHD: Want your kid to sit still and focus at school? Get them to run around outside first. The assumption has long been that kids simply need to burn off excess energy. But research points to something more surprising: While exercise is good for nearly everyone’s brain, some studies suggest the cognitive boost may be especially pronounced in people with ADHD by aiding executive function. (Eunjung Cha, 11/12)
The New York Times: For Years, She Felt Awful. Her Flexible Joints Held A Clue.
Many people with hypermobility disorders spend years trying to figure out what’s wrong. Online communities are helping them connect the dots. (Brown, 11/9)
The Washington Post: Her Dog Sensed Something Was Wrong With Her Baby. It May Have Saved His Life.
Kim Reynolds noticed that her dog was acting strangely around her son Alexander. The dog, a Doberman named Saraya, was whining and pacing near the 5-month-old, licking the baby’s face and becoming increasingly distressed. Reynolds’ mother was visiting at the time. “My mum was like, ‘What is wrong with Saraya today?’” recalled Reynolds, who lives in Somerset County in the U.K. (Penman, 11/10)
Editorials And Opinions
Viewpoints: The Stakes Are Huge For Democrats And Abortion Rights; Would You Want To Know If You Might Get Alzheimer's?
Mother Jones: The Democratic Tsunami Is A 'Sea Change' For Reproductive Rights
A huge Democratic majority in Congress. Six new Democratic state trifectas and governorships. Five new Democratic attorneys general. At least 545 additional state legislative seats. Reproductive rights leaders have spent the past week trying to wrap their heads around the enormity of the Democratic tsunami and how it could reshape the national abortion-rights landscape. (Nina Martin, 11/11)
Stat: New Pre-Symptomatic Alzheimer’s Tests Bring Existential Questions
People who learned a “not elevated” amyloid PET result, and therefore that Alzheimer’s was less likely to occur in their future, typically endorsed feelings of extended remaining time or a bright future. In contrast, those with elevated results expressed a range of feelings about their future. (Jason Karlawish, 11/13)
The Washington Post: Reversing Frailty In Older Adults Is Possible. Here's Why.
Doctors and patients often underestimate how much progress seniors can achieve. (Leana S. Wen, 11/13)
The New York Times: When Your Inner Thoughts Are No Longer Just Yours
In some disorders like depression or anxiety, communication between different regions of the brain is hampered. Dr. Kuceyeski is trying to figure out what kind of visual stimuli could reshape brain networks in those regions and help alleviate symptoms. (Trevor Paglen, 11/12)
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Three San Diego Scientists Who Changed The World
AI and data sciences are transforming our abilities to ask and answer questions. (David A. Brenner, 11/12)