AP: Smoky Haze Blanketing US, Canada Could Last For Days As Wildfires Rage, Winds Won't Budge
The weather system that’s driving the great Canadian-American smoke out — a low-pressure system over Maine and Nova Scotia — “will probably be hanging around at least for the next few days,” U.S. National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Ramsey said. “Conditions are likely to remain unhealthy, at least until the wind direction changes or the fires get put out,” Ramsey said. “Since the fires are raging — they’re really large — they’re probably going to continue for weeks. But it’s really just going be all about the wind shift.” (Peltz, Gillies and Sisak, 6/8)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Children With Asthma Will Struggle Most With Wildfire Smoke, Air Quality In Philadelphia
As the chief of the emergency department at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in North Philadelphia, James Reingold often sees kids struggling to breathe as they cross his hospital’s doorstep. Children in the neighborhoods around the hospital have some of the highest rates of asthma in the city. “That’s not because Hispanic and Black children have an inherent difference in how they respond to asthma,” Reingold said. “It’s just a marker for where they live, what pollution they’re exposed to and what other chronic stress they’re under.” (Whelan, Ruderman, Pananjady and Gutman, 6/7)

The Atlantic: Masking For Smoke Isn’t Like Masking For COVID
Late last night, New Yorkers were served a public-health recommendation with a huge helping of déjà vu: “If you are an older adult or have heart or breathing problems and need to be outside,” city officials said in a statement, “wear a high-quality mask (e.g. N95 or KN95).” It was, in one sense, very familiar advice—and also very much not. This time, the threat isn’t viral, or infectious at all. (Wu, 6/7)

The Washington Post: How To Protect Yourself From Wildfire Smoke And Levels Of Poor Air Quality
Smoke from wildfires mostly consists of fine particles known as PM2.5, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. These particles “are of greatest health concern,” the EPA notes. ... The EPA recommends using a “particulate respirator” tested and approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health when trying to protect yourself from wildfire smoke or ash. It should have the words “NIOSH” and either “N95” or “P100” printed on it. It should also have two straps to go above and below your ears — otherwise it will not seal well enough to protect your lungs. (Chiu, 6/7)

The New York Times: How to Keep Indoor Air Clean if You Don’t Have an Air Purifier
An air purifier, like one that uses a HEPA filter, is the best way to improve the quality of your indoor air — but if you are staying inside to avoid wildfire smoke and don’t have access to an air filter, there are a few other things you can do to keep the air in your home as clean as possible. The next best tool after an air purifier is an air-conditioner, said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine. (Blum, 6/7)

The Washington Post: Is It Safe To Exercise Outdoors When The Air Quality Is Bad? 
The answer, experts say, depends on your health, fitness and age. ... Air quality in the Orange range is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” which includes people with asthma or other respiratory conditions, young children and the elderly. If you’re not among those groups, most experts say it’s reasonable to exercise outside while the air quality index is Orange. But don’t be surprised if your clothes and hair smell of smoke after spending time outdoors. (Reynolds, 6/7)

The Hill: Biden Speaks With Trudeau About Canadian Wildfires As Air Quality Issues Persist In US 
President Biden on Wednesday spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and offered federal support to respond to wildfires burning in Canada, which have caused widespread air quality issues across the eastern United States. Biden directed his administration to deploy “all available Federal firefighting assets that can rapidly assist in suppressing fires impacting Canadian and American communities,” the White House said in a readout of the call. (Samuels, 6/7)

Also —

Axios: Summers Are Heating Up Fastest In These Cities
Summers have gotten hotter in many cities across the U.S. over the past five decades, per a new analysis by climate research group Climate Central. Between 1970 and 2022, summer temperatures rose by 2.4°F on average across nearly 230 locations — 95% of the locations the group analyzed. (Fitzpatrick and Lysik, 6/8)

AP: Court Seeks Compromise That Might Preserve Preventive Health Insurance Mandates As Appeals Play Out 
Federal appeals court judges are seeking compromise on whether government requirements that health insurance include coverage for HIV prevention, cancer screenings and some other types of preventive care can be maintained while a legal battle over the mandates plays out. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Wednesday told attorneys on both sides of the issue to report by Friday on the possibility of a temporary compromise in the case. (McGill, 6/7)

The Hill: Court Gives Friday Deadline In ObamaCare Coverage Case 
The panel of judges on Wednesday gave the two parties until Friday to submit the terms of a possible agreement on staying a federal judge’s order that blocked ObamaCare’s preventive care requirement. (Weixel and Choi, 6/7)

In related news —

USA Today: Why HIV Prevention Drugs, PReP Is Inaccessible For At-Risk Populations
Even though the number of people on the medication has increased every year, advocates and academics say it’s critical to cut through barriers that prevent people from getting PrEP. That is particularly true for Black and Latino people who are less likely to take the drug but are at higher risk for infection. (Alltucker, 6/8)

The Boston Globe: FDA Chief’s Unwelcome Message To Biotech Execs: ‘Prices Of Drugs Are Too High’
The Food and Drug Administration’s top official Wednesday told a Boston gathering of biopharma industry leaders something few of them wanted to hear: Americans are paying too much for prescription medicines. ”The prices of drugs are too high in the US, and we have to come to grips with it,” FDA Commissioner Robert Califf told more than 1,000 people at the BIO 2023 convention. “People suffer health consequences [when] they don’t take their drugs because they’re trying to save money.” (Weisman, 6/7)

Stat: ‘We Don’t Agree’ On Drug Pricing, FDA Chief Tells Biotech Leaders
The drug industry has spent the past year speaking against new mechanisms that could limit how much governments or insurers pay for certain new medicines. Robert Califf, the Food and Drug Administration chief, walked on stage Wednesday and told a crowd of biotech leaders that drug costs needed fixing. (Mast, 6/7)

On the price of Alzheimer's treatments —

Stat: Democrats Blast Biden Administration Over Alzheimer’s Drug Plans
Ahead of a major Food and Drug Administration meeting on a new Alzheimer’s treatment this week, several Democratic lawmakers are ratcheting up their criticism of how the Biden administration is planning to handle a potential approval this summer. (Cohrs, 6/7)

Reuters: Eisai-Biogen Alzheimer's Drug Data Confirms Benefits, FDA Staff Says 
U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff on Wednesday said data from a late-stage trial of Eisai and Biogen's Alzheimer's disease drug suggests it offered a meaningful benefit to patients and safety concerns likely would not hamper its chances of a traditional approval. The FDA staff did not highlight any new risks linked to the drug, Leqembi, in documents released ahead of a meeting of a panel of external advisers on Friday that will discuss the companies' application for full approval. (Leo and Mandowara, 6/7)

In other news from Capitol Hill —

Roll Call: House Republicans Quash CDC Request For More Authorities
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lobbies Congress this summer to expand its data authorities and capabilities, it's clear the agency won't get much support from Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. (Cohen, 6/7)

Stat: CDC Comes Under Fire For Inadequate Update On Its Covid Response
Republicans aren’t impressed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s reorganization plan, or its efforts to explain it. (Owermohle, 6/7)

Stat: FDA Drug Review Delays Scrutinized By Sen. Cassidy
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is looking into ways to speed up the Food and Drug Administration’s process for reviewing new drugs. “We’re at the reallllly early stages, like ‘can we talk about it?’ sort of thing,” the ranking Senate health committee Republican said about his potential interest in putting a stop to the FDA’s tactic for extending drug review deadlines. (Wilkerson, 6/7)

Roll Call: Once Cushioned From Lawmaker Scrutiny, Hospitals See A Shift 
While groups like the American Hospital Association, which represents about 5,000 hospitals and which spent $27 million on lobbying in 2022, remain incredibly powerful, inflation, rising health care costs and headlines about questionable business practices have put an unwelcome spotlight on the industry, especially as the Medicare trust fund nears its insolvency date. (Hellmann, 6/8)

Also —

The Washington Post: USAID Cuts Food Aid Supporting Millions Of Ethiopians Amid Charges Of Massive Government Theft 
The U.S. government is suspending food aid to Ethiopia after an investigation uncovered a widespread scheme to steal donated food, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said Thursday, a move that will affect millions of the world’s poorest people. Leaked documents given to donors and shared with The Washington Post indicate that the scheme was coordinated by elements within the government. (Houreld, 6/8)

Politico: 5 Takeaways From POLITICO’s Health Care Summit 
Top government officials, lawmakers and health policy experts said the United States is well-positioned to move past the Covid public health emergency, better prepared for the next pandemic and poised to build on new technologies to improve care. But they also detailed continuing challenges — with health care costs, misinformation, racial disparities, mental health and drug addiction. (Paun, 6/7)

Stat: Reanimated Hearts Work Just As Well For Transplants, Study Finds
A new method of heart transplantation that uses machines to reanimate donor hearts from people who have died is just as good as traditional heart transplantation, a new study finds. If adopted broadly in the U.S., the procedure that could expand the donor pool by 30%. (Chen, 6/7)

AP: Newer Heart Transplant Method Could Allow More Patients A Chance At Lifesaving Surgery 
The usual method of organ donation occurs when doctors, through careful testing, determine someone has no brain function after a catastrophic injury — meaning they’re brain-dead. The body is left on a ventilator that keeps the heart beating and organs oxygenated until they’re recovered and put on ice. In contrast, donation after circulatory death occurs when someone has a nonsurvivable brain injury but, because all brain function hasn’t yet ceased, the family decides to withdraw life support and the heart stops. That means organs go without oxygen for a while before they can be recovered — and surgeons, worried the heart would be damaged, left it behind. What’s changed: Now doctors can remove those hearts and put them in a machine that “reanimates” them, pumping through blood and nutrients as they’re transported –- and demonstrating if they work OK before the planned transplant. (Neergaard, 6/7)

In other cardiac news —

The Boston Globe: Hospital Failures Cited In Report On Heart Surgeon Yvon Baribeau
Leadership at New Hampshire’s Catholic Medical Center missed numerous “early warning signal[s]” in handling a series of challenges involving a troubled former top heart surgeon, concluded a sobering new report from an outside law firm commissioned by the hospital. (Ostriker, 6/7)

Tribune News Service: Researchers Created A Pocket-Size Blood Pressure Monitor That Attaches To A Smartphone
Researchers at UC San Diego have developed a new kind of blood pressure monitor that’s small enough to fit in your pocket and attaches to a smartphone. The team out of the Jacobs School of Engineering outlined their invention and findings in a paper that was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Scientific Reports, last week. (6/7)

AP: Cancer Centers Say US Chemotherapy Shortage Is Leading To Treatment Complications 
A growing shortage of common cancer treatments is forcing doctors to switch medications and delaying some care, prominent U.S. cancer centers say. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network said Wednesday that nearly all the centers it surveyed late last month were dealing with shortages of carboplatin and cisplatin, a pair of drugs used to treat a range of cancers. Some are no longer able to treat patients receiving carboplatin at the intended dose or schedule. (Murphy, 6/7)

CNN: More Than 90% Of Large US Cancer Centers Report Shortage Of Life-Saving Chemotherapy Drugs In New Survey 
Among some of the nation’s largest cancer centers, more than 90% have reported being directly affected by the current shortage of chemotherapy drugs in the United States, according to a new survey. The survey results, released Wednesday by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, show that among 27 cancer centers across the country, the majority – 93% – have reported experiencing a shortage of the chemotherapy medication carboplatin, and 70% reported a similar shortage of the drug cisplatin. Carboplatin and cisplatin are used in combination to cure many types of cancer. (Howard, 6/7)

In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —

Axios: Retail Pharmacies Push To Save Role — And Payments — As Providers
Pharmacies that carved out new lines of business during the pandemic are pushing to expand their reach amid a broader effort to rethink the health care consumer experience. Pharmacies got paid to deliver vaccines, tests, and treatments for COVID during the pandemic. The experience primed consumers to expect the kind of on-demand health access retail pharmacies offer, executives say. (Reed, 6/8)

Stat: After Gene Therapy Deaths, Astellas Tries Potentially Safer Approach
Astellas Pharma said Thursday it will license and develop a new gene therapy for a devastating muscle disorder, after four boys died in a clinical trial testing an earlier treatment. The hope is that the new therapy will allow researchers to treat the disease, known as X-linked myotubular myopathy, or XLMTM, with much lower doses of the viruses used to shuttle genes into patients’ cells. (Mast, 6/8)

Stat: After Missing Vaccine Glory In Pandemic, GSK Aims For Other Diseases
GSK has been developing vaccines under one corporate guise or another for 140 years, ever since a rural Pennsylvania doctor started pumping smallpox shots out of a converted chicken house in 1882, but the company may be most known today for the vaccine it didn’t build. The British pharma elected not to develop its own Covid shot. (Mast, 6/7)

Stat: Akili Interactive Releases Video Game Treatment For Adult ADHD
Following positive top-line data released in May, Akili Interactive announced it will release its video game treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to adults who want to use it. (Aguilar, 6/7)

Indianapolis Star: IU Research Center Takes New Step In Breast Cancer Research - Accepting Samples From Men
Although Eric Hayes is a man, he is all too familiar with breast cancer, often considered a woman’s problem. His mother and one of his sisters died from the disease. Three other sisters were diagnosed and had double mastectomies within a space of three years. And, 15 years ago his wife Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer and subsequently treated successfully. (6/8)

Stat: Google Strikes Deal With Mayo To Comb Records With Generative AI
Google will embed its generative AI technology into computer systems at Mayo Clinic and other health systems to make it easier to search vast repositories of patient data and automate administrative tasks, the organizations said Wednesday. (Ross, 6/7)

In other news about artificial intelligence —

Fox News: ChatGPT Shows One Dangerous Flaw When Responding To Health Crisis Questions, Study Finds
People are turning to ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot from OpenAI, for everything from meal plans to medical information — but experts say it falls short in some areas, including its responses to appeals for help with health crises. A study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open found that when the large language model was asked for help with public health issues — such as addiction, domestic violence, sexual assault and suicidal tendencies — ChatGPT failed to provide referrals to the appropriate resources. (Rudy, 6/8)

USA Today: Artificial Intelligence Could Help Doctors Predict Breast Cancer Risks
Artificial intelligence is being used in increasingly more areas and could now help predict breast cancer risks, a new study shows. The study, which used five AI algorithms, found that when put to the test against the traditional Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium risk model, AI performed better, according to the report published Tuesday in the journal Radiology. (Perez, 6/7)

More health care industry news —

The Boston Globe: Prior To Its Abrupt Closure, Compass Medical Was Involved In Acquisition Talks With Atrius
Compass Medical, whose abrupt closure last week upended care for the practices’ 70,000 patients and left hundreds scrambling for new doctors, had recently been in negotiations with the nation’s largest physician organization for a possible acquisition, according to two former employees familiar with the talks. (Bartlett, 6/7)

Axios: FTC Opposes North Carolina's Antitrust Hospital Legislation
The Federal Trade Commission put North Carolina lawmakers on notice about encouraging health care consolidation, stating its opposition to a state Senate bill that would exempt the University of North Carolina health system from federal and state antitrust laws. (Dreher, 6/8)

Modern Healthcare: Option Care Health CEO Stands By $3.6B Amedisys Bid
Option Care Health CEO John Rademacher said Wednesday the company stands by its $3.6 billion all-stock bid to buy Amedisys, despite a competing bid for the home health firm from UnitedHealth Group’s Optum unit. “Our belief is there is significant value to Amedisys shareholders and Option Care shareholders both on the strategic and financial merits of the combination and we continue to work towards that outcome and work to close an agreement that we have in place,” Rademacher said during the Jefferies Healthcare Conference in New York. (Eastabrook, 6/7)

Modern Healthcare: Aetna, Optum 'Dummy Code' Lawsuit Revived
Judge Martin Reidinger of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina certified a class-action lawsuit on Monday that includes more than 87,700 people and nearly 2,000 health plans. According to the plaintiffs, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum violated their fiduciary duties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 through misleading billing practices that increased costs for policyholders and plan sponsors. (Tepper, 6/7)

Modern Healthcare: SCAN, CareOregon, RIP Medical Debt Erase $110M In Patient Debt
Grants by SCAN Group and CareOregon to a charity that buys and forgives medical debt will erase $110 million in medical bills for almost 70,000 lower-income people across five states. The companies' $345,000 in grants are the first funds RIP Medical Debt has received directly from health insurance companies, a spokesperson for RIP Medical Debt wrote in an email. (Tepper, 6/7)

The Boston Globe: New Atrius Health Equity Foundation Awards $1 Million To Local Organizations
A recently created foundation has announced two large grants focused on closing health disparities in the state. The $1 million in funding will go to the Health Equity Compact and the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, two organizations led by industry leaders of color in Massachusetts that are working to address health and economic inequities caused by systemic racism. (Mohammed, 6/8)

Reuters: Teva To Pay Nevada $193 Million Over Role In Opioid Epidemic
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries on Wednesday agreed to pay Nevada $193 million to settle claims that its marketing practices fueled opioid addiction, the state announced. Nevada was one of two states, along with New Mexico, that did not join a $4.35 billion nationwide settlement with the Israel-based drugmaker last year. New Mexico has also since settled. (Pierson, 6/7)

On transgender health care in Missouri —

The Hill: Missouri Joins Growing List Of States Imposing Limits On Transgender Health Care, Athletes
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed legislation Wednesday that will prevent transgender minors from accessing gender-affirming medical care and bar transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams. Both laws will take effect in August. (Migdon, 6/7)

On abortion in Maryland and Missouri —

AP: Maryland Board Approves Funds For Abortion Pill Stockpile
A Maryland board approved an emergency procurement of more than $1 million on Wednesday to pay for a stockpile of a widely used abortion pill due to uncertainty surrounding legal challenges against the drug’s use. The Board of Public Works approved the funds to pay for 35,000 doses that would last several years, if necessary. The stockpile, acquired in April, includes 30,000 doses of mifepristone and 5,000 doses of misoprostol. The powerful spending panel is comprised of Gov. Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Treasurer Dereck Davis. (Witte, 6/7)

AP: Judge Weighs Missouri GOP Dispute Over Estimated Cost Of Allowing Abortions 
Two top Republican state officials argued Wednesday over how much it would cost Missouri to restore the right to abortion, with the state attorney general insisting that the figure should account for lost revenue that wouldn’t be collected from people who otherwise would be born. The issue came up during a trial over a proposed ballot measure that would let voters decide in 2024 whether to amend the state constitution to guarantee abortion rights. (Ballentine, 6/7)

The Texas Tribune: New Texas Law Bans COVID-Related Mandates By Local Governments
On Friday, Abbott signed into law Senate Bill 29, which prohibits local governments from requiring COVID-related masks, vaccines or business shutdowns. But some Republicans say it does not go far enough because it does not cover private entities. (Svitek, 6/7)

KFF Health News: How The Mixed Messaging Of Vaccine Skeptics Sows Seeds Of Doubt
It was a late-spring House of Representatives hearing, where members of Congress and attendees hoped to learn lessons from the pandemic. Witness Marty Makary made a plea. “I want to thank you for your attempts at civility,” Makary, a Johns Hopkins Medicine researcher and surgeon, said softly. Then his tone changed. His voice started to rise, blasting the “intellectual dishonesty” and “very bizarre” decisions of public health officials. Much later, he criticized the “cult” of his critics, some of whom “clap like seals” when certain studies are published. Some critics are “public health oligarchs,” he said. (Tahir, 6/8)

CIDRAP: Pandemic Changed Attitudes Toward Mandating Childhood Vaccinations 
A new analysis of 21 polls conducted before and after the COVID-19 pandemic shows parents are changing how they think about school vaccination mandates, but not about vaccine safety. The nuanced findings are published in Heath Affairs, and they bring to light the complicated relationship between COVID-19 vaccines, parental choice, and public health. Study author Gillian SteelFisher, PhD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told CIDRAP News the study shows that the top-level media narrative that the pandemic increased vaccine hesitancy in America is false. (Soucheray, 6/7)

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

AP: Wisconsin Republicans Block Meningitis Vaccine Requirement For Students
The Republican-controlled Wisconsin Legislature on Wednesday voted to stop Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ administration from requiring seventh graders to be vaccinated against meningitis. The state Senate and Assembly, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against, voted to block the proposal. There is no current meningitis vaccination requirement for Wisconsin students. (Bauer, 6/7)

KFF Health News: Personal Medical Debt In Los Angeles County Tops $2.6 Billion, Report Finds 
About 810,000, or 1 in 10, Los Angeles County adults together owe more than $2.6 billion in medical debt as of 2021, a new analysis has found — a staggering sum that suggests extending health coverage to more people doesn’t necessarily protect them from burdensome debt. The report from the county Department of Public Health, entitled “Medical Debt in LA County: Baseline Report and Action Plan,” said medical debt disproportionately affects the uninsured and underinsured, low-income residents, and Black and Latino populations. It said the consequences are alarming, noting that debt negatively impacts factors that determine future health outcomes, such as housing, employment, food security, and access to prescriptions and health care. (Castle Work, 6/7)

Fox News: Sucralose, A Chemical In Splenda, Is Found To Cause ‘Significant Health Effects’ In New Study 
Sucralose, a chemical found in the popular zero-calorie sweetener Splenda, has been shown to cause damage to DNA, raise the risk of cancer and cause leaks in the gut lining, according to a new study from North Carolina State University. Splenda is used as a sugar substitute in thousands of foods, beverages, desserts and candy. The product contains 1.10% sucralose. It is made by Tate & Lyle in the U.K. (Rudy, 6/8)

In other health and wellness news —

CNN: Insomnia Raises Stroke Risk In People Under 50, Study Says
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, wake up too early most days or have other signs of insomnia, you may be at higher risk for stroke, a new study found. The more symptoms of insomnia you have the higher the risk, especially if you’re younger than age 50, according to the study, which followed over 31,000 people with no history of stroke for nine years. Stroke risk is typically higher in older adults with more health problems, the study noted. (LaMotte, 6/7)

USA Today: Pregnancy After 40, IVF: CDC Data Shows More Women Delay Having Babies
At 45 years old, Kate DeGaetano wanted to be pregnant more than anything in the world. But the thought also terrified her. She worried about having the strength to carry her child or what others would say when she picked them up from kindergarten. “I was nervous and scared,” the Chicago resident said. “Was it something I was 100% going to do? Yes. But that doesn’t mean those feelings weren’t there.” (Rodriguez, 6/7)

The Washington Post: For Premature Babies, Kangaroo Care Significantly Reduces Death Rates 
Early implementation of a type of skin-to-skin contact called kangaroo mother care appears to significantly improve the odds of survival for premature or low-birth-weight babies, according to a sweeping scientific analysis published Monday. Researchers analyzed data from multiple studies that collectively included more than 15,000 infants worldwide. They found that, compared to conventional care, kangaroo mother care seemed to reduce mortality by 32 percent within the first 28 days of life. The study also suggests that the benefits of kangaroo mother care are higher when it’s implemented within 24 hours of birth. (Malhi, 6/7)

The Washington Post: Loungers Linked To Baby Deaths Still Sold On Facebook Despite Recall
Thousands of Boppy Company newborn loungers that were deemed “too risky to remain on the market” are still available to buy on Facebook Marketplace, federal safety regulators said, despite the company recalling the popular pillowlike products in 2021 following a string of infant deaths linked to them. (Hassan, 6/7)

Stat: BMI Is Starting To Plateau In Rich Countries. But Obesity Still Isn't Solved
“Soaring obesity rates.” “An alarming surge in BMI.” We’ve grown accustomed to the obesity trend stories over the last few decades, since prevalence rates started to rise. A closer look at the latest global obesity data tells a more nuanced story than monolithic surging. It’s true that, worldwide, obesity continues to rise. But in high-income countries, such as the U.S., the rate of increase in body mass index, or BMI, has actually been slowing, even beginning to level off. (Belluz, 6/8)

The Hill: Teens Are Spending Less Time Than Ever With Friends 
America’s teenagers are seeing a lot less of one another. The share of high school seniors who gathered with friends in person “almost every day” dropped from 44 percent in 2010 to 32 percent in 2022, according to Monitoring the Future, a national survey of adolescents. Social outings for the typical eighth grader dwindled from about 2 1/2 a week in 2000 to 1 1/2 in 2021. (De Vise, 6/7)

The 19th: How Black Autistic Women And Girls Are Excluded From Conversations On Resources And Research
For the first time, data show what disability rights advocates have known for some time: Autism is impacting non-White people, women and girls more than ever. And having the data available is fueling their calls for change. (Gilyard, 6/7)

KFF Health News: Massage Therapists Ease The Pain Of Hospice Patients — But Aren’t Easy To Find 
Ilyse Streim views massage for people in hospice care as “whispering to the body through touch.” “It’s much lighter work. It’s nurturing. It’s slow,” said Streim, a licensed massage therapist. Massage therapy for someone near the end of life looks and feels different from a spa treatment. Some people stay clothed or lie in bed. Others sit up in their wheelchairs. Streim avoids touching bedsores and fresh surgery wounds and describes her work as “meditating and moving at the same time.” She recalled massaging the shoulders, hands, and feet of one client as he sat in his favorite recliner and watched baseball on TV in the final weeks of his life. (Ruder, 6/8)

CIDRAP: Menstrual Changes Due To COVID Vaccines Minimal 
Menstrual cycles may lengthen by up to 1 day following COVID-19 vaccination, but the effect is temporary and vaccination makes little difference in cycle regularity, bleed length, heaviness of bleed, or menstrual pain, according to a study yesterday in Vaccine. (Soucheray, 6/6)

Reuters: Cancer Vaccines Poised To Unlock 'New Treatment Paradigm' With Merck/Moderna Data 
Adding an experimental mRNA-based vaccine from Moderna Inc and Merck & Co reduced the risk that the most deadly skin cancer would spread by 65% over treatment with an immunotherapy alone in a mid-stage trial, the companies reported on Monday. (Steenhuysen, 6/5)

ScienceDaily: How Does Dopamine Regulate Both Learning And Motivation? 
A new study brings together two schools of thought on the function of the neurotransmitter dopamine: one saying that dopamine provides a learning signal, the other saying that dopamine drives motivation. (Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience - KNAW, 6/6)

The New York Times: From Wildfire Smoke To Covid, Air Quality Is The Issue Of Our Time
We just lived through a pandemic caused by a tiny virus floating in the air. Now we are experiencing wildfires that not only devastate communities and landscapes but also send out gigantic plumes of smoke that can affect millions of people downwind, as the Northeast is experiencing now. If the pandemic was whispering to us about air quality, the wildfires are screaming to us about it. Add to that concerns about gas stoves and longer allergy seasons, and it’s clear we should be on the precipice of a new public health movement to improve the air we breathe. (Linsey Marr, 6/7)

The CT Mirror: The Reemergence Of Congenital Syphilis Can Be Arrested
Congenital syphilis rates are soaring. Are we doing everything we can to prevent it from affecting our community? (Kelly Duink, 6/8)

NPR: AI In Medicine Needs To Be Carefully Deployed To Counter Bias - And Not Entrench It
Doctors, data scientists and hospital executives believe artificial intelligence may help solve what until now have been intractable problems. AI is already showing promise to help clinicians diagnose breast cancer, read X-rays and predict which patients need more care. But as excitement grows, there's also a risk: These powerful new tools can perpetuate long-standing racial inequities in how care is delivered. (Ryan Levi and Dan Gorenstein, 6/6)

CNN: LGBTQ Americans Are In A State Of Emergency –And We Should All Do More About It 
This week, the LGBTQ rights group Human Rights Campaign (HRC) declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ Americans, the first time the organization has ever done so. And they’re right. (Jill Filipovic, 6/7)

CNN: Whether YouTube, Instagram Or TikTok, Parents Can’t Scare Kids Off Social Media
Caregivers are right to be concerned that social media use and, in particular, troubling posts can be detrimental to their kids and teens. But given that this technology is here to stay, we should be supporting children in developing their internal motivation to make good choices whether or not we’re watching. (Ana Homayoun, 6/5)

McClatchy: It’s OK To Be Antiabortion, But Kansas Pro-Life Leaders Lie
The last year since the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade has furnished too many horror stories — about doctors refusing care to violently ill pregnant women, of a Texas man who sued his ex-wife’s friends for helping her obtain abortion pills — to believe otherwise. (Joel Mathis, 6/8)

The Boston Globe: We Need Some New Drugs
Whether it’s the lack of Adderall for people with ADHD, children’s Tylenol, or lifesaving cancer treatments, drug shortages are plaguing American patients. At the end of 2022, there were 295 drug shortages, a five-year high, according to a US Senate report. (6/7)

Bloomberg: Generic Ozempic And Wegovy Don't Exist. The FDA Is Right To Warn Patients. 
The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers to steer clear of weight loss drugs sold through compounding pharmacies, some of which are brazenly being marketed as “generic” Ozempic and Wegovy. (Lisa Jarvis, 6/7)

CNN: Ozempic Isn’t Just A ‘Wonder Drug.’ It Can Also Be A Warning Sign
Semaglutide is hardly a household name, but depending on who you ask, this injectable medicine represents a revolution, a scourge and a long-term unknown. Say the word “Ozempic” and it’s more instant recognition: This brand name of semaglutide, also sold under the name Wegovy, in addition to treating type 2 diabetes, is now synonymous with weight loss. (Jane Carr and Kirsi Goldynia, 6/7)

The Boston Globe: Legislature Must Regulate Role Of Pharmacy Benefit Managers In Our Health Care 
The profit model of the PBM industry — and it is an industry — incentivizes the delay and denial of prescription coverage with no accountability to or recourse for patients. (Lauren Hunt, 6/6)

The Boston Globe: The BIO International Convention Needs To Address Prescription Prices
This week more than 14,000 business leaders in the life sciences are in Boston for the BIO International Convention — executives, marketers, and researchers representing companies ranging from biotech startups to big pharma giants. (Katie Payne, 6/7)

Houston Chronicle: Now Is Not The Time To Stop Fighting AIDS 
PEPFAR has saved over 25 million lives over the past 20 years and has provided more than $100 billion in cumulative funding for HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and research in more than 50 countries. (Ken Hersh, 6/7)

USA Today: My Daughter Has Cystic Fibrosis. Democrats Made It Harder To Get The Medicine She Needs. 
Recently, the American Cancer Society issued an alert noting that chemotherapy drugs “are increasingly in short supply and have returned to the list of top-five drug classes affected by shortage.” (Mary Vought, 6/8)