Stat: U.S. Makes Exit From The WHO Complete
The United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization became official Thursday, formalizing a fissure between the Trump administration and the Geneva-based global health agency that dates back to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Branswell, 1/22)

Politico: A U.S. Return To The World Health Organization Could Hinge On Whether Trump Approves Of Its Next Leader
After 77 years, the U.S. is no longer a member of the World Health Organization. Now, the race is on to convince President Donald Trump he should rejoin. The key to a potential return is who becomes the leader of the WHO next year and whether Trump likes them. Trump has accused the WHO of covering up for China during the pandemic and gouging the U.S. on dues. (Paun, 1/22)

On the immigration crisis —

The New York Times: Court Removes Restrictions On ICE’s Use Of Pepper Spray, For Now 
A federal appeals court blocked an injunction on Wednesday that had imposed restrictions on how immigration agents interact with protesters in Minnesota. The order by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit was one sentence long and included no explanation. It granted the Trump administration’s request for an administrative stay of the district court’s preliminary injunction, which was issued on Friday. (Smith, 1/21)

AP: Autopsy Finds Cuban Immigrant In ICE Custody Died Of Homicide
A Cuban migrant held in solitary confinement at an immigration detention facility in Texas died after guards held him down and he stopped breathing, according to an autopsy report released Wednesday that ruled the death a homicide. Geraldo Lunas Campos died Jan. 3 following an altercation with guards. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the 55-year-old father of four was attempting suicide and the staff tried to save him. But a witness told The Associated Press last week that Lunas Campos was handcuffed as at least five guards held him down and one put an arm around his neck and squeezed until he was unconscious. (Biesecker and Foley, 1/22)

The Washington Post: ICE Detains Four Children From Minnesota School District, Including 5-Year-Old
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minnesota have detained at least four children from the same school district this month, including a 5-year-old boy, school officials in a Minneapolis suburb said Wednesday. (Jeong, 1/22)

Minnesota Public Radio: Native Physician Highlights Negative Impact Of ICE Presence
During the surge of federal agents in Minneapolis this month, MPR News has received several reports of Native Americans that were approached — and in a few cases, detained — by immigration agents. Tribal leaders from Oglala Sioux have not been able to verify those claims. But the situation has created fear in the community. (Moini, Olson and Finn, 1/21)

More news about the Trump administration —

The Guardian: Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Asks Trump To Commute Prison Sentence
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes has asked Donald Trump to commute her sentence after she was convicted of defrauding investors in her now-defunct blood-testing startup that was once valued at $9bn, a notice on the US Department of Justice website showed. The justice department’s office of the pardon attorney lists the status of her commutation request, which was made last year, as pending. (Dunbar and agencies, 1/21)

AP: NASA Astronauts Emphasize Importance Of Ultrasound Machine
The astronauts evacuated last week from the International Space Station say a portable ultrasound machine came in “super handy” during the medical crisis. During their first public appearance since returning to Earth, the four astronauts refused Wednesday to say which one of them needed medical attention and for what reason. It was NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight. NASA’s Mike Fincke said the crew used the onboard ultrasound machine once the medical problem arose Jan. 7, the day before a planned spacewalk that was abruptly canceled. (Dunn, 1/22)

Modern Healthcare: Health Insurance CEOs To Face Daylong Grilling On Capitol Hill
Congress has agreed on little after a year of sparring over escalating healthcare costs and shrinking subsidies, with a notable exception: Big health insurance companies are not helping. On Thursday, the CEOs of five of major insurers will face a daylong grilling on Capitol Hill, where they will get to make their case before two separate House committees, and likely be targets for pent up anger from both sides of the aisle. (McAuliff and Tepper, 1/21)

More on health insurance costs and coverage —

The Hill: UHG Plans To Return ObamaCare Profits To ACA Members
UnitedHealth Group (UHG), the largest national health care provider in the U.S., is planning to return profits it makes in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace to consumers in 2026. CEO and Chair Stephen Hemsley is expected to announce the idea when he appears before a House Committee on Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Thursday, according to a copy of his prepared testimony. (Brams, 1/21)

St. Louis Public Radio: SSM, UHC Reach Permanent Insurance Deal After Months Of Talks 
SSM Health and UnitedHealthcare have signed a multiyear agreement to keep many of the insurance giant’s patients in network, representatives from the Creve Coeur-based health system announced this week. The long-term agreement follows a 30-day stopgap contract signed on Dec. 31. (Fentem, 1/21)

Modern Healthcare: Blue Cross Campaign Targets University Of Vermont Medical Center
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont’s provocative new marketing campaign points a finger at the state’s largest academic medical center for sending exchange premiums to the highest level in the nation. The nonprofit health insurance company partnered with Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans and three other independent providers. The “VT Affordable Care” blitz features newspaper advertisements, social media and a website that spells out the price differences for specific services at local providers compared to the University of Vermont Medical Center. (Tepper, 1/21)

KFF Health News and Gulf States Newsroom: Farmers Now Owe A Lot More For Health Insurance
Last year was a tough one for farmers. Amid falling prices for commodity crops such as corn and soybeans, rising input costs for supplies like fertilizer and seeds, as well as the Trump tariffs and the dismantling of USAID, many farms weren’t profitable last year. And now, the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that many Americans, including farmers, relied on to purchase health insurance are gone, having expired at the end of December. (Boden and Hawkins, 1/22)

What's in Congress' funding bill —

MedPage Today: Health Groups Pleased With Proposed NIH Budget In Bipartisan Funding Bill 
Health groups praised many of the provisions in the joint House-Senate bill that would fund the NIH and several other agencies under HHS for fiscal year 2026. "Even in these challenging times, the bill increases the overall NIH budget and includes new protections to help the agency fulfill its lifesaving mission," Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research!America, a nonprofit science advocacy group, said in a statement. (Frieden, 1/21)

Fierce Healthcare: Congress Proposes Extensions For Virtual Care In Funding Bill
Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) program are teed up to receive multi-year extensions from Congress in its recently released funding package for the Department of Health and Human Services. The extensions would provide more certainty for the industry than it’s had since the end of 2022, when Congress extended Medicare telehealth and hospital-at-home for two years. Since the end of 2024—and President Donald Trump's election—providers and hospitals have faced a series of months-long virtual care extensions as Congress struggled to find a bipartisan solution to fund the government. (Beavins, 1/21)

Stat: NIH Funding Bill Contains Increased Budget For Cancer, Alzheimer's 
Congressional appropriations committees offered a near-total rebuke of President Trump’s proposed downsizing and reshaping of the National Institutes of Health in their spending bill for the 2026 fiscal year. (Oza and Wosen, 1/20)

Politico: Congress’ Health Deal Still Has Hurdles 
After months of fruitless negotiations to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that have since expired, congressional leaders announced Tuesday they’d notched a rare bipartisan win to overhaul other parts of the health care system. Now they just have to hold onto it. The agreement, attached to a government spending bill, would implement long-sought changes to the way pharmacy benefit managers operate, as well as extensions of public health programs and increased funding for community health centers. But even with strong support in both chambers, the bill faces significant hurdles. (King, Chu and Guggenheim, 1/22)

In related news about prescription drug costs —

Bloomberg: CVS Health May Have Violated Antitrust Laws, Republicans Say
CVS Health Corp. was accused by Republican lawmakers of possibly violating antitrust laws by discouraging independent pharmacies from working with third-party competitors. Republican and Democratic lawmakers, along with President Donald Trump, have been increasingly critical of health conglomerates, like CVS, which operate insurance companies, retail pharmacies, and drug benefit managers. Chief executive officers of CVS and other insurers will testify at a congressional hearing on Thursday. (Swetlitz, 1/21)

Modern Healthcare: FTC, Cigna Weigh Insulin Settlement 
Cigna may be on the verge of striking a deal with the Federal Trade Commission over allegations it artificially raised insulin prices. The FTC has suspended its administrative case against the Evernorth Health Services, Express Scripts and Ascent Health Services parent company while it considers a settlement, the FTC disclosed in a legal filing Tuesday. (Tong, 1/21)

Fortune: Trump Says Europe Does One Thing Right: Drug Prices
President Donald Trump told an audience of thousands of executives and global leaders at the World Economic Forum that European countries have taken a turn for the worse. Trump said his friends who visit the continent tell him they don’t recognize the region—and “not in a positive way." (Rogelberg, 1/21)

WFSU: New Florida Bill Targets 'Aiding And Abetting' Gender-Affirming Care For Minors 
Providing gender-affirming care, such as hormone treatment, to people under 18 is illegal in Florida. But a new bill could change who can be charged for it and who can investigate it. (Wood, 1/21)

On gun violence and mental health —

The New York Times: Ex-Uvalde Officer Found Not Guilty of Endangering Children in Mass Shooting
More than three years after a gunman massacred 21 people at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary in one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, a former school police officer was found not guilty of abandoning or endangering children. Adrian Gonzales, the first officer to arrive at the school, was facing 29 counts of abandoning or endangering children, 19 for the dead and 10 more for survivors, after seven hours of deliberations Wednesday. (Sandoval, 1/21)

More health news from across the U.S. —

The New York Times: Dozens Are Sickened By A Rare Fungal Infection In Tennessee
One death is being investigated and at least 35 other people have been sickened in the Nashville area after breathing in the spores of a fungus commonly found in the soil, health officials said. The illness, histoplasmosis, is a rare respiratory infection that can cause symptoms similar to those of the flu: fever, chills, cough, chest pain, fatigue and night sweats. (Hassan, 1/21)

Newsweek: Thousands Advised To Stay Inside In Georgia, Tennessee
Thousands of people in communities across parts of Georgia (including Dalton, Adrian, and Louisville) and Tennessee (including Chattanooga, Dunlap, and Tracy City) have been advised to stay indoors, after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recorded that fine particle pollution (PM2.5) had reached "unhealthy" levels, as of January 22, 2026, at 2.45 a.m., according to the AirNow Map. When local air quality readings are classified as "unhealthy," the EPA warns that everyone in the affected area might begin to experience certain health effects, ranging from coughing and eye, throat, and nose irritation to chest tightness and shortness of breath. (Greenwood, 1/22)

InvestigateWest: Oregon Town To Test River Where Wood Treater Sent Polluted Stormwater
A northwest Oregon town is stepping up testing of the river that supplies some of its drinking water, prompted by InvestigateWest’s reporting that a local wood treater released stormwater tainted with toxic preservatives into the waterway while regulators kept it quiet. The Sheridan City Council has instructed staff to consult with environmental researchers and state regulators on a new plan to test water samples from the South Yamhill River for chemicals used in recent years by Canadian company Stella-Jones. The proposed tests are separate from standard monitoring for contaminants in city drinking water that Sheridan is required by state law to regularly conduct. (Tornay, 1/21)

The New York Times: Parents Sue Residential Home Over Abuse Of Their Autistic Son 
Shalini Babbar received an unexpected phone call on a Sunday morning in August 2024 from an employee at a residential home in upstate New York, where her 19-year-old autistic son was living. The employee at the home, the Anderson Center for Autism, told Ms. Babbar that her son was being abused. The abuse had been going on for some time, she said she was told, and the employee had a video. Ms. Babbar panicked and begged the man for the footage. (Meko, 1/21)

AP: Chess Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky Died Of Heart Problems From Accidental Overdose
Daniel Naroditsky, an influential American chess grandmaster who was found dead at his North Carolina home in October at age 29, had multiple drugs in his system at the time and was killed by an abnormal heartbeat caused by an accidental overdose, according to a toxicology report. Released Tuesday by the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office, the report said Naroditsky tested positive for methamphetamine and kratom, an opioid-related ingredient that is increasingly added to energy drinks, gummies and supplements. (1/21)

ABC News: Heart Disease Fatalities Drop But Are Still Leading Cause Of Death In The US: Report
Fewer people are dying from heart disease, but the condition is still the leading cause of death in the U.S., a new report from the American Heart Association (AHA) finds. Although death rates from heart disease have dropped for the first time in the past five years, it still kills more Americans than any other condition, according to the report, published early Wednesday in the journal Circulation. (Zhang, 1/21)

More public health news on measles, flu, and RFK Jr. —

Lehi Free Press: Measles Surge Highlights Utah’s Lack Of Herd Immunity 
Vaccination rates across Utah, including in Utah County, have fallen below levels needed to maintain herd immunity as the state continues to track a measles outbreak during the 2025–2026 school year. According to the Utah Measles Dashboard on utah.gov, there have been a recorded 210 measles cases statewide since last June. Of those cases, 187 were in unvaccinated individuals, and the majority involved children under the age of 18. ... As of Jan. 19, Utah County has reported 26 measles cases, the highest number among counties along the Wasatch Front. (Wallgren, 1/20)

KFF Health News: As US Is Poised To Lose Measles-Free Status, RFK Jr.’s New CDC Deputy Downplays Its Significance
After a year of ongoing measles outbreaks that have sickened more than 2,400 people, the United States is poised to lose its status as a measles-free country. However, the newly appointed principal deputy director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ralph Abraham, said he was unbothered by the prospect at a briefing for journalists this week. (Maxmen, 1/21)

Bloomberg: Flu Vaccinations For Older Americans Drop As Cases Rise
Influenza vaccinations among a high-risk group — adults age 65 and older — has declined, according to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, amid two consecutive severe flu seasons that have seen thousands die from the disease. New research shows that flu vaccinations for older adults dropped to 67.1% in 2024, down from 70.5% in 2019. According to William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases and health policy at Vanderbilt University, this decrease is largely because of vaccine hesitancy. (Thornton, 1/21)

MedPage Today: RFK Jr. Links His Vocal Issues To Flu Shots
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believes his spasmodic dysphonia could be due to taking flu shots, he told USA Today. In an interview with the outlet, Kennedy said he took annual flu shots until the mid-1990s, then stopped in 2005 "when I began looking at the side effects." "I was preparing litigation against some of the flu shots several years ago and one of the entries that was listed on a lot of them was spasmodic dysphonia, which is an injury I have to my voice. That's why my voice is so screwed up," Kennedy said. (Fiore, 1/21)

The New York Times: RFK Jr., Kicking Off National Tour, Says He’s Not Running For President
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began a national “Take Back Your Health” tour with a rally Wednesday at the Pennsylvania State Capitol, where he said his new dietary guidelines were “not perfect” and addressed supporters, who cheered when he was asked if he was considering running for president. Mr. Kennedy dismissed the idea. “I’m not running for president,” he said. (Gay Stolberg, 1/21)

Stat: FDA Clears Aidoc Tool That Detects Multiple Conditions On A CT Scan
On Wednesday, radiology AI company Aidoc announced the FDA has cleared a tool that can triage 14 critical findings in a single abdominal CT scan: liver injury, spleen injury, bowel obstruction, appendicitis, and more. (Palmer, 1/21)

On the health care worker shortage —

MedPage Today: ABIM Adds Path To Certification After Residency Abroad
The American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) recently launched a pilot pathway to certification for international medical graduates (IMGs) who completed residency abroad. Eligible participants must have completed at least 3 years of internal medicine training abroad, according to ABIM, as well as an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited fellowship in an ABIM subspecialty. (Henderson, 1/21)

San Francisco Chronicle: Kaiser Nurses Plan Open-Ended Strike In CA And Hawaii
The union representing 31,000 nurses and other health care workers at Kaiser Permanente plan to start an open-ended strike Monday at dozens of Kaiser locations in California and Hawaii, including in the Bay Area. The union, UNAC/UHCP (United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals), issued a notice to strike last week over what workers say are unsafe staffing levels, access to care and fair wages. The union’s contract with Oakland-based Kaiser expired Sept. 30, and the two sides have been in contract negotiations since then. (Ho, 1/21)

On health care data and privacy —

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Data Breaches Down More Than 11% In 2025: HHS
After the largest-ever number of Americans had their health data compromised in 2024, the last year saw significant improvement. Roughly 46 million medical records were breached in 2025, an 84% decrease from the year before, according to the Health and Human Services Department’s Office for Civil Rights. Security experts attribute the reduction to an increased provider focus on third-party business partners. (Broderick, 1/21)

The Washington Post: Can Your Health Records Be Sold For Profit? A Lawsuit Says It’s Happening.
On the digital superhighway that allows sensitive patient health records to be shared by hospitals and doctors, something seemed off to engineers at Epic Systems: Among the providers with access to the network were names that sounded like law firms. That observation in 2022 led to an investigation into what Epic — the nation’s largest vendor of electronic health record software — alleges are “organized syndicates” that fraudulently obtained access to nearly 300,000 patient records without their consent, in many cases marketing them to lawyers to allegedly mine for prospective clients. (Gilbert, 1/22)

Send us your tributes to health care —

KFF Health News: Make Us Swoon: Send In Your Health Policy Valentines
Affordable health care is our love language. Stoke the fire by submitting your sweetest “Health Policy Valentines.” We want to see your clever, heartfelt, or hilarious tributes to the policies that shape health care. An esteemed panel of editors will review entries. We’ll share favorites on our social media channels, and our staff will pick the winners, announced on Friday, Feb. 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day. (1/22)

Newsweek: Scientists Discover Pesticide Traces In Breast Milk
Researchers at McGill University have identified several unexpected chemical contaminants in human milk, finding traces of pesticides, antimicrobials and additives used in plastics and personal‑care products. The team said the data, drawn from Canadian and South African samples, could help strengthen chemical safety regulations and improve protections for infants and parents. (Fleur Afshar, 1/21)

The Baltimore Sun: Washing Your Produce Can Protect Your Gut, Reproductive Health
Many everyday chemicals can impact your gut health and even male fertility, research shows. Proper food preparation, including washing and peeling fruits and vegetables, can protect from common pesticides. (Hille, 1/20)

On infant formula safety —

Bloomberg: Baby Formula Recall: What Parents Need To Know About Dangerous Cereulide Toxin
A little-known food toxin called cereulide is at the center of a global safety scare and has led to a wave of infant formula recalls worldwide from Nestlé SA, Danone SA and Groupe Lactalis. Though manufacturers said there are no confirmed illnesses linked to the toxin, which can cause food poisoning, authorities in multiple countries are investigating possible cases. (Deutsch and Kinzelmann, 1/22)

In other reproductive health care news —

The Washington Post: HHS Targets Illinois Over Abortion Referral Law
The Trump administration is threatening to strip Illinois of federal health dollars over a state law requiring medical providers to refer patients for abortion services, even if the providers oppose abortion. The 2017 measure violates federal conscience protections, according to a notice to state officials sent Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights (OCR). The action is the Trump administration’s latest signal it’s willing to use federal funding as a cudgel to advance its priorities. (Winfield Cunningham, 1/21)

Bridge Michigan: Planned Parenthood Offers Vasectomies In Michigan As Abortion Access Drops
Citing an increased demand for “permanent birth control” since the US Supreme Court overturned abortion access across the country, Planned Parenthood of Michigan will now offer vasectomy services to its patients. The minor surgery is being offered at Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s Irwin/Martin health center in Grand Rapids, with more locations expected to come online throughout the year. Planned Parenthood maintains 10 brick-and-mortar clinics in Michigan and a statewide telehealth program. The Michigan chapter ceased its vasectomy operations about a decade ago, officials said, but a newfound need has pushed the organization to resume its efforts. (Newman, 1/21)

St. Louis Public Radio: Protesters Decry Rolling Back Of Missouri Voter-Approved Measures 
Protesters are asking their legislators to live by the Missouri state motto: Let the welfare of the people be the supreme law. Nearly 20 advocacy groups organized a protest Wednesday that brought hundreds of people to the state Capitol in Jefferson City. Speakers called for legislators to protect abortion rights and reinstate paid sick leave – two measures Missouri voters approved in 2024. (Halloran, 1/21)

Newsweek: US Abortion Bans Have Increased Pregnant Women’s Risk Of Dying
Abortion bans across the U.S. are increasing the health risks faced by pregnant women, according to new research that highlights how pregnancy continues to have a much high mortality rate abortion. Researchers who analyzed national birth and mortality data say women with high‑risk pregnancies are now more likely to carry them to term because they no longer have access to abortion care in many states, placing them at greater risk of dying in or after labor. (Fleur Afshar, 1/21)

The 19th: Health Sharing Plans Can Leave Pregnant Patients With Huge Bills
Alycin Berry’s husband had just started a new job in early 2018 when the couple started to dig into his benefits. The amount they’d have to pay for health insurance, they realized, was “ridiculously expensive” — more than they could reasonably afford. (Luthra, 1/21)

Also —

MedPage Today: Can This Cesarean Closure Technique Reduce Complications?
When Clarel Antoine, MD, of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, reflected on his decades-long career performing hundreds of cesarean sections, he realized his patients didn't seem to have the types of complications common after cesarean delivery. Women often experience long-term obstetrical complications, like having trouble getting pregnant again, pain during sex or menstruation, or placenta accreta spectrum, a serious complication where the placenta attaches at the site of a prior cesarean section because of scar defects. (Robertson, 1/21)

ABC News: More Than Half Of Mpox Patients In 2022 Outbreak Experienced Lasting Physical Effects: Study
Many patients who contracted mpox during the 2022 outbreak experienced physical effects more than a year later, a new study published on Monday finds. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Columbia University's division of Infectious diseases and the University of Texas Health Science Center looked at more than 300 adults who were either diagnosed with mpox between May 2022 and January 2023 or were at risk but never infected. (Kekatos, 1/19)

CIDRAP: Finding Moms’ Vaccine-Induced Whooping Cough Antibodies In Babies’ Noses Highlights Benefits Of Indirect Immunization
Newborns of mothers vaccinated against pertussis (whooping cough) during pregnancy have antibodies not only in their blood but also in their nasal membranes, the entry site for Bordetella pertussis, the bacteria that cause the highly contagious disease, a phase 4 randomized controlled trial shows for the first time. (Van Beusekom, 1/15)

CIDRAP: Prenatal Antibiotics Linked To Higher Risk Of Group B Streptococcus In Newborns
A population-based cohort study in Sweden suggests prenatal antibiotic exposure is associated with increased risk of group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease in newborns, researchers reported last week in the Journal of Infection. (Dall, 1/8)

MedPage Today: Parent-Led Intervention Started In NICU Boosted Executive Function At School Age 
A parent-led developmental intervention that began in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and continued through the first 2 years of life aided executive function in very preterm children, a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial from Brazil showed. (Henderson, 1/20)

The Baltimore Sun: Autism Therapy Involving Robots Improves Children's Engagement
Adding a robot to therapy sessions for children with autism can achieve equal results in social training, with improved engagement, researchers found. The technology could help conventional therapy reach more children, including in home and school settings. (Hille, 1/20)

Mother Jones: Trump’s Abortion Strategy? Do Nothing. But His Base Has Other Plans.
Historian Mary Ziegler sees conservative courts poised to force his hand. (Nina Martin, 1/21)

The New York Times: Five Americans On Going Broke Paying For Their Health Care
We heard from 300 people about what they are paying in health insurance premiums after Affordable Care Act subsidies expired. (Tracie McMillan, 1/22)

Stat: High-Risk Pathogen Research Needs Better Standards, Not Fewer Labs 
Consolidating all risky pathogen research into a handful of federal laboratories is not the path to achieving stronger oversight. (David Gillum, Anemone Franz, An Tran, and Kathleen M. Vogel, 1/22)

Stat: Too Many Doctors Don’t Bring Up The HPV Vaccine 
Even before the childhood vaccine schedule’s update, doctors often overlooked the vaccine that can prevent cervical cancer. (Anamika Shrimali, 1/21)