The New York Times: Genetically Modified Pig’s Heart Is Transplanted Into A Second Patient
Surgeons in Baltimore have transplanted the heart of a genetically altered pig into a man with terminal heart disease who had no other hope for treatment, the University of Maryland Medical Center announced on Friday. It is the second such procedure performed by the surgeons. The first patient, David Bennett, 57, died two months after his transplant, but the pig heart functioned well and there were no signs of acute organ rejection, a major risk in such procedures. (Caryn Rabin, 9/22)

AP: Surgeons Perform Second Pig Heart Transplant, Trying To Save A Dying Man
“You know, I just keep shaking my head – how am I talking to someone who has a pig heart?” Dr. Bartley Griffith, who performed the transplant, told The Associated Press. He said doctors are feeling “a great privilege but, you know, a lot of pressure.” The same Maryland team last year performed the world’s first transplant of a genetically modified pig heart into another dying man, David Bennett, who survived just two months. (Neergaard, 9/22)

Meanwhile, in news on the organ transplant system —

Modern Healthcare: Organ Transplant System Overhaul Bill Signed By Biden
President Joe Biden triggered a major transformation of the national system for allocating human organs for transplant by signing a bipartisan bill Friday. The new law enables the Health Resources and Services Administration to seek bids from multiple for-profit and nonprofit organizations to participate in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which effectively ends nearly four decades of sole control by the United Network for Organ Sharing, known as UNOS. Proponents say this remade system will improve safety and more fairly distribute organs. (Berryman, 9/22)

Axios: Revamped Organ Transplant System Faces Funding Questions
America's troubled organ transplant system is officially set for its first makeover in decades, but unresolved questions about funding could affect how swiftly reforms take hold, America's top health official said. (Goldman, 9/25)

Politico: Biden Receives Updated Covid Shot Amid Rocky Rollout, Vaccine Polarization
President Joe Biden received the updated Covid-19 vaccine, according to a memo from White House physician Kevin O’Connor released Saturday. “As we enter the cold and flu season, the President encourages all Americans to follow his example and to check with their healthcare provider or pharmacist to assure that they are fully vaccinated,” O’Connor wrote in the memo. (Alafriz, 9/23)

Axios: COVID Test Kits From Government Available To Order At COVIDTests.Gov
Starting today, Americans can order four free COVID-19 tests from the government with the reopening of the Biden administration's at-home testing program. The program's relaunch comes as COVID hospitalizations have continued creeping up, passing 20,000 for the first time since March this month, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Tyko, 9/25)

The Hill: COVID Surge Shouldn’t Close Schools, Says Biden Education Secretary: ‘I Worry About Government Overreach’
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says schools should not be shutting down due to surges in COVID-19 and expressed worry about government overreach. “I worry about government overreach, sending down edicts that will lead to school closures because either folks are afraid to go in or are infected and can’t go,” Cardona told The Associated Press. Despite the new wave of COVID-19 cases, “schools should be open, period,” Cardona said, according to the AP. (Lonas, 9/22)

In other covid developments —

NBC News: As Covid Cases Rise, What To Know About Paxlovid
Paxlovid lowers the amount of virus in the body. Research has shown that it is associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization or death — but only for those who are already at higher risk of severe illness from Covid because they are older or have underlying health conditions. Plus, there are potential downsides: Paxlovid can clash with many medications and it can cause some side effects, including a particularly weird one. (Ryan, 9/24)

The Hill: COVID Conspiracies Return In Force, Just In Time For 2024
An increase in COVID-19 cases has spawned a corresponding flare-up of conspiracy theories around the virus, a phenomenon that experts warn will only get worse as the 2024 election approaches. The White House and President Biden’s reelection campaign will now be tasked with promoting awareness and the latest vaccines while also countering misinformation spread by anti-vaxxers, some conservative pundits and even a small number of Republican officials. (Lee and Gangitano, 9/23)

USA Today: Consumers Seeking COVID Vaccine Face Insurance Denials, Cancellations
The major snarl comes amid a systemic shift, as the federal government no longer pays for or distributes all COVID-19 vaccinations. Public and private-sector health insurance providers must pay the full cost of the shot plus an administrative fee. Uninsured patients can still get free shots through a federal government program. In response to an uptick in cases, the Biden administration announced plans Monday to restart another federal program that allows consumers to order four free tests per household. (Alltucker and Cuevas, 9/23)

The New York Times: In Hospitals, Viruses Are Everywhere. Masks Are Not.
Amid an uptick in Covid infections, administrators, staff and patients are divided over the need for masks in health care settings. (Mandavilli, 9/23)

AP: RSV Vaccine Recommended During Pregnancy As A Second Option To Protect Newborns 
U.S. health officials on Friday recommended RSV vaccinations for moms-to-be, a second new option to protect newborns from serious lung infections. The shots should be given late in pregnancy but only during RSV season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “This is another new tool we can use this fall and winter to help protect lives,” said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen in a statement. (Stobbe, 9/22)

Stat: CDC Advisers Recommend Seasonal Use Of Pfizer RSV Shot 
The vote, which passed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices by an 11-to-1 margin, was an attempt to make the choice of preventive measures less complicated for parents-to-be and the obstetricians and pediatricians who will care for each mother-baby pair. The goal is to ensure babies are protected with one or the other anti-RSV product, but ideally not both together. (Branswell, 9/22)

CIDRAP: CDC Advisers Recommend RSV Vaccine For Pregnant Women To Protect Newborns
During today's discussion, the group grappled with complicated issues regarding practical challenges of the rollout of a fourth vaccine recommended for pregnant women. Members also raised issues on how to balance RSV vaccination for mothers, usually managed by obstetricians, with the arrival of the new monoclonal RSV vaccine (nirsevimab-alip, also known as Beyfortus) for babies, which would be handled by pediatricians. (Schnirring, 9/22)

Meanwhile, an expert explained his plans for getting vaccines this fall —

CBS News: How FDA's Top Vaccines Official Is Timing His COVID Booster And Flu Shot For Fall 2023
"Some people are saying, 'Well, could I get RSV, COVID and the flu vaccine on the same day?' Yes, indeed, you could. But honestly, I might not," said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. ... Spacing out the shots by around two weeks could "minimize the chance of interactions, and minimize confusing side effects from one with another," he said. They might be a good option for people who did not mind multiple trips to the pharmacy or their doctor's office. (Tin, 9/22)

CBS News: Biden Warns Against Shutdown, Makes Case For Second Term With VP At Congressional Black Caucus Dinner
One week ahead of a potential government shutdown, President Biden issued a stark warning that "America could be forced to pay the price" if Republicans in Congress fail to act. "Let's be clear: if the government shuts down, that means members of the Congress — members of the U.S. military are going to have to continue to work and not get paid," Mr. Biden said at a dinner hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus, or CBC, in Washington Saturday night. "A government shutdown can affect everything from food safety to cancer research to Head Start for children." (Killion, 9/24)

The Hill: Senate Democrats Put McCarthy In Shutdown Squeeze
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is ramping up the pressure on Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to avoid a government shutdown by moving first on a stopgap funding bill that will pass the Senate next week, a few days before the Sept. 30 deadline. The Senate’s plan is to send the bill to the House and put pressure on McCarthy to bring it to the floor for a vote it would pass with bipartisan support if given the chance, said senators who are calculating how the endgame will play out. (Bolton, 9/25)

Other news from the administration —

Stat: CFPB Takes On Medical Debt. Here's What Could Be Next
The dramatic impact of medical debt on credit scores may soon be a thing of the past. On Thursday, the White House announced a plan outlined by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to eliminate medical debt from credit reports. The move — which follows an earlier decision from the three main credit bureaus to eliminate paid medical debt, medical debt that’s less than a year old, and medical debt balances lower than $500 from credit reports — could affect the tens of millions in the U.S. who have unpaid medical bills. (Merelli, 9/22)

KFF Health News: Journalist Assesses Federal Push To Remove Medical Debt From Credit Reports 
In two radio appearances this week, KFF Health News senior correspondent Noam N. Levey discussed medical debt in the U.S. and contextualized a new federal push to keep unpaid medical bills from affecting patients' credit scores. (9/23)

More from Capitol Hill —

Modern Healthcare: Why Congress Is Targeting Provider-Insurer Contracts
A federal bill would ban anti-steering and all-or-nothing provisions used in contracts between providers and insurers. (Kacik, 9/25)

Stat: Senators: Long-Delayed Opioids Study Would Put Patients At Risk
Two Democratic senators are warning the Food and Drug Administration not to proceed with a controversial trial meant to measure opioids’ effectiveness as a chronic pain treatment. In a letter shared with STAT, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) warned FDA Commissioner Robert Califf against using the method in the agency’s ongoing work to evaluate whether opioids, despite their widespread use, are effective at treating chronic pain. (Facher, 9/22)

Also —

KFF Health News: Officials Agree: Use Settlement Funds To Curb Youth Addiction. But The ‘How’ Gets Hairy
When three teenagers died of fentanyl overdoses last year in Larimer County, Colorado, it shocked the community and “flipped families upside down,” said Tom Gonzales, the county’s public health director. Several schools began stocking naloxone, a medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Community organizations trained teens to use it. But county and school officials wanted to do more. (Pattani and Featherston, 9/25)

NPR: 1 in 4 inmate deaths happens in the same federal prison. Why?
The Butner federal prison complex in North Carolina is where a quarter of federal inmate deaths occur. It includes a medical facility but inmates aren't getting needed care, there or at other prisons. (Anderson, 9/23)

The Washington Post: Programs Tracking Misinfo Are Buckling Amid Campaign Led By Rep. Jim Jordan
Academics, universities and government agencies are overhauling or ending research programs designed to counter the spread of online misinformation amid a legal campaign from conservative politicians and activists who accuse them of colluding with tech companies to censor right-wing views. The escalating campaign — led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other Republicans in Congress and state government — has cast a pall over programs that study not just political falsehoods but also the quality of medical information online. (Nix, Zakrzewski and Menn, 9/23)

Fortune: Weight-Loss Drugs Like Ozempic Are In Such Huge Demand That Spending On Them Will Hit $100 Billion By 2035, Analyst Says
The global market for novel weight-loss drugs like Novo Nordisk A/S’s Ozempic and Wegovy is poised to reach $100 billion by 2035 as patients start to understand the efficacy of the medications. That’s according to BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan David Seigerman, who, in a note to clients late Thursday, also said revenue for the medications could reach as high as $70 billion in the US alone. (Adegbesan, 9/22)

On developments on health staffing matters —

Axios San Francisco: Kaiser Permanente Workers Authorize Strike In San Francisco Bay Area 
A group of 2,500 Bay Area Kaiser Permanente health care workers voted this week voted to authorize a strike amid ongoing concerns about short staffing and unfair labor practices. The workers, part of OPEIU Local 29, are prepared to strike if the coalition of unions they belong to can't reach a contract agreement by the end of this month. (Dickey and Murphy, 9/22)

Fox News: Less Than Half Of Nurses Are ‘Fully Engaged’ At Work, While Many Are ‘Unengaged,’ New Report Reveals
Less than half of U.S. nurses say they are "fully engaged" while on the job — and about 14% say they are "unengaged. "This is according to the 2023 National Nursing Engagement Report from the Nebraska market research and consulting company PRC. It surveyed 1,923 RNs from 37 hospitals across the country. The survey posed 34 questions to nurses about "nurse quality indicators," engagement, burnout and retention. (Rudy, 9/25)

Stat: Challenges Of Rural Health Care Explored In New STAT Video Series
With physicians experiencing high turnover and burnout during Covid-19 pandemic and rural hospitals closing, the shortage of doctors in rural America keeps getting worse. In 2023, 65% of rural areas had a shortage of primary care physicians, according to a report published by the Health Resources and Services Administration. More than 15% of Americans — about 46 million — live in rural areas, but only 10% of doctors practice in these communities, many of whom are primary care and family physicians. (Empinado, 9/25)

In news relating to cancer treatments —

Stat: How Big Cancer Centers Get The Advantage In Drug Shortages
For months, oncologist Kristen Rice found herself scrambling for cisplatin and carboplatin, two key chemotherapies used for many different cancers including ovarian, bladder, and lung cancer. Like most small community practices, Rice’s clinic has always kept “just in time” inventory – or just enough stock to last the clinic the next few days. Pharmacy technicians would order more drugs each day to keep the clinic running until, one day, they couldn’t. (Chen, 9/25)

Stat: AstraZeneca, Daiichi Breast Cancer Treatment Succeeds In Trial
AstraZeneca said Friday an experimental drug tamped down the progression of a certain type of breast cancer in a Phase 3 trial, a win for the company after the same drug produced underwhelming results in a lung cancer trial over the summer. (Joseph, 9/22)

Also —

Modern Healthcare: CommonSpirit Cuts 2,000 Jobs, Reports $1.4B Operating Loss
CommonSpirit Health eliminated about 2,000 full-time positions, roughly 1% of its workforce, in its fiscal fourth quarter as part of a focus to operate more efficiently. Positions affected by the reduction included ancillary, support and overhead roles, the Chicago-based health system said in fiscal year 2023 financial documents published Thursday. It did not say how many were unfilled positions or what locations were affected, but noted the cuts were partially offset by increased clinical hiring to handle higher patient volumes. A spokesperson declined to provide details. (Hudson, 9/22)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Children's Hospital Names Houston Methodist Executive President
Texas Children’s Hospital has appointed Houston Methodist executive Debra Feigin Sukin as its new president, the hospital system announced Friday. Sukin, the daughter of Houston pediatrics legend Dr. Ralph Feigin, will assume one of the top leadership roles occupied by Mark A. Wallace, who plans to step down as president after 34 years. Wallace will remain CEO of the hospital system. (Gill, 9/22)

Bloomberg: KKR-Backed BrightSpring Is Said To Revive IPO Seeking $1 Billion
BrightSpring Health Services Inc., which withdrew its initial public offering plan last year, has confidentially refiled for a listing with a goal of raising $1 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. A listing by the home and community-based health-care services provider backed by KKR & Co. is slated for the fourth quarter, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information wasn’t public yet. BrightSpring has re-engaged Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and KKR’s own capital markets division as lead bookrunners for the offering, they said. (Or and Gould, 9/23)

Bloomberg: Costco Offers Health Care To Members In Deal With Sesame (COST)
Costco Wholesale Corp. will offer members access to medical care through a deal with online marketplace Sesame, as the retail giant joins peers by pushing deeper into health care. Costco’s members will be eligible for Sesame’s “best pricing,” including online primary care visits for $29, Sesame said. They’ll also get mental health visits for $79 and 10% off other services. On the platform, clinicians set their prices and patients pay them directly, not through insurance. (Tozzi, 9/25)

The Boston Globe: Leominster Hospital Maternity Unit Set To Close Saturday
UMass Memorial Health plans to close the maternity unit at its Leominster hospital on Saturday, after months of protest, debate, and community uproar. In a memo sent to employees on Thursday, Dr. Eric Dickson, chief executive of UMass Memorial Health, said the system received a response from the state that acknowledged the closure and the hospital’s plan to mitigate its impacts. (Bartlett, 9/22)

The Washington Post: Maryland Hospitals Report Spiking Preventable Deaths, Injuries
A premature baby was given four times the safe daily dose of a steroid for 13 days. A patient went in for surgery on one leg and ended up losing the other leg to compartment syndrome. Three people died after a maintenance worker inadvertently shut off an unlabeled oxygen line. State data shows serious harm inside Maryland’s 62 hospitals more than tripled between 2019 and 2022 to 769 incidents that killed or injured patients, reaching the highest level since the state began collecting patient safety data in 2004. Safety experts say the historic rise of dangerous missteps, probably fueled by staffing shortages and the strain of the pandemic, may signal systemic failures. (Shepherd, 9/24)

NPR: Significant Changes To The Horseshoe Crab Bleeding Industry May Protect Wildlife
Pharmaceutical companies could soon have easier access to synthetic alternatives to horseshoe crab blood, a key ingredient used to test vaccines and medical devices for contamination. The U.S. Pharmacopeia, the regulatory body in charge of setting national safety standards, announced a proposal on Aug. 22 that would make it simpler for companies to use the alternatives. (Eisner, 9/23)

AP: Missouri Says Clinic That Challenged Transgender Treatment Restrictions Didn't Provide Proper Care
Missouri officials struck back at one of the clinics that unsuccessfully challenged new state restrictions on gender affirming care, accusing the clinic in a lawsuit of failing to provide proper care for transgender minors even before the new law took effect. Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced the counter lawsuit against St. Louis-based Southampton Community Healthcare on Sunday, two days after it was filed in court. (Funk, 9/24)

Fox News: Missouri AG Sues Health Provider For Allegedly Not Giving Mental Evaluations Before Sex Reassignments
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit against a healthcare company last week after it provided puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to minors without a mental health assessment, as required by state law before sex reassignments were banned. On Aug. 28, Missouri’s Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act was implemented as law in the state. After the law was passed, Bailey’s office sent a letter to providers across Missouri, warning them to stop providing experimental treatment on treatment immediately. (Wehner, 9/24)

Meanwhile, in news from California —

AP: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bills To Enhance The State's Protections For LGBTQ+ People
The new laws include legislation that focuses on support for LGBTQ+ youth. One law sets timelines for required cultural competency training for public school teachers and staff, while another creates an advisory task force to determine the needs of LGBTQ+ students and help advance supportive initiatives. A third requires families to show that they can and are willing to meet the needs of a child in foster care regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. (9/24)

The New York Times: Newsom Vetoes Bill On Parental Support Of Child’s Gender Identity In Custody Cases
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California vetoed a bill on Friday that would instruct judges presiding over custody battles in the state to take into consideration a parent’s support for a child’s gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions. Why It Matters: The veto signals a break from the governor’s stance in support of transgender rights. In a letter accompanying his veto on Friday, Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, said that while he he shares “a deep commitment” to advancing transgender rights, he urged caution about making legal standards “in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic.” (Betts, 9/24)

Also —

Axios: Abortion Pill And Trans Care Cases Looming In New SCOTUS Term
The Supreme Court returns next week for a new term that experts think could yield landmark decisions on medication abortion and gender-affirming care. Should the justices decide to take up the cases this term, rulings on either issue would likely come before summer 2024, as the presidential race enters the home stretch. (Bettelheim and Millman, 9/25)

The 19th: United States Scores A C On Global LGBTQ+ Human Rights Scorecard 
Uruguay, Luxembourg, Brazil, Norway, Colombia, Malta and Chile are the countries that best uphold the human rights of their LGBTQ+ citizens, according to a report released last week. Conspicuously off that list? The United States, which scored a C  or “persecuting” grade when it comes to LGBTQ+ human rights on the Franklin & Marshall Global Barometers Report. The annual study, conducted by a partnership led by Franklin & Marshall College, delves into a country’s policies and as well as climate. It gave more than half of the world — 62 percent — an F. (Sosin, 9/22)

NPR: A Gene Variant Raises The Risk Of Parkinson's For Some People Of African Descent
A global effort to make genetic studies more diverse has led to a discovery about Parkinson's disease, a common brain disorder that can impair a person's ability to move and speak. ... The finding, published in August in The Lancet Neurology, suggests that Parkinson's may work differently in people of African, rather than European, descent. It could eventually help scientists develop a treatment specifically for people with this particular gene variant. (Hamilton, 9/24)

In other research news —

The Washington Post: Day-Care Food Program Linked To Better Health Overall In Children
Every day, more than 4.2 million children receive nutritious food and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), a federally funded, state-administered initiative that reimburses child-care centers and home day cares for providing food to eligible kids. A new analysis suggests the program positively affects not just children but also their families, tying subsidized child-care meals to better child health and lower rates of household food insecurity. (Blakemore, 9/24)

The Conversation: Short Naps Can Improve Memory, Increase Productivity, Reduce Stress And Promote A Healthier Heart
Research shows that there are many benefits to napping. Short naps can boost mental functioning and memory, as well as improve alertness, attention, and reaction time. Short naps are also linked to increased productivity and creativity. Because napping seems to improve creative thinking, some companies have attempted to harness this by introducing napping rooms into the workplace. (Bender, 9/24)

Fox News: Aspartame And Autism: Drinking Diet Soda Amid Pregnancy Linked To Diagnosis In Male Offspring, Says Study
Pregnant or breastfeeding women who consume diet soda or other foods and drinks containing aspartame could experience higher rates of autism diagnoses in their sons, a new study has revealed. "Our study does not prove causality — it does not prove that maternal intake of diet sodas, and aspartame specifically, during pregnancy or nursing increases a child’s risk of autism — but it does raise a major warning flag," said lead author Sharon Parten Fowler, PhD, adjunct assistant professor of medicine at UT Health San Antonio, in an interview with Fox News Digital. (Rudy, 9/24)

In news on covid research —

CIDRAP: Remdesivir Tied To Lower COVID Death Rates In Hospital Patients Receiving Oxygen
A comparative-effectiveness study that spanned the dominance of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) finds that the antiviral drug remdesivir (Veklury) significantly reduced in-hospital COVID-19 death rates among adults receiving supplemental oxygen on admission. The study, led by researchers from remdesivir manufacturer Gilead Sciences, was published today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. (Van Beusekom, 9/22)

Also —

Fox News: Jellyfish Are Not The ‘Simple Creatures’ Once Thought: New Study May Change An Understanding Of Our Own Brains
Jellyfish could be much smarter than scientists previously thought, asserts a new study published in the journal Current Biology. Poisonous Caribbean box jellyfish can learn at a far more complex level than ever imagined, despite only having 1,000 nerve cells and no centralized brain, according to new research from the University of Copenhagen. Scientists say their findings change the fundamental understanding of the brain — and could reveal more about human cognitive functions and the process of dementia. (Rudy, 9/24)

CIDRAP: Type 2 Diabetes Rates In US Youth Rose 62% After COVID Pandemic Began, Study Suggests
Rates of new-onset type 2 diabetes climbed 62%—and type 1 diabetes increased 17%—among US youth after the COVID-19 pandemic began, especially in Black and Hispanic children, according to a study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. For the study, Kaiser Permanente researchers tracked rates of type 1 and type 2 diabetes among health system members aged 0 to 19 years in southern California with no history of diabetes from January 2016 to December 2021. (Van Beusekom, 9/22)

Fox News: Depression Identified As ‘Contributing Cause’ Of Type 2 Diabetes Risk, Says New Study: ‘Important’ Findings
People who struggle with depression could face a higher risk of diabetes, according to new research from Diabetes U.K., a British charity that aims to improve the care and treatment of people with diabetes. The researchers discovered that people with a history of depression are more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes, according to a press release from the organization. ... For the first time, the study revealed that depression directly causes an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. (Stabile, 9/24)

America's obesity crisis, linked to diabetes, is shown in charts —

USA Today: America's Growing Obesity Epidemic: 3 Charts Explain Obesity Rates Across The US
More than 4 in 10 Americans now fit the medical definition for having obesity, putting them at risk for serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. But when looking obesity rates at the state level, that number can be even more drastic. Recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows 22 states have an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%, compared to 19 states in 2021. Just ten years ago, no state passed the 35% threshold of adult obesity. (Chernikoff, 9/24)

North Carolina Health News: Understanding September's Asthma Toll On Children And Communities Of Color
September is an exciting time for many, as summer’s long, hot days begin to give way to cooler temperatures and fall colors. Primary school and college students return to classes, and crowds pack high school bleachers and college stadiums on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons to cheer on their favorite fall sports teams, among other fun autumn activities. However, for children and communities of color — especially Black Americans — experts suggest grabbing an inhaler before heading out to enjoy seasonal pastimes. (Atwater, 9/25)

The Conversation: Secondhand Smoke May Be A Substantial Contributor To Lead Levels Found In Children And Adolescents, New Study Finds
Secondhand smoke may be an important but overlooked source of chronic lead exposure in kids and adolescents. That is the key finding of our recent study, published in the journal BMC Public Health. We analyzed national data on blood lead levels and secondhand smoke exposure in 2,815 U.S. children and teenagers ages 6 to 19 from 2015 to 2018. We looked at levels of lead and a nicotine metabolite — a substance known as cotinine produced in the body’s chemical process that forms when tobacco smoke is inhaled. Levels of cotinine indicate exposure to tobacco smoke. (Carrillo and Roh, 9/24)

In other developments —

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Declaring Health A Human Right Is The First Step For New Students At Drexel’s Dornsife School Of Public Health
For years, new students at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health have kicked off their first year on campus with a recitation of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It’s a nod to what administrators consider the core of the school’s teaching philosophy: that good health is an intrinsic human right. (Whelan, 9/22)

Minnesota Public Radio: As Student Mental Health Needs Leap, Schools Seek A Next Generation Of Counselors
School counselors and psychologists have been in short supply throughout Jen Voge’s 25-year career, but she says the need seems greater now than ever. Student mental health problems have become chronic in the COVID-19 era with school disruptions and family illnesses taking a toll. It’s not possible to reach all the kids who need help. (Gunderson, 9/25)

Also —

Axios: Podcasts Promising Tips On How To Live Longer Gain In Popularity
A slew of podcasters are building massive followings and businesses online by exploring the human curiosity about living longer. Enthusiasm for the topic has grown in recent months as streamers and celebrities elevate the field, which once was confined largely to niche podcasts and books. (Fischer and Snyder, 9/24)

AP: Medicaid Expansion To Begin Soon In North Carolina As Governor Decides To Let Budget Bill Become Law
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced Friday he would let the state budget bill that’s now reached his desk become law without his signature, opening the way for Medicaid coverage for 600,000 low-income adults, with some receiving the government health insurance soon. The Democratic governor unveiled his decision on the two-year spending plan minutes after the Republican-controlled General Assembly gave final legislative approval to the 625-page measure. (Robertson, 9/23)

Politico: North Carolina Medicaid Expansion To Take Effect Following Budget Deal
State health officials have not yet announced when expansion will take effect, though they have previously suggested a Dec. 1 start date would be feasible. It represents a significant victory years in the making for Cooper, who will leave office in 2025. North Carolina is the 40th state to expand Medicaid since the Affordable Care Act permitted states to enroll people with incomes slightly above the poverty level. (Messerly, 9/22)

North Carolina Health News: State Budget Heavy On Health Care Spending
It almost seemed anti-climatic Thursday afternoon and early Friday morning when lawmakers voted on the nearly $30 billion state budget. The spending plan — flush with hundreds of millions of dollars for mental and behavioral health care, a new children’s hospital “somewhere in the Triangle,” crisis pregnancy centers, a new rural health program, enhancements to the medical examiner and autopsy system, health care workforce incentives, Medicaid expansion and more — was approved along party lines with little fanfare. To make it official, one more vote is needed by the Senate today before the bill is sent to the governor. (Blythe and Hoban, 9/22)

In news from California —

Los Angeles Times: California Workers Who Cut Countertops Are Dying Of Silicosis
A recent study by UCLA and UCSF physicians found that among dozens of California workers who got silicosis from grinding countertops, nearly a fifth had died. Their median age at death was 46. More than half had suffered delays in getting diagnosed, as the disease was mistaken for bacterial pneumonia or tuberculosis, and over a third already had severe scarring in their lungs when they were diagnosed. Los Angeles County has been an epicenter of the debilitating disease, with 60 out of the 83 cases among countertop workers identified across the state since 2019 by the California Department of Public Health. (Alpert Reyes and Carcamo, 9/24)

On other developments across the country —

AP: Government Should Pay Compensation For Secretive Cold War-Era Testing, St. Louis Victims Say
Ben Phillips’ childhood memories include basketball games with friends, and neighbors gathering in the summer shade at their St. Louis housing complex. He also remembers watching men in hazmat suits scurry on the roofs of high-rise buildings as a dense material poured into the air. “I remember the mist,” Phillips, now 73, said. “I remember what we thought was smoke rising out of the chimneys. Then there were machines on top of the buildings that were spewing this mist.” (Salter, 9/24)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Beaches See Red Tide. What To Know About Algae, Health Risks
Areas of the Texas Gulf Coast are experiencing a red tide algae bloom that is causing dead fish to wash ashore and posing health risks to humans. The Brazoria County Parks Department released an alert Thursday that dead fish have been found along stretches of beach at Follett's Island, Surfside and Quintana Island. They also announced the red tide is tracking to the Southwest and is moving along Brazoria County coastlines and into the San Bernard River delta regions. (Nickerson, 9/22)

Cincinnati Enquirer: After Overturning Roe, Ohio Lawmakers Have Not Passed New Abortion Laws
More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court sent abortion policy back to the states, Ohio's Republican-dominated Legislature has not passed any new laws to ban abortion here. ... Republicans control state government and abortion is still legal in Ohio up until 21 weeks and six days gestation because of a court order. Rather than passing new laws, abortion opponents say they are laser-focused on defeating a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot to enshrine abortion and other reproductive rights in the Ohio Constitution. (Balmert, 9/24)

Missouri Independent: St. Louis Region On Track To End HIV Epidemic By 2030
The health-focused targets are referred to as “95-95-95.” It means 95% of people living with HIV knowing their status; 95% of people with HIV taking anti-viral medicine; and 95% who are being treated are virally suppressed. It’s a lofty goal, but for local governments around the globe — and some in Missouri — it’s one they’ve vowed to achieve by 2030. And if they do, the decades-long HIV-AIDS epidemic could be sharply curtailed, if not ended. (Landis, 9/24)

Kansas City Star: Why Missourians With Mental Health Issues Are Stuck In Jail
Patricia Tatum said she thinks about her son from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to sleep. She feels helpless. “There’s nothing I can do,” she said. “I have no information.” Her son, 47-year-old Derrick Williams, sits in the Clay County Detention Center in Missouri — hundreds of miles away from her home in Alabama. He’s been there since January 2022 on charges of robbery and armed criminal action after allegedly stealing a belt from a Walmart in Clay County. A judge last year ruled that Williams, who has schizophrenia according to his attorney, was not competent enough to stand trial “as a result of mental disease or defect” and should receive treatment at a mental health facility. (Bayless, 9/24)

AP: Minneapolis Plans To Transfer City Property To Native American Tribe For Treatment Center
Minneapolis officials intend to transfer two city-owned properties to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, which plans to build an addiction treatment center at the site. Mayor Jacob Frey announced the plan Thursday to sell the two parcels to the Red Lake Band for $1 each, noting the Native American community is disproportionately affected by addiction. (9/22)

AP: Arizona's Sweltering Summer Could Set New Record For Most Heat-Associated Deaths In Big Metro
America’s hottest metro area is on track to set an annual record for heat-associated deaths after a sweltering summer, particularly in Phoenix. Public health officials in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and Arizona’s most populous county, said Friday that 289 heat associated deaths were confirmed as of Sept. 16, with another 262 deaths under investigation. (Snow, 9/23)

CNN: The First Pill For Postpartum Depression Gives A Psychiatrist Hope Before She Gives Birth. But Is It Enough? 
When I found out I was pregnant a couple years ago, I was overwhelmed with excitement — but it wasn’t long before moments of worry and anxiety crept in. Was my mental health going to be OK after I gave birth during what’s known as the postpartum period? As a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist, I knew better than most the escalating rates of postpartum mental health challenges and the glaringly obvious gaps in our health care system for new moms. While knowledge is usually power, knowledge made me scared. (Dr. Neha Chaudhary, 9/23)

USA Today: Treat Drug Addiction As A Brain Disease, Not As Clickbait Headlines
Mainstream and social media carry an extraordinary amount of influence on the public. And that influence as it relates to the dehumanizing information shared about people who have been directly affected by the opioid and xylazine crises seems to be everywhere. (Geri-Lyn Utter, 9/25)

The Washington Post: On The Opioid Crisis, The Presidential Campaign Is Making Us Dumber 
More than 100,000 Americans are now dying from overdoses each year, even though the catalyst for this crisis — drug companies pouring vast quantities of addictive painkillers such as OxyContin into vulnerable communities — is largely in the past. (Paul Waldman, 9/25)

The Atlantic: The Republican Betrayal Of PEPFAR 
In 2003, nearly 30 million Africans had AIDS, including 3 million under the age of 15. In some countries, more than one-third of the adult population carried the disease. More than 4 million required immediate drug treatment, yet only 50,000 AIDS victims were receiving the medicine they needed. (Peter Wehner, 9/25)

Also —

Stat: Medical Student Insurance Fails On Mental Health Care Coverage
Medical students experience significant mental distress, including high rates of anxiety, alcohol use, depression and suicidal ideation, and it’s only gotten worse since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The data also show that medical students don’t always get care for these conditions when they need it. (Amelia Mercado and J. Wesley Boyd, 9/25)

Modern Healthcare: Value-Based Care Can Create Oases In Primary Care Deserts
Access to quality primary care has long been recognized as a cornerstone for improving population health and reducing healthcare disparities. People who can get to a doctor more easily are more likely to do so—and not just when they’re critically ill or facing an emergency. (Dr. Ali Khan, Surabhi Bhatt and Rohan Chalasani, 9/25)

Stat: What Congress Can Do To Address The Rural Doctor Shortage 
The pressures of the last three and a half years have affected every corner of the health care landscape, but nowhere is the effect more evident than the country’s physician workforce. Burnout, staffing shortages, financial challenges, administrative burden, and two U.S. Supreme Court decisions that stand to stifle diversity and representation in medicine have hamstrung physicians across specialties and settings — in rural and urban communities, in hospitals, clinics, and independent practices. (Tochi Iroku-Malize, Sandy Chung, Verda Hicks, Omar T. Atiq, Ira P. Monka and Petros Levounis, 9/25)