AP: House Passes Gun Control Bill After Buffalo, Uvalde Attacks
The House passed a wide-ranging gun control bill Wednesday in response to recent mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Uvalde, Texas, that would raise the age limit for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle and prohibit the sale of ammunition magazines with a capacity of more than 15 rounds. The legislation passed by a mostly party-line vote of 223-204. It has almost no chance of becoming law as the Senate pursues negotiations focused on improving mental health programs, bolstering school security and enhancing background checks. But the House bill does allow Democratic lawmakers a chance to frame for voters in November where they stand on policies that polls show are widely supported. (Freking, 6/9)

The Washington Post: House Passes Tough New Gun Measures Hours After Wrenching Testimony 
The 223-to-204 vote took place just hours after a House committee heard searing testimony from a young survivor of the May 24 shooting in Uvalde, Tex., as well as the parents of a victim and a pediatrician who responded to the tragedy that left 19 elementary-schoolers and two teachers dead. Five Republicans joined most Democrats in backing the legislation. Two Democrats voted no. “Somewhere out there, there is a mom listening to our testimony, thinking, ‘I can’t even imagine their pain,’ not knowing that our reality will one day be hers, unless we act now,” said Kimberly Rubio, the mother of 10-year-old Lexi Rubio, who was killed in the attack. (DeBonis, 6/8)

The Wall Street Journal: House Passes Democrats’ Gun Measures As Senate Talks Continue
The House gun bill, called the Protecting Our Kids Act, would raise the age for purchasing semiautomatic rifles and shotguns to 21 from 18. It also would require gun owners to store their guns so that minors can’t access them without permission, imposing as many as five years in prison if a child accesses an unsecured gun and kills or hurts someone. The bill would make it a federal crime to engage in straw purchases—the buying of a gun for someone else—or gun trafficking, which is the illegal trading of guns. It also would ban licensed dealers from selling guns with magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition. And it would ban devices known as bump stocks, which make semiautomatic rifles shoot like rapid-fire machine guns, putting into law a regulatory ban. (Hughes, 6/8)

Who voted for the bill, and who didn't —

The Hill: Here Are The House Republicans Who Broke With The Party On Guns 
A handful of House Republicans bucked their party to vote for gun legislation on Wednesday, supporting measures that were introduced after the mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Texas last month. (Schnell, 6/8)

The Hill: These Four Democrats Voted Against Parts Of The Gun Package
Four Democrats broke from the party and objected to aspects of a sweeping gun package the House passed on Wednesday, which was introduced in the aftermath of last month’s mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y. and Uvalde, Texas. (Schnell, 6/8)

On late-night TV, President Biden pushes for gun control —

Politico: Biden Urges Americans To Make Guns 'a Voting Issue' 
President Joe Biden on Wednesday said gun safety policy must become “a voting issue” as Americans head to the polls for midterms. “You’ve got to make sure that this becomes a voting issue,” the president said on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” in his second appearance on a late-night show in his presidency and his first in person. “It’s got to be one of those issues where you decide your position on the issue of senator or candidate for House or Senate, on what we’re going to do with assault weapons … what you say on those things is going to determine how I vote for you. It should be one of those issues.” (Ward, 6/9)

Reuters: Biden Says Republicans Bullied By Gun Lobby During Late-Night Show Visit 
U.S President Joe Biden on Wednesday blamed the lack of any progress on gun safety on intimidation by the gun lobby, and he called on voters to make it a deciding issue come November during his first in-person appearance on a late-night talk show. Biden told late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that the National Rifle Association has bullied Republicans into thinking that “if they vote for rational gun policy, they’re going to be primaried.” (Hunnicutt and Renshaw, 6/9)

NBC News: Uvalde Victim’s Parents And A Student Who Survived Testify Before Congress
Miah Cerrillo, a fourth grader at Robb Elementary who survived the shooting after smearing her dead classmate’s blood on herself and pretending to be dead, shared her story with members of Congress Wednesday. "We were just watching a movie," the 11-year-old testified in a prerecorded video, saying her teacher went to go lock the door of her classroom and made eye contact with the gunman."She went back in the room and she told us, 'Go hide,' and then we went to go hide behind my teacher's desk and behind the backpacks, and then he shot through the window." Miah said she witnessed the gunman say “good night” and shoot their teacher in the head. "He shot some of my classmates and the whiteboard," she said. Miah described how she put her friend's blood all over herself, “stayed quiet” and retrieved her dead teacher’s phone to call 911. When asked if she feels safe at school after the massacre, Miah shook her head. “I don’t want it to happen again,” she said. (Shabad, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Survivor Miah Cerillo Recounts Horror Of Uvalde School Shooting
Miah Cerrillo used to spend her days playing with her family’s dogs and making TikTok videos, relishing the simple joys of being an 11-year-old.After surviving the school shooting in Uvalde, Tex., last month, that little girl now startles at a dog bark, running to hide when one of the family pets gets too loud. “This is not our Miah. This is not our TikTok dancer. This is not our playful Miah, you know? This is not our Miah,” her father, Miguel Cerrillo, said in an interview moments after he briefly testified at the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on gun violence Wednesday. “She’s outgoing, but it’s not … it’s not our daughter. It’s not daddy’s little girl anymore. It’s a whole different story. She’s way different now.” (Sotomayor, 6/8)

The Texas Tribune: Uvalde Student Testifies That She Covered Herself In A Friend’s Blood To Survive 
Kimberly Rubio, a local newspaper reporter and the mother of 10-year-old Lexi Rubio, who died that day, described dropping her children off at the school and attending end-of-school-year awards ceremonies that morning. ... She called for a ban on assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, raising the age to purchase certain guns, keeping guns out of the hands of people deemed to be a risk to themselves or others, stronger background checks and to repeal gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability. “We understand for some reason to some people, to people with money, to people who fund political campaigns, that guns are more important than children,” Rubio said. “So at this moment we ask for progress.” (Livingston, 6/8)

ABC News: Uvalde Pediatrician Recalls Mass Shooting Horror 
Dr. Roy Guerrero, the only pediatrician in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 schoolchildren and two teachers were killed by a gunman on May 24, discussed the shooting, his thoughts on the Second Amendment and his testimony Wednesday before Congress in an exclusive interview with ABC News. Guerrero lost five of his young patients in the shooting, two of which he knew since they were 5 days old. Now “they’re gone,” he said. (Yamada, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Mom Of Buffalo Shooting Victim Testifies, ‘This Is Exactly Who We Are’
The mother of a man who was among those shot during last month’s mass shooting at a Buffalo grocery store offered powerful testimony before Congress on Wednesday about how “America is inherently violent” and admonished lawmakers opposing stricter gun laws after a spate of shootings across the country. Zeneta Everhart [is] the mother of 21-year-old Zaire Goodman, who was wounded but survived the racially motivated attack on the Tops supermarket on May 14. ... “To the lawmakers who feel that we do not need stricter gun laws, let me paint a picture for you: My son Zaire has a hole in the right side of his neck, two on his back and another on his left leg caused by an exploding bullet from an AR-15,” said Everhart, who paused in describing her son’s injuries. “As I clean his wounds, I can feel pieces of that bullet in his back. Shrapnel will be left inside of his body for the rest of his life. Now, I want you to picture that exact scenario for one of your children.” (Wang, Sotomayor and Bella, 6/8)

A survey finds that Texas teachers don't want to be armed —

The Texas Tribune: Texas Teachers Union Survey Finds That School Employees Don’t Want To Be Armed
A survey of nearly 4,000 K-12 teachers in Texas found that most do not want to be armed while in class or be expected to intercept a gunman at school, according to the state’s teachers union, which released its survey results Wednesday. The Texas American Federation of Teachers sent an online questionnaire to its 65,000 members, which include public school teachers, support personnel and higher education employees, a week after an 18-year-old gunman killed 21 people — including 19 children — at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Soon after the shooting, Texas Republicans said the solution could be arming teachers. (Lopez, 6/8)

More on AR-15-style rifles —

CNN: Video: How AR-15 Style Guns Create 'Explosion Inside The Body'
Researchers at Wayne State University use gelatin to demonstrate how AR-15 styles weapons create an "explosion inside the body" compared to handguns. CNN's Josh Campbell reports. (6/9)

CNN: Watch: Gun Owners Explain Their Love Of AR-15 Style Rifles
While AR-15 style rifles have a political and symbolic value for some gun owners, others say they are simply enjoyable to own. CNN's Randi Kaye goes behind the reasons why. (6/9)

In state news —

The Hill: Here Are Some Of The States With The Strictest And Weakest Gun Laws 
Gun laws have taken center stage amid a series of mass shootings across the country and a revived interest in reform efforts. While some states have stronger policies like strict background check requirements, others have weaker regulations like younger age restrictions on who can possess a firearm. Here’s a closer look at some of the states with the strongest and weakest gun laws in the U.S.  (Beals, 6/8)

Health News Florida: New School Safety Law Requires Campus Cops To Complete Mental Health Crisis Training
Two weeks after a deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, reignited debates about gun violence and securing schools, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday that will require mental health crisis intervention training for on-campus officers. The measure also will make other school-safety changes, including giving the State Board of Education rulemaking authority over emergency drills. The Legislature formally sent the bill (HB 1421) to DeSantis a day after the May 24 shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two adults dead. DeSantis’ office announced the signing Tuesday in a news release without a public appearance. He also signed four other bills from the 2022 legislative session. (Dailey, 6/8)

Stat: Moderna Says Omicron-Containing Booster Outperforms Current Vaccine
Moderna said Wednesday that using a new version of its Covid-19 vaccine as a booster led to a superior antibody response against the Omicron variant compared to its current shot. The company said it plans to submit its data to the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks and that it hopes that the new booster will be available in the late summer. (Herper, 6/8)

The Wall Street Journal: Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine Targeting Omicron Produces Stronger Immune Response
The study didn’t measure the efficacy of the modified booster shot—whether it actually reduces the risk of Covid-19 disease caused by Omicron. The company disclosed the results in a press release. The data haven’t been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Moderna’s modified, “bivalent” booster shot was designed to target in a single shot both the Omicron variant and the original coronavirus strain. The company’s original vaccine, Spikevax, was designed to target the original coronavirus, both as a two-dose primary series and as a booster shot. (Loftus, 6/8)

AP: Moderna Says Updated COVID Shot Boosts Omicron Protection
Moderna’s preliminary study results show people given the combination shot experienced a higher boost in omicron-fighting antibodies than if they just got a fourth dose of the original vaccine. “We believe strongly that this data supports an update of the vaccine,” Dr. Stephen Hoge, Moderna’s president, said Wednesday. (Neergaard, 6/8)

NBC News: Moderna 'Bivalent' Covid Booster Provides Stronger Protection Against Omicron
The new shot, called mRNA-1273.214, was tested in a Phase 2/3 clinical trial of 437 people at 50 micrograms — the same dosage given in the current booster shot. The new shot was generally well-tolerated, the company said, with side effects similar to those with a booster dose of its existing vaccine. Moderna has only announced the trial results in a news release; the data have not yet been made available to outside scientists for review. (Lovelace Jr., 6/8)

Axios: America Begins Rationing COVID Resources
With existing pandemic funds dwindling and no new money from Congress in sight, the Biden administration is redistributing $10 billion from testing and other preparedness programs to ensure new COVID vaccines and existing treatments remain available this fall. With Congress unwilling to approve new spending, the White House is making tough choices to avoid being caught short if new, more dangerous COVID variants emerge. (Reed and Bettelheim, 6/9)

Bloomberg: US Reroutes Health-Program Money For New Covid Vaccine Orders
The Biden administration will scale back several health programs in an effort to scavenge enough money to buy next-generation Covid-19 vaccines, according to a White House official. Congress has for months refused the White House’s requests for billions of dollars in new funding to order vaccines tailored to boost protection against the highly transmissible omicron variant, as well as treatments and diagnostic tools. That’s left US pandemic-response leaders to scale back other Health and Human Services programs to buy new supplies to meet continuing pandemic needs. (Griffin and Wingrove, 6/8)

The New York Times: Aid Stalled, White House To Shift Testing Funds To Vaccines And Treatments 
White House officials said on Wednesday that they would have to repurpose federal Covid-19 funds meant for coronavirus tests and protective equipment in order to supply more antiviral pills and vaccines, after so far failing to persuade Congress to pass a new pandemic relief package. Roughly $10 billion from Department of Health and Human Services funds will be rerouted, around half of it to purchase vaccines for Americans ahead of a possible fall or winter wave of virus cases, when an updated shot may be needed, according to one White House official. The other half will go mostly to purchasing 10 million courses of Paxlovid, the antiviral treatment made by Pfizer that has been shown to substantially reduce the severity of Covid-19 in high-risk people, the official said. Around $300 million will be spent on another kind of treatment, monoclonal antibodies. (Weiland, 6/9)

In related news about covid costs —

Modern Healthcare: COVID-19 Test Demand A Boon For Labs, A Bane For Costs, Study Finds
Independent laboratories reap the benefits of lucrative COVID-19 tests and those costs may be boosting health insurance premiums and tax bills, according to a new study. Labs' revenue from polymerase chain reaction tests grew about 8% a month from May 2020 to December 2020, according to an analysis of Hawaii taxation data. Profits per PCR test were at least $10, but that is a conservative estimate, researchers wrote in a study to be published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine this week. (Kacik, 6/8)

And the White House details its distribution plan for under-5 vaccines—

The Hill: White House Unveils Plans To Roll Out COVID-19 Vaccines For Kids 5 And Under
Ten million pediatric COVID-19 vaccine doses will be available for states, Tribes and other jurisdictions to pre-order in anticipation of vaccinations for kids ages 5 and younger beginning before the end of the month, the White House announced Thursday. Administration officials outlining the plan said vaccines will be distributed across thousands of different sites, but they will put a focus on frontline providers like pediatricians and primary care doctors, as that is where they expect many families will want to go.  (Weixel, 6/9)

CNN: Biden Administration Lays Out Its Plan For Covid-19 Vaccinations For Children Under 5 
The White House is announcing a Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan Thursday for children under 5, partnering with state and local governments, health care providers, federal pharmacy partners, national and community-based organizations and other entities to ship and distribute vaccines across the country following next week's meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisers -- who will review data on these vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna -- and expected authorization from the full FDA. "As the (US Food and Drug Administration) and (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) conduct their independent review processes, the Biden Administration is planning for all scenarios, including for the first vaccinations to start as early as the week of June 20th —with the program ramping up over time as more doses are delivered and more appointments become available," the White House wrote in a fact sheet shared with CNN on Wednesday. (Judd, 6/9)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Prepares To Distribute Covid-19 Shots To Children Under 5 
The Biden administration is gearing up to roll out vaccines for children under age 5 in conjunction with educational and outreach efforts, if the shots are approved by federal regulators. Vaccinations for children under age 5 could begin as soon as June 21 if the shots from Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE are authorized by the Food and Drug Administration. Ten million initial doses will be made available, senior administration officials said. (Armour, 6/9)

More on the vaccine rollout —

AP: New Vaccine May Be Option For Troops With Religious Concerns
A COVID-19 vaccine that could soon win federal approval may offer a boost for the U.S. military: an opportunity to get shots into some of the thousands of service members who have refused other coronavirus vaccines for religious reasons. At least 175 active duty and reserve service members have already received the Novavax vaccine, some even traveling overseas at their own expense to get it. The vaccine meets Defense Department requirements because it has the World Health Organization’s emergency use approval and is used in Europe and other regions. The Food and Drug Administration is considering giving it emergency use authorization in the U.S. (Baldor, 6/9)

CIDRAP: HIV May Predispose To Post-Vaccination COVID, Requiring Extra Doses 
The risk of COVID-19 infection after primary vaccination was 28% higher in adults diagnosed as having HIV, suggesting they may benefit from two additional doses, according to a US study published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. Johns Hopkins University researchers led a team assessing the risk of COVID-19 infection among 113,994 vaccinated patients—33,029 of whom had HIV and 80,965 who didn't—through Dec 31, 2021. (Van Beusekom, 6/8)

The Washington Post: California Man In Custody After He Said He Wanted To Kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh
A man with a gun and a knife was detained by police early Wednesday near the Maryland home of Brett M. Kavanaugh after making threats against the Supreme Court justice, according to local and federal officials. Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, Calif., was charged with attempted murder of a Supreme Court justice after he called authorities and said he was having suicidal thoughts and wanted to kill a specific justice, according to federal prosecutors. (Silverman, Morse, Mettler and Barrett, 6/8)

The New York Times: Armed Man Traveled To Justice Kavanaugh’s Home To Kill Him, Officials Say
Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, Calif., was charged with attempted murder after two U.S. deputy marshals saw him step out of a taxicab in front of the justice’s house in Chevy Chase, Md., early Wednesday morning, federal prosecutors said. Mr. Roske was dressed in black and carrying a suitcase and a backpack, according to a federal affidavit. Inside the suitcase and backpack, the authorities later discovered a “black tactical chest rig and tactical knife,” a pistol with two magazines and ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, a screwdriver, a nail punch, a crowbar, a pistol light and duct tape, in addition to other items, according to the affidavit. His plan was to break into the house, kill the justice and then kill himself, according to the affidavit. (Cramer and Jimenez, 6/8)

Politico: Supreme Court Security In Spotlight After Kavanaugh Threat 
The attempted murder charges against a California man who allegedly threatened to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh rattled Washington on Wednesday and raised questions about the security and safety of the Supreme Court justices as they prepare to deliver an opinion on the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion case. The Justice Department has charged California resident Nicholas Roske with attempted murder, alleging he appeared in Kavanaugh’s Maryland neighborhood early Wednesday morning with a gun. Roske allegedly later told police during questioning that he was “upset” about a draft Supreme Court decision that would overturn precedent granting a federal constitutional right to abortion, according to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. (Swan and Gerstein, 6/8)

Politico: With Roe Likely To Fall, California Lawmakers Move To Enshrine It In Their Constitution
California could become the first state to explicitly enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution if a Senate bill introduced Wednesday clears the Legislature before the end of the month. Senate Constitutional Amendment 10 would place a constitutional amendment on the November 2022 ballot asking voters to protect the right to an abortion and contraceptives. (Colliver, 6/8)

AP: California Dems Want Abortion To Be A Constitutional Right 
Lawmakers are moving quickly to place the amendment on the November ballot, which would likely boost turnout from both sides of the abortion debate. The announcement of the amendment came a day after a California primary election that produced abysmal turnout. ... California’s proposal goes a step beyond with the language on contraceptives. Some believe that if the high court overturns federal abortion protections, conservative groups will push for a ban on contraceptives. (Beam, 6/8)

In abortion news from Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, and Kentucky —

Stateline: Michigan Legislature Asks Court To Allow Enforcement Of 1931 Abortion Ban
Michigan’s Republican-led legislature this week asked a state judge to allow a 1931 abortion ban to take effect if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns its landmark ruling ensuring the right to abortion—a decision expected this month. ”As the people’s representatives, the Legislature has a responsibility to intervene to defend our law,” Republican state Rep. Pamela Hornberger said in a statement. “We will use every tool at our disposal to defend Michigan law and protect the life of the unborn.” Michigan’s pre-Roe statute would expose health care professionals in the state to felony charges and fines for performing an abortion except to save the life of the patient. It also would criminalize advertising or selling medications to induce an abortion. (Vestal, 6/8)

AP: Wisconsin Governor Asks GOP To Repeal Dormant Abortion Ban 
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Wednesday called a special session for the Republican-controlled Legislature to repeal the state’s dormant 173-year-old law banning abortion, a move that’s more likely to win him political points with his Democratic base in a reelection year than it is to result in a repeal. Republican Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu said the Senate would not take any action in what he called “another blatantly political special session call from this partisan governor.” (Bauer, 6/8)

The 19th: The Future Of Florida Abortion Law Remains Uncertain As 15-Week-Ban Looms
Herman Miller never asks his patients why they come to his office, but sometimes they tell him anyway. They just need to say it out loud. There are people who desperately wanted a child and then found out at 16 weeks pregnant that they would give birth to a baby with major health problems — at least one, he recalls, who would have been born without functioning lungs. There are those who had a plan, a partner who would raise a child with them, before they were left on their own. There are patients who drove six hours to get here, who couldn’t get here sooner because rent was due or a kid fell sick. Some just needed a few extra weeks to pull together a few hundred dollars. (Luthra, 6/8)

Louisville Courier Journal: Groups Plan To Help Women Get Abortions Out Of Kentucky If Roe Falls
With access to abortion in the balance, Kentucky abortion rights advocates aren't waiting for a U.S. Supreme Court decision — expected any day — as they figure out ways to help those seeking to terminate pregnancies. "Planned Parenthood has been preparing for this for a while," said Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. "We will be helping patients navigate out of the state. Kentucky is among 13 states with a "trigger" law to outlaw abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, its landmark, 1973 ruling establishing abortion as a constitutional right. A ruling is expected before the end of the month. (Yetter, 6/9)

Also —

AP: Reward Posted To Find Woman In Video Of Abortion Clinic Fire 
A masked woman in a hooded shirt set a fire at a planned abortion clinic in Wyoming, according to newly released police video, and federal authorities have offered a $5,000 reward for tips leading to her arrest. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives offered the reward Wednesday. The woman was shown in security video released by Casper police that was taken inside the Wellspring Health Access clinic in Casper just before it was burned May 25. (6/8)

The Hill: Biden Predicts ‘Mini Revolution’ In November If SCOTUS Overturns Roe V. Wade
President Biden on Thursday predicted a “mini revolution” in November’s mid-term elections if the Supreme Court overturns the landmark 1973 precedent Roe v. Wade, which enshrined abortion access as a constitutional right. During an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” that aired Thursday night, Biden said overturning the court precedent would be “ridiculous” and motivate turnout in November’s elections. (Dress, 6/9)

The Boston Globe: Coronavirus Levels In E. Mass. Waste Water Send Mixed Signals
Coronavirus levels in Eastern Massachusetts waste water are sending mixed signals, with numbers dropping precipitously in one area but not in another. The seven-day average virus level in the northern section of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority system began a steep decline in the past few days, an encouraging sign that the pandemic might be weakening. But the level in the southern section remained essentially flat. (Finucane and Prignano, 6/8)

Des Moines Register: COVID Cases Up, Hospitalizations Down Across Iowa In June's First Week
New reported COVID-19 cases rose this week, while the number of people hospitalized with the virus in Iowa dropped, continuing the pandemic's recent seesawing trend in the state. New reported cases and hospitalizations have alternatively risen and fallen in each of the past several weeks. Both are up substantially over the past two months, according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There were 167 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa as of Wednesday, according to the health and human services department. That's down 13 from last week, but still a fivefold increase from the start of April. (Webber, 6/8)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma's COVID Cases Rising: What To Know About Omicron Subvariant
COVID-19 is on the rise again in Oklahoma. Last week, the state reported its largest weekly case total since February, according to state data. And those numbers are almost certainly an undercount, since they don’t include at-home tests, which are being used more often lately. One Oklahoma expert suggested the true number of infections may be eight times higher than what's officially reported. The increase is driven at least in part by a new omicron subvariant, dubbed BA.2.12.1, which is even more contagious than the original omicron variant or any other previous variants. (Branham, 6/8)

AP: New Mexico Sees Uptick In Less Severe COVID-19 Infections
Coronavirus cases are on the rise again in New Mexico, but top state health officials said Wednesday that a return to mask mandates or other widespread public health restrictions are unlikely because infections are becoming more mild. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase said during his first briefing on the pandemic in months that the situation is very different now than it was over the winter. He noted that more tools and treatments are available and that infections are resulting in far fewer hospitalizations and deaths. (Bryan, 6/8)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada COVID Hospitalizations Rise In Early June
COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to inch up in Clark County and in Nevada, even as one metric shows confirmed cases dipping, though officials caution that the growing use of at-home tests is leading to undercounts. Hospitalizations are increasing in both general wards and intensive-care units, but hospital infrastracture “is not being stressed by the disease,” the Nevada Hospital Association said in a report released Wednesday. Numbers of hospitalizations are considered a better indicator of disease trends than reported numbers of cases, which don’t capture positive results from rapid tests taken at home. Hospitalizations also better reflect the toll a disease is taking on communities, since infections now frequently result in mild symptoms. (Hynes, 6/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco COVID Positive Test At Second-Highest Level Ever
The coronavirus test positivity rate in San Francisco, which tracks the percentage of tests coming back positive for COVID-19, topped 14% on Wednesday, according to city data analyzed by The Chronicle. That is the second-highest rate the city has reached to date. The seven-day average climbed up to 18.9% this January during the winter surge before dropping to 2.4% in mid-March. It has been rising steadily since and is now far higher than the statewide average of 8.9%. A rule of thumb among infectious disease experts is that 5% is considered “too high,” according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. (Vaziri, 6/8)

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska’s COVID-19 Data Shows 25% Rise In Cases Reported To State Since Last Week
The number of new COVID-19 cases in Alaska rose by more than 25% this week compared to last, though hospitalizations declined slightly. Here are a few main takeaways from the latest data available from the state Department of Health and Social Services: • By Wednesday, there were 45 COVID-positive patients hospitalized around Alaska, a slight decrease from the 49 reported by the state a week earlier and far below peak numbers earlier in the pandemic. Just under 4% of Alaska’s hospital patients were COVID-positive. One required a ventilator. (6/8)

And more on the spread of covid —

AP: Half Of Louisiana Town's Police Department Out With COVID 
Half of the officers at a southwest Louisiana town’s police department and the chief are out with COVID-19, prompting state police and area sheriff’s office to help pick up the slack. The Duson Police Department implemented its mutual aid policy, which authorizes the other agencies, including the Lafayette and Acadia parish sheriff’s office, to help respond to emergency calls and in-progress crimes, Chief Kip Judice said in a news release. (6/8)

The Boston Globe: Boston Public Schools Ends Mask Mandate
Boston Public Schools will end its mask mandate starting Monday, according to a letter sent out by Superintendent Brenda Cassellius Wednesday afternoon. BPS was among the last remaining districts across the state that kept a mask mandate in place after the state in February lifted its requirement that masks be worn in school, leaving the decision to local leaders. The Boston Public Health Commission advised the removal of masks, Cassellius said, after a recent decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and fewer traces of the virus showing up in the city’s wastewater. (Boston, 6/8)

Science: Concern Grows That Human Monkeypox Outbreak Will Establish Virus In Animals Outside Africa 
Eleven days after being bitten by one of her pet prairie dogs, a 3-year-old girl in Wisconsin on 24 May 2003 became the first person outside of Africa to be diagnosed with monkeypox. Two months later, her parents and 69 other people in the United States had suspected or confirmed cases of this disease, which is caused by a relative of the much deadlier smallpox virus. The monkeypox virus is endemic in parts of Africa, and rodents imported from Ghana had apparently infected captive prairie dogs, North American animals, when an animal distributor in Texas housed them together.The outbreak now underway has affected more people outside of Africa than ever before—nearly 1300 cases as of 7 June, on multiple continents, many of them men who have sex with men. But like the 2003 episode, today’s surge has raised a possibility that makes researchers gulp: Monkeypox virus could take up permanent residence in wildlife outside of Africa, forming a reservoir that could lead to repeated human outbreaks. (Cohen, 6/8)

Nature: Monkeypox Vaccination Begins — Can The Global Outbreaks Be Contained?
As global monkeypox cases continue to rise, public-health officials and researchers are questioning whether the current outbreaks can be contained. The World Health Organization has said that the situation is unlikely to escalate into a full-blown pandemic. But more than 1,000 people have now been confirmed to have been infected with the virus in nearly 30 countries where outbreaks do not usually occur. (Kozlov, 6/8)

Stat: How Much Medicine Does The U.S. Have To Fight Monkeypox? 
As the world grapples with a monkeypox outbreak, the Biden administration has been quick to highlight the vaccines and other therapies the United States has in its national stockpile. It’s been far less open about exactly how many of those medicines it has. Right now, the country hasn’t seen many actual cases of monkeypox — only 35 confirmed cases as of Tuesday. But as global concern grows, officials are walking a tightrope, attempting to assuage public concerns while being cautious on both negotiations about sharing medicines abroad and what they say are national security issues. (Cohrs, 6/9)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Records 2nd Suspected Monkeypox Case
Los Angeles County has reported its second suspected case of monkeypox. The Department of Public Health on Wednesday said the latest case occurred in an adult who recently traveled. “They are symptomatic but doing well and isolating away from others,” officials said in a statement. That brings the total of confirmed and suspected monkeypox cases in California to eight as of Wednesday afternoon. (Lin II, 6/8)

In updates on the hepatitis outbreak in children —

CIDRAP: CDC Reports 28 More Kids' Unexplained Hepatitis Cases; Global Total Grows
In a regular update today, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 28 more unexplained hepatitis cases in children that health officials are investigating, raising the national total to 274. One more state or jurisdiction reported a case, raising the total to 39.The CDC has said that many recent cases are retrospective, with investigations covering illnesses going back to October 2021. A definitive cause hasn't been established, but a possible role for adenovirus is a strong lead, and scientists are still weighing other potential causes, such as COVID-19 or toxin exposure. (6/8)

Louisville Courier Journal: Hepatitis Outbreak In Children 2022: Six Cases Reported In Kentucky
Six cases of a mysterious form of hepatitis have now been reported to the Kentucky Department for Public Health, a spokeswoman confirmed. The cases, which are all in children 10 or younger, have been reported in these counties: Jefferson (2 possible cases under investigation) Todd Lyon Bourbon Meade. The World Health Organization has reported 650 probable cases in children from 33 countries between April 5 and May 26 and rated the global risk as "moderate" as it investigates. At least 38 children have needed liver transplants and nine have died, WHO reported. (Ladd, 6/8)

Politico: As Universal School Meals Program Nears End, Biden Eyes Other Ways To Get Food To School Kids 
Biden officials are working on a smaller effort to help schools buy select food products as the universal free school meals program it launched during the Covid-19 pandemic approaches its expiration date, according to two people familiar with the plans. Administration officials are exploring using about $1 billion from an Agriculture Department fund to help schools purchase U.S. commodities for their meal programs. USDA did something similar last December, as districts struggled to find consistent sources of food amid ongoing supply chain disruptions from the pandemic. (Lee, 6/8)

The Topeka Capital-Journal: Gov. Laura Kelly Joins Nationwide Calls To Extend Free School Lunches
One of the most popular and groundbreaking experiments in U.S. school lunch history is coming to a close, but advocates for federal program are racing to save it ahead of the 2022-23 school year. Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday added her voice to a growing chorus of officials, agencies and education organizations calling on the U.S. Congress to permanently extend the free school lunch waiver, which expires June 30. (Garcia, 6/8)

WLOS: "It Adds Up": Free School Lunches For All Ending Soon, Costs Rising In Some Districts 
With federal waivers set to expire on June 30, 2022 and Congress deciding not to extend them, families will once again be footing the bill for their kids' school lunches. In some Western North Carolina school districts, they'll be paying more than ever before. On Monday, June 6, Transylvania County's Board of Education voted to increase lunch prices by a dollar this fall, compared to pre-pandemic pricing. Transylvania County Schools (TCS) will charge $3.25 for elementary school lunches and $3.50 for middle and high school lunches starting this August. (Patel, 6/7)

In other news from the Biden administration —

Politico: Biden Narrows In On His Next Top Science Adviser 
President Joe Biden is closing in on a new top scientist for his administration. Arati Prabhakar, the head of the Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency from 2012 to 2017, is a frontrunner to lead the White House science office, according to three White House officials. ... The president has designated the science office to run point on the “cancer moonshot” initiative which remains a personal priority after the death of his son, Beau, from brain cancer in 2015. (Thompson, 6/8)

Roll Call: White House To Train Health Care Workers In Latin America 
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra travel to Los Angeles today to participate in the Summit of the Americas, where they are expected to outline a plan to increase public health communication and surveillance in the Americas. The plan is part of an administration bid to step up global partnerships in order to stem further COVID-19 outbreaks and prevent future pandemics before they start, and will help other countries in the Americas prevent and prepare for public health emergencies. The administration anticipates the plan will be fully implemented by 2030. The primary goal is to train an additional 500,000 health care workers across Latin America within the next decade in conjunction with the newly-formed Americas Health Corps. (Cohen, 6/8)

In updates on the infant formula shortage —

The Wall Street Journal: Abbott Received Former Employee’s Warnings On Baby-Formula Plant Earlier Than Previously Known
Abbott Laboratories was alerted to allegations concerning problems at an infant-formula plant months earlier than previously publicly known, according to a government official, a person familiar with the matter and documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal. A complaint filed under the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s whistleblower-protection program by a former Abbott employee in February 2021 alleged a host of problems at the company’s Sturgis plant. They included failing equipment in need of repair and formula released without adequate evidence that it was safe for consumption, the person familiar with the matter said. (Newman and Loftus, 6/8)

Las Vegas Review-Journal: Baby Formula Production Ramps Up, But Low Supplies Still Persist
As production of infant formula ramps up once again to ease the nationwide shortage, Nevada agencies caution that grocery store shelves may still be understocked for weeks or months longer. Abbott Laboratories announced on Saturday that it will be continuing its production of popular formulas like Similac after voluntarily recalling them because of the discovery of a deadly germ in the powder. However, parents will have to wait for shelves to start filling up again. According to a May 15 report from Bloomberg, Las Vegas had been hit the hardest in terms of the shortage, with more than 50% of formula out of stock across the Las Vegas Valley as of the time. (Ross and Drewes, 6/8)

Modern Healthcare: Nursing Homes Rush To Certify TNAs As CMS Deadline Looms
A waiver that allowed nursing homes flexibility over hiring temporary nurse aides during the COVID-19 pandemic came to an end Tuesday, leaving providers scrambling to bring workers into compliance. In April, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced it would eliminate some of the pandemic-related temporary waivers to nursing home regulations. Ending a waiver that permitted nursing homes to employ temporary nurse aides for more than four months is key to improving quality, the agency said. Nursing homes now have until Oct. 7 to get temporary nurse aides trained and tested as certified nursing assistants. (Christ, 6/8)

In other news about health workers —

San Francisco Chronicle: California Can Deduct Union Dues From Medi-Cal Payments To In-Home Caretakers, Court Rules
California can deduct union dues from Medi-Cal payments to a caretaker who provides in-home care to an elderly or disabled person, a federal appeals court ruled Wednesday. A state law authorizing the deductions was challenged by anti-union groups representing eight providers of In-Home Supportive Services. The eight automatically became public employees when they began caring for their patients, with standard payroll deductions, including dues for the unions that represented the employees. They quickly resigned from the unions but, under the law, were required to continue paying dues until a specified withdrawal date that occurs once each year. (Egelko, 6/8)

AP: Oregon Hospital COO Ousted After Criminal History Found
A recently hired Oregon hospital chief operations officer no longer holds the job after hospital officials say they learned he had been convicted and sentenced to five years in prison on charges of wire fraud and false representation of a Social Security number. Larry Butler Jr., who most recently held the COO position at Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay, had been convicted for defrauding the Louisiana Health Cooperative Inc. and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Louisiana, The World reported. (6/8)

NBC News: D.C. Chiropractor Who Stormed Capitol Arrested On Jan. 6 Charges
A D.C. chiropractor who stormed the halls of Congress on Jan. 6 was arrested on federal charges Wednesday as FBI special agents descended on his office just blocks from the Capitol. A source familiar with the case confirmed to NBC News the arrest of David Walls-Kaufman of the Capitol Hill Chiropractic Center. It was not immediately clear exactly where Walls-Kaufman was arrested. (Reilly, 6/8)

And more health care industry news —

Bloomberg: Cerebral Spurs Congress Plea For DEA Probe Of Web Prescriptions
Congressional investigators are asking the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration what it’s doing to oversee mental health startups such as Cerebral Inc., calling the company’s business and prescribing practices “manipulative” and “aggressive,” according to a copy of a letter seen by Bloomberg. In the letter, the chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asked the DEA about the startups, which have rapidly expanded by offering online consultation with clinicians as well as prescriptions for drugs such as Adderall and Xanax. (Mosendz and Melby, 6/8)

Detroit Free Press: Independent Home Care Of Michigan Ordered To Pay $93K In Back Wages
A southeast Michigan home health care company is being ordered to pay $93,000 in back wages and damages to 23 workers after finding the company in violation of federal labor law. U.S District Judge Victoria A. Roberts on Wednesday found Independent Home Care of Michigan LLC, based in Fenton, liable to pay a total of $93,331 in damages to 23 home health care workers for failing to pay overtime wages.  Roberts released her findings on May 17 following a two-day bench trial, according to a U.S Department of Labor news release. (Gupta, 6/8)

Houston Chronicle: Some Houston Hospitals Are Charging Private Insurers Up To 3x What Medicare Pays As Deductibles Rise
Hospitals in Texas on average are charging employer-sponsored insurers more than triple the amount that Medicare would pay, raising health care costs for companies and their workers, according to a new analysis. Rates set by Medicare, the government insurance program for the elderly, often are used as benchmark for health care costs. Hospitals typically charge private insurers higher rates to make up for shortfalls from lower reimbursements paid by Medicare and Medicaid, the government program for the poor. But the analysis found that three of the Houston area’s biggest hospitals — Houston Methodist, Memorial Hermann, and HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake — are billing insurers far more than what they need to break even — in fact double. (Carballo, 6/8)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Northside Hospital Fined Over $1M For Failure To Share Medical Prices
The federal government has fined Northside Hospital for violating patients’ rights to transparent health care price information, in what the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said was the first such fine nationwide. Starting last year, hospitals across the country were required by the CMS to post the prices of certain services on their websites. The effort was intended as a tool to help patients shop and plan for the cost of medical care. The lists are required to be posted in specific formats, including a consumer-friendly searchable list of 300 medical services. (Hart, 6/8)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Supply Chain Woes Hit Hospitals, Forcing Missouri To Alter Pharmacy Rules 
Missouri officials took steps this week to address a supply chain bottleneck affecting the availability of a chemical used by hospitals when CT scans are conducted. In an emergency rule filed Monday, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance gave pharmacies more latitude in how they handle and package Iohexol, which is used to help doctors get a clearer view of what is occurring inside a body during a diagnostic scan. The rule change came after a June 1 meeting with state officials and representatives of the Missouri Hospital Association, which asked for assistance in ensuring the availability of the fluid. (Erickson, 6/8)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio GOP Lawmaker Claims Children's Hospital Is 3 To 5 Clicks From Porn
Is there porn closely linked to Nationwide Children's Hospital? Republican Rep. Gary Click seems to think so. Click's claim happened during a committee discussion of House Bill 454. The bill, if passed, would ban the use of puberty blockers, hormones and gender reassignment surgery for children under the age of 18. A panel of Ohio children's hospital representatives testified to their experience with gender-affirming care. Click, R-Vickery, asked the panel about a link between the Nationwide Children's Hospital's website and what he called a pornographic website. "Nationwide Children's Hospital hosts only content intended for the pediatric audiences we serve," spokeswoman Katelyn Scott said in a statement. The hospital is reviewing its resource listings. (Bammerlin, 6/8)

KHN: Lawmaker Takes On Insurance Companies And Gets Personal About His Health
Scott Wiener made a startling revelation at a spring legislative committee hearing: “I was in the hospital. I experienced the most intense abdominal pain that I could even imagine.” The Democratic state senator recalled crawling up the stairs to his landlord’s apartment last July to get a ride to the hospital. The San Francisco lawmaker also disclosed to his colleagues on the Senate Health Committee that he has Crohn’s disease, a chronic autoimmune condition that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. His body, he said, wasn’t responding to his medication, which led to abscesses in his abdomen and a weeklong stay in the hospital. (Young, 6/9)

The Washington Post: Pew Study: 5 Percent Of Young Adults Identify As Transgender Or Nonbinary 
For years, advocates and policymakers have struggled to get a clear picture of how many transgender and nonbinary adults live in the United States. The U.S. Census doesn’t ask about gender identity, and until now, few institutions ventured to estimate this number. Data from the Pew Research Center released Tuesday offers a clearer picture: About 1.6 percent of the U.S. population identifies as trans or nonbinary, the latter term being used to describe people who do not identify exclusively as male or female, the survey found. (Branigin, 6/8)

USA Today: More Than 1 In 4 LGBTQ College Students Consider Dropping Out Because Of Mental Health Issues, Survey Finds
More than 1 in 4 LGBTQ college students have considered dropping out of school because of mental health challenges, a survey released Thursday shows. And a vast majority of LGBTQ students – 92% – say their mental health status has negatively impacted some part of their college experience, the survey by education resource and college ranking website BestColleges.com found. The survey's results raise concerns about the repercussions should fewer of these students complete college, according to BestColleges analyst Jessica Bryant, who authored the report. (Stanton, 6/9)

In other news about LGBTQ+ health —

The Texas Tribune: New Lawsuit Seeks To Block Texas Trans Child Abuse Investigations 
A new lawsuit filed Wednesday is challenging Gov. Greg Abbott’s directive to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their transgender children. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal on behalf of three families, including the Briggle family, who have long been advocates for trans rights, including hosting Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for dinner with their transgender son. The lawsuit also seeks to block the state from investigating any families that belong to PFLAG, an advocacy group for parents and family members of LGBTQ+ people. (Klibanoff, 6/8)

Health News Florida: Without Medicaid, Some Patients Will Skip Expensive Transgender Treatments, UF Doctor Says 
A pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Florida is speaking out against the state's plans to block people from using Medicaid to pay for gender-affirming care. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration issued a report this past week that could set the stage for Medicaid to deny coverage for treatments such as puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy for transgender people. Dr. Michael Haller, UF's chief of pediatric endocrinology, says his team provides gender-affirming treatment to youths and that about two-thirds of the 200 patients are covered by Medicaid. He says paying out of pocket is simply not an option for a lot of these families. (Prieur, 6/8)

The Washington Post: Pride Clinic In Northern Virginia Pledges Affirming Care For LGBTQ People 
Jorge Ramallo is lead physician at a primary care clinic devoted to the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Virginia. The Inova health-care system officially launched the clinic on Wednesday, inviting people to access what officials said would be inclusive, culturally competent care. Organizers christened it the Pride Clinic and timed its opening for Pride Month, an annual celebration rooted in the 1969 Stonewall riots, a defining moment in American history and the LGBT liberation movement. (Portnoy, 6/8)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis Sex Ed Instructor Selected As An ‘Innovative Teacher’ By Time Magazine
A sex education instructor with Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri is among 10 teachers across the country to make Time magazine’s Innovative Teachers list, chosen for making a difference for their students in a unique way. Willow Rosen, who uses the pronouns they/them, teaches a curriculum that covers topics like anatomy, hygiene, puberty and sexual consent while being sure not to exclude anyone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. The lessons can be geared toward those in kindergarten through college. The magazine called Rosen’s shame-free and inclusive approach “revolutionary” in the United States, where sex education is often either not taught or sticks to abstinence-only messages. (Munz, 6/8)

The New York Times: Can Your Diet Really Affect Your Skin Cancer Risk? 
A large study published Wednesday found a surprising link between fish consumption and developing melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. But while the finding raises questions about possible links between diet and melanoma, the study’s lead author and other experts cautioned that it’s not a reason to avoid eating fish. It also doesn’t change the most important advice for reducing melanoma risk: Limit your exposure to UV rays from the sun or tanning beds. The new study, published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control, evaluated data from more than 490,000 adults in the United States between the ages of 50 and 71 who were enrolled in the N.I.H.-A.A.R.P. Diet and Health Study. (Callahan, 6/8)

In other public health news —

Bloomberg: Meta Hit With 8 Suits Claiming Its Algorithms Hook Youth and Ruin Their Lives
Meta Platforms Inc. is now a leader in another social media trend -- lawsuits claiming the company built algorithms in its platforms that lure young people into destructive addiction. Eight complaints filed in courthouses across the US over the last week allege that excessive exposure to platforms including Facebook and Instagram has led to attempted or actual suicides, eating disorders and sleeplessness, among other issues. “These applications could have been designed to minimize potential harm, but instead, a decision was made to aggressively addict adolescents in the name of corporate profits,” attorney Andy Birchfield, a principal at Beasley Allen, the law firm that drafted the suits, said in a statement Wednesday. (Nayak, 6/8)

USA Today: Is There A Tampon Shortage? Walgreens, Target And More Face Low Supply
The latest household supply shortage? Tampons. The sanitary protection product has been harder to find for months, especially popular brands, shoppers tell USA TODAY. “You wouldn’t think that tampons would be a hot commodity but apparently they’re flying off the shelves, if they’re even getting onto the shelves,” said Santa Cefalu, an underwriter from Arizona. Cefalu says she started to notice the shortage in March when she couldn’t find her favorite tampon. Now, “the only ones that are left at the stores are the ones that nobody likes,” she said. (Guynn, 6/8)

Modern Healthcare: Medication Tracking Added To iPhone, Apple Watch
Cupertino, California-based tech giant Apple announced Monday it would add a medication tracking service through its native Health app. The app includes medication reminders and scheduling, the ability to scan drugs or manually add them into the app and in the U.S., it notifies people on critical drug interactions. It will be available on iPhones and Apple Watch devices in the iOS 16 operating system on phones and the watchOS 9 operating system for the Apple Watches. Apple is partnering with drug database solutions company Elsevier to identify and categorize the severity of potential interactions. (Turner, 6/7)

KHN: Children’s Vision Problems Often Go Undetected, Despite Calls For Regular Screening
Jessica Oberoi, 13, can’t exactly remember when her eyesight started getting blurry. All she knows is that she had to squint to see the whiteboard at school. It wasn’t until last fall when her eighth grade class in Bloomington, Indiana, got vision screenings that Jessica’s extreme nearsightedness and amblyopia, or lazy eye, were discovered. ... Jessica is one of the countless students falling through the cracks of the nation’s fractured efforts to catch and treat vision problems among children. (DeGuzman, 6/9)

KHN: A Deep Dive Into The Widening Mortality Gap Across The Political Aisle
New research indicates politics may be a matter of life or death. A study published June 7 by the BMJ examined mortality rates and voting patterns in the past five presidential elections, and found that people who lived in jurisdictions that consistently voted Democratic fared better than those that voted Republican. “We all aspire to live in and exist in a sort of system where politics and health don’t intersect,” said Dr. Haider Warraich, the study’s lead author. “But what this paper actually shows is that politics and health, especially in the United States, are deeply intertwined.” (DeGuzman, 6/8)

And Social Security benefits will rise —

CBS News: Social Security Official: Benefits Likely To Rise 8% Due To High Inflation
An official with the Social Security Administration said seniors and others who rely on the benefits program are likely to receive a cost-of-living adjustment "closer to 8%" at the end of 2022 due to the current rate of inflation, which is the highest in four decades. That increase would represent the biggest-cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, since 1981. The average monthly Social Security check is about $1,658, which means beneficiaries could see an increase of $132.64 per month in early 2023, bringing the average check to about $1,790. (Picchi, 6/8)

AP: Investigations, Suspensions Over Hospital's Missing Fentanyl
More than seven gallons (31.8 liters) of fentanyl solution have been reported missing over several months at a New Hampshire medical center, prompting an investigation by state officials and the license suspensions of several staffers. The New Hampshire Board of Pharmacy will consider whether to suspend or revoke Cheshire Medical Center’s pharmacy permit on June 29. (6/8)

On the drug crisis in Massachusetts —

The Boston Globe: ‘It’s Pretty Terrifying’: Mass. Opioid-Related Overdose Deaths Surged To An All-Time High Last Year
More people died of opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts last year than in any previous year, according to a grim new report out Wednesday that reflects both the mental health toll of the pandemic and the pervasiveness of fentanyl-contaminated drugs. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s twice-yearly opioid report showed that opioid-related deaths surged by 9 percent in 2021, to an all-time high of 2,290 lives lost. That is lower than the 15 percent increase seen nationally. But Massachusetts continues to have a high rate of overdose deaths compared to other states, the 17th highest in 2020, the most recent year for which state-by-state comparisons are available. (Freyer, 6/8)

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

AP: Maine Invests $230M In Suicide Prevention After Gun Deaths
Maine will invest $230 million in statewide suicide prevention and mental health awareness after a report found that more than 85% of gun deaths in 2020 were suicides. The state report released this week concluded that 132 of the 154 people killed by guns in 2020 died by suicide. According to the report, 118 of the suicides affected men, The Portland Press Herald reported Wednesday. (6/8)

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Commission Asks Court To Stop Certification Of U.S. House Primary Election, Alleging Failure To Accommodate Visually Impaired Voters
The Alaska State Commission for Human Rights is suing the lieutenant governor and the Division of Elections over what it says is a lack of sufficient accommodations for visually impaired voters in the U.S. House primary race — the state’s first all-mail election. In a complaint filed Wednesday in state Superior Court in Anchorage, plaintiff Robert Corbisier, executive director of the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, alleges that the ballots that were mailed to every registered voter in the state for the special primary election “do not provide an opportunity to visually impaired voters to vote privately, secretly and independently.” (Samuels, 6/8)

AP: NC Treasurer Pushes For Patient Charity Care In Legislation
Passing legislation to require North Carolina hospitals to provide minimum levels of free or discounted care to low- and middle-income residents not covered by insurance and offer generous repayment options is the “moral thing to do,” State Treasurer Dale Folwell said Tuesday. A bipartisan measure, which was discussed but not voted on by the House Banking Committee, is in part a response to a 2021 study for the state employee health plan that Folwell’s agency oversees on charity care. (Robertson, 6/8)

AP: Rhode Island Casino Workers Urge Lawmakers To Ban Smoking
Smoking was prohibited inside Rhode Island’s two casinos for most of the pandemic, and now casino workers want state lawmakers to make the ban permanent. A bill is pending in the legislature to repeal the exemption granted to casinos in the state law that prohibits smoking in public places. Casino workers from Bally’s Twin River Lincoln Casino and Bally’s Tiverton Casino and Hotel planned to go to the State House on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to advance the bill, which has been held for further study. (McDermott, 6/8)

NBC News: Denver's Mental Health Approach To Low-Level 911 Calls Helped Reduce Minor Crimes, Researchers Find
Dispatching mental health specialists instead of police officers to substance abuse and nonviolent emergencies sharply lowered low-level crime in Denver, according to a study published Wednesday in Science Advances. The Support Team Assistance Response, or STAR, program, which uses a mental health crisis interventionist and a paramedic to respond to nonviolent 911 calls, showed a 34 percent reduction in crime for offenses such as trespassing and public disorder, according to the study conducted by a Stanford University professor and researcher. (Hampton, 6/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland Declares Racism A Public Health Crisis
The Oakland City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to declare racism a public health crisis. The vote sets aside $350,000 to fund two new positions in the city Department of Race and Equity. The ordinance was introduced by the city attorney, Barbara Parker, City Administrator Ed Reiskin,and Darlene Flynn, the director of the department of race and equity. It was also cosponsored by Council Members Sheng Thao, Loren Taylor and Treva Reid — all of whom are running for mayor. (Ravani, 6/8)

St. Louis Public Radio: The Caregiver Club Helps St. Louis Families Deal With Dementia 
When Alicia Christopher’s father began to show signs of cognitive impairment in 2019, she didn’t have to look far to find someone who knew what she was going through: Christopher’s cousin Jodie Finney was already helping a parent with dementia. Finney’s mom has lived with Alzheimer’s disease since 2017. Christopher’s father was officially diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia just this month. “Our families are extremely close and always have been,” Christopher explained on Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air. “So when [Finney’s mom] was going through that, we were all there with them on that journey. And then as we went through a similar but different journey with frontotemporal dementia, it was great and also hard to realize we're both going through a similar journey — but different at the same time.” (Fenske, 6/8)

AP: UN Report: Ukraine War Is Increasing Suffering Of Millions 
The ripple effects of the war in Ukraine are increasing the suffering of millions of people by escalating food and energy prices and worsening a financial crisis, coming on top of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, a U.N. report said Wednesday. The U.N. Global Crisis Response Group said the war “has exacerbated a global cost-of-living crisis unseen in at least a generation” and it is undermining U.N. aspirations to end extreme poverty around the globe and achieve 16 other goals for a better world by 2030. (Lederer, 6/8)

Bloomberg: Child Covid-19 Cases Jump In South Africa, Discovery Health Says
The number of South African children younger than nine admitted to hospital with Covid-19 has overtaken the proportion of patients aged over 80 for the first time, the country’s biggest health insurer said. During South Africa’s fifth wave of coronavirus infections from April 13 to May 27, 17% of all Covid-19 related admissions were children in that age group, Johannesburg-based Discovery Health Ltd. said in a statement sent to Bloomberg that detailed the results of a study of its members. That exceeded admissions for people older than 80 by five percentage points. (Sguazzin and Kew, 6/9)

Bloomberg: Long Covid May Cause Diabetes, African Health Insurer Discovery Says
People who have had a documented Covid-19 infection are more likely to be hospitalized or develop diabetes or hypertension in the months after their illness, an indication of the severity of so-called long Covid, according to a study by South Africa’s biggest health insurer. Members of Discovery Health Ltd., monitored for about a year after contracting Covid-19, were more likely to seek care for the two chronic diseases, Shirley Collie, Discovery’s chief health analytics actuary, said in an interview on Wednesday. The risk of hospitalization, for any reason, increased 10% to 20%, she said. Still, the risk of dying is no higher. Discovery has about 3.7 million members. (Kew and Sguazzin, 6/8)

AP: Thailand Makes Marijuana Legal, But Smoking Discouraged
Thailand made it legal to cultivate and possess marijuana as of Thursday, like a dream come true for an aging generation of pot smokers who recall the kick the legendary Thai Stick variety delivered. ... For the time being, however, would-be marijuana tourists might want to proceed with caution. Thailand’s government has said it is promoting cannabis for medical use only, warning those eager to light up for fun that smoking in public could still considered to be a nuisance, subject to a potential 3-month sentence and 25,000 Thai baht ($780) fine. (Vejpongsa and Peck, 6/9)

CBS News: Japan Has Almost No Gun Violence And, Ironically, It Owes Its Extremely Tight Firearms Laws To The U.S. 
As the U.S. gun control debate intensifies, some Americans are looking overseas for ideas on how to prevent mass shootings. Japan has one of the lowest rates of gun violence in the world. There were more than four firearm homicides in the U.S. per 100,000 people during 2019, compared to almost zero in Japan. ... There's mandatory training. You have to pass a written exam, plus a physical and mental health evaluation. Even then, the police will go and ask your family and friends whether you have any violent tendencies. (6/6)

The Lancet: Distressing Dreams And Risk Of Parkinson's Disease: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Parkinson's disease (PD) is associated with alterations to the phenomenology of dreaming - including an increased frequency of distressing dreams. Whether distressing dreams may precede the development of PD is unknown. This study investigated the association between frequent distressing dreams and the risk of incident PD. (Dr. Abidemi I. Otaiku, 6/8)

CIDRAP: Gender Bias May Affect Acceptance Of Antibiotic Stewardship Efforts
A single-center study suggests gender bias may play a role in whether antibiotic stewardship recommendations by pharmacists are accepted by hospitalists, researchers reported yesterday in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. ... During the intervention period (May to October 2019), pharmacists conducted 295 antibiotic timeouts: 158 were conducted by 12 women and 137 were conducted by 8 men. Pharmacists recommended an antibiotic change in 82 timeouts (27.8%), of which 51 (62.2%) were accepted. Compared with male pharmacists, female pharmacists were less likely to recommend a discharge antibiotic change (19.0% vs 38.0%). Female pharmacists were also far less likely to have a recommendation accepted (33.3% vs 78.8%). Thus, timeouts conducted by female versus male pharmacists were less likely to result in an antibiotic change (6.3% vs 29.9%). (6/8)

CIDRAP: Electronic Algorithms Show Promise For Identifying Antibiotic Overuse
Electronic algorithms developed by an antibiotic stewardship team at the University of Pennsylvania were highly accurate in detecting inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for bronchitis and pharyngitis, scientists reported yesterday in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. (6/7)

ScienceDaily: Targeted Micronutrition Ameliorates Allergy Symptoms: Study Offers A New Approach In The Care Of Allergy Sufferers 
Micronutrient deficiencies can promote inflammation and render the immune system particularly sensitive to allergenic substances. In particular, iron deficiency signals danger to immune cells and leads to a more pronounced, exaggerated immune response. For the first time, scientists have conducted a placebo-controlled trial and showed that targeted dietary measures can reduce the symptom burden in allergic reactions. The researchers are therefore treading a completely new path in the care of allergy sufferers. (Medical University of Vienna, 6/7)

New England Journal of Medicine: Governance Of Emerging Technologies In Health And Medicine — Creating A New Framework
With scientific innovation accelerating and becoming increasingly decentralized, technologies are diffusing rapidly across previously stable boundaries, no longer staying in their assigned regulatory, market, or academic lanes. Genetic testing — no longer confined to the laboratory or clinic — is now available directly to consumers and is used in law enforcement, immigration, and other areas for diagnosis, identification, and entertainment. Neurotechnologies — such as transcranial direct current stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation — are being sold to and used by the public for a variety of applications, and they are sometimes even being built by laypeople from kits or according to instructions available online. And artificial intelligence and machine learning have permeated many areas of human endeavor and created new, virtual spaces in which people can operate, interact, and innovate. (Matthews, Ph.D., et al, 6/9)

ScienceDaily: Promising Rectal Cancer Study 
A scientist comments on the evolving treatment of rectal cancer in light of findings from a study that found the immunotherapy drug dostarlimab was especially effective in a phase II clinical trial of a dozen patients with a subtype of rectal cancer. (UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, 6/5)

CIDRAP: Study Details Emergence Of Drug-Resistant Salmonella In Brazilian Chicken
An analysis of Salmonella isolates from Brazilian chickens suggests that the introduction of a Salmonella vaccine and increasing antibiotic use by Brazilian farmers has resulted in Salmonella strains that are more antibiotic resistant but may be less likely to cause human disease, UK and Brazilian researchers reported yesterday in PLOS Genetics. (6/3)

CNN: As The US Inches Toward Covid Vaccines For Its Youngest, A Pediatrician Weighs In
Covid-19 vaccinations for children remain one of the most significant pieces of unfinished business in our pandemic response. Since vaccines were authorized for children ages 5-11 seven months ago, less than 30% have completed their primary two-dose series, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; for children ages 12-17, who have been eligible for more than a year, less than 60% have had two doses. With more than 400,000 Covid-19 cases among children reported during the past four weeks through June 2, too many children remain vulnerable. We have the tools to meet this challenge, if only we're willing to use them. (Julie Morita, 6/8)

The New York Times: Our Kids Lost Special Moments During The Pandemic. They Won’t Get Them All Back
Covid ran through my family in May at a languid pace: There was only one week of the past month when none of us had it, and none of our cases were concurrent. While I am incredibly grateful that we’re all vaccinated and no one had a remotely serious case, it was, of course, pretty disruptive, especially for my older daughter. (Jessica Grose, 6/8)

The New York Times: The Stories We Tell About Covid, Sickness And Health 
It took me so long to catch Covid-19 that by the time the virus finally struck, I’d started to assume I’d already had it or, better yet, maybe some people just weren’t susceptible, including me. That’s it, I decided: I must be immune. (Megan K. Stack, 6/8)

Also —

The New York Times: Abortion Didn’t Feel Like An Option. Neither Did Motherhood
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks, tens of millions of women will find themselves living in states where abortion is outlawed in almost all cases. And for some women, that will mean having children — without actually wanting them — because they are left with no choice. (6/9)

The Tennessean: How Tennessee's Anti-Abortion Laws Are Deeply Rooted In Misogyny
Civilian outcry explodes across the United States as new legislation cracks down on sexual freedom and bodily autonomy. The Supreme Court is callously intruding into Americans’ bedrooms and medical appointments, yet justices such as Brett Kavanaugh cannot fathom that their own privacies are now being violated. (McKinley Heard, 6/8)

USA Today: Health Insurer Delayed Patient's MRI As Cancer That Killed Her Spread
“If you had come to us a month sooner, we would have treated you with just chemotherapy. We’ll still use chemo, but first we have to amputate your leg, your hip and your pelvis. ”Kathleen Valentini, 47, and her husband, Val, listened to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center doctor’s message in disbelief. She hadn’t delayed seeking treatment by even a day. When the pain in her leg had first appeared six months earlier, she immediately went to her doctor. “She was always the responsible one,” Val said. (Steven Cohen, 6/8)

Stat: Wastewater Monitoring: How To Strengthen An Important Public Health Tool
Wastewater monitoring has gained visibility and credibility as an effective pandemic management tool. Yet despite its promise, its use around the country remains fragmented, and its future unclear, based on the results from a national survey conducted by the Rockefeller Foundation’s Pandemic Prevention Institute and Mathematica. Today, a year and a half after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the National Wastewater Surveillance System, the program has supported wastewater monitoring in 560 counties across 44 states plus Washington, D.C. The hundreds of wastewater treatment plants monitored across these counties cover almost 20% of the U.S. population. With expansion to additional sites underway, NWSS provides technical assistance in sample collection and SARS-CoV-2 viral quantification, and access to a data analytics platform. (Aparna Keshaviah and Megan Diamond, 6/9)

Los Angeles Times: Teenagers Shouldn't Be Able To Buy Assault Weapons
A gunman entered a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., last month and fatally shot 10 people. Just 10 days later, a gunman entered an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, and killed 19 students and two teachers. These horrific tragedies have two things in common: teenage suspects were able to legally purchase AR-15-style assault weapons, and the shooters used such guns to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. (Dianne Feinstein, 6/6)

San Francisco Chronicle: Can London Breed Solve San Francisco's Transgender Homeless Problem?
San Francisco loves an ambitious goal. In 2003, the city set the objective to produce zero waste by 2020. In 2014, it vowed to reach zero traffic-related fatalities by 2024. And in 2015, it pledged to get to zero HIV infections and preventable deaths by 2020. None of those things happened. (Nuala Bishari, 6/4)