The New York Times: Demand For Monkeypox Vaccine Exceeds Supply, C.D.C. Says
As the monkeypox outbreak grows in the United States, demand for the vaccine is outstripping the nation’s supply, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news briefing on Friday. “We don’t yet have all the vaccine that we would like in this moment,” she said. (Anthes, 7/15)

AP: US Officials: States Getting More Monkeypox Vaccine Soon
More than 100,000 monkeypox vaccine doses are being sent to states in the next few days, and several million more are on order in the months ahead, U.S. health officials said Friday. They also acknowledged the vaccine supply hasn’t kept up with the demand seen in New York, California and other places. (Stobbe, 7/16)

Axios: Former FDA Chief Warns U.S. Has "Failed To Contain" Monkeypox
The U.S. has failed to contain the outbreak of monkeypox and is "at the cusp" of seeing the virus become endemic, former FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday. ... "I think the window for getting control of this and containing it probably has closed, and if it hasn't closed it's certainly starting to close," Gottlieb said. (Saric, 7/17)

On specific vaccine plans —

The Hill: DC Mayor Estimates Districts Needs 100K Monkeypox Vaccine Doses
The nation’s capital needs 100,000 monkeypox vaccine doses to respond to the new virus, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said on Sunday. A “robust testing regime” is already in place, Bowser told CBS “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan, but the city currently has just 8,000 vaccine doses. (Mueller, 7/17)

Stat: NYC To Use One-Dose Monkeypox Vaccine Strategy To Stretch Supplies
New York City’s Health Department announced Friday it will speed up the delivery of first doses of monkeypox vaccine to people in the city at high risk of contracting the disease. The move, it warned, may delay the city’s ability to dole out second doses to those who’ve been vaccinated. (Branswell, 7/15)

Meanwhile, more monkeypox cases appear —

AP: First 2 Cases Of Monkeypox Found In Alabama
Alabama public officials said Friday that they’ve identified the state’s first known cases of monkeypox, a disease that has emerged in more than 50 countries and most U.S. states. (7/15)

AP: House Votes To Restore Abortion Rights, Senate Odds Dim
The House has voted to restore abortion rights nationwide in Democrats’ first legislative response to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The bill has little chance of becoming law, with the necessary support lacking in the 50-50 Senate. Yet voting marks the beginning of a new era in the debate as lawmakers, governors and legislatures grapple with the impact of the court’s decision. The legislation passed 219-210. The House also passed a second bill to prohibit punishment for a woman or child who decides to travel to another state to get an abortion, 223-205. (Amiri and Clare Jalonick, 7/16)

The impact of abortion bans is being felt in different areas of health care —

AP: Abortion Laws Spark Profound Changes In Other Medical Care
Even in medical emergencies, doctors are sometimes declining immediate treatment. In the past week, an Ohio abortion clinic received calls from two women with ectopic pregnancies — when an embryo grows outside the uterus and can’t be saved — who said their doctors wouldn’t treat them. Ectopic pregnancies often become life-threatening emergencies and abortion clinics aren’t set up to treat them. (Tanner, 7/16)

The Washington Post: Abortion Bans Create Confusion Around Miscarriage, Ectopic Pregnancies
A woman with a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy sought emergency care at the University of Michigan Hospital after a doctor in her home state worried that the presence of a fetal heartbeat meant treating her might run afoul of new restrictions on abortion. At one Kansas City, Mo., hospital, administrators temporarily required “pharmacist approval” before dispensing medications used to stop postpartum hemorrhages, because they can also be also used for abortions. (Stead Sellers and Nirappil, 7/16)

On the threat against advertising abortion-related products —

Politico: Abortion Foes Move To Block Online Ads For Reproductive Services
The National Right to Life Committee is lobbying states to enact legislation it’s drafted that would make it a crime to advertise information about abortion pills or other methods of ending a pregnancy. The model bill treats abortion like organized crime, by using a combination of civil and criminal penalties in the same way that the 1970 Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act does. The scope is broad and suggests penalizing anyone who even conveys information about the procedure. State lawmakers in Indiana and South Carolina have already shown interest. (Reader, 7/16)

Axios: Anti-Abortion Groups Want To Restrict Online Ads For Procedure
Anti-abortion groups are pushing new laws to block online advertisements about abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court ending Roe v. Wade. (Dam, 7/16)

On political debates around abortion —

The Texas Tribune: Texas Democrats To Biden: Declare Health Emergency Related To Abortion Access
As the nation continues to navigate the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, several Texas Democrats and abortion advocates called on the Biden administration to take immediate and direct action to protect Texans’ access to abortion. (Melhado, 7/16)

Axios: Anti-Abortion Memo To Republicans: Don't Leave It To The States
A leading anti-abortion rights group is urging Republicans in Congress to stay away from phrases like "nationwide ban" and make clear they won't criminalize pregnant people's own actions. (McCammond, 7/17)

AP: Indiana Doctor's Lawyer Tells AG To Halt False Statements
A lawyer on Friday emailed the Indiana state’s attorney general asking him to stop spreading false or misleading information about an Indianapolis doctor who performed an abortion in June on a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. Attorney Kathleen DeLaney sent the “cease and desist” letter to Indiana Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita on behalf of obstetrician-gynecologist Caitlin Bernard, who performed a medical abortion on the girl. (Rodgers, 7/17)

The Washington Post: Caitlin Bernard, Indiana Doctor In 10-Year-Old's Abortion, Faced Kidnapping Threat Against Daughter
The Indianapolis doctor who helped a 10-year-old Ohio rape victim obtain an abortion was forced to stop offering services at a clinic in 2020 after she was alerted of a kidnapping threat against her daughter. And she is currently listed as a “threat” on an antiabortion website that was linked to Amy Coney Barrett before she was nominated to the Supreme Court and helped overturn Roe v. Wade. (Bella and Bellware, 7/16)

On reports of delays in reproductive care in Texas —

Axios: Texas Hospitals Reportedly Delay Care Of Pregnancy Complications Due To Abortion Ban
Some Texas hospitals have reportedly been refusing to treat patients with serious pregnancy complications over fears of violating the state's abortion ban, the Dallas Morning News reported. (Shapero, 7/15)

AP: Texas Hospitals Delaying Care Over Abortion Law, Letter Says
Some hospitals in Texas have reportedly refused to treat patients with major pregnancy complications for fear of violating the state’s abortion ban, the Texas Medical Association said in a letter this week. The association did not name the hospitals but said it’s received complaints that hospitals, administrators and their attorneys may be prohibiting doctors from providing medically appropriate care in some situations, The Dallas Morning News reported. (7/15)

On news on abortion matters across the states —

The Washington Post: Montana GOP Lawmaker Brad Tschida: Woman’s Womb Has ‘No Specific Purpose To Her Life Or Well-Being’
As millions of Americans protest restrictions that preclude abortions, even when the life of a woman is at risk, Montana state Rep. Brad Tschida (R) is arguing that a woman’s womb “serves no specific purpose to her life or well-being.” Tschida, a former Montana House majority leader who is running for the state Senate, wrote an email this week to more than 100 legislators citing a podcast featuring a woman who is an antiabortion advocate, according to the Daily Montanan. (Bella, 7/15)

AP: Louisiana Abortion Ban Case Heard Before Judge
With access to abortion flickering in Louisiana, the legal battle over the statewide ban continues with a court hearing scheduled to begin Monday morning. State District Judge Donald Johnson issued a temporary order last week blocking enforcement pending the hearing in a lawsuit that claims the state law is unconstitutionally vague. (7/18)

AP: Georgia Abortion Law Challenge Now Focused On 'Personhood'
Attorneys for groups challenging the law acknowledged that the ruling allows the state’s ban on many abortions to take effect. But they argued in their brief that a provision that grants “personhood” to a fetus should remain blocked. (Brumback, 7/16)

The 19th: Abortion Clinics In Kansas, Illinois And Colorado Are Overwhelmed By Out-Of-State Demand 
For months, Trust Women had been gearing up for the federal abortion protections to disappear. They had a plan.  (Luthra, 7/15)

Bloomberg: Abortion Access In California Means Ramping Up Training Of Doctors
Growing up, Prachi Priyam didn’t know she wanted to help people get abortions. She wasn’t even sure if she believed women should terminate pregnancies. (Holder, 7/18)

San Francisco Chronicle: Abortion Pills Will Soon Be Available On California Campuses
As California’s efforts to enshrine abortion access continue, the University of California and California State University are working to provide medication abortions on all campuses by Jan. 1. (Seshadri, 7/17)

The New York Times: Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Enforcement Of L.G.B.T.Q. Protection
A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the Biden administration from enforcing directives that extended civil rights protections to L.G.B.T.Q. students and workers. (Sasani, 7/17)

AP: US Agencies Temporarily Barred From Enforcing LGBTQ Guidance
U.S. District Judge Charles Atchley Jr. in an order on Friday ruled for the 20 state attorneys general who sued last August claiming the Biden administration directives infringe on states’ right to enact laws that, for example, prevent students from participating in sports based on their gender identity or requiring schools and businesses to provide bathrooms and showers to accommodate transgender people. (Gillispie, 7/16)

Politico: Federal Judge Blocks Education Department’s Title IX Guidance That Protects Transgender Students
The states also argued that forcing schools to use transgender students’ pronouns is illegal under the First Amendment and that the Education Department violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Tenth Amendment, which delegates certain powers to the states. The Education Department, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Justice Department, along with their leaders, are listed as defendants. They had urged the court to dismiss the lawsuit, which Atchley denied. (Quilantan, 7/16)

On how people with intersex conditions are hit by anti-trans laws —

The Washington Post: Intersex Youth Are Also Hurt By Anti-Trans Laws, Advocates Say
“There are a lot of overlapping issues between the trans and intersex community,” said Bria Brown-King, engagement director at InterACT, an organization that advocates for intersex children. “What both communities are really fighting for is the right to bodily autonomy.” According to interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, people born with intersex characteristics make up at least 1.7 percent of the population — a figure comparable to the amount of people who are born with red hair. And that number doesn’t include people whose intersex traits show up later in life. (Branigin, 7/16)

On other matters impacting the LGBTQ+ community —

AP: Academics Attack Florida Plan To Limit Transgender Treatment
A plan by Florida health officials that likely would restrict Medicaid insurance coverage for gender dysphoria treatments for transgender people lacks sound medical justification and may be politically motivated, according to a group of academics from Yale University and other schools. (7/15)

The Hill: Cruz Says Marriage Equality, Like Abortion, Should Be Left To States
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Saturday said Obergefell V. Hodges, the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court precedent that legalized same-sex marriage, should be overturned with states left to decide their own marriage laws. On his podcast “Verdict with Ted Cruz,” the Texas lawmaker compared Obergefell to Roe V. Wade, which the Supreme Court overturned last month, ending 50 years of the constitutional right to abortion. (Dress, 7/17)

The Hill: White House COVID-19 Coordinator Says Virus ‘Still Evolving Rapidly’
As variants continue to circulate and develop, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha says the U.S. has “got to stay on top of this virus” as it quickly evolves. “We’re still in the middle of this pandemic,” Jha said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” (Mueller, 7/17)

ABC News: Biden Admin Stresses Vaccines For Older Americans As 'Most Immune Evasive' COVID Variant Spreads 
The Biden administration is urging Americans, particularly older people, to stay up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines as “the most immune evasive” variant spreads throughout most of the country, White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha said on Sunday. (Ibssa, 7/17)

On calls to begin next-gen covid shots —

The Hill: BA.5 Spurs New Calls To Fund Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccines
There’s no Operation Warp Speed,” said Eric Topol, professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research. “So it’s moving very slowly. But at least it’s moving.” Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed this week that the U.S. needs “urgent investment” in next-generation vaccines and “we need an ‘Operation Warp Speed Part 2.’” (Sullivan, 7/17)

Also —

San Francisco Chronicle: People Are Getting COVID Again And Again... And Again. Is This The New Normal?
As the Bay Area’s latest COVID surge threatens to be the biggest yet and the coronavirus continues to spin off new, immune-evasive variants, are repeated infections a part of living with COVID? Increasingly, experts fear, the answer is yes. (Echeverria, 7/17)

KHN: Boost Now Or Wait? Many Wonder How Best To Ride Out Covid’s Next Wave
Gwyneth Paige didn’t want to get vaccinated against covid-19 at first. With her health issues — hypertension, fibromyalgia, asthma — she wanted to see how other people fared after the shots. Then her mother got colon cancer. “At that point, I didn’t care if the vaccine killed me,” she said. “To be with my mother throughout her journey, I had to have the vaccination.” (Whitehead and Allen, 7/18)

And in California —

Los Angeles Times: 9 In 10 Californians Live In Areas With High COVID-19 Levels
Nearly 9 in 10 Californians now live in counties with a high COVID-19 community level, in which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends universal masking in indoor public spaces. (Lin II and Money, 7/17)

Bay Area News Group: COVID: Who Is Ending Up In The Hospital?
COVID hospitalizations are rising again after more than two months of persistently high case rates in the Bay Area and California. But the doctors who treat these patients are seeing consistent indications that for most, the disease is less severe than in earlier surges of the deadly virus that has killed more than a million Americans. (Rowan, 7/17)

Los Angeles Times: UC Irvine And Other Schools Reinstate Indoor Mask Mandates Amid Rising COVID-19 Wave 
The University of California Irvine on Monday will require all students and staff to wear masks while inside campus buildings, following the lead of other colleges that have chosen to strengthen safety measures in recent weeks as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. (Newberry, 7/17)

AP: Biden Tells Dems To Quickly Pass Pared-Down Economic Package
President Joe Biden seemed to bow Friday to Sen. Joe Manchin’s demand for a slimmed-down economic package, telling Democrats to quickly push the election-year measure through Congress so families could “sleep easier” and enjoy the health care savings it proposes. (Fram, 7/16)

The Washington Post: Biden Urges Congress To Pass Health-Care Bill As Manchin Talks Falter
With his long-stalled economic agenda in political peril, President Biden on Friday called on congressional Democrats to refocus their once-sweeping spending ambitions — and adopt a package soon that aims to lower Americans’ health-care costs. (Romm, 7/15)

Axios: Manchin Makes Dems Ponder If They Can Live With A Skinny Health Bill
Sen. Joe Manchin’s insistence on a skinny reconciliation bill is infuriating Democrats but forcing them to consider the power of running on health costs and coverage heading into the midterms. (Bettelheim, 7/18)

On the politics of abortion —

Stat: Major Abortion Pill Maker Hires Its First Lobbyists In Washington
GenBioPro, which sells the generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, hired its own team of lobbyists for the first time this summer, according to new federal disclosures. (Florko, 7/15)

The 19th: Abortion Will Be On Midterm Election Ballots In At Least Five States
Voters will directly weigh in on the future of abortion in at least five states, with a record number of measures on midterm ballots this year that would either limit or expand abortion protections. (Rodriguez, 7/15)

Politico: Dems’ Base Wants A Simple Roe Fight. It's Getting Complexity Instead
Rep. Jim Himes says he’s tried the Democratic Party’s main talking points on abortion rights — elect more of us so we can push the Senate to act. As he tells it, they only frustrated voters more. “The plan of attack right now is not terribly good, at least in my district,” Himes said of the Democrats’ strategy for a post-Roe v. Wade world. (Ferris and Levine, 7/15)

In news of Fauci's retirement —

Politico: Anthony Fauci Wants To Put Covid’s Politicization Behind Him
The most famous scientist in America is facing retirement. After more than five decades of federal service under seven presidents, Anthony Fauci says he’s leaving by the end of President Joe Biden’s term. In a wide-ranging interview with POLITICO, he spoke of his legacy, the hard truths about the country’s pandemic response and his desire to calm the politicization wracking the country. (Owermohle, 7/18)

Also —

The Daily Yonder: Congress Passes A Bill With Provisions To Save Pandemic-Era Universal Free School Lunches 
Backed by a group of bipartisan lawmakers, the Keep Kids Fed Act alleviates child food insecurity by keeping some of the expansions introduced in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. It could offer a summer lifeline for those in rural areas who rely on school-served meals during the vacation season. (Melotte, 7/16)

Modern Healthcare: Hospital Outpatient Providers Could See $6.2B Pay Bump In 2023 
Hospital outpatient providers could see a $6.2 billion increase in Medicare reimbursements next year under a proposed rule issued Friday. (Goldman, 7/15)

On insulin and epi-pens —

Stat: UnitedHealthcare To Offer $0 Insulin, Epi-Pens, But Only For Some Members
Next year, UnitedHealthcare will offer employer health plans that have no copays or out-of-pocket costs for five vital drugs — insulin, epinephrine, glucagon, naloxone, and albuterol — but those discounts will only be a guaranteed for less than a quarter of UnitedHealthcare’s membership for now. (Herman and Bannow, 7/15)

On a massive health care spinoff —

Reuters: GSK Spins Off Haleon In Biggest European Listing For A Decade
In a long scripted overhaul of its business, British drugmaker GSK (GSK.L) spun off its consumer health business on Monday in the biggest listing in Europe for more than a decade. The new company, Haleon, becomes the world's biggest standalone consumer health business, home to brands including Sensodyne toothpaste and Advil painkillers. (Grover and Raitano, 7/18)

The Wall Street Journal: GSK Spins Off $36 Billion Consumer-Healthcare Business Haleon
GSK GSK 2.56%▲ PLC completed the spinoff of its consumer-healthcare business, a bet that greater focus on innovative drugs and vaccines will help accelerate growth at the pharmaceuticals giant. (Roland, 7/18)

On other industry matters —

Stat: Health Care's High Rollers: As The Pandemic Raged, CEOs' Earnings Surged
Health care’s top executives sat comfortably atop their perch during the second year of the pandemic, cushioned more than ever by the rising fortunes of their stock ownership. (Herman, Sheridan, Parker, Feuerstein and Ravindranath, 7/18)

The Wall Street Journal: ForSight Robotics Grabs $55 Million For Cataract Surgeries
Israeli startup ForSight Robotics Ltd. has raised $55 million in new venture capital to develop robotic systems designed to improve cataract surgeries and make them more widely accessible. The company, which raised a $10 million seed financing last year before closing this Series A round of funding, says it has applied its technology successfully in an animal eye model and plans to use this funding to move its platform into clinical trials. (Gormley, 7/18)

The New York Times: Do Cancer Centers Push Too Many Tests?
Medical societies and the independent U.S. Preventive Services Task Force publish guidelines about who should be screened for lung, prostate and breast cancers and how frequently, among many other prevention recommendations. But websites for cancer centers often diverge from those recommendations, according to three studies published recently in JAMA Internal Medicine. (Span, 7/17)

KHN: Biden’s FTC Has Blocked 4 Hospital Mergers And Is Poised To Thwart More Consolidation Attempts
Fresh off the Federal Trade Commission’s successful challenges to four hospital mergers, the Biden administration’s new majority on the commission is primed to more aggressively combat consolidation in the health care industry than it has in past years. Although hospital mergers were supposed to improve cost efficiency, experts agree that the creation of huge conglomerates and hospital networks has driven up U.S. medical costs, which are by far the highest in the world. Many enjoy near-monopoly pricing power. (Meyer, 7/18)

Also —

KHN: FTC Official: Antitrust Push In Health Care Must Focus On A Merger’s ‘Human Impact’
President Joe Biden has ordered the Federal Trade Commission to combat consolidation in the health care industry, saying that it is driving up prices for consumers and limiting their access to care. The new Democratic majority on the FTC has signaled that it not only will be looking at traditional mergers among hospitals and other health care providers but also is interested in some legal theories of antitrust enforcement that have been less frequently used. That includes questioning whether a merger affects labor market conditions and increasing its scrutiny of vertical mergers, in which hospitals, insurers, or other types of health care companies seek to merge with companies that provide needed products or services. (Meyer, 7/18)

Fox News: Men's Skin Cancer Deaths Are Higher Than Women's: New Analysis 
Cancer Research UK — an independent cancer research organization in London — examined skin cancer fatality records. The group found that male melanoma skin cancer deaths have increased by 219% since 1973. (Moore, 7/17)

CIDRAP: Cancer Treatment Delays Spotlighted In Minority Groups Amid COVID-19
A higher proportion of Black (75.6%) and Latino (80.2%) participants and those of other races (75.9%) experienced care modifications, including delayed clinic visits, lab tests, and imaging, as well as a change in care location than White participants (57.1%). A higher proportion of Black (98.0%) than White respondents (84.1%) who had care modifications said their clinic or physician requested the modifications. (7/15)

On covid research news —

The New York Times: Covid-19 Vaccines Temporarily Changed Menstrual Cycles, Study Shows
Nearly half of the participants of a recent study who were menstruating regularly at the time of the survey reported heavier bleeding during their periods after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. Others who did not typically menstruate — including transgender men, people on long-acting contraceptives, and post-menopausal women — also experienced unusual bleeding. (Sheikh, 7/15)

CBS News: Studying The Effects Of Long COVID
Since contracting COVID-19 back in January 2021, Ken Todd has never made a full recovery, making him one of the millions who suffer from "long COVID." (7/17)

CIDRAP: More (Mostly Mild) Side Effects When Flu Vaccine Given With COVID Booster
Self-reported data from nearly 1 million Americans show an 8% to 11% higher rate of mostly mild systemic adverse events after simultaneous seasonal flu vaccine and mRNA COVID-19 booster (third) doses than with the COVID-19 booster alone. (Van Beusekom, 7/15)

In news about other research —

CIDRAP: Study Shows Global Rise In Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Antibiotic resistance, one of the most common causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children, has risen dramatically over the past two decades, according to a study published this week in JAMA Network Open. To analyze global patterns, temporal trends, and regional variations in macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MRMP) infections, a team of South Korean researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 153 studies from 150 articles published prior to Sep 10, 2021. (7/15)

Zenger News: Glass Of Wine A Day May Lead To Alzheimer's, Research Suggests
Just one small glass of wine a day could give you Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, according to new research. Consuming just seven units of alcohol a week - half the recommended maximum - fuels iron in the brain. (Kitanovska, 7/16)

AP: High-Flying Experiment: Do Stem Cells Grow Better In Space?
Researcher Dhruv Sareen’s own stem cells are now orbiting the Earth. The mission? To test whether they’ll grow better in zero gravity. Scientists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles are trying to find new ways to produce huge batches of a type of stem cell that can generate nearly any other type of cell in the body — and potentially be used to make treatments for many diseases. The cells arrived over the weekend at the International Space Station on a supply ship. (Ungar, 7/17)

Also, in innovations —

The Wall Street Journal: High-Tech Smell Sensors Aim To Sniff Out Disease, Explosives—And Even Moods 
But now scientists and entrepreneurs are redoubling their efforts to recreate the sense of smell in compact devices that detect and analyze odors similar to the way cameras now recognize our faces and microphones our words. In pursuit of these high-tech devices–which could use odors to detect disease like cancer or Covid-19, locate hidden explosives or decipher our moods and behaviors—some companies are leveraging advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering. Others are harnessing advances in artificial intelligence. (Hernandez, 7/16)

Reuters: Roche Launches Dual Antigen And Antibody Diagnostic Test For Hepatitis C
Roche (ROG.S) has launched an new dual antigen and antibody diagnostic test for hepatitis C, the Swiss pharmaceuticals company said on Monday, which it says will give an earlier diagnosis of the virus. The Elecsys HCV Duo is the first commercially available immunoassay that allows the simultaneous and independent determination of the hepatitis C virus status from a single human plasma or serum sample. (7/18)

NPR: The 988 Suicide Hotline Has Launched. Here's How It Works
People experiencing a mental health crisis have a new way to reach out for help in the U.S. Starting Saturday, they can simply call or text the numbers 9-8-8. (Chatterjee, 7/16)

Fortune: Snacking On Fruit May Help Bolster Your Mental Health 
Substituting your typical midday packaged snack for a bowl of fruit may help your overall well-being, a new study finds. In the study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, people who consumed a diet rich in fruits and vegetables reported a more positive psychological state and were less likely to have symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety compared to those who do not eat these nutrient-rich foods as regularly. (Mikhail, 7/15)

Florida Courier: The Road To Stable Mental Health For Stay-At-Home Moms
With women leaving the workforce in droves, many Black mothers find themselves as stay-at home moms for the first time. Before this phenomenon, spurred by the pandemic, it was quite rare in recent history. (Claytor, 7/15)

In other public health news —

The Hill: Experts Divided On Whether Taking Juul Off Market Would Dent Teen Vaping
Clifford Douglas, the director of the University of Michigan’s Tobacco Research Network and a professor at the University’s School of Public Health, said Juul should not be cast as the “poster child of evil” for the youth vaping epidemic. “Clearly Juul played a significant role, most visibly in 2018, in fueling an increase in youth experimentation with vaping products. By the same token … in the years since then, partly under duress from the FDA, they significantly changed their conduct,” Douglas said. (Dress, 7/17)

CNBC: These Are The Top 10 Healthiest Communities In The U.S.: 2022 Report
Living in a big city may come with better job opportunities or more weekend activities — but it might not be the healthiest choice you can make. (Onque, 7/17)

NBC News: Birth Control Options: More Nonhormonal Contraceptives Are Needed, Experts Say
The overturn of Roe v. Wade has put a spotlight on the availability of affordable, highly effective birth control in the U.S. Many younger women, however, don’t want their mothers’ contraceptives. (Hopkins, 7/17)

The Hill: Skittles Accused In Lawsuit Of Failing To Stop Using Toxin
A woman filed a lawsuit against Mars Inc. this week accusing the multinational food company of failing to discontinue its use of a chemical toxin in its popular candy Skittles. In a lawsuit filed in California court on Thursday, Jenile Thames alleged she opened a Skittles package in April that still contained titanium dioxide (TiO2). (Oshin, 7/17)

NBC News: Nail Technicians Demand Safer Working Conditions And Steadier Pay As Covid Aggravates Risks
Nail salon workers in New York are pushing for industrywide health and labor standards over fears that working conditions have become more dire amid the Covid pandemic. (Yam, 7/17)

Also —

KHN: Conservative Blocs Unleash Litigation To Curb Public Health Powers
Through a wave of pandemic-related litigation, a trio of small but mighty conservative legal blocs has rolled back public health authority at the local, state, and federal levels, recasting America’s future battles against infectious diseases. Galvanized by what they’ve characterized as an overreach of covid-related health orders issued amid the pandemic, lawyers from the three overlapping spheres — conservative and libertarian think tanks, Republican state attorneys general, and religious liberty groups — are aggressively taking on public health mandates and the government agencies charged with protecting community health. (Weber and Barry-Jester, 7/18)

The Washington Post: Kids’ Coronavirus Vaccines Are Hard To Find In Fla. Many Blame DeSantis
“We heard that [the vaccine] was coming, and we were super excited. We saw a chance for some normalcy,” said Tampa mom Ashley Comegys, whose 1-year-old and 4-year-old sons are on a waitlist for the vaccines at their pediatrician’s office, which is likely to take about three weeks. But even that timing is uncertain. After nearly a month, more retail outlets around the state began to offer the vaccines this past week, but many parents who want their child’s doctor to give the shot have long waits ahead. (Rozsa, 7/17)

The New York Times: Comic-Con International Returns To San Diego With A Mask Mandate
Comic-Con International, which considers itself the oldest pop-culture convention in the world, is returning to San Diego for its first major in-person event since before the coronavirus pandemic began, and masks will be mandatory. (Albeck-Ripka, 7/15)

In other, non-covid news from across the states —

Newsweek: Doctor Ordering 'Unnecessary Brain Scans' Received Kickbacks: Officials
A doctor from Connecticut pleaded guilty to ordering hundreds of "unnecessary brain scans" in order to receive kickbacks in federal court on July 14. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Massachusetts, the doctor, Donald Salzberg, 67, appeared before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock and plead guilty to "one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to receive kickbacks." (Impelli, 7/15)

Dallas Morning News: Dallas-Fort Worth To Start Week Off Under Excessive-Heat Warning
The Dallas-Fort Worth area will be under an excessive heat warning Sunday and Monday, the National Weather Services in Fort Worth said Saturday. Temperatures are expected to climb to 105 to 108 degrees in counties where the warning is issued. (Jones, 7/16)

Stateline: More States May Legalize Psychedelic Mushrooms 
Alex Jones says a trip in Jamaica saved her life. Not a trip to Jamaica: a hallucinogenic trip in Jamaica. (Ollove, 7/15)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri’s Top Mental Health Official Balked At New Homeless Law. The Governor Signed It Anyway. 
Gov. Mike Parson ignored the concerns of one of his cabinet members about a new law targeting Missouri’s homeless population. (Erickson, 7/16)

New Hampshire Public Radio: N.H. Is Changing How It Handles Mental Health Emergencies
Those gaps in New Hampshire's mental health system have also led many hospital emergency rooms to serve as the first line of treatment for people who end up waiting days or weeks for more appropriate care. At the start of this year, though, New Hampshire began to radically reshape how it handles these kinds of emergency calls — with the goal of making it easier for people in crisis to get the help they need. (Fam, 7/15)

Carolina Public Press: Sexual Assault Nurse Training Program May Get Boost From Budget 
The state’s nearly $28 billion budget for the new fiscal year includes $1.5 million to boost Fayetteville State University’s fledgling training program for sexual assault nurse examiners, or SANE nurses. (Martin, 7/17)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Dentist Who Broke Patients' Teeth Sentenced To Prison
A Grafton dentist who intentionally damaged patients' teeth to aid a fraud scheme was sentenced Friday to four-and-a-half years in prison. (Byron, 7/15)

Reuters: Ghana Confirms Its First Outbreak Of Highly Infectious Marburg Virus
Ghana has officially confirmed two cases of the Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease similar to Ebola, its health service said on Sunday, after two people who later died tested positive for the virus earlier this month. (7/18)

Bloomberg: Marburg Virus: Ghana Declares First Disease Outbreak
Ghana announced the country’s first outbreak of Marburg virus disease after a World Health Organization laboratory confirmed earlier test results. (Kew, 7/18)

The U.K. is hit with record heat —

Reuters: Britain On Course For Hottest Day On Record
Britain was on course for its hottest day on record on Monday with temperatures forecast to hit 40C for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services, schools to close early and ministers to urge the public to stay at home. (Holton and Muvija M, 7/18)

Meanwhile, covid is still hitting countries around the globe —

AP: UK To Offer 4th COVID-19 Vaccine Shot To All 50 And Over
The British government said Friday that everyone 50 or over will be offered a fourth dose of coronavirus vaccine in the fall, lowering the age threshold from the previously announced 65. The Department of Health said it had accepted advice from the U.K.’s independent vaccines adviser about the autumn booster program. (7/15)

Reuters: Shanghai Enforces New COVID Testing, Some Areas In China Extend Lockdowns
Several large Chinese cities including Shanghai are rolling out new mass testing or extending lockdowns on millions of residents to counter new clusters of COVID-19 infections, with some measures being criticised on the internet. (7/18)

Reuters: India's COVID Vaccinations Hit 2 Billion, New Cases At Four-Month High
The Indian government's COVID-19 vaccinations hit 2 billion on Sunday, with booster doses underway for all adults, as daily infections hit four-month high, official data showed. (7/17)

Reuters: Japan Daily COVID Infections Exceed 110,000 To Hit Record -Jiji
Japan's daily COVID-19 infections hit a record of more than 110,000, Jiji news agency reported on Saturday. (7/16)

NPR: As Wealthy Nations Push 4th COVID Booster Shots, Africa Is Being Left Behind 
Institutional racism, greed, and a broken global health system are all working against African nations to ensure that people are dying from COVID in silence, according to a scathing assessment from the co-chair of the African Union's African Vaccine Delivery Alliance, Dr. Ayoade Alakija. (Valentine and Shapiro, 7/17)

The New York Times: What Will Happen If Doctors Defy The Law To Provide Abortions? 
Since Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overruled Roe, many clinicians around the country will be risking their careers and freedom if they provide abortion care. (Dov Fox, 7/17)

Bloomberg: Supreme Court Abortion Decision Will End Up Killing Women
The Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will affect much more than women’s access to abortions. Decades of economic research demonstrate that, by limiting their power over when and with whom they form families and relationships, it will threaten their livelihoods and even their lives. (Kathryn A. Edwards, 7/15)

The Colorado Sun: In Colorado Men Also Have The Right To Not Have Children, Even After Conception
One day before women’s reproductive rights diminished in America, Colorado’s appellate court expanded reproductive rights of men. (Craig Silverman, 7/18)

Also —

The Star Tribune: A Call To Address Mental Health 
The pandemic, a troubling economy, war in Ukraine and the struggles of everyday life. There is little wonder that anxiety and depression surround us. Indeed, mental health is a national crisis that requires a response from government, the community and the health care system. (David S. Webster, 7/17)

NBC News: New 988 Suicide Hotline Needs Increased Support Or It Risks Leaving Millions Unanswered
I was moved to hear that a new lifeline for mental health, a three-digit number — 988 — to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, will launch on Saturday. (Natasia Pelowski, 7/16)

The Star Tribune: State Medical Board Is A Campaign Target 
Bruce Anderson didn't know that the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice existed when his wife died of cancer in 2018. But his search for answers since then about why it took doctors so long to diagnose her condition made him an activist. (7/16)

The Colorado Sun: My Patients Are Suffering From Climate Change
Mr. A came to our appointment with a laundry list of issues he wanted to address in our 20 minutes together, including typical primary-care complaints like high blood pressure and lower back pain. (Jennifer Camello, M.D., 7/18)