The New York Times: Appeals Court Says Abortion Pill Can Remain Available But Imposes Temporary Restrictions 
A federal appeals court ruled late Wednesday that the abortion pill mifepristone could remain available, but the judges blocked the drug from being sent to patients through the mail and rolled back other steps the government had taken to ease access in recent years. The three-judge panel said its ruling would hold until the full case is heard on appeal. (Belluck, 4/13)

Reuters: US Appeals Court Preserves Limited Access To Abortion Pill 
Wednesday's ruling came from a panel of three 5th Circuit judges, two appointed by then-President Donald Trump and one by George W. Bush, both Republicans. Judge Catharina Haynes, the Bush appointee, partly dissented, saying she would have temporarily blocked Kacsmaryk's order entirely. The emergency stay is meant to remain in place until the 5th Circuit can hear the Biden administration's appeal of Kacsmaryk's order more fully. That appeal may be heard by a different panel. (Pierson, 4/13)

In related news —

ABC News: With Mifepristone In Limbo, Harris Reaffirms White House Commitment To Abortion Access
With Americans' access to the abortion pill mifepristone still in limbo, Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday convened a meeting of a White House task force on reproductive health care during which Cabinet officials expanded on a new way they intend to protect a person's privacy when it comes to abortion access. The meeting fell just hours after the Department of Health and Human Services announced it had drafted a new federal rule intended to make clear to doctors and other medical professionals that divulging details of a person getting an abortion violates the privacy law HIPAA. (Cathey, 4/12)

Also —

The New York Times: Inside The Online Market For Abortion Pills
A few times each month, a 10” x 15” padded FedEx envelope arrives in Mark’s mailbox in eastern Florida. He doesn’t know when the packages will arrive, only that each shipment usually contains about a dozen individual mifepristone pills and several 10-packs of misoprostol, the two drugs used in a medication abortion. He repackages the pills — one mifepristone and four misoprostol each — and then prints a one-page sheet of instructions before shipping the medication to U.S. customers who have placed orders from medside24.com, a website based in Kazakhstan that sells abortion pills exclusively. (McCann, 4/13)

ABC News: Unprecedented Texas Abortion Pill Ruling Sparks Debate About 'Judge Shopping'
An unprecedented ruling by a single federal judge in Texas on mifepristone is raising concerns of "judge shopping" in a legal clash that could reshape abortion access in the U.S. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas, in his April 7 order, ruled to suspend the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the abortion pill. In his order, Kacsmaryk the drug -- which has been on the market for 23 years -- is unsafe and its approval process was rushed. (Hutzler, 4/12)

Axios: Why A 19th-Century Law Is At Center Of Abortion Pill Fight
In the post-Roe era, conservatives have seized on the long-dormant Comstock Act against medication abortion — with a high-profile case involving it potentially headed to the Supreme Court. The law isn't "a slam dunk," in court, Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California at Davis, told Axios, but "there's an argument you could make that a court that's conservative enough may buy," she said. (Doherty, 4/12)

Vox: Anthony Comstock, The Anti-Abortion Movement’s New Hero, Explained
The Comstock Act, an 1873 federal law signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, is a relic of an era when free speech, medical privacy, and other rights that modern-day Americans take for granted effectively did not exist. Nearly every word of this law, which is named after the Gilded Age anti-sex crusader Anthony Comstock, is unconstitutional — at least under the understanding of the Constitution that prevailed for nearly all of the past 60 years. The Comstock Act purports to make it a crime to mail “every obscene, lewd, lascivious, indecent, filthy or vile article, matter, thing, device, or substance,” or to mail any “thing” for “any indecent or immoral purpose” — vague words that inspired a century of litigation just to determine what concepts like “obscenity” actually mean. (Millhiser, 4/12)

NBC News: Biden Officials Propose Tightening Privacy Rules Around Abortion
The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed new health privacy protections to prevent protected health information from being used to investigate or sue people who facilitate abortions. The changes, put forth by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, would bolster reproductive health care privacy. (Richards, 4/12)

Reuters: New Biden Rule Seeks To Protect Women Crossing State Lines For Abortions
It is unclear whether the proposed rule would actually stifle criminal investigations. Fears of criminal investigations aimed at out-of-state abortions have grown after Idaho this month passed a law explicitly restricting some out-of-state travel for abortions. ... The proposed rule, which is set to be finalized following a 60-day public comment period, strengthens existing privacy protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which are binding in all states. (Renshaw and Aboulenein, 4/12)

In abortion updates from Nebraska, Maine, and New Hampshire —

AP: Nebraska Lawmakers Advance Bill To Vastly Restrict Abortion 
Nebraska lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that would ban abortion once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo, which is generally around the sixth week of pregnancy and before most women even know they are pregnant. Thirty-three lawmakers voted to end debate on the bill — just enough needed to set up an identical 33-16 vote to advance the bill. If just one other lawmaker had voted not to end debate, the bill would likely have been declared dead for the year. It must survive two more rounds of debate before the end of the 90-day session to pass. (Beck, 4/13)

WMTW: Gov. Janet Mills Introduces Bill To Expand Abortion Rights In Maine
Maine Democratic Governor Janet Mills has formally introduced a bill to expand reproductive rights for women and access to abortion services in the state, allowing for abortions later in pregnancy beyond the point of fetal viability. The bill, LD 1619, sponsored by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross and Senate President Troy Jackson, appears guaranteed of passage, as a majority of House members, 76, and Senate members, 22, are listed as co-sponsors -- all Democrats. (Hirschkorn, 4/12)

New Hampshire Public Radio: NH Senate To Vote On Abortion Bills Passed By House
The New Hampshire Senate is expected to vote on two major abortion bills Thursday. The bills, largely backed by Democrats, passed the House last month with some bipartisan support. One would explicitly protect abortion rights under state law, though it would not change any existing restrictions. The other would remove civil and criminal penalties for medical providers from the state’s 24-week abortion ban. That bill’s lead sponsor is Republican Rep. Dan Wolf, and Gov. Chris Sununu has also expressed support for removing those penalties. (Cuno-Booth, 4/12)

From Iowa, New York, and the Mountain West states—

The 19th: Iowa Considers Easing Birth Control Access As A Rift Grows In GOP
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has backed a plan to allow residents who are 18 and older to receive birth control from a pharmacist without a prescription. The Republican-controlled Senate last month approved legislation to permit it. But the bill is moving through the statehouse as a rift is growing in the Republican Party over birth control, with some anti-abortion groups opposing access. (Rodriguez, 4/12)

The New York Times: New York City Welcomes Growing Number Of Out-Of-State Abortion Patients
When Nancy Davis of Baton Rouge, La., learned last summer that the fetus she was carrying had a rare and fatal condition, her anguish was compounded by the chaotic legal terrain surrounding the abortion ban in her state. A local abortion clinic had shut down, and her hospital refused to perform the procedure, despite an exception in Louisiana law for pregnancies deemed “medically futile.” Ms. Davis, 37, ended up traveling more than 1,300 miles to New York City for an abortion. “New York was most accommodating, and their laws were clear,” said Ms. Davis, who was 16 weeks pregnant at the time of her abortion. “I was too far along to even go to North Carolina or even Florida.” (Fadulu, 4/12)

Wyoming Public Radio: How Mountain West States Are Reacting To Uncertain Abortion Pill Access
Access to general abortion care is becoming increasingly limited across much of the Mountain West. Currently, just one clinic in Wyoming offers abortions, and a total abortion ban passed by the state legislature faces challenges in courts. Restrictions in Montana may also soon become law, and Utah’s governor recently signed a bill that would ban abortion clinics from operating. In Idaho, it could soon become illegal to help a minor get an abortion without parental consent. (Walkey, 4/12)

Reuters: July Goal Set For Final US Medicare Drug Negotiation Guidance 
The U.S. government aims to publish the final guidance for its Medicare drug price negotiation program in early July and is currently talking to companies about its contents, a top health official said on Wednesday. The guidance will finalize the details of how President Joe Biden's signature drug pricing reform will be carried out. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) released a draft in March and gave a 30-day window for public comments. It is unclear how much will change in the final guidance. (Aboulenein, 4/12)

In other news about the high cost of prescription drugs —

Stat: Senate Hashing Out Policy Details On Generics, PBMs, Insulin
Senators are slightly delaying their latest legislative push on health care, but as they do, a clearer picture is emerging about what’s in — and out — of the mix. The Senate health committee was expected to mark up legislation related to generic drugs, pharmacy benefit managers, and some leftovers from the Food and Drug Administration’s user fee agreements next week, but leaders are planning to reschedule the meeting, several sources told STAT. (Cohrs and Wilkerson, 4/12)

Stat: Sen. Sanders Plans To Haul In Insulin CEOs To Testify In Senate
Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to call the chief executives of the country’s largest insulin manufacturers to testify before his health committee, according to insulin maker Eli Lilly and two sources familiar with the plans. The move will keep the pressure on the companies over their prices despite the fact that they have said they plan to lower the list price of their older insulin products. (Cohrs and Wilkerson, 4/12)

AP: States Confront Medical Debt That's Bankrupting Millions 
Cindy Powers was driven into bankruptcy by 19 life-saving abdominal operations. Medical debt started stacking up for Lindsey Vance after she crashed her skateboard and had to get nine stitches in her chin. And for Misty Castaneda, open heart surgery for a disease she’d had since birth saddled her with $200,000 in bills. ... Now lawmakers in at least a dozen states and the U.S. Congress have pushed legislation to curtail the financial burden that’s pushed many into untenable situations: forgoing needed care for fear of added debt, taking a second mortgage to pay for cancer treatment or slashing grocery budgets to keep up with payments. (Bedayn, 4/13)

In related news about the Affordable Care Act —

Axios: How Federal Judge Reed O'Connor Became An ACA Boogeyman
A federal judge in Texas who struck down an Obamacare provision that requires employers to cover certain preventive services has repeatedly sought to undermine the landmark law. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling last month — which the Justice Department said Wednesday it will appeal — has far-reaching implications for millions of Americans' health plans. (Doherty, 4/12)

The Wall Street Journal: Suicide Rates Rose In 2021 After Two Years In Decline 
Suicide rates rose in 2021 after two years in decline, federal data showed, driven by more deaths among men in nearly every age group. Suicides rates increased 4% in 2021 from a year earlier to 14.1 deaths per 100,000 people, the National Center for Health Statistics said on Thursday, the largest one-year increase in data collected from 2001 to 2021. For men, the rate was 22.8 deaths per 100,000, roughly four times that for women.  (Wernau, 4/13)

ABC News: Suicides Increased In 2021, Reaching Highest Level Since 2018: CDC Report 
There were 48,183 people who died by suicide in 2021, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It comes after two consecutive years of declines and is an increase of 4.7% from the 45,979 deaths recorded in 2020. It's also the highest number recorded since 2018, when 48,344 Americans died by suicide. (Kekatos, 4/13)

In related news about gun violence and mental health —

Fox News: Family Of Suspected Louisville Bank Shooter Connor Sturgeon Says He Suffered 'Mental Health Challenges' 
The suspected gunman behind Monday's shooting at Old National Bank in Louisville, 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, had "mental health challenges" but there were "never any warning signs" he was capable of carrying out the attack that left five dead and eight injured, his family said in a new statement. (Richard, 4/12)

AP: Dad Says University Failed To Treat NFL Veteran Who Shot 6 
The father of a former NFL player who fatally shot six people before killing himself two years ago is suing the alma mater where his son played football. An autopsy eventually diagnosed Phillip Adams with an unusually severe form of the degenerative brain disease commonly known as CTE that has been shown to cause violent mood swings and memory loss. Now, Alonzo Adams says South Carolina State University did not follow safety protocols or properly train employees to treat the sustained head trauma that his son suffered during a college career that lasted from 2006 to 2009. (4/12)

The Guardian: A Columbine Survivor’s Tragic Battle To Reveal The ‘Ripple Effect’ Of Gun Violence: Trauma, Addiction, Suicide
With 377 school shootings since Columbine, Americans are still reckoning with the real toll of these attacks. (Beckett, 4/12)

If you are in need of help —

Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

The Wall Street Journal: As An Adderall Shortage Continues, Some Patients Put Lives On Hold
Patients say not being able to find the drugs can mean the difference between being able to work, sleep or perform daily tasks such as shopping for groceries, or not. Dr. Kathryn Boling, a family medicine doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians in Lutherville, Md., says she has combined smaller doses or swapped drugs for another stimulant. Doctors have been prescribing other stimulants such as Ritalin, Concerta and Vyvanse, to help tide over patients. “We try to help them get it in whatever way we can,” she says. (Janin, 4/13)

Vox: The Ongoing, Unnecessary Adderall Shortage, Explained
Drug shortages are almost always the result of too little supply, not too much demand. But while artificial limits on supply are undoubtedly contributing to the shortage, the growing demand for Adderall is unique. (Scott, 4/10)

In other pharmaceutical industry news —

Stat: Sickle Cell Gene Therapies Could Be Cost-Effective At $1.9 Million
As the U.S. health care system prepares for expensive gene therapies, a preliminary analysis suggests that a pair of forthcoming treatments for sickle cell disease would be cost-effective if priced as high as $1.9 million, depending upon certain variables. (Silverman, 4/12)

Stat: With FDA Staff Opposed To Sarepta Therapy, Top Official Intervened
Reviewers at the Food and Drug Administration were leaning toward rejecting a closely watched gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy made by Sarepta Therapeutics, prompting a top official to intervene earlier this year, according to three people with direct knowledge of the agency deliberations. (Feuerstein and Mast, 4/13)

Stat: Study Highlights Power Of Genetic Sequencing To Diagnose Diseases
Using genome sequencing greatly expanded the number of diagnoses researchers could provide for children with developmental disorders from thousands of families across the United Kingdom and Ireland, researchers reported in a new study Wednesday. (Joseph, 4/12)

KFF Health News: The Drug Company That Prospered Without Creating Any Drugs 
The new drug looked so promising — except for that one warning sign. At the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting in 2008, Duke University’s Dr. John Sundy proudly announced that pegloticase, a drug he’d helped develop, was astoundingly effective at treating severe gout, which affects perhaps 50,000 Americans. In about half of those who had taken it, the drug melted away the crystalline uric acid deposits that encrusted their joints to cause years of pain, immobility, or disfigurement. But Sundy also disclosed an unsettling detail: In one clinical trial, patients who got the drug were more likely to develop heart problems than those who didn’t. The day after Sundy’s talk, the stock price of Savient Pharmaceuticals, which developed the drug with Duke scientists, plunged 75%. (Allen, 4/13)

Stat: Pear Therapeutics Set Huge Revenue Goals — But Never Came Close
In January, Pear Therapeutics was quickly running out of money. The digital health startup embarked on an effort to sell up to $150 million worth of its stock, which could have tossed Pear a crucial lifeline as it sought to claw its way to a sustainable business. By the end of March, the stock sale had yielded just $1 million and it was evident that investors were no longer interested in funding the company. (Aguilar, 4/13)

The New York Times: Juul Reaches $462 Million Settlement With New York, California And Other States
New York, California and several other states announced a $462 million settlement with Juul Labs on Wednesday, resolving lawsuits claiming that the company aggressively marketed its e-cigarettes to young people and fueled a vaping crisis. The agreement brings many of the company’s legal woes to a conclusion, with settlements reached with 47 states and territories, and 5,000 individuals and local governments. Juul is in the middle of a trial in Minnesota, an unusual case in which a settlement has not been reached. (Jewett and Creswell, 4/12)

In other news from California —

KQED: Walmart, CVS Set To Pay San Francisco $19 Million In Opioid Settlements
San Francisco will receive up to $18.8 million to abate the opioid overdose epidemic thanks to settlements with Walmart and CVS Pharmacy for their alleged negligent oversight of opioid prescription practices. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved the two settlement agreements, both part of nationwide opioid-related lawsuits, which include up to $6.8 million from Walmart (PDF) over the next six years and up to $12 million over 10 years from CVS Pharmacy (PDF). (Johnson, 4/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: Apparently Unhoused Woman Gives Birth On San Francisco Sidewalk
An apparently unhoused woman who gave birth in public on a sidewalk in San Francisco last week is in stable condition – along with her newborn – at a local hospital, officials said Wednesday night. San Francisco fire officials said the woman gave birth on April 6. Video posted on Instagram on April 8 showed a woman who had just given birth on a San Francisco sidewalk. (Umanzor, 4/12)

KFF Health News: The Rate Of Older Californians Dying Of Malnutrition Has Accelerated 
A growing number of California’s oldest residents are dying of malnutrition, a yearslong trend that accelerated during the covid pandemic. Deaths attributed to malnutrition more than doubled, from about 650 in 2018 to roughly 1,400 in 2022, according to preliminary death certificate data from the California Department of Public Health. The same trend occurred nationwide, with malnutrition deaths more than doubling, from about 9,300 deaths in 2018 to roughly 20,500 in 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Reese, 4/13)

More health news from across the U.S. —

MPR News: ‘It’s A Struggle Right Now’: Nursing Homes Press Minnesota Lawmakers For Help
Roberta Rankin, known to her family and friends as Bobbi, said it was an easy pick when she decided to move to the Northfield Retirement Community 13 years ago. The long-term care facility was close enough for her kids to visit and the former LPN who spent her career working in nursing homes said there was another selling point: “I walked into this one and it didn’t smell like a nursing home.” Like many long-term care facilities around the state, Northfield Retirement Community struggled to stay afloat financially amid the pandemic and as inflation climbed. After losing staff to burnout and higher wages elsewhere, it had to close a memory care wing, along with an in-house cafe that catered to residents and visitors. (Ferguson, 4/13)

The Boston Globe: Greater Transparency Sought From N.H. Medical Board After Globe Investigation
State senators are considering a bill to improve transparency from the New Hampshire Board of Medicine after an investigation by the Globe’s Spotlight Team found that the board publishes relatively little information about its oversight of physicians. While medical boards in many other states disclose a doctor’s medical malpractice settlements, hospital disciplinary actions, and criminal convictions, New Hampshire’s doesn’t, making it one of the least transparent in the country, the Globe found. (Porter, 4/12)

PBS NewsHour: Exploring The Health Care Challenges Rural Americans Face Across 5 States
From life expectancy to maternal mortality, Americans living in rural regions face some of the greatest health care challenges in the country. In a new series called Rural RX, PBS NewsHour correspondent William Brangham and producer Caleb Hellerman of the Global Health Reporting Center work with a team of reporters to explore the forces that shape rural health care in America. Brangham and Hellerman spoke with PBS NewsHour digital anchor Nicole Ellis about what they discovered while reporting from Alabama, Texas, Colorado, New York and West Virginia to better understand how health care works outside of major cities across the U.S. (Ellis, Brangham, Hellerman, 4/12)

Houma Today: Thibodaux Hospital Ordered To Temporarily Close Houma Locations While Lawsuit Proceeds
A Terrebonne judge ordered Thibodaux Regional Medical Center to halt its operations in Houma temporarily. In the latest development of the ongoing lawsuit between Terrebonne General Health System and Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, Judge Jason Dagate ordered a preliminary injunction against Thibodaux Regional Medical Center, requiring it to cease its operations in Terrebonne while court proceedings continue. The ruling will take effect May 5, shuttering two of Thibodaux Regional's businesses in Houma. (Campo, 4/12)

AP: Military Hospital Chided For Shift In Catholic Pastoral Care 
The management of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center has drawn criticism from a prominent archbishop — and some members of Congress — by choosing not to renew a contract for Franciscan priests to provide pastoral care, and instead hiring a secular firm to oversee provision of those services going forward. For nearly two decades, priests from the Holy Name College Friary in Silver Spring, Maryland, had ministered to service members and veterans hospitalized at Walter Reed, a renowned medical facility in nearby Bethesda. (Crary, 4/12)

Also —

Philadelphia Inquirer: How Mothers Say Philly Joy Bank, Which Gives $1,000 To Pregnant Parents, Could Be Transformative
Buy diapers or pay the bills? Spend money you don’t have for a babysitter so you can attend a job interview, or grind on at a job that barely pays enough? New and expecting parents struggling financially face impossible choices. Money worries even play a role in whether a baby thrives or dies, since mental wellbeing affects infant mortality. Philly, the poorest big city in the nation, has the highest rate of infant mortality among America’s 10 largest cities, according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. (Laughlin and Jones, 4/12)

McKnight's Long-Term Care News: Half Of Healthcare Workers In VA Study Worked While Ill With COVID-19: Study 
A new study found that nearly 50% of workers in a healthcare system, including long-term care units, continued working despite having symptoms of COVID-19. The investigation included all healthcare workers at the Veterans’ Affairs Boston Healthcare System. Study participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay between December 2020, and September 2021. The VA system provides long-term care, and outpatient and tertiary inpatient care in eastern Massachusetts. (Lasek, 4/12)

CalMatters: Ending California Mask Mandate Leaves Patients Afraid 
For months California disability and labor advocates have been attempting to preserve statewide masking requirements in health care settings. But with the sunset of one of the last remaining COVID-19 mandates, they say people who are the most vulnerable to severe illness now have to make an “impossible choice” — risk getting the virus at a doctor’s office, or avoid necessary health care. (Hwang, 4/11)

In other pandemic news —

AP: Bill Would Let Parents 'Opt Out' Of School Mask Mandates
Alabama lawmakers on Wednesday advanced legislation aimed at letting parents bypass requirements for students to wear face masks in school. The House Health Committee approved the legislation that harkens back to disputes over public health orders during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill says parents of a student at a K-12 school have the right to “opt his or her child out” of any policy for students to wear a face covering at school, at a school function, on a school bus or at a school bus stop. The bill now moves to the full Alabama House of Representatives for debate. (4/12)

CIDRAP: Babies Exposed To Mild COVID-19 In Womb Show Normal Brain Development 
The infants of mothers who had asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 infections during pregnancy showed no neurodevelopment delays compared to peers with no exposures, according to new work from Columbia University researchers. The research is published in JAMA Network Open. (Soucheray, 4/12)

Reuters: Novavax Cut $50 Million In Costs, Plans To Slash More, CEO Says 
Novavax Inc cut about $50 million in costs in the first quarter of 2023 and plans to slash more, Chief Executive John Jacobs said in an interview on Wednesday. “We’re looking at everything from buildings, leases, land, headcount, and contractors, every aspect of our company and the way we work,” he told Reuters. ... Novavax, whose COVID-19 vaccine is its lone marketed product after 35 years in business, is relying on an updated COVID shot, cost cutting, and Phase 2 data on its COVID/influenza combination vaccine due in the coming weeks to stay afloat. (Wingrove, 4/12)

On zoonotic transmission —

Reuters: Exclusive: China Out Of UN's Wildlife Survey For Pandemic Controls
China is not participating in a United Nations project to survey Asian wet markets and other facilities at high risk of spreading infectious diseases from wild animals to humans, despite long-running talks with Beijing, a UN official told Reuters. China's hesitancy to join the UN project involving other Asian nations may compound frustration by global researchers who have been pressing Beijing to share information about the origins of COVID-19, as they seek to prevent future pandemics due to zoonotic, or animal-to-human, disease transmission. (Guarascio, 4/13)

Stat: Michael J. Fox On A Parkinson’s Biomarker Research Breakthrough
Today, a study in the Lancet reports on a significant Parkinson’s research breakthrough: the discovery of a biomarker that, for the first time in living people, can detect dysfunction in the protein that goes haywire in Parkinson’s disease. (Michael J. Fox, 4/12)

ScienceDaily: Nanoplasmonic Imaging Reveals Real-Time Protein Secretion 
Researchers have used a nanoplasmonics approach to observe the real-time production of cell secretions, including proteins and antibodies; an advancement that could aid in the development of cancer treatments, vaccines, and other therapies. (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, 4/11)

CIDRAP: Babies Exposed To Mild COVID-19 In Womb Show Normal Brain Development 
The infants of mothers who had asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 infections during pregnancy showed no neurodevelopment delays compared to peers with no exposures, according to new work from Columbia University researchers. The research is published in JAMA Network Open. (Soucheray, 4/12)

The New York Times: Let’s Imagine We Knew Exactly How The Pandemic Started
“Whether Covid came accidentally from a lab in Wuhan or a seafood market is almost beside the point,” Edward Luce wrote in The Financial Times last month, echoing arguments that have been circulating since 2021 that we don’t need to resolve the origin of Covid-19 to take action against it or prevent future pandemics. (David Wallace-Wells, 4/12)

USA Today: As A Doctor, I've Seen What An AR-15 Does To The Body. Unless We Act, So Will Many Americans.
When I was in the operating room observing as surgeons repaired the bleeding organs and frayed muscles of a gunshot victim, one horrifying image came to mind: shredded meat. (Dr. Thomas K. Lew, 4/13)

Stat: Mifepristone And The Assault On The FDA's Authority
When legislators tour their home states and districts, private sector leaders often tell them: We need a commonsense and predictable business environment. Business environments are shaped by laws, regulations, and market conditions. In particular, they are shaped by a company’s trust in the rules of the road as determined by policymakers, regulators, and judges. Businesses are more likely to succeed when they are confident in the durability of laws and regulations that allow them to invest and bring products to market. Unfortunately, the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration is under siege. (Cartier Esham and John Murphy, 4/11)

Los Angeles Times: As A San Diego Neurosurgeon, I See The Devastating Toll Of The Raised Border Wall
As a neurosurgeon working in San Diego, I can attest that we are seeing not only more but also new types of neurological injuries, including traumatic brain and cerebrovascular injuries that will leave people unable to work and care for their families. The horrors we are seeing now are caused by the height of the wall. (Alexander Tenorio, 4/13)

Dallas Morning News: Even With Medicaid Expansion, Legal And Undocumented Immigrants Would Be Left Behind
As the Texas legislative session kicks into full gear, the topic of Medicaid expansion naturally draws a lot of attention. While such a move could provide millions with affordable health care, there is a very large population of Texans who would not be helped: undocumented and legal immigrants. (Aman Narayan, 4/13)

Stat: It's Time To Replace Internist With Internal Medicine Physician 
Defining the role of internal medicine within the health care system has been a challenge since the field began in the late 1800s in Germany. That’s when a group of “inner medizine” physicians started applying medically related scientific knowledge of the care of their patients, which differed significantly from the way medicine was practiced at the time. Sir William Osler introduced this approach to patient care in America, and with it came the name “internal medicine.” It’s a confusing name that contributes to a lack of popular understanding about the range of clinical activities, types of practice settings, and professional responsibilities that the specialty of internal medicine encompasses. (Ryan D. Mire, 4/13)

The CT Mirror: Patients Might See Inflated Prescription Costs. Here's Why.
“I cannot afford to live.” – Patients are screaming at the outrageous prescription drug costs. The U.S. spends three times more on prescription drugs than any high-income country. The cost of prescription drugs directly affects health. Whether you are uninsured, have employer-sponsored insurance, or have Medicare, you will likely incur inflated prescription costs. These expenses may be co-pays, high-premiums, and deductibles. (Karina Nieves, 4/11)