Politico: Arizona Judge Rules 19th Century Abortion Ban Can Take Effect
An Arizona judge ruled Friday that a state law prohibiting nearly all abortions can take effect, forcing clinics in the state to immediately stop offering the procedure. The state’s pre-Roe law, which prohibits all abortions except to save the life of the pregnant person, was enacted in 1864, before Arizona became a state. But enforcement of the statute has been blocked since 1973, when it was found unconstitutional by the Arizona Court of Appeals and subsequently enjoined in superior court. (Messerly, 9/23)

Arizona Republic: Arizona Ban On Nearly All Abortions In Effect, Judge Rules
The Friday ruling by Pima County Superior Court Judge Kellie Johnson provides clarity in allowing enforcement of the old law, which bans abortions in all cases except when necessary to save the pregnant person's life. But abortion rights advocates are likely to appeal, meaning the state of abortion law in Arizona is still far from settled. Providers expressed shock, outrage and enduring confusion over the ruling, which came a day before another abortion law was set to go into effect. (Barchenger and Stern, 9/23)

AP: GOP Quiet As Arizona Democrats Condemn Abortion Ruling 
Arizona Democrats vowed Saturday to fight for women’s rights after a court reinstated a law first enacted during the Civil War that bans abortion in nearly all circumstances, looking to capitalize on an issue they hope will have a major impact on the midterm elections. Republican candidates were silent a day after the ruling, which said the state can prosecute doctors and others who assist with an abortion unless it’s necessary to save the mother’s life. Kari Lake, the GOP candidate for governor, and Blake Masters, the Senate candidate, did not comment. (Cooper, 9/24)

In abortion news from Kansas and Texas —

Kansas City Star: Kansas Planned Parenthood Overwhelmed By Abortion Requests
The new Planned Parenthood health center in Kansas City, Kansas, was designed to be brightly lit and friendly, a comfortable space for patients to have those often-uncomfortable conversations about their sexual and reproductive health needs. (Gutierrez, 9/26)

The Texas Tribune: Texas Prosecutors Struggle With Abortion Law Restrictions
The state’s new abortion restrictions continue to confound Texas district attorneys, who now face the possibility of prosecuting medical professionals and may be called to prosecute in another county if another district attorney refuses to do so. (Salhotra, 9/24)

In other news —

NPR: How State Abortion Bans Complicate Telehealth Abortions
Medication abortions work for most people who are under 11 weeks pregnant, and research suggests medication abortion via telemedicine is safe and effective. Yet many states have enacted legislation to ban or limit access to telehealth abortions. But it's not always clear what that means for doctors like Case who are physically located in a state with abortion restrictions but have a license that enables them to provide care via telehealth to patients in states where it is legal. (Yousry, 9/26)

AP: In GOP Legislatures, A Gender Divide Emerges Over Abortion
A stark gender divide has emerged in debates unfolding in Republican-led states including West Virginia, Indiana and South Carolina following the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision to end constitutional protections for abortion. As male-dominated legislatures worked to advance bans, often with support of the few Republican women holding office, protesters were more likely to be women. The contrast wasn’t lost on West Virginia Sen. Owens Brown, the only Black lawmaker in the Republican-dominated Senate, who asked lawmakers to look around before they passed a bill banning abortion at all stages of pregnancy last week. “When I look around the room, what do I see? A bunch of middle-aged and some elderly men. Also, middle-income men,” the Democrat said during a final Senate debate in which only men shared opinions. “Look out in the hallway. What do you see? You see young women, and we’re here making a decision for all these young women because you’re never going to have to ever face this issue yourself.” (Willingham, 9/24)

Reuters: Biden Suggests Support For Filibuster Change To Legalize Abortion 
President Joe Biden challenged Democratic voters on Friday that if they elect at least two more senators in November elections, it would open the possibility of Democrats removing the filibuster and restoring federal abortion rights for women. At a Democratic National Committee rally, Biden suggested the two extra Democrats would allow the Democratic-controlled Senate to remove a legislative roadblock known as the filibuster that requires a 60-vote majority to overcome. (9/23)

AP: Abortion Is A Matter Of 'Freedom' For Biden And Democrats 
The way President Joe Biden sees it, the overturning of Roe vs. Wade was not just about whether a woman has a right to obtain an abortion. “It’s about freedom,” Biden said at a private fundraiser in New York this past week. Vice President Kamala Harris takes an even bolder approach when she talks about abortion. “Extremist, so-called leaders trumpet the rhetoric of freedom while they take away freedoms,” she told voters in Illinois this month. (Kim, 9/24)

In other election news about reproductive rights —

The Courier-Journal: What Does Kentucky's Constitutional Amendment On Abortion Say?
One of the hottest items on Kentucky's Nov. 8 general election ballot this year could be Constitutional Amendment 2 to eliminate the right to abortion in the commonwealth. Though constitutional amendments − often in dense legal jargon − tend to make voters eyes glaze over, supporters and opponents predict this one is different. (Yetter, 9/26)

NBC News: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly Sidesteps Abortion In Tough Re-Election Battle
When Kansas voters overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have removed language enshrining reproductive rights in their state, Democrats across the country pounced even harder on the issue as a flash point they said would drive huge turnout following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. But back in Kansas — where Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, is fighting a tough re-election battle— the issue is almost nowhere to be seen. Kelly, who polls show is in a dead heat with her Republican challenger, state Attorney General Derek Schmidt, has instead focused almost exclusively on the economy, tax cuts and education. (Edelman, 9/25)

AP: Michels: Would Sign Abortion Ban With Rape/Incest Exceptions 
Republican Tim Michels said Friday that he would sign an abortion ban with exceptions for rape and incest if it came to his desk as governor, a shift from his earlier statement that Wisconsin’s 1849 ban — with an exception only for the life of the mother — was “an exact mirror” of his position. (Venhuizen, 9/23)

The Hill: Biden Announces $1.5B In Funding To Battle Opioid Overdoses, Support Recovery 
President Biden on Friday announced that his administration would distribute $1.5 billion to states and territories, including tribal lands, to fund responses to opioid overdoses and support recovery. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will disseminate the funding through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) State Opioid Response and Tribal Opioid Response grant programs as part of National Recovery Month. (Folmar, 9/23)

More on the opioid crisis —

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin, Tribes To Receive Nearly $19 Million To Combat Opioids
Wisconsin will receive more than $16 million in federal grant money to help people struggling with substance abuse and further address the opioid epidemic, the White House announced Friday. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is expected to receive $16.9 million as part of the $1.5 billion package of grants to states and tribal communities. Six of the state's tribal nations will receive about $1.8 million of their own to combat the crisis. (Andrea, 9/23)

AP: Advocates Seek More Say In How Opioid Settlements Are Spent
Across the U.S., people in recovery and families of those who died from overdoses fear they won’t be heard on the state-level panels recommending or deciding on the use of big pieces of proposed and finalized settlements, which are worth more than $40 billion, according to an Associated Press tally. ... For the people on a mission to stem drug deaths, the details matter. Advocates want to see the money used to make it easier to get treatment, to provide related housing, transportation and other services, and to provide materials to test drug supplies for fentanyl, the synthetic opioid involved in most recent fatal overdoses. (Mulvihill and Hendrickson, 9/23)

Anchorage Daily News: How Should Alaska Use $58.5 Million In Opioid Settlement Funds? The State’s Seeking Suggestions
Through the end of September, Alaskans are able to provide input on how the state should use over $58 million in funds allotted through opioid company settlements. The funds make up Alaska’s portion of a $26 billion settlement in lawsuits that found multiple drug manufacturers and distributors partially responsible for the opioid epidemic of the past 30 years. (Berman, 9/25)

Also —

Axios: Drug Treatment Center Admissions Fell 23% During COVID
Admissions to drug treatment facilities fell by more than 23% during the pandemic as substance use disorders and overdose deaths rose, a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows. (Bettelheim, 9/23)

AP: After Rocky Start, Hopes Up In Oregon Drug Decriminalization 
Two years after Oregon residents voted to decriminalize hard drugs and dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars to treatment, few people have requested the services and the state has been slow to channel the funds. When voters passed the state’s pioneering Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act in 2020, the emphasis was on treatment as much as on decriminalizing possession of personal-use amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs. (Selsky, 9/25)

Oklahoman: Roselyn Tso Confirmed As IHS Director After 20-Month Delay
In a long-awaited vote, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Indian Health Service. The health care provider for 2.6 million Native Americans had not had a permanent leader in the 20 months since Biden took office. Roselyn Tso takes over as IHS director after leading the agency’s operations on her own Navajo Nation. (Young, 9/23)

Source New Mexico: Navajo Nation Citizen Will Head Indian Health Service 
Navajo Nation citizen Roselyn Tso was confirmed by the Senate Wednesday to lead the Indian Health Service, the first permanent director the agency has had in nearly two years. Tso’s term will last four years. The director of Indian Health Service is the most senior position that helps to develop healthcare policy for 2.6 million Indigenous people across the nation. (Denetclaw, 9/26)

In other health news from the Biden administration —

NPR: Here's What Will Happen At The First White House Hunger Summit Since 1969
President Joe Biden will headline the White House conference on hunger, nutrition and health on Sept. 28, unveiling his plan to make good on a pledge to end hunger and diet-related diseases by 2030. (Bustillo, 9/23)

Genome Web: CDC Announces $90M To Improve Innovation And Pathogen Genomics
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday that it has established a Pathogen Genomics Centers of Excellence (PGCoE) network with $90 million in funding support to five laboratories and their academic partners. (9/23)

CBS News: CDC Says Some Nursing Homes And Hospitals No Longer Need To Require Universal Masking
The change, one of many published Friday evening to the agency's guidance for COVID-19 infection control for healthcare workers, marks one of the final sets of revisions in a sweeping effort launched in August to overhaul the CDC's recommendations for the virus. (Tin, 9/23)

In news about vaccine mandates —

AP: NYC Appeals Ruling Over Vaccine Mandate For Police Officers 
New York City officials are appealing a judge’s ruling that they lacked the legal authority to fire members of the city’s largest police union for violating a COVID-19 vaccination mandate. (9/24)

Bay Area News Group: Do COVID Vaccine Mandates Still Make Sense As Other Pandemic Orders Wind Down?
Dr. Bob Wachter, who chairs the medical department at UC San Francisco, called continuing mandates an “unbelievably complicated question whose dynamics have changed a lot in the past year. ”When more infected people were dying, there were no great treatments for the disease and vaccines were highly protective against infection, he said, “one could make a strong argument for organizations of all kinds to require vaccination.” (Woolfolk and Welle, 9/25)

And Moderna files for authorization to use its updated booster on kids —

Axios: Moderna Seeks Emergency Authorization For COVID Booster For Children
Moderna announced Friday that it has requested emergency use authorization for its omicron COVID-19 booster shots for children aged 6-17 years old. (Habeshian, 9/23)

Reuters: 'Blood On Your Hands' If World Steps Back On Tackling COVID Now, WHO Official Says
If rich nations think the pandemic is over, they should help lower-income countries reach that point too, a senior World Health Organization official told Reuters. In an interview, WHO senior adviser Bruce Aylward warned that richer nations must not step back from tackling COVID-19 as a global problem now, ahead of future potential waves of infection. (Rigby, 9/23)

KHN and PolitiFact: Is Covid ‘Under Control’ In The US? Experts Say Yes 
President Joe Biden caused a stir in a “60 Minutes” interview on Sept. 18 when he declared that the covid-19 pandemic is over. “We still have a problem with covid — we’re still doing a lot of work on it,” Biden said. “But the pandemic is over.” Critics countered that the U.S. is still averaging about 400 deaths daily from the virus, that nearly 30,000 Americans remain hospitalized, and that many others are suffering from “long covid” symptoms stemming from previous infections. (Jacobson and Cercone, 9/26)

The Washington Post: Is The Pandemic Over? Pre-Covid Activities Americans Are (And Are Not) Resuming
Americans are coming out of the pandemic in the same kind of dynamic disarray that marked its beginning, with a crazyquilt of contradictory decisions about how to spend their discretionary time and money: Americans are flying again, but they’re not too keen on getting back aboard buses, subways and other public transit. Concert tickets are being snapped up, but theater tickets, not so much. In-person visits to medical doctors have returned to pre-pandemic levels, but mental health counseling remains overwhelmingly virtual. (Fisher and Telford, 9/24)

The Washington Post: 10 Tips For Co-Existing With Covid And Living A Normal-Ish Life 
Whether you agree with President Biden that the pandemic is over or you agree with most scientists who say it’s definitely not over, it doesn’t really matter. The reality is that all around us, pandemic precautions have disappeared. But getting on with life doesn’t have to mean throwing caution to the wind. ... Living with covid can be easy if you take simple, regular precautions. (Parker-Pope, 9/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: COVID Is In A Lull, Again. Experts Say It’s Still A Time Of ‘Trade-Offs’
What many people are struggling with now is a sort of pandemic doldrums — a moment in time when COVID is no longer a threat that overshadows all other life priorities but still can’t be ignored. “We’re in this middle ground, which is difficult,” said Dr. Susan Philip, the San Francisco health officer. “We’re not at the full end, but we’re not in the throes of having to be worried and be mindful every day about what the virus is doing.” (Allday, 9/24)

KHN: Journalists Dissect Medical Coding And Parse The President’s Words 
KHN freelancer Helen Santoro discussed insurance coverage for transgender medical care on KCRW’s “Press Play with Madeleine Brand” on Sept. 21. ... KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed President Joe Biden’s statement that the covid-19 “pandemic is over” on Axios’ “Axios Today” podcast on Sept. 19. ... KHN senior editor Andy Miller discussed the plan to restore the reputation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on WUGA’s “The Health Report” on Sept. 18. (9/24)

In other covid updates —

CIDRAP: European Countries See Early Signs Of Autumn COVID-19 Rise 
Health officials in the United Kingdom and the European region as a whole are seeing early signs of rising COVID activity, patterns that US experts closely watch as a harbinger of how the next months might unfold. Disease modeling experts have warned of a rise in infections in Northern Hemisphere countries as cooler weather brings more people indoors, as schools resume, and as vaccine protection wanes. (Schnirring, 9/23)

Reuters: Pfizer CEO Tests Positive For COVID For A Second Time
Pfizer Inc. Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said on Saturday he had tested positive for COVID-19."I’m feeling well and symptom free," Bourla said in a statement. Bourla, 60, back in August had contacted COVID and had started a course of the company's oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment, Paxlovid. (9/24)

CIDRAP: Study Shows Previous Omicron Infection Most Protective Against BA.2
A study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases demonstrates that previous Omicron BA.1 infection was the most protective factor against BA.2 infection (associated with a risk reduction of 72%) and gave greater protection than primary infection with pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 (38%) or three doses of an mRNA vaccine in people with no previous infection (46%). (9/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Has Changed Funeral Business Forever 
Brian Myers spent many nights during the pandemic embalming one person after another—some of them close friends—until morning dawned. His business, Myers Mortuary & Cremation Services in Columbia, S.C., was booming. Yet Mr. Myers, 45, said the additional work was marked by stretches of exhaustion and sorrow. (Mosbergen, 9/25)

In related news —

CIDRAP: COVID-Like Virus In Bats Resistant To SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies
A sarbecovirus found in Russian bats evades SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a study yesterday in PLOS Pathogens. The virus, Khosta-2, belongs to the same category of coronaviruses as the virus that causes COVID-19. It was identified in bats sampled near Sochi National Park in October 2020. Researchers at the University of Washington, who conducted the study, said Khosta-2 would likely be able to infect humans, based on experiments using human cells from people vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. (9/23)

Stat: 'Disaster To Disaster': Walensky Decries Underinvestment In Public Health
For the record, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, would take the job again. (Cueto, 9/23)

Stat: Insurer Report On Medicare Advantage Savings Is Misleading, Experts Say
The health insurance industry is continuing its campaign to convince the public that Medicare Advantage saves taxpayers money, but experts say federal data still concludes the exact opposite — and that the program as currently designed is a drain on Medicare’s trust fund. (Herman, 9/26)

In other health care news —

Modern Healthcare: CommonSpirit Health Loses Near $2B In 2022
The Chicago-based company's performance during the fiscal year that ended June 30 compares to a $5.19 billion net gain during the prior 12-month period. Operating expenses were up 9% to $35.2 billion and revenue rose 2% to $33.9 billion. CommonSpirit cited elevated labor costs, higher prices due to inflation, lower patient volumes and reimbursements that didn't keep pace with expenses as challenges. (Hudson, 9/23)

The New York Times: How A Hospital Chain Used A Poor Neighborhood To Turn Huge Profits 
In late July, Norman Otey was rushed by ambulance to Richmond Community Hospital. The 63-year-old was doubled over in pain and babbling incoherently. Blood tests suggested septic shock, a grave emergency that required the resources and expertise of an intensive care unit. But Richmond Community, a struggling hospital in a predominantly Black neighborhood, had closed its I.C.U. in 2017. It took several hours for Mr. Otey to be transported to another hospital, according to his sister, Linda Jones-Smith. He deteriorated on the way there, and later died of sepsis. (Thomas and Silver-Greenberg, 9/24)

The New York Times: They Were Entitled To Free Care. Hospitals Hounded Them To Pay
In 2018, senior executives at one of the country’s largest nonprofit hospital chains, Providence, were frustrated. They were spending hundreds of millions of dollars providing free health care to patients. It was eating into their bottom line. The executives, led by Providence’s chief financial officer at the time, devised a solution: a program called Rev-Up. Rev-Up provided Providence’s employees with a detailed playbook for wringing money out of patients — even those who were supposed to receive free care because of their low incomes, a New York Times investigation found. (Silver-Greenberg and Thomas, 9/24)

KHN: Embedded Bias: How Medical Records Sow Discrimination 
David Confer, a bicyclist and an audio technician, told his doctor he “used to be Ph.D. level” during a 2019 appointment in Washington, D.C. Confer, then 50, was speaking figuratively: He was experiencing brain fog — a symptom of his liver problems. But did his doctor take him seriously? Now, after his death, Confer’s partner, Cate Cohen, doesn’t think so. Confer, who was Black, had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma two years before. His prognosis was positive. But during chemotherapy, his symptoms — brain fog, vomiting, back pain — suggested trouble with his liver, and he was later diagnosed with cirrhosis. He died in 2020, unable to secure a transplant. Throughout, Cohen, now 45, felt her partner’s clinicians didn’t listen closely to him and had written him off. (Tahir, 9/26)

Bay Area News Group: Therapists On Strike Refuse Kaiser's Offer As Contract Dispute Enters Second Month
Any sign of a quick resolution to a month and a half long strike by Kaiser Permanente therapists evaporated late Saturday after union members overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer by the healthcare giant in a dispute over staffing and long wait times for those seeking mental health services. (Greschler, 9/25)

New Hampshire Bulletin: N.H. Hospital Closes Some Psychiatric Beds Due To Staff Shortage
In a week where nearly 30 adults were waiting in emergency rooms for inpatient psychiatric care, 48 of New Hampshire Hospital’s 184 beds are closed due to staffing shortages, Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Shibinette told executive councilors this week. (Timmins, 9/23)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Nursing Home Complaints Surge With A Backlog Of Inspections
Wisconsin has seen a surge in complaints against nursing homes during the pandemic and is on track to surpass an all-time high filed last year, contributing to a backlog of inspections. The rise in complaints comes as Wisconsin and other states struggle to hire enough workers qualified to inspect nursing homes, a challenge partly exacerbated by a shortages of nurses. (Volpenhein, 9/23)

The 19th: Why The Nursing Shortage Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon
Nursing faces a shortage, and while the pandemic played a big role, the problems are rooted in a demographic shift: An aging population is increasing the demand for medical care, a generation of nurses is retiring – and as they go, not enough nurses are staying to train the generation taking their place. (Padilla, 9/23)

The Washington Post: Seniors Are Stuck Home Alone As Health Aides Flee For Higher-Paying Jobs
The country’s shortage of home-care workers has worsened, jeopardizing the independence of a generation of elderly Americans who had banked on aging in place rather than spending their twilight years in nursing homes. (Rowland, 9/25)

In related news from Washington state —

AP: Murder Charge Dismissed Because Of Treatment Delays 
An Edmonds man’s first-degree murder charge in the death of his father was dismissed this week because of delays in his mental health treatment. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Janice Ellis on Wednesday found John Fry’s continued wait for transport to Western State Hospital could violate his due process rights, The Herald reported. “His dangerousness is obvious, yet it is not appropriate to maintain him in the Snohomish County Jail without a reliable path towards restoration services,” Ellis said in court Wednesday. (9/23)

Fox News: Efforts To Prevent Military Suicide Plagued By Incomplete Data And Continued Stigma, Expert Says
Efforts to prevent military and veteran suicides have been hindered by a lack of accurate data and a failure to understand the root cause of the issue, with one study showing that the rate of suicide among veterans could be as much as 37% higher than the number reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Lee, 9/26)

Military Times: Veterans Suicide Rate May Be Double Federal Estimates, Study Suggests
Officials from America’s Warrior Partnership, in a joint study with University of Alabama and Duke University, reviewed census death data from 2014 to 2018 for eight states and found thousands of cases of suspected or confirmed suicides not included in federal calculations. (Shane III, 9/17)

More on suicide and mental health —

Iowa Public Radio: Suicide Rates Are Higher Among Farmers. Some Midwest States Are Teaching Communities How To Help
Bright patches of yellow and pink flowers line the walkway in Doug Fuller’s backyard in Cambridge, Iowa. But, just one year ago, the same garden was bare. Fuller was in the middle of a year long battle with severe depression and suicidal thoughts. (Crawford, 9/23)

CBS News: "You're Not Alone": Suicide Attempts Among Teen Girls Increased 50% During Pandemic, CDC Finds
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 2019, the number of teenage girls who have been suicidal has increased 50%, according to the CDC. Samantha Quigneaux, a family therapist at Newport Healthcare, said it's getting worse because of "the pressure of the return to normalcy." (Oliver and Cutrona, 9/23)

Houston Chronicle: Megan Thee Stallion Launches Website For Mental Health Resources
Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion is out with a new message for her fans: bad bitches have bad days too. That's the name of a new website she's launched as a guide to diverse mental health resources, including the LGBTQ Psychotherapists of Color directory, Therapy for Black Girls and the StrongHearts Native Helpline. (Rice, 9/25)

The Washington Post: On Calls When A Person Is Suicidal, Some Police Try A New Approach 
Police in a small but growing number of states are trying a new tactic on calls when someone is threatening suicide. They respond, assess and sometimes, depending on the situation, they leave. It’s happening in Fresno, Calif., where last year, police were called to the home of a man who barricaded himself in his house with a gun and was threatening to kill himself and police, if they entered. It’s happening in Birmingham, Ala., where in 2020, police were called to the home of a man holding a gun to his head and threatening to shoot himself or officers if they didn’t back off. And it’s happening in Los Angeles, Seattle and Portland, as police departments grapple with how best to assist someone who is suicidal, armed and doesn’t necessarily want police to intervene. (Chesler, 9/23)

The Baltimore Sun: With Help From Maryland Families, Scientists Find Overlooked Genes For Autism
With the help of hundreds of families in Maryland and many more around the country who shared their genetic information, a group of researchers have identified a previously overlooked group of genes linked to moderate forms of autism that a Kennedy Krieger Institute autism researcher says puts those doctors “one step closer.” (Cohn, 9/26)

More on gene research and therapy —

Stat: Biotech Turns To Novel Viruses To Break Through Gene Therapy's Limits
The fluorescent orange sticker atop the white machine reads “BIOHAZARD,” but it’s a bit of a misnomer. Although Earth abounds with pathogens that can maim, kill, paralyze, and poison, the specimens inside this machine — being pipetted left and right behind glass for sequencing — are probably the most innocuous human virus you will ever encounter. (Mast, 9/26)

Axios: Multimillion-Dollar Gene Therapies Offer Hope To Patients, But Huge Cost Concerns
The era of multimillion-dollar gene therapies has arrived, providing a ray of hope to patients with debilitating diseases — but also presenting huge affordability challenges. (Owens, 9/26)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

USA Today: Activists Renew Fight For Coverage Of HIV Prevention PrEP Drugs, Tests
"The law of the land right now is that plans have to cover PrEP without cost sharing, and they're not," said Amy Killelea, a lawyer and consultant who specializes in HIV policy. Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, said coverage is vitally important for those at risk of HIV infection. (Alltucker, 9/25)

NBC News: Doctors Urge More Research Into Little-Known STI Linked To Infertility In Men And Women
Scientists have known for decades about mycoplasma genitalium, or M. genitalium or M. gen., a sexually-transmitted infection that may cause genital pain, bleeding and swelling, and has been linked to infertility and miscarriage. However, it wasn't until 2019 that the first Food and Drug Administration-approved test for M. gen. became commercially available. Many cases may be going undiagnosed and untreated, doctors warn. (Hopkins, 9/25)

Stat: Some European Regulators Are Starting To Take Steps To Ensure Clinical Trial Results Are Reported 
Regulators in half a dozen European countries are now taking steps to enforce requirements that clinical trial sponsors make study results public, although three other countries have so far taken little to no action, a new analysis finds. (Silverman, 9/26)

NBC News: Frozen Embryos Linked To Increased Risk Of Hypertensive Disorders During Pregnancy, Study Finds
Undergoing in vitro fertilization using frozen embryos is linked to a greater risk of hypertensive disorders, including preeclampsia, during pregnancy, according to research published Monday in the journal Hypertension. (Sullivan, 9/26)

In other health and wellness news —

The Boston Globe: Aging Artificial Turf Fields May Carry Risk Of Head Injuries
Artificial athletic fields, nearly ubiquitous across big cities and small towns, have weathered a lot over the years and not just the legions of stampeding children. Critics have pointed to the extreme heat they generate on sunny days, when the surface can be more than 60 degrees hotter than the surrounding air or nearby natural grass. Studies have linked the unforgiving turf to a higher incidence of knee, ankle, and foot injuries. And there are a growing number of reports tying chemicals in artificial fields to environmental concerns. (Lazar, 9/24)

C-HIT.ORG: Tourette Syndrome Awareness Rises After Spike In Reported Tics And Billie Eilish’s Reveal Of Her Childhood Diagnosis
As a fifth grader growing up in Stratford, Bridget Phelan-Nelson used to shout the same string of obscenities every morning. “I would repeat it over and over on my walk to school so I wouldn’t say it at school,” recalls Phelan-Nelson, now 39. (Turk, 9/25)

Billings Gazette: Childhood Obesity Struggle A Growing Problem
As September marks National Childhood Obesity Month, our country continues to grapple with an issue exacerbated by the aftereffects of overeating during pandemic isolation. The most recently available data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that about 19.7% of adolescents aged 2-19 years in 2017-2021 were classified as obese. In all, about 14.7 million children throughout the nation suffered from obesity during that time period, the CDC concludes. (Trofimuk, 9/25)

The Wall Street Journal: She Tried To Block Eating-Disorder Content On TikTok. It Still Pops Up Daily
Naomi Sanders tried to set up her TikTok account so she wouldn’t see videos about eating disorders, but she says they’re impossible to avoid. “I still see posts related to eating disorders on my feed at least three times a day,” says the 15-year-old high-school sophomore from Bellingham, Wash., who’s been struggling with unhealthy eating habits since middle school. Nine months after a Wall Street Journal investigation showed that TikTok’s algorithms were flooding teens’ For You pages with videos encouraging weight loss and disordered eating, there are still plenty of them on the platform. (Jargon, 9/24)

NBC News: Life After Monkeypox: Men Describe An Uncertain Road To Recovery
Unfortunately, people looking to doctors or health agencies for answers about what to expect post-pox are typically met with an information vacuum. This is the result of the notorious dearth of research conducted prior to the outbreak about a virus that until this spring largely only circulated in western and central Africa. (Ryan, 9/25)

The Washington Post: Elijah McClain Died Of Ketamine Shot From Medics, Amended Autopsy Says
Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man whose death in 2019 after an encounter with police helped fuel calls for law enforcement accountability, died because paramedics injected him with a dose of ketamine that was too high for someone his size, according to an amended autopsy report publicly released Friday. The conclusion is a drastic departure from the original autopsy report, released several months after the fatal confrontation in Aurora, Colo., which said there was not enough evidence to determine how McClain died. (Hawkins, 9/24)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

Bangor Daily News: Maine To Walk Away From Multi-Million Dollar Juul Settlement
Maine was set to receive about $11 million over the next six to 10 years as part of a nearly $440 million settlement between the manufacturer and 33 states and territories. The investigation found that Juul had marketed its products to youth. However, as part of the agreement, Juul wanted states to waive the rights of school districts to pursue their own lawsuits, according to the Maine AG’s Office. Maine wasn’t willing to agree to that. (Lundy, 9/23)

Bay Area News Group: San Mateo Care Home Faces Wrongful Death Suit After Second Resident Dies From Drinking Cleaning Fluid
A San Mateo assisted-living facility is facing a wrongful death lawsuit after a second resident died from drinking cleaning fluid that was mistakenly served as juice. Peter Schroder Jr. was 93 years old when he died Sept. 7, 13 days after he drank the fluid during breakfast at Atria Park of San Mateo, according to the suit. Trudy F. Maxwell, 93, also died after the incident. (Turner and Green, 9/24)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Encinitas May Extend No-Smoking Ban To Sidewalks And Streets
It may become illegal to smoke anywhere but on private property in Encinitas under a proposal that’s now undergoing city review. Acting on the recommendation of the city’s Environmental Commission, the City Council directed city staff to develop an ordinance that would expand the city’s current ban on smoking in public places to include sidewalks and roadways. The vote was 4-0, with Councilmember Kellie Hinze absent. (Henry, 9/25)

CIDRAP: H1N2v Flu Infects Georgia Swine Handler And Fairgoer
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reported another variant H1N2 (H1N2v) flu infection, this time in a Georgia child. Like most of the other similar cases, the child had contact with pigs and had attended agricultural fairs before symptoms began. (9/23)

Houston Chronicle: Stigma, Racism Contribute To Low Monkeypox Vaccine Rates For Black Houstonians
Kimberly Thomas had to lie to receive the monkeypox vaccine — and she is not the only one. When a meager supply of doses became available at the Houston Health Department in July, the narrow eligibility criteria targeted men who have sex with men (MSM), specifically those with a confirmed exposure or multiple anonymous sex partners. When Thomas called to schedule an appointment, she was turned away. (Gill, 9/24)

The Washington Post: Catholic Hospitals Are Expanding — And Denying Essential Health Care 
Let’s say a patient is considering a tubal ligation after a planned Caesarean section because she doesn’t want to get pregnant again. Here are some factors that pertain to that decision: her vision of her reproductive future, her doctor’s advice, state regulations, the recommendations of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the latest scientific research. (Kate Cohen, 9/26)

New England Journal of Medicine: The War-Zone Mentality — Mental Health Effects Of Gun Violence In U.S. Children And Adolescents 
Does gun violence affect the mental health of U.S. children? That question has the same answer as most inquiries about child and adolescent development: it depends. Rarely does a simple cause–effect relationship apply to the same degree to all children, and the same exposures may even have opposite effects on different children. (James Garbarino. Ph.D., 9/24)

Chicago Tribune: Will Predictions Of A Severe Flu Season Come True?
Flu season is fast approaching. Flu shots are now available, containing strains recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee in March. Given the long lead time required to manufacture some 180 million flu shot doses, scientists are forced to make informed guesses, a daunting task under the best of circumstances. (Sheldon Jacobson and Janet Jokela, 9/26)

The Washington Post: Why The Baby Formula Crisis Wasn’t A Complete Disaster
Mate a dark comedy about government with a bleak horror movie about the American social safety net and you might get something resembling the U.S. baby formula shortage. The saga features a whistleblower’s report lost in a federal mailroom; decrepit conditions at a factory that was supposed to be making life-sustaining food; and worried, exhausted parents struggling to care for sick, hungry babies. (Alyssa Rosenberg, 9/26)

The Star Tribune: Making Sure An Ambulance Shows Up
It's a testament to Minnesota's hardworking ambulance crews that the public so often takes for granted the extraordinary service they provide — rapidly responding to medical emergencies with expertise and equipment no matter the time or day. (9/23)

Stat: The New Hazards Of Conducting Clinical Research In The Dobbs Era
For good reason, pregnancy tests are a standard part of screening for certain clinical trials. Participants with positive results are excluded from participating to protect them and their developing fetuses from potential harm. (Aoife Brennan, 9/26)

The New York Times: Many Are Suffering After Covid, But Only Some Are Getting Help
Two years ago, during the worst of the Covid pandemic, my colleagues and I told ourselves what now seems like a naïve story. In the wake of this virus, we would develop a robust system of follow-up care for the patients who had been sickest in our hospital, many of whom were from medically underserved communities. (Daniela J. Lamas, 9/26)

The Atlantic: 11 COVID Questions People Still Have, Answered 
For almost two years, answering readers’ COVID-19 questions was part of my job as the writer of this magazine’s daily newsletter. We discussed what activities were safe in the early days of the pandemic, when and where to slap on a mask, what to make of new coronavirus variants, and more. So when my partner came down with a fever one night this summer, I thought it was my time to shine. (Caroline Mimbs Nyce, 9/23)

The Boston Globe: Another White Coat In The Family 
On my first day of medical school, it rained. I brought a three-hole notebook and an umbrella with all the ribs intact and felt prepared. Forty years later, on her first day of medical school, a person I know well (having given birth to her) downloaded study guides, academic assignments, and onboarding apps, and checked the inner workings of her iPad the way you might check under the hood of your Formula One car before the flag drops. (Elissa Ely, 9/24)

Los Angeles Times: Protect The Dreamers. The U.S. Needs Doctors-In-Training Like Me 
I am a proud undocumented medical student attending the UCLA School of Medicine — a reality that still seems like a dream. It is a reality because of the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy, or DACA. However, the DACA program and its beneficiaries remain in jeopardy as the policy could be ended by a court ruling any day now. (Yadira Bribiesca, 9/24)