The New York Times: Pelosi’s Drug Plan Would Let U.S. Negotiate Prices Of 250 Medications
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday released her long-awaited plan to curb soaring prices of prescription drugs, a political chess move that could prod the Senate to move and heat up congressional negotiations with the White House on a popular but elusive goal. Ms. Pelosi’s plan, which she laid out at a morning news conference, would allow the government to negotiate the price of insulin and as many as 250 name-brand drugs each year for Medicare beneficiaries — an idea that many Republicans hate but that President Trump embraced during his 2016 campaign. Drug companies would also have to offer the agreed-on prices to private insurers or face harsh penalties, which could give the package broader appeal with voters. (Goodnough, 9/19)

Kaiser Health News: Hill Hodgepodge: Pelosi Draws From Democrats, GOP And Trump For Drug Plan
Outlining how the HHS secretary would determine which drugs to negotiate, the plan says HHS would identify the target drugs each year with the highest aggregate cost, meaning they would take into account the price and the volume of sales. HHS would be required to negotiate the price of insulin, the proposal adds, singling out the lifesaving diabetes medication with sky-high costs that have spurred outrage at drugmakers this year. The legislation would aid negotiations by creating a maximum price called the Average International Market price. (Huetteman, 9/20)

The Hill: Pelosi Unveils Signature Plan To Lower Drug Prices 
As an enforcement mechanism under Pelosi’s plan, if a drug company refused to negotiate a lower price, the company would be hit with a 65 percent tax on the drug’s gross sales, which would escalate up to 95 percent if the company still refused to come to the table. The plan would also set a maximum price in negotiations of 120 percent of an average of the price in other countries, borrowing an idea Trump himself has proposed to lower drug prices. (Sullivan, 9/19)

The Associated Press: Pelosi Offers Medicare Negotiation Plan To Curb Drug Prices
The plan would limit copays for seniors covered by Medicare's "Part D" prescription drug program to $2,000. Medicare-negotiated prices would be available to other buyers, such as employer health plans. It's shaping up as a high-stakes gamble for all sides in Washington. Polls show that high drug prices have Americans worried, and regardless of party affiliation, they want Congress to act. As a candidate, President Donald Trump called for Medicare negotiations but later seemed to drop the idea. (9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Pelosi Wants Government To Negotiate Prices Of Costliest Drugs
“I want the biggest number we can possibly get, but I don’t want to promise something that we won’t have a deliverable within the next year on,” Mrs. Pelosi said. The pharmaceutical industry denounced the proposal and said other options, such as lowering consumers’ coinsurance and increasing patient-cost transparency, are preferable. (Armour and Duehren, 9/19)

NPR: Pelosi Borrows A White House Idea To Lower Drug Prices
In gridlocked Washington, both Democrats and Republicans have signaled there's potential for a deal when it comes to lowering prescription drug prices. Now, there's an idea both Congressional Democrats and the White House seem to like: They want to base U.S. prices on something called an international price index. "The basic idea is to peg what the United States pays for a particular drug to the price paid in some set of other countries," says Rachel Sachs, an associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in drug pricing policy. (Simmons-Duffin, 9/19)

Stat: Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Plan Would Allow Negotiation For Up To 250 Drugs
Pelosi’s final proposal, in some ways, is more aggressive than prior concepts that had circulated among lobbyists and congressional staff this year. It abandons a proposal to use binding arbitration to settle negotiation disputes, which progressives had opposed. Prior versions also did not include an international price index, which has become an unexpected point of agreement between Trump and progressives.(Facher, 9/19)

The Hill: Progressives Push For Changes To Pelosi Drug Pricing Plan
Progressive House lawmakers are pushing for Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) bill to lower drug prices to go further. The lawmakers have not denounced the bill and praised its overall approach, but say that important changes need to be made to make it stronger before it goes to the House floor. (Sullivan, 9/19)

Stat: Our 9 Biggest Questions About Nancy Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Bill
As Pelosi works to appease her progressive flank, she also needs to worry about the moderates in her caucus, who may see this plan as too anti-industry. Pelosi attempted to sell the plan Wednesday to Democrats’ main moderate caucuses, the Blue Dog and the New Democrat coalitions. “Everybody wants to ensure that innovation continues to happen, that cures continue to happen, everyone wants to make sure those cures are accessible and affordable for their constituents as well,” said Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.), chair of the New Democrats. “And that’s the narrow needle that needs to be thread in this conversation.” (Florko and Facher, 9/19)

The Washington Post: Pelosi Rolls Out Long-Awaited Bill To Lower Prescription Drug Costs
Even if there is no deal with the White House, the Democrats’ bill is a baseline for future efforts to address prescription drug costs under a Democratic president and Senate. The measure would require the Health and Human Services secretary to negotiate the prices of up to 250 drugs in Medicare that do not have competitors and would impose severe financial penalties on drug companies that failed to come to an agreement. The negotiated prices would be available to all purchasers, not just Medicare beneficiaries. (Abutaleb and DeBonis, 9/19)

Los Angeles Times: Pelosi Hopes Prescription Drug Bill Will Impress Voters In 2020
Democrats in 2018 seized control of the House of Representatives in large part because they convinced voters that they would be the party to protect Americans’ healthcare. But now, as the 2020 presidential campaign narrows the window for passing significant legislation and dominates headlines, rank-and-file Democratic House members have little to show on healthcare, an issue that is still top of mind for voters. (Haberkorn, 9/19)

CNBC: Nancy Pelosi Unveils Sweeping Plan To Lower Prescription Drug Prices
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, called PhRMA, the industry’s main trade group, opposed the plan, saying it gives “the federal government unprecedented, sweeping authority to set medicine prices in public and private markets while importing price controls from other countries that restrict access to innovative medicines.” “Speaker Pelosi’s radical plan would end the current market-based system that has made the United States the global leader in developing innovative, lifesaving treatments and cures,” PhRMA President and CEO Stephen J. Ubl said in a statement. (Lovelace, 9/19)

Politico: McConnell Warns Pelosi's Drug-Pricing Plan Is DOA
Senate Republicans are warning Speaker Nancy Pelosi that her much-anticipated drug pricing plan is dead and will not be considered in the Senate. In an interview, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) ruled out any action on the bill, which would call for Medicare to negotiate drug prices for a minimum of 25 medicines and target drugs that cost the American health system the most. Pelosi rolled out the plan on Thursday to intense opposition from the drug industry, and McConnell. (Everett, 9/19)

Modern Healthcare: Pelosi Drug-Pricing Plan Links Negotiation To International Price Index
But House Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said he hopes the committee process will help "convince (committee Republicans) that this is the way" to lower prices. "We do think we can get Republican support, and the president is key," Pallone said. Pallone and Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) repeatedly invoked Trump's own rhetoric lamenting that the U.S. pays far higher prices than people in other countries whose governments limit what manufacturers can charge.(Luthi, 9/19)

Stat: Trump Says It’s ‘Great To See’ Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Plan
President Trump on Thursday broke with most Republicans on Capitol Hill on the issue of drug pricing, saying on Twitter that it was “great to see” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduce a bill that many GOP lawmakers derided earlier in the day as “socialist.” In the tweet, Trump also reiterated his support for an existing, bipartisan drug pricing package currently before the Senate, and encouraged lawmakers to pursue a bipartisan solution. (Facher and Florko, 9/19)

The Hill: Trump: 'Great To See' Pelosi Plan To Lower Drug Prices 
McConnell has not said if he will bring up Grassley’s legislation. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar met with Democratic lawmakers on Thursday to push for a bipartisan agreement on lowering drug prices. Azar did not give an opinion on Pelosi’s bill, saying he had just started to read it, according to lawmakers in the room. Much of the discussion centered on the Grassley-Wyden proposal, and Wyden, who was in attendance, walked through some of the details of the bill. (Sullivan, 9/19)

The Associated Press: House OKs Measure To Prevent Possible End-Of-Month Shutdown 
The House passed a short-term bill Thursday to prevent a federal shutdown when the budget year ends Sept. 30, and give lawmakers until the Thanksgiving break to negotiate and approve $1.4 trillion for federal agencies. The Senate is expected to approve the stopgap bill next week. The vote in the Democratic-run House on the bipartisan plan was 301-123. (9/19)

The New York Times: House Approves Short-Term Spending Bill That Would Stave Off Shutdown
The spending bill would extend funding through Nov. 21 not only for all federal government departments and agencies, but also for a number of health care and community programs, including the National Flood Insurance Program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. But its success in the House, by a 301-to-123 vote, is only a temporary salve to the bitter feuds that are standing in the way of a broader agreement over federal spending for next year. The Senate, in the midst of drafting and debating its own yearlong funding bills, has struggled to break through partisan spats over spending on President Trump’s promised wall at the southwestern border. (Cochrane, 9/19)

The Washington Post: House Passes Short-Term Spending Bill, Punting Shutdown Fight To November
Major differences between the parties remain, though, particularly over whether taxpayers should finance construction of a border wall and whether Congress should agree to a demand from Democrats to direct more money for health programs, among other things. (Werner, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Houses Approves Short-Term Spending Bill 
The stopgap funding, called a continuing resolution, will keep the government open until Nov. 21, several weeks beyond the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30. The legislation also extends several health-care programs and other expiring measures, including the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Export-Import Bank. (Duehren, 9/19)

The New York Times: Vaping Illnesses Increase To 530 Probable Cases, C.D.C. Says
The number of vaping-related lung illnesses has risen to 530 probable cases, according to an update on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a Missouri man became the eighth to die from the mysterious ailments. During a news briefing, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the C.D.C., said officials expect more deaths because some people are suffering from severe lung illnesses. (Richtel and Kaplan, 9/19)

The Hill: Missouri Man Latest To Die Of Vaping-Related Illness 
“I wish we had more answers,” said Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “The vaping-related lung injuries … are serious. People are dying.” (Klar, 9/19)

NBC News: More Deaths Expected From Vaping Lung Illnesses, CDC Says
The CDC is only counting cases that have been confirmed or are classified as highly probable because doctors have been able to rule out all other causes of the lung illness. The new CDC case count may in fact be an underestimate of the actual number of vaping-related pulmonary injuries. Doctors in nearly every state are examining far more cases. Overall, 45 state health departments have reported investigations of more than 700 possible cases. (Edwards, 9/19)

The New York Times: Is It Time To Quit Vaping?
Allegations of illegal marketing tactics. More than 500 cases of severe lung illness in 38 states. Eight deaths. A proposed federal ban of most flavored e-cigarettes, and new efforts in many states to counter an epidemic of youth vaping. There’s been an avalanche of vaping news this month, which leaves many users facing a crucial question: Is it time to quit? Here’s a look at the issues. (Zraick and Fortin, 9/19)

The Associated Press: US Vaping Illnesses Top 500, Missouri Man Is 8th Death
The man who died in Missouri told his family he started vaping in May for chronic pain, but investigators have not yet determined if he was vaping THC, according to a spokeswoman at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. Two-thirds of the cases involved 18- to 34-year-olds. Three-quarters are men. Some of the first cases appeared in April. CDC hasn't said when most people got sick. A congressional subcommittee will hold a hearing on the outbreaks on Tuesday. (9/19)

CNN: Eighth Death Linked To Vaping As Illnesses Surge Around The United States
"This is an unfortunate case of a young man with no prior lung illness who started vaping because of chronic pain issues," Dr. Michael Plisco, Mercy Hospital St. Louis critical care pulmonologist and medical director of Mercy's extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program said in a media release. "He started out with shortness of breath and it rapidly progressed and deteriorated, developing into what is called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Once the lungs are injured by vaping, we don't know how quickly it worsens and if it depends on other risk factors." (Christensen and Gumbrecht, 9/19)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Man Dies At Mercy Hospital St. Louis From Vaping-Related Illness
There have been 22 reports of vaping-related illnesses in Missouri, including seven confirmed cases, and 69 in Illinois. Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that 530 confirmed and probable cases have been reported in 38 states and one U.S. territory since April. That’s up from 380 a week ago. Canada reported its first case Wednesday, a high school student who was on life support and has since recovered. (Bernhard, 9/19)

The Washington Post: CDC Reports 530 Cases Of Vaping-Related Lung Injury; FDA Says Enforcement Arm Now Involved
In a sign of the seriousness of the e-cigarette investigation, officials disclosed that the enforcement arm of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been conducting a probe in parallel with the public health investigation led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said they still do not know the cause of the lung injuries that are making people so sick. There have been seven confirmed deaths. (Sun, 9/19)

Stat: Number Of Vaping-Related Illnesses In U.S. Has Spiked, CDC Says
The Food and Drug Administration’s law enforcement arm, the Office of Criminal Investigations, is contributing to the efforts to try to find answers, Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, revealed. The group has special investigative powers that can be helpful in cases like this, he said, stressing the FDA isn’t seeking to prosecute individual vapers who may have used illicit substances in their e-cigarettes. Many of the patients are known to have vaped THC — the active ingredient in cannabis — which is legal in some states but is not in others. (Branswell, 9/19)

NPR: Vaping Illness Cases Rise To 530. Long-Term Health Effects Are Unknown
"We at CDC are very concerned about the occurrence of life-threatening illness in otherwise healthy, young people," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, the CDC's principal deputy director, during a call with reporters. She said this is an ongoing outbreak: "States continue to get new cases reported." (Aubrey, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Vaping-Related Lung Ailments Rise To 530, Officials Say
The FDA is also encouraging the public to submit detailed reports of any health or products issues through their online safety reporting portal. The FDA and the CDC have previously warned consumers not to purchase illicit vaping products or modify the products that they have purchased legally. (Abbott and McKay, 9/19)

Politico: Vaping Illnesses Hit 530 As FDA Reveals Criminal Investigation
Many people who have gotten sick reported vaping THC, some said they used nicotine and others reported using both. No one specific product or substance has been identified in all cases. “This is a complex investigation. It spans many states, involves hundreds of cases and a wide variety of substances and products,” Schuchat said. Consumers concerned about their health should consider not using e-cigarette products, she said, and warned against buying any off the street or modifying them in any way. (Ehley, 9/19)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Vaping Illness Reported In Butler And Hamilton Counties
A person from Butler County and two from Hamilton County have joined the list of over 530 cases and growing of lung injuries among patients who vape, according to new records from the Ohio Department of Health. The only identifying factor of these individuals is that they are between 16 and 59 years old. (Mitchell, 9/19)

In related news —

Politico: White House Abruptly Cancels Meeting With Vaping Advocates
The White House abruptly organized — and then quickly canceled — a meeting Thursday with frustrated conservative policy leaders, to try to tamp down anger about a sweeping vaping ban that’s inflamed the Trump administration’s traditional allies, four individuals with knowledge of the meeting told POLITICO. President Donald Trump last week announced a ban on flavored e-cigarettes, a policy that officials portrayed as a response to an epidemic of teen vaping amid a potentially unrelated outbreak of a mysterious vaping-related disease that’s stricken 530 and killed seven people. (Lippman and Diamond, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Altria’s Bet On E-Cigarettes Is Burning Its Stock
America’s biggest tobacco company is being burned by its investment in e-cigarettes. Altria Group Inc. shares have tumbled 19% in 2019 to a roughly five-year low, with selling accelerating in recent weeks after health officials and politicians stepped up scrutiny of e-cigarette device Juul. (Otani, 9/19)

The New York Times: India Plans To Ban E-Cigarettes, As Global Backlash Intensifies
India on Wednesday moved a step closer to a nationwide ban on electronic cigarettes, part of a global backlash amid growing concern about the health risks posed by vaping. The ban could shut the door to a lucrative market for e-cigarette manufacturers such as Juul at a time when they are facing increased scrutiny and regulation in the United States. (Abi-Habib and Venugopal, 9/19)

Meanwhile, in Congress —

Politico: Senate Eyes E-Cigarette Crackdown 
The White House has its knives out for the e-cigarette industry — and so does Capitol Hill. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) have penned a bill that largely tracks with President Donald Trump’s crackdown on vaping, according to a draft obtained by POLITICO. The response from Congress comes amid health concerns over widespread use among teenagers of products such as e-cigarettes and vape oils that have been linked to deaths and illnesses in recent weeks. (Everett, 9/19)

The Hill: Senators Draft Bipartisan Bill To Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes 
Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) have drafted legislation that would ban all flavors of e-cigarettes except tobacco, effective within 90 days of the bill being enacted. It also would attempt to crack down on refillable “e-liquid” cartridges. “Vaping companies have hooked millions of our children on nicotine using e-cigarette flavors like ‘gummy bear,’ ‘scooby snacks,’ and ‘strawberries and cream.’ This means massive health consequences for the next generation, and we have to end this addiction crisis. We need to get these flavors off the market,” Merkley said. (Weixel, 9/19)

CQ: Senate Agriculture Spending Bill Prods FDA On E-Cigarettes
Senate appropriators signaled concern about an outbreak of illnesses and deaths related to e-cigarettes with bill language directing the Food and Drug Administration to look into ways to stop people from tampering with the smoking devices to add potentially dangerous substances. The committee voted 31-0 Thursday to approve the fiscal 2020 draft appropriations bill for the Agriculture Department and the Food and Drug Administration. The bill, as amended by a manager’s amendment package that included language on the e-cigarette issue, would provide $23.1 billion in discretionary funding and $128.6 billion in mandatory money. The manager’s amendment package was adopted by voice vote.  (Ferguson, 9/19)

And in news out of the states —

The CT Mirror: Lawmakers Vow To Introduce Ban On Flavored Vaping Products If Federal Effort Stalls
As the number of vaping-related illnesses continues to climb, lawmakers in Connecticut are poised to introduce a bill this winter banning most flavored e-cigarette liquids that they say are enticing to teens and young adults. ...Connecticut is following several other states that have enacted prohibitions in recent weeks. (Carlesso, 9/19)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Vaping Lung Illness: Are Ohio's Medical Marijuana Vapes Safe?
For months, the advice has been passed along among Ohio's medical marijuana patient community: Don't buy marijuana vape pens off the street – stick to legal, tested products.It's advice that has again cropped up amid a rash of mysterious lung disease that has struck at least 530 people and killed eight. But are vaping products sold through Ohio's medical marijuana program safe? (Borchardt, 9/19)

MPR: Millions Watch U Of M Doctor Tell Teens Not To Vape
A University of Minnesota medical school resident is taking her message about the dangers of vaping to where teens may be most likely to see it — on the TikTok video-based social media app. Dr. Rose Marie Leslie, a Minneapolis family practice physician, has managed to get nearly 200,000 followers of her brief, sometimes serious and sometimes silly, video insights into medicine and being a doctor. (Nelson, 9/20)

Boston Globe: In Mass., The Schools That Took Action On Vaping Largely Varied By ZIP Code
Amid a cascade of federal warnings and media coverage of the illness, there has been no consistent effort from schools across Massachusetts to inform students and parents about this potentially life-threatening scourge. While some school officials have jumped to attention and rapidly deployed one of the many tools at their disposal to alert students and parents about the imminent danger of vaping, others have essentially ignored the news. (Lazar, 9/19)

Georgia Health News: Georgia Officials Confirm 5 Lung Cases Tied To Vaping; Others Probed
State public health officials have confirmed five cases of vaping-related lung illnesses in Georgia, with another 10 being investigated.The CDC said Thursday that nationally, 530 people have experienced lung injuries associated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping products. The CDC said it has analyzed 373 of those cases, and two-thirds of that number are people 18 to 34 years old, and 16 percent are younger than 18 years old. (Miller, 9/19)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Vaping Illness Symptoms: What We Know About Lung Injury Outbreak
In July, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin reported that doctors had seen a cluster of teenagers showing up with serious lung injuries since mid-June. Extensive testing for infection, cancer and other ailments came back negative.The only common thread was that all the teens reported vaping. (Rutledge and Spicuzza, 9/19)

Politico: DHS Walks Back Decision To Halt Medical Deportation Relief
Acting Homeland Security Department Secretary Kevin McAleenan has directed federal immigration officials to resume processing deportation relief requests for people receiving treatment for serious medical conditions. The decision reverses an earlier move by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to put a freeze on the requests, known as “deferred action.” The earlier decision made an exception for military members and their families, but sought to deny relief to other applicants. (Hesson, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Resumes Deportation Relief For Immigrants With Serious Illnesses
The program permits migrants to defer deportation for up to two years at a time. Most people covered by the program came to the U.S. legally on a visa or other legal status and have requested to stay longer. The government said it receives about 1,000 such requests a year. The government didn’t formally announce its initial decision to end the program for several weeks until several immigrants receiving medical attention were unexpectedly denied requests to remain in the country and told they needed to leave within 33 days. (Hackman, 9/19)

The New York Times: Deportation Exemptions To Resume For Immigrants Needing Medical Treatment
The unannounced termination last month of much of the so-called deferred action program generated public outrage and drew sharp rebuke from the medical establishment. Among those ordered to leave the country in 33 days or face deportation was Maria Isabel Bueso, who had been involved in clinical trials that led to the approval of a drug to extend the lives of those with her rare genetic disease. Last week, Ms. Bueso and other young immigrants with serious illnesses told a House Oversight subcommittee that their survival depended on staying in the country, and pleaded for reinstatement of the program. (Jordan, 9/19)

CBS News: Medical Deferred Action: Trump Administration Reinstates Deportation Relief For Sick Immigrants After Massive Uproar
The outcry over the decision started after attorneys representing children and families undergoing life-saving medical care in the U.S. began receiving denial notices from USCIS that said the agency was no longer considering applications for non-military deferred action. Immigrants like 16-year-old Jonathan Sanchez, who is receiving treatment for cystic fibrosis in Boston, had portrayed the decision as a death sentence. "In my perspective, it's making legal homicide," he told CBS News in August. (Montoya-Galvez, 9/19)

CNN: Immigration Agency Will Re-Allow Requests For Medical Deferments To Avoid Deportation
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which was among the groups that brought the suit, called Thursday's announcement "an encouraging development." "This is an encouraging development for the people and families whose lives were impacted by the Trump administration's abrupt termination of medical deferred action," said legal director Matt Segal. "We are hopeful that the government will work to restore this vital humanitarian program and look forward to hearing from the government directly in connection with our lawsuit on the (Irish International Immigrant Center's) behalf." (Alvarez, 9/19)

WBUR: After A Month Of Public Outcry, Immigration Officials Resume Medical Deferrals For Deportation
Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley has been particularly outspoken about the lack of transparency and had initiated the subpoena process earlier this week. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, scheduled a second hearing for Thursday, Sept. 26. Officials from Pressley's office say both the subpoena and the hearing are still on the table. (Dooling, 9/19)

In other immigration news —

The Baltimore Sun: Johns Hopkins Not Renewing Contract Under Which Medical School Has Trained ICE Agents For Emergencies 
The Johns Hopkins University is ending one of its contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announcing Thursday that the medical school has severed an agreement to train federal immigration agents in responding to emergency medical situations. In a statement, university spokeswoman Kim Hoppe wrote that the medical school notified ICE’s Office of Investigations several weeks ago that it would not be renewing the contract, which has trained ICE’s Special Response Teams in medical training since 2004. (Richman and Davis, 9/19)

Los Angeles Times: Border Patrol To Begin Screening Migrant Families
Border Patrol agents, rather than highly trained asylum officers, are beginning to screen migrant families for “credible fear” to determine whether applicants qualify for U.S. protection, the Los Angeles Times has learned. The first Border Patrol agents arrived last week to start training at the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, the nation’s largest immigrant family detention center, according to lawyers working there and several employees at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. (O'Toole, 9/19)

The Washington Post: HUD Secretary Ben Carson Makes Dismissive Comments About Transgender People, Angering Agency Staff
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson expressed concern about “big, hairy men” trying to infiltrate women’s homeless shelters during an internal meeting, according to three people present who interpreted the remarks as an attack on transgender women. While visiting HUD’s San Francisco office this week, Carson also lamented that society no longer seemed to know the difference between men and women, two of the agency staffers said. (Jan and Stein, 9/19)

The Hill: Ben Carson's Remarks During San Francisco Visit Spark Backlash
A government official also told the newspaper that Carson has made fun of transgender people during meetings in Washington. "His overall tone is dismissive and joking about these people," the official said. "It's disrespectful of the people we are trying to serve." (Frazin, 9/19)

CNN: Washington Post: Ben Carson Made Dismissive Comments About Transgender People In Internal Meeting, Attendees Say
Carson has a long history of spawning controversy with his comments about the LGBTQ community. In 2016, he compared being transgender to changing ethnicities, and during his tenure as HUD secretary the department has proposed a rule that would allow federally funded homeless shelters to consider sex and gender identity when deciding whether to accommodate someone. (LeBlanc, 9/19)

Reuters: Democratic Presidential Candidate Buttigieg Unveils Health Plan
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on Thursday unveiled his plan to reform the U.S. healthcare system by offering everyone coverage under the federal Medicare program, but not forcing people to give up private health insurance plans. (9/19)

The Associated Press: Buttigieg Calls Warren 'Extremely Evasive' On Health Taxes
Buttigieg is accusing his 2020 rival Elizabeth Warren of being "extremely evasive" when it comes to explaining how she'd finance a universal health care plan. Speaking on CNN on Thursday, Buttigieg issued his most pointed attack yet on the Massachusetts senator, saying she "was extremely evasive when asked that question, and we've seen that repeatedly." (9/19)

The Hill: Buttigieg Calls Warren 'Evasive' On Medicare For All 
"I think that if you are proud of your plan and it's the right plan, you should defend it in straightforward terms," Buttigieg said. "And I think it's puzzling that when everybody knows the answer to that question of whether her plan and Senator Sanders's plan will raise middle class taxes is 'yes.' Why you wouldn't just say so, and then explain why you think that's the better way forward?" (Hellmann, 9/19)

CNN: Buttigieg Swipes At Warren For Being 'Evasive' On Health Care
Buttigieg's proposal -- unlike Sanders' plan -- would not force people onto government health coverage but instead would offer a public option for people who choose to enroll. Buttigieg has argued this would force private insurers to compete with the government-backed plan on price. Warren, on the other hand, is running on a bill that she first signed on to in 2017: Sanders' "Medicare for All" single-payer legislation. "I'm with Bernie," Warren has said more than once in recent months when asked about her vision for the American health care system. (Ehrlich, 9/19)

Politico: Buttigieg Pops Warren Over ‘Evasive’ Answers On Health Care Plan
In the editorial, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., wrote that his plan would allow the country to achieve “universal health care and a public alternative without raising taxes on the middle class.” Buttigieg goes on to say in the op-ed: “Anyone who lets the words Medicare for All escape their lips should tell us just as plainly how they plan to get there.” (Oprysko, 9/19)

CBS News: Pete Buttigieg's Answer To 'Medicare For All' Includes A Public Option
The plan showcases Buttigieg's pitch to voters as a candidate willing to take a measured position that speaks to the needs of a Democratic electorate that may be wary of the upending of the U.S. health care system that the progressives in the race argue the country needs. The plan, which the campaign says would cost $1.5 trillion over a decade, is aiming for universal coverage by providing insurance in a variety of ways, depending on an individual's insured status and income. (Turman, 9/19)

The Hill: Buttigieg Unveils Medicare Plan Preserving Private Insurance 
“For years, Washington politicians have allowed the pharmaceutical industry, giant insurance companies, and powerful hospital systems to profit off of people when they are at their sickest and most vulnerable,” Buttigieg said in a statement. "My ‘Medicare for All Who Want It’ plan will create a health care system that puts power in the hands of each American.” (Rodrigo, 9/19)

Meanwhile, in other election news —

The Hill: O'Rourke Unveils Plan To Legalize Marijuana, End War On Drugs 
Presidential hopeful Beto O'Rourke on Thursday unveiled a plan to legalize marijuana and end the war on drugs. The former Texas congressman would grant clemency to those currently serving sentences for marijuana possession, establish a model for marijuana legalization and give grants to those affected by the war on drugs to help them benefit from the new industry. (Rodrigo, 9/19)

The New York Times: Purdue Says Sacklers May Walk From Opioid Deal If Judge Does Not Block Cases
Members of the Sackler family could withdraw their pledge to pay $3 billion as part of a nationwide deal to address the opioid crisis if a bankruptcy judge does not block outstanding state lawsuits against them and their company, Purdue Pharma, Purdue lawyers said in a legal complaint. Whether the threat is posturing or real, the move by Purdue, the maker of OxyContin, to inject it into the company’s bankruptcy proceeding could jeopardize the tentative settlement it reached last week with representatives of thousands of local governments that have brought lawsuits against it. Two dozen state attorneys general who have sued the company in their own courts have signed on to the agreement, too. (Hoffman, 9/19)

The Washington Post: Who Are The Sacklers, The Family Behind Maker Of OxyContin?
For a family with its name on a wing of one of the world’s most famous museums and a school at a prestigious university, members of the Sackler clan have done a remarkable job of vanishing from public life. The family owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, which filed for bankruptcy this week as part of an effort to settle some 2,600 lawsuits accusing it of helping spark the national opioid crisis that has killed more than 400,000 people in the U.S. in the last two decades. (Mulvihill, 9/19)

NPR: As Drugmakers Face Opioid Lawsuits, Some Ask: Why Not Criminal Charges Too?
Purdue Pharma, facing a mountain of litigation linked to the opioid epidemic, filed for bankruptcy in New York this week. The OxyContin manufacturer and its owners, the Sackler family, have offered to pay billions of dollars to cities and counties hit hard by the addiction crisis. But that's not good enough for critics such as U.S. Rep. Max Rose. (Mann, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Purdue Led Its Opioid Rivals In Pills More Prone To Abuse
Purdue Pharma LP’s bankruptcy filing this week punctuates a fall from its perch as one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most recognizable marketers of opioid pain pills. At its height, Purdue’s signature OxyContin product notched billions of dollars in annual sales, fueled in part by booming demand for high-dose pills. Purdue made about 10% of pills containing oxycodone—the active ingredient in OxyContin—that were purchased by U.S. pharmacies from 2006 to 2012, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of opioid sales data maintained by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. (Walker and Hopkins, 9/19)

Meanwhile —

The Wall Street Journal: A Tennessee Pharmacy Bought Nearly A Million High-Dose OxyContins In 2008
A grocery-store pharmacy in Knoxville, Tenn., bought nearly one million high-dose OxyContin pills in 2008, third-most in the nation, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Journal obtained the data from plaintiffs’ attorneys representing municipalities in lawsuits against Purdue and other pharmaceutical-supply-chain players for their alleged roles in the opioid crisis. Sales data for other years hasn’t been made public. (Walker, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Fentanyl Drug Finds New Home In First Opioid Crisis Bankruptcy Deal
Insys Therapeutics Inc. won bankruptcy-court approval Thursday to sell Subsys, the opioid that spawned criminal racketeering charges against its top executives and set off investigations and lawsuits that plunged the company into bankruptcy. It is believed to be the first bankruptcy sale of a pharmaceutical drug that played a role in fueling the nationwide opioid epidemic, said Judge Kevin Gross of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del. (Brickley, 9/19)

The Associated Press: Trump Says Gun Bill Negotiations Going 'Very Slowly'
President Donald Trump on Thursday poured cold water on prospects for a bipartisan compromise on gun legislation, even as Attorney General William Barr circulated a draft plan on Capitol Hill to expand background checks for gun sales. In a Fox News interview, Trump said no deal is imminent, more than six weeks after mass shootings in Texas and Ohio killed more than 30 people. "We're going very slowly," Trump said, adding that while he doesn't want "bad people" to have weapons, he won't allow any plan to move forward that takes guns away from law-abiding people or restricts Second Amendment rights. (9/19)

The New York Times: For Trump, A Time Of Indecision
“No, we’re not moving on anything,” Mr. Trump said. “We’re going very slowly in one way because we want to make sure it’s right.” The result is that almost two months after the back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso and in Dayton, Ohio, when Mr. Trump said he wanted to pass “very meaningful background checks,” warnings from gun rights advocates and Republican lawmakers about the political blowback that would result from doing that have led to indecision about what to do and what the time frame is for sharing it. (Karni and Haberman, 9/19)

CNN: Trump Says He's Moving 'Very Slowly' On Gun Control To Get It Right
"A lot of Republicans and some Democrats now are afraid to do anything, to go down that slippery slope," he said. "A lot of people think this is just a way of taking away guns, and that's not good -- because we're not going to allow that." Trump also asserted that though he doesn't want "bad people" or "crazy people" to have access to firearms, and that his administration is "going to protect the Second Amendment." (Vazquez, 9/19)

Politico: O'Rourke Rips Schumer For Doing 'Absolutely Nothing' On Guns
Beto O’Rourke lit into Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on gun control on Thursday, accusing him of doing “absolutely nothing” on the issue. “Ask Chuck Schumer what he’s been able to get done,” the Democratic presidential candidate told reporters after a town hall here, responding to Schumer’s recent dismissal of O’Rourke’s call for a mandatory buyback of assault weapons. “We still don’t have background checks. Didn’t have them when he was in the majority, either. So the game that he’s played, the politics that he’s pursued have given us absolutely nothing and have produced a situation where we lose nearly 40,000 of our fellow Americans every year.” (Siders, 9/19)

And in other news on gun violence —

The Washington Post: Colt Suspends AR-15 Production For The Civilian Market, Citing 'Adequate Supply'
Colt, a U.S. firearms company that traces its history to the 1830s, announced Thursday that it would suspend the production of rifles for the civilian market — including the AR-15, a weapon infamous for its popularity among the country’s mass shooters. There are already so many of the weapons in the country that the market is saturated and executives decided “it is good sense to follow consumer demand,” the manufacturer’s president and chief executive said in a statement. (Thebault, 9/19)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Gov. Tony Evers Backs Red-Flag Bill, Is Open To Mandatory Gun Buybacks
Gov. Tony Evers rolled out red-flag legislation Thursday and said he would consider requiring gun owners to sell off some of their weapons. Republicans who control the Legislature immediately rejected both ideas, much as they resisted an earlier proposal from Evers for expanded background checks. The red-flag legislation Evers touted Thursday would allow judges to take guns away from people who are deemed to be a danger. (Marley, 9/19)

The Washington Post: Maryland’s Health-Care Premiums To Decline For Second Year
For the second year in a row, more than 190,000 people will see cheaper premiums for Affordable Care Act policies purchased on Maryland’s health insurance exchange. State officials announced Thursday that the price for individual plans will decline an average of 10.3 percent. (Cox, 9/19)

The Baltimore Sun: Obamacare Rates In Maryland Set To Decline For A Second Year In A Row After Big Increases 
More than 200,000 people also have qualified for an expansion of Medicaid, the government insurance for low-income people, under the Affordable Care Act, helping cut the number of uninsured people in the state in half to about 6 percent. “By addressing this crisis head-on, we have gone from an individual market on the brink of collapse to two straight years of lower premiums for Marylanders,” Hogan said in a statement. “Last year, after we refused to accept Washington’s failure to act, we came together to deliver lower rates for the first time in more than a decade. Our innovative program to make healthcare more affordable for Marylanders serves as a model for the rest of the nation.” (Cohn, 9/19)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Plans Are Slow To Offer Social Needs Benefits
Medicare Advantage health plans are wary of investing heavily into addressing social health determinants, even though the federal government has given them the flexibility to offer related benefits, according to new research released Thursday. In interviews with five major Medicare Advantage insurers, the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found they added few new benefits that addressed social needs in 2019. (Johnson, 9/19)

Modern Healthcare: Dialysis Centers Claim Patients Lose With New Mandatory Payments
Dialysis centers and patient advocacy groups urged the CMS to reconsider its plan to increase home dialysis and kidney transplants and shift those providers to risk-based payments, saying the changes prevent patients from choosing the care they want. In comments on a new pay model affecting kidney care, providers and patient advocates claimed the changes will create financial disincentives to recommend and deliver the best treatment option for affected Medicare enrollees. It rewards the use of home dialysis and kidney transplants while discouraging the use of in-center dialysis and excluding alternative treatment options. (Brady, 9/19)

Modern Healthcare: Ballad Health Sued Thousands Of Patients In Poor, Rural Area
Ballad officials said they filed about 5,700 lawsuits against patients in its first fiscal year as a health system, which ended in June. That’s up from nearly 5,400 in the prior year, which ended June 2018, four months after its merger became official. They say they are simply trying to whittle down a provision for bad debt—which in fiscal year 2019 was $141.2 million. The not-for-profit health system has also filed roughly 900 liens in two Tennessee counties since it was formed. (Bannow, 9/19)

The New York Times: Abortions In Clinics Decline, But Abortions With Black-Market Pills Are Rising
The number of abortions performed in American clinics was lower in 2017 than in any year since abortion became legal nationwide in 1973, new data showed this week. But that does not count a growing number of women who are managing their abortions themselves, without going to a medical office — often by buying pills illicitly. These “invisible” abortions are hard to measure, so it’s unclear how much higher the true abortion rate is. (Miller and Sanger-Katz, 9/20)

The New York Times: Scientists Identify Neurons That Help The Brain Forget
One afternoon in April 1929, a journalist from a Moscow newspaper turned up in Alexander Luria’s office with an unusual problem: He never forgot things. Dr. Luria, a neuropsychologist, proceeded to test the man, who later became known as subject S., by spouting long strings of numbers and words, foreign poems and scientific formulas, all of which S. recited back without fail. Decades later, S. still remembered the lists of numbers perfectly whenever Dr. Luria retested him. (Sheikh, 9/19)

The New York Times: Should You Keep Taking Zantac For Your Heartburn?
The heartburn drug Zantac has been on the market for decades, and was considered safe enough to be sold over the counter and regularly given to infants. But last week, the Food and Drug Administration said that it had detected low levels of a cancer-causing chemical in samples of the drug, which is also known as ranitidine. The agency advised patients who were taking over-the-counter versions of Zantac to consider switching to other medications. (Thomas, 9/19)

Stat: Nebula Is The First Consumer DNA Company To Offer Anonymous Sequencing
The upstart direct-to-consumer DNA-testing company Nebula Genomics announced on Thursday that it will offer anonymous genome sequencing, becoming the first to do so amid public concerns about the privacy of genetic data and law enforcement use of public DNA databases to identify suspects. Customers will be able to purchase Nebula’s whole-genome sequencing “without sharing their name, address, or credit card information,” said Nebula co-founder and chief scientific officer Dennis Grishin. (Begley, 9/19)

ProPublica: Be Prepared: Find The ER You Want To Go To Before An Emergency Happens
To be prepared in the event of an emergency, you can use our newly updated ER Inspector (formerly called ER Wait Watcher) to help you evaluate the emergency rooms near you. Using data from the federal government, our interactive database lets you compare ERs on both efficiency measures, including how long patients typically spend in the ER before being sent home, and quality measures, such as how many violations related to ER care a hospital has had. (Groeger, 9/19)

NPR: Extremism Researchers Struggle With The Mental Toll Of Their Work
Charlie Winter, a London-based terrorism researcher, was dining with friends one recent evening when the conversation turned to whether it is ethical to eat meat. Someone brought up slaughterhouse conditions, Winter said, and he instantly grew uneasy. He stayed for a while longer, squirming, and then finally left the room. That word — "slaughterhouse" — had conjured images of one of the most gruesome ISIS videos he'd come across. The militants had filmed a mass execution in a slaughterhouse, casting their prisoners as the animals. (Allam, 9/20)

Politico Pro: Trump Signs An Order To Make Better Flu Vaccines
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing HHS to encourage the production of more and better U.S. flu vaccines, as well as convince additional Americans to get vaccinated. The order, which POLITICO in July first reported was in development, does not include new funding and essentially continues work done by federal agencies since 2005. (Allen, 9/19)

The New York Times: Silicon Valley Goes To Therapy
Silicon Valley told itself a good story, the best one, really: It was saving the world. For nearly a decade, this gave the modern tech worker purpose, optimism and self-confidence. Then came the bad headlines, followed by worse headlines — about the industry, about the country, about the world. In search of reassurance, tech workers commandeered the old hippie retreat Esalen, co-opted Burning Man, got interested in psychedelics and meditation. It wasn’t enough. (Bowles, 9/20)

The New York Times: Banish Roundup From The Farm? It’ll Take More Than Lawsuits
From his farm in northwestern Wisconsin, Andy Bensend watched as first one jury, then another and another, delivered staggering multimillion-dollar verdicts to people who argued that their use of a weedkiller sold at nearly every hardware and home-improvement store had caused their cancer. Mr. Bensend has been using that product, Roundup, on his 5,000 acres for 40 years, but he said that those blockbuster awards would not alter his farm practices one whit. Neither would the 20,000 lawsuits still pending. (Cohen, 9/20)

The Washington Post: Autistic Self Advocacy Network Breaks With Sesame Street Over Autism Speaks Ties
An autistic “Sesame Street” muppet is caught in a conflict between the most prominent autism organization in the United States advocating for early intervention, and autistic adults who see the condition as a difference, not a disease needing to be cured. Since 2017, a Muppet named Julia has given children on the spectrum a role model and helped parents and peers understand the condition. (Bever, 9/19)

Seattle Times: How Climate Change Threatens Our Health In The Pacific Northwest 
While smoke from wildfires might be climate change’s most obvious impact in Washington, other threats still loom. Some predicted health effects include heatstroke, dehydration, worsened pollen allergies and increased cancer risk. And while local scientists have a plan to fix it, they say they are concerned that no one is carrying it out. Meanwhile, climate scientists predict more smoky summers. On Wednesday, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a study that found that during one year, wildfire smoke in Washington state caused 245 deaths, directly and indirectly. The study pegged the costs of those “premature deaths” at $2.2 billion, and $55 million spent dealing with associated illnesses. (Blethen, 9/19)

The Associated Press: US Awards $3M To Fill Gaps In Medical Marijuana Research
The U.S. government will spend $3 million to find out if marijuana can relieve pain, but none of the money will be used to study the part of the plant that gets people high. Nine research grants announced Thursday are for work on CBD, the trendy ingredient showing up in cosmetics and foods, and hundreds of less familiar chemicals. THC research was excluded. (9/19)

Kaiser Health News: How Cruise Ship Passengers Should Prepare For Sickness Or Injury At Sea
Royal Caribbean’s gargantuan Oasis of the Seas boasts four outdoor pools and an 82-foot zip line and made quite a splash shortly after its 2014 refurbishment when it added the first Tiffany & Co boutique at sea. But in January 2019, the cruise ship, which bills itself one of the world’s largest, produced less cheerful news: Hundreds of passengers fell ill from the highly contagious norovirus stomach flu. (Horovitz, 9/20)

The New York Times: States Warn Residents About Rare Mosquito-Borne Illness That Has Killed 5
Health authorities have warned residents to protect themselves against bites from mosquitoes that can transmit a rare virus that has killed at least five people in three states this year. An increase in cases of the disease, called Eastern equine encephalitis, has prompted authorities in Michigan, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey to issue the warnings: Remove standing water. Use repellent. Seal windows and doors. (Hauser, 9/19)

The Washington Post: EEE Virus In Michigan: Mosquito Borne Virus Leaves Man Brain Dead
A Michigan man reportedly “went from perfectly healthy to brain dead” in nine days after he contracted the rare, mosquito-borne virus Eastern equine encephalitis during an uptick in cases this year. Officials in Kalamazoo County on Sept. 6 said a resident infected with EEE, also known as “sleeping sickness,” had died. The family of Gregg McChesney, 64, identified him to News 8 as the victim and said he had been helping to install docks in a pond less than a month before he died on Aug. 19. (Iati, 9/19)

Meanwhile, in other news on mosquito-borne illnesses —

California Healthline: Invasive Mosquitoes Plunge Deeper Into California
Two invasive species of mosquitoes that can carry Zika, dengue, yellow fever and other dangerous viruses are spreading in California — and have been found as far north as Sacramento and Placer counties. There are now 16 counties where Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, has been detected, according to the state Department of Public Health. Five of those counties have also detected Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito. (Rowan, 9/19)

Pioneer Press: Minn. Republicans Unveil Affordable Insulin Plan; Eligible Diabetics Would Get Free Insulin For Up To A Year 
Minnesota Republicans have a new plan to get insulin into the hands of diabetics who cannot afford it, by requiring drug makers to provide free insulin for up to a year to those who qualify. Senate GOP leaders unveiled their bill, dubbed the “Minnesota Insulin Patient Assistance Program,” during a news conference at the Capitol on Thursday. House Democrats will release their proposal next week. The two parties could not agree on an insulin bill before the legislative session adjourned in May and have been trying to hammer out a proposal ever since. (Faircloth, 9/19)

Arizona Republic: Navajo Nation's New Cancer Clinic Makes Tribal History
One of the country's largest Native American tribes, the Navajo Nation, is now the first in the Southwest to have a cancer clinic on reservation land. It's a long time coming. Tribal members, many of them living hours away from cancer centers in urban areas, have a history of delayed diagnoses and untreated cancer. (Innes, 9/19)

WBUR: Navajo Nation Students Awarded Rare Opportunity To Train In Neuroscience
The tribe's 4-year Diné College has teamed up with the University of Arizona to create a neuroscience training program, aimed at advancing Native American scholars in biomedical sciences and increasing their population in graduate schools and research careers. A $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will fund the endeavor.The goal is to mentor 34 students over the next five years in laboratory and research skills. (Mosley, 9/19)

New Hampshire Union Leader: DHHS Apologizes After 300 Families Told Children Tested Positive For Lead
A state agency apologized Thursday after about 300 families were mistakenly informed that blood tests of their children showed elevated levels of lead. The Department of Health and Human Services is required to notify parents when a blood lead level of 3 micrograms per deciliter or higher is found. The letters were incorrectly sent because of a software error, said Lisa Morris, director of the state’s Division of Public Health Services. (Phelps, 9/19)

Miami Herald: DOJ Case Against Florida Putting Kids In Nursing Homes On Track
Florida health administrators may be forced to defend in court their long-controversial policy of institutionalizing frail and disabled children in nursing homes — an approach that federal civil rights lawyers have condemned as cruel and unwarranted discrimination against some of the state’s sickest citizens. An Atlanta appeals court ruled this week that the U.S. Department of Justice may proceed with a lawsuit alleging Florida systematically discriminates against severely disabled and medically complex children by leaving them no choice but to live in institutions — in violation of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, and other laws. (Marbin Miller, 9/19)

North Carolina Health News: NC Children’s Hospital Cleared For Complex Heart Surgeries 
Three cardiologists from outside the state have reviewed the North Carolina Children’s Hospital pediatric heart surgery program and concluded the program can resume complex pediatric heart surgeries there. The six-page advisory report released this week by UNC Health Care officials acknowledged that new leadership and investment in the program has helped resolve some of the thornier issues exposed several months ago in a New York Times investigative piece. (Blythe, 9/20)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Johnson Controls And DNR In Dustup Over Cleanup Of 'Forever' Chemicals
Regulators and Johnson Controls International are sparring over a state requirement that the company assess the extent of contamination in northeastern Wisconsin where industrial chemicals in municipal sludge have been spread on farmland for decades. The Glendale-based company was to have provided a report to the state Department of Natural Resources on Sept. 3 but did not; and since midsummer, the company and the agency have traded letters over their respective obligations in the matter. (Bergquist, 9/19)

Los Angeles Times: As Homicides Drop In L.A., More Women Are Being Killed — Often By Intimate Partners
When Michelle Malander was rushed to a Mission Hills hospital with a broken skull, her relatives already suspected who her attacker was. For 14 years she’d been trapped in a cycle of abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, who once knocked out her front tooth. Another time he had cracked her wrist. This time, Malander, 29, was beaten to death in the RV she shared with him in Pacoima. Her boyfriend, Hector Lopez, was later convicted of her murder. (Cruz and Lee, 9/19)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Bill Would Focus On Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women
A group of lawmakers Wednesday announced legislation that would create a task force to address missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. Experts who have studied the issue say the legislation would be a good first step, but efforts to help Native American women shouldn’t end there. (Zettel-Vandenhouten, 9/19)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Leaked Memo Shows Depth Of Dysfunction In Atlanta’s AIDS Housing Crisis
Hundreds of lower-income residents with HIV/AIDS, who face health challenges and often discrimination, depend on HOPWA for rent subsidies in safe, affordable housing. But according to the memo the city had used federal dollars to pay for “substandard” housing for its low-income clients and had overcharged them for rent over four years, HUD found. It had yet to come up with a plan to pay them back. It could not reliably say how many families it helped or how much money it spent on various activities. (Mariano, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: Vaccine Law Targeted In Potential Maine Ballot Question
Opponents of vaccination requirements in Maine are close to getting a question added to the March ballot that would ask voters to overturn a state law eliminating nonmedical vaccine exemptions for school children. The state legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, passed the law earlier this year amid worries about low immunization rates among students. The law still allows for medical exemptions, but no more for religious and philosophical reasons. The law gave children now enrolled in school until 2021 to get their required shots. (Kamp, 9/19)

St. Louis Post Dispatch: Anderson Healthcare Plans Second Building On Edwardsville Campus 
Anderson Healthcare and Kindred Healthcare LLC announced this week that Illinois regulators have approved their plan for a $22 million, 34-bed rehabilitation hospital on Goshen Road in Edwardsville. “We look forward to expanding our existing relationship with Anderson Healthcare to build and operate this facility, to address the growing need for inpatient rehabilitation services in the state,” said Russ Bailey, chief operating officer of Kindred Rehabilitation Services, part of Kindred Healthcare in Louisville, Kentucky. (Barker, 9/20)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: New Data Shows The Gap In Health Care Based On Income, Race, Geography
For the first time, researchers have compiled detailed information on the differences in health and health care experienced by people in Wisconsin depending on their race, income, health coverage and geography. The information will provide public health departments, health systems, social service agencies, community groups and policymakers with benchmarks for tracking progress in lessening the entrenched disparities in health in the state. (Boulton, 9/19)

Houston Chronicle: 2 Deaths Linked To Imelda As Hundreds Flooded Throughout Southeast Texas 
Heavy rainfall from now-downgraded Imelda wreaked havoc Thursday for much of Southeast Texas, where officials are dealing with impassable roadways, downed trees, power outages,  hundreds of high-water rescues and in one small town, a hospital evacuation. At least two deaths have been linked to the storm. A man pulled from a submerged van in east Harris County died, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a tweet. In Jefferson County, a man was electrocuted and drowned while trying to move his horse, according to authorities there. (Iracheta, 9/19)

Propublica and WBUR: MIT Media Lab Dumped Chemicals In Excess Of Legal Limit, Keeping Regulators In The Dark
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab have dumped wastewater underground in apparent violation of a state regulation, according to documents and interviews, potentially endangering local waterways in and near the town of Middleton. (Song and Larkin, 9/20)

Des Moines Register: UnityPoint Health Opening Express Care Clinic In West Des Moines
UnityPoint Health will open a new express walk-in care center in West Des Moines next week designed to serve patients in about 30 minutes. UnityPoint Clinic – Express is located at 180 Jordan Creek Parkway, just west of Jordan Creek Town Center near Giordano’s restaurant. The clinic will provide walk-in care for patients of all ages, including X-ray and lab services. A medical professional will greet the patient entering the clinic and remain with them throughout the visit. (9/19)

The Associated Press: 3 Dead In Fire At Wisconsin Group Home For Mentally Disabled
Three residents have died in a fire at a group home for intellectually disabled people in eastern Wisconsin Thursday, officials said. Two residents escaped the fire, which started about 6 a.m. at the Fond du Lac group home, while three others were found dead on the second floor, fire officials said. The residents who escaped alerted firefighters that others were still inside, according to Fond du Lac Fire Chief Peter O'Leary. (9/19)

Sacramento Bee: Feds Charge Sacramento Nurse In $31 Million Medicare Scheme
A Sacramento registered nurse has been charged in a massive Medicare fraud scheme that cost the federal health care program $31 million in payouts, court documents say. John Eby, whose Facebook page says he is a nursing care coordinator at Mercy General Hospital, was charged in a two-count information filed in Sacramento federal court Thursday with conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and receipt of health care kickbacks. (Stanton, 9/19)

The Wall Street Journal: My Tale As A Cancer Survivor
Every year at about this time, I head west to Seattle. Surrounded by mountains and water, with the backdrop of the majestic Mount Rainier, the city is ideal for a pleasure trip in late summer or early fall. But I’m there for another reason: my annual checkup at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. It has been 27 years since I chose the Hutch, as it is known, as the best place to have a bone-marrow transplant, after being diagnosed with the blood cancer chronic myelogenous leukemia. (Landro, 9/15)

Politico: The Secret History Of Fort Detrick, The CIA’s Base For Mind Control Experiments
In 1954, a prison doctor in Kentucky isolated seven black inmates and fed them “double, triple and quadruple” doses of LSD for 77 days straight. No one knows what became of the victims. They may have died without knowing they were part of the CIA’s highly secretive program to develop ways to control minds—a program based out of a little-known Army base with a dark past, Fort Detrick. (Kinzer, 9/15)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Why The Poor Stay Poor. Or How Nothing Keeps The Playing Field Level
America is a nation built on hard work. History teems with tales of self-made men and women, of entrepreneurs and astronauts and presidents who started with little and achieved their dreams.But there’s mythology in that story, too. Tens of millions of poor Americans spend lifetimes working hard, only to find it isn’t enough.Kids who grow up in poverty are as much as 75 times more likely to be poor in adulthood than those who don’t. And workers struggling to overcome those odds are rewarded less for their labor than they used to be. (9/18)

Wired: Farm Animals Are The Next Big Antibiotic Resistance Threat
Across the world, the antibiotics that farmers use to prevent illness in their animals are losing effectiveness as bacteria develop antibiotic resistance. According to new research, it’s a huge problem, one that’s been masked by a longstanding focus on the risk that resistant bacteria pose to humans instead. This trend in the animal world carries a double danger. Long term, these resistant bacteria could travel to people, creating untreatable, hard-to-contain infections. (McKenna, 9/19)

CNN: This Med Student Was Given Last Rites Before Finding A Treatment That Saved His Life. His Method Could Help Millions
It was just after Christmas in 2013 and David Fajgenbaum was hovering a hair above death. He lay in a hospital bed at the University of Arkansas, stricken with a rare disease. His blood platelet count was so low that even a slight bump to his body could trigger a lethal brain bleed. A doctor told him to write his living will on a piece of paper. Fajgenbaum was rushed to a CT scan. Tears streamed down his face and fell on his hospital gown. (Prior, 9/14)

Politico: There’s A Reason We Don’t Know Much About AI
Last year, when the Food and Drug Administration approved an Apple Watch feature that notified users if they had an irregular heart rhythm, the information tech industry hailed it as a watershed moment in consumer-focused health care. Cardiologists, on the other hand, warned that the app could lead to privacy violations, unwarranted worrying and wasteful or even dangerous medical care. It might have been good to have an authoritative assessment of the new technology’s pros and cons. But in the United States, at least, that no longer happens. (Allen, 9/16)

The Washington Post: How Deep Are The Differences Among Democrats On Health Care?
Some time ago, I began referring to emerging alternatives to Medicare-for-all as “Medicare For All (Who Want It)." It seemed like a good way to describe the voluntary public-option plans being developed in response to reservations about single-payer plans. Pete Buttigieg seems to have come to the same conclusion, because his newly unveiled health-care plan is called Medicare for All Who Want It. (I guess those parentheses just got in the way.) (Paul Waldman, 9/19)

The New York Times: Is America’s Health Care System A Fixer-Upper Or A Teardown?
Imagine the United States health care system as a sort of weird old house. There are various wings, added at different points in history, featuring different architectural styles. Maybe you pass through a wardrobe and there’s a surprise bedroom on the other side, if not Narnia. Some parts are really run down. In some places, the roof is leaking or there are some other minor structural flaws. It’s also too small for everyone to live in. But even if architecturally incoherent and a bit leaky, it still works. No one would rather be homeless than live in the house. (Margot Sanger-Katz, 9/19)

The Washington Post: Pete Buttigieg: Here’s A Better Way To Do Medicare-For-All
Earlier this year, I lost my father to cancer. I make decisions for a living, but nothing could have prepared me for the kind of decisions our family faced as his illness grew more serious. But as challenging as that time was for my family, one thing we did not have to worry about was whether his illness would bankrupt our family. Because he was covered by Medicare, we were free to focus on what mattered most. (Pete Buttigieg, 9/19)

Stat: National Support For 'Red-Flag' Gun Laws Could Prevent Many Suicides
Red-flag gun laws, which allow for the temporary removal of guns from individuals at high risk of harming themselves or others, have broad public backing but haven’t yet gained national traction. That could change now that bipartisan support is mounting in Congress for the Extreme Risk Protection Order and Violence Prevention Act. Introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and colleagues earlier this year, the legislation would not create a federal red-flag law but would instead give states incentives to adopt their own by providing grants for implementation. If approved, the bill will surely prevent deaths — including those from suicide — though its future is far from certain. (Brian Barnett, 9/20)

The Hill: Contraception Leads To Better Public And Individual Health
Overwhelming evidence from across the globe has shown that access to comprehensive reproductive health information and services, including the full range of contraceptive methods, leads to both public and individual health and wellbeing. But for the past several years, the Trump administration has sought to restrict access to high-quality care at every turn, most recently through a domestic “gag rule” that threatens to cut 4 million people off from Title X’s contraception and other preventive health care entirely, creating an urgent public health crisis. (Kate Grindlay Kelly, 9/19)

Stat: Artificial Intelligence Isn't The Right Tool For Finding A Therapist
Companies have learned the hard way that their artificial intelligence tools have unforeseen outputs, like Amazon’s (AMZN) favoring men’s resumes over women’s or Uber’s disabling the user accounts of transgender drivers. When not astutely overseen by human intelligence, deploying AI can often bend into an unseemly rainbow of discriminatory qualities like ageism, sexism, and racism. That’s because biases unnoticed in the input data can become amplified in the outputs.Another underappreciated hazard is the potential for AI to cater to our established preferences. You can see that in apps that manage everything from sources of journalism to new music and prospective romance. Once an algorithm gets a sense of what you like, it delivers the tried and true, making the world around you more homogeneous than it might otherwise be without embedded artificial intelligence. Having your preferences catered to can sometimes be great. But it can also be debilitating in insidious ways, like in the search to find the “right” therapist. (Scott Breitinger, 9/20)

The Wall Street Journal: How Chicago Tackled The Opioid Crisis
The campaign against America’s opioid epidemic earned a victory last month when an Oklahoma judge held Johnson & Johnson responsible for its role in oversupplying addictive drugs. Yet the opioid problem is far larger than one drug company, or even the entire industry. Preventing abuse of addictive drugs requires improvements in countless nooks and crannies of public policy. (Rahm Emanuel, 9/19)

The Hill: Millions Of Us Are Living In Poverty — We Need Investments To Raise The Standard Of Living
New U.S. Census data shows a slight decrease in official poverty in 2018, but it also hides a darker reality.The latest Census figures show this official poverty rate inching downward from 12.3 percent in 2017 to 11.8 percent last year. That means about 38.1 million Americans are below the official poverty line.  (Karen Dolan, 9/19)

The New York Times: Trump Declares War On California
I’m on a number of right-wing mailing lists, and I try to at least skim what they’re going on about in any given week; this often gives me advance warning about the next wave of manufactured outrage. Lately I’ve been seeing dire warnings that if Democrats win next year they’ll try to turn America into (cue scary background music) California, which the writers portray as a socialist hellhole. (Paul Krugman, 9/19)

Los Angeles Times: Can Trump Legally Revoke California's Clean Air Waiver? Short Answer: Probably Not.
President Trump’s latest attempt to stick his thumb in California’s eye — the revocation of the state’s treasured authority to set its own auto emissions rules — rests on very shaky legal ground, experts say. At the very least, the move to revoke the state’s Clean Air Act waiver will lead to an intense legal battle that could delay the revocation past the 2020 election, the outcome of which could make his maneuver moot. (Michael Hiltzik, 9/19)

The Washington Post: The Importance Of Social Media When It Comes To LGBTQ Kids Feeling Seen
I came into my transness late in life, coming out as non-binary and switching my pronouns from she/her to they/them when I was 39. I am waiting for gender-affirming top surgery to move me closer to my most authentic self. But as a transgender person, I find it hard to look in the mirror. (Amber Leventry, 9/19)