The Washington Post: Social Security Benefits To Rise By 8.7 Percent In 2023
The Social Security Administration announced on Thursday an 8.7 percent increase in benefit checks for seniors starting next year, a response to the fastest inflation America has seen in four decades. The change will affect about 70.3 million Social Security beneficiaries, including roughly 8 million Supplemental Security Income recipients. The adjustment is expected to increase monthly Social Security checks by about $150 per month on average. (Stein, 10/13)

AP: Social Security Benefits To Jump By 8.7% Next Year
The cost-of living adjustment means the average recipient will receive more than $140 extra a month beginning in January, according to estimates released Thursday by the Social Security Administration. The boost in benefits will be coupled with a 3% drop in Medicare Part B premiums, meaning retirees will get the full impact of the jump in Social Security benefits. (Hussein, 10/13)

ABC News: Is Social Security On The GOP's 'Chopping Block' As Biden Claims? Experts Weigh In 
Social Security -- long referred to as the "third rail" of American politics -- so charged as to be fatal if touched -- is back in the spotlight as the midterm elections near. President Joe Biden has made it a key campaign theme -- repeatedly asserting the benefit program is "on the chopping block" if Republicans win back control of the House and Senate. (Hutzler, 10/13)

Reuters: U.S. Authorizes Updated COVID Booster Shots For Children As Young As 5 
U.S. health regulators authorized the use of Omicron-tailored COVID-19 booster shots from Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc in children as young as 5, a move that will expand the government's fall vaccination campaign. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday green-lighted Moderna's bivalent vaccine for those aged six and above, while Pfizer's updated shot was authorized in children aged five and above. (10/12)

Stat: FDA Authorizes Updated Covid-19 Boosters For Kids As Young As 5
The booster shots are available two months after people complete their two-dose primary series of the mRNA vaccines. The primary series continues to use the original formulation of the Covid-19 vaccines. Experts also advise people to wait three months after they’ve been infected with Covid-19 to receive a booster dose. (Joseph, 10/12)

AP: US Clears Updated COVID Boosters For Kids As Young As 5
The updated boosters are “extremely important” for keeping kids healthy and in school, said Dr. Jason Newland, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Washington University in St. Louis. Parents should know “there is no concern from the safety perspective with the bivalent vaccines, whether Moderna or Pfizer,” Newland added. ... Only people who’ve gotten their initial vaccinations -- with any of the original-formula versions -- qualify for an updated booster. (Neergaard, 10/12)

In related news —

Reuters: Novavax Says COVID Booster Dose Shows Benefit Against Omicron Variants
Novavax Inc said on Wednesday data from studies in adults and adolescents showed that the booster dose of its COVID vaccine produced robust antibodies against several Omicron variants, including BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5. (10/12)

AP: Jill Biden Urges COVID-19 Boosters During Nashville Visit
First lady Jill Biden travelled to Tennessee’s capitol city Wednesday to encourage Americans once more to roll up their sleeves and get their COVID-19 booster shot ahead of the upcoming holiday season. Biden’s visit came the same day as the U.S. announced that children as young as 5 were now available for the updated COVID-19 boosters. The first lady was also scheduled to attend a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee while in Nashville. (Kruesi, 10/12)

In other news about covid vaccines and treatments —

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccines May Help Prevent Placentitis, Stillbirth In Pregnancy
COVID-19 vaccination may protect pregnant women and their fetuses against virus-related placentitis (inflammation of the placenta) and stillbirth, concludes a review study published today in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The research will also be presented next week at ID Week in Washington, DC. (10/12)

Reuters: New Data Is Out On COVID Vaccine Injury Claims. What's To Make Of It?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, facing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit seeking a vast trove of data about the safety and side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccines, made a pledge in August. The agency in court papers said that on or before Sept. 30, it would post on its website a “public use” set of data from about 10 million people who signed up for its “v-safe” program -- a smartphone-based system that periodically sends people text messages and web surveys to monitor potential side effects from the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. But the CDC missed its deadline. (Greene, 10/12)

CNN: Paxlovid: Covid-19 Treatment Can Interact With Common Heart Medications, Doctors Warn
Paxlovid can have dangerous interactions with some of the most common medications for cardiovascular disease, including certain statins and heart failure therapies, a new paper warns. (Howard, 10/12)

NBC News: Babies Born During The Pandemic May Have Delayed Communication Skills
Around 89% of the infants studied who were born between 2008 and 2011 could articulate a full word like "bowl" or "cup" at 12 months old, compared to around 77% of infants born during the early months of the pandemic. The share of infants who could point at objects fell from 93% to 84%, and the portion who could wave goodbye fell from 94% to 88%. (Bendix, 10/12)

In other pandemic updates —

Bloomberg: New Covid Variants Renew Threats To The World
Omicron was first identified in southern Africa late last year, when it outcompeted the delta variant. Omicron’s initial iteration, B.1.1.529, is characterized by some 30 mutations in the gene for the spike protein, which gives the coronavirus its crown-like appearance and allows it to invade cells. Changes there can make the pathogen less recognizable to the antibodies the immune system makes in response to vaccination or a case of Covid, increasing the risk of infection in such cases. (Gale, 10/13)

NPR: What The White House Sees Coming For COVID This Winter 
The U.S. should prepare for a spike in COVID cases this winter as more people gather indoors and infections already begin to rise in Europe, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Ashish Jha says. ... "We are seeing this increase in Europe, and Europe tends to precede us by about four to six weeks," Jha told NPR. "And so it stands to reason that as we get into November, December, maybe January, we are going to see an increase in infections across much of the country." (Kelly, Jarenwattananon and O'Connor, 10/13)

CIDRAP: Studies Suggest Role For Exercise Testing In Long COVID, Impact Of Initial Symptoms
Two studies published today reveal new findings on long COVID, with one showing a possible role for cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for the evaluation of persistent symptoms, and the other finding a link between symptomatic infection and poor quality of life and reduced ability to complete daily activities. (Van Beusekom, 10/12)

WUFT: UF Clinic Provides Treatment For Long COVID Symptoms 
The COVID Restore program was one of the first post-COVID care clinics to emerge in the United States. (Puckering, 10/12)

Politico: Indiana Supreme Court Allows Abortions To Continue Pending January Hearing
The Indiana Supreme Court issued an order on Wednesday that will allow abortions to continue in the state while it considers whether new abortion restrictions violate the state’s constitution. In its order, the state Supreme Court denied a request from Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita to allow the law to take effect pending a court ruling. The law — which was the first anti-abortion bill to be signed after the fall of Roe v. Wade — took effect on Sept. 15 but was paused when a lower court judge issued a preliminary injunction a week later. (Messerly, 10/12)

AP: North Dakota High Court: Judge Should Revisit Abortion Order 
The North Dakota Supreme Court ordered a lower court judge to reconsider his decision to prevent the state’s abortion ban from taking effect pending the outcome of a clinic’s legal challenge. The state Supreme Court late Tuesday ordered Judge Bruce Romanick to weigh the clinic’s chances of succeeding in reconsidering whether his decision to temporarily halt enforcement of the ban was correct. The Red River Women’s Clinic, the state’s only abortion clinic, argues that the state’s constitution grants the right to abortion. (Kolpack, 10/12)

In election updates —

The Washington Post: A Little-Watched Montana Race Has Become A Contentious Abortion Fight 
Since a tidal wave of GOP victories in 2020 took Montana from red to dark red, the state’s independent judiciary and constitution have faced attacks by the hard-line Republicans who now dominate. The outcome of the court contest, an ostensibly nonpartisan race between a veteran jurist and a GOP-backed attorney, will be seen both as a measure of how deep their brand of conservatism runs and a test of Montanans’ support for abortion access. (Brulliard, 10/12)

Dallas Morning News: Texas Democrats Lean Heavily On Abortion Message In Key Races Ahead Of Midterm Election
Texas Democrats are hosting an “Our Choice” town hall Thursday night to highlight key candidates’ support for abortion rights in a signal of where some party strategists are placing their emphasis ahead of the midterm elections. (Morton, 10/12)

Politico: Barnes Bets On Abortion To Boost Flagging Polls 
Wisconsin Democrat Mandela Barnes is looking to turn around his struggling Senate campaign after being battered by two months’ worth of attack ads labeling him soft on crime. His play: make the race a referendum on Republican Sen. Ron Johnson’s record on abortion policy. To reverse a slide in the polls, the Democratic lieutenant governor has debuted a “Ron Against Roe” tour of rallies, roundtables and canvassing. He’s launched a negative ad calling Johnson’s view on abortion “alarming.” And he’s gotten a boost from the top Senate Democratic super PAC, which has put up similar anti-Johnson spots. (Otterbein and Kapos, 10/12)

AP: Reversing Abortion Ban Tall Task For West Virginia Democrats
After West Virginia’s Republican supermajority Legislature approved an abortion ban, the new leaders of the state Democratic Party urged voters to take their anger to the polls. But they didn’t match that push with a full slate of candidates. With far fewer Democrats than Republicans in legislative races, the likelihood of winning enough seats to reverse the ban is small in this year’s election. Even where Democrats are running, the challenge is formidable as registered Republicans outnumber them in 35 of the state’s 55 counties. (Raby, 10/12)

Also —

AP: Clinics Offer Free Vasectomies, Citing A Surge In Demand 
Denny Dalliance had long worried about what would happen if he fathered a child because his job as a truck driver keeps him away from home most of the week. But after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, the 31-year-old Independence, Missouri, man decided it was time to take action — and jumped at the chance to sign up for a free vasectomy. ... The vasectomy he is scheduled to get next month is part of an effort that involves Planned Parenthood and a physician with a mobile vasectomy clinic. (Hollingsworth, 10/13)

Axios: Elevated Access Connects Pilots With Those Seeking Abortion Care
A new nonprofit is connecting pilots of small airplanes with people seeking access to abortion and gender-affirming care. (Fitzpatrick, 10/13)

Becker's Hospital Review: USDA Awards $110M Toward Improving Rural Healthcare
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has invested $110 million toward healthcare facilities in rural areas. The grant will affect 208 rural facilities and help provide services to 5 million people across 43 states. Funds will go toward renovating, building and equipping facilities and be distributed through the American Rescue Plan Act, according to an Oct. 12 news release. (DeSilva, 10/12)

In other news from the Biden administration —

The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Reaches Agreement With Victims Of Doctor Who Abused Native American Patients 
The U.S. government reached a deal with victims of a pedophile doctor who sexually assaulted Native American boys for decades at federal hospitals in Montana and South Dakota, people familiar with the matter said. Under the terms of the deal, the government would pay between $1.5 million and $2 million to each of eight victims to settle claims that federal officials ignored or tolerated the abuse, some of the people said. In total, the government would pay the victims about $14.5 million, one of the people said. (Weaver and Frosch, 10/12)

Houston Chronicle: Exclusive: FDA Commissioner Says Anti-Science Rhetoric Puts U.S. In Last Place Among Wealthy Nations
Eight months into his second stint as commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Robert Califf still faces a long list of concerns, topped by misinformation and disinformation that he says threatens the overall health of the country. (Gill, 10/12)

Becker's Hospital Review: 89% Of Medical Practices See Significant Increase In Regulatory Burden, Survey Says
Medical practices in the U.S. continue to face overwhelming regulatory challenges, according to a report published Oct. 11 by the Medical Group Management Association. The 2022 Annual Regulatory Burden Report survey included responses from more than 500 medical group practices. Findings indicate that 89 percent of respondents reported that the overall regulatory burden on their medical practice has increased over the past 12 months. (Tucker, 10/12)

In other health care industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Judge Blocks Crozer Health Hospital's Move To Behavioral Health
A Pennsylvania judge has temporarily blocked plans by Crozer Health to close its Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill and convert it into a behavioral healthcare facility. (Hudson, 10/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: SF Officials And Feds Reach Settlement To Keep Laguna Honda Open
City officials and federal regulators reached a settlement in the dispute that would have forced San Francisco’s beleaguered Laguna Honda nursing home to close on Nov. 13 and displace hundreds of medically fragile patients, the sides announced Wednesday. (Asimov, 10/12)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Health Officials Back Off Expedited Move To Outsource Services At A Public Hospital 
Maryland health officials said Wednesday they will continue their push to outsource services at an aging state-run specialty care hospital in Hagerstown but are no longer taking the unusual approach of seeking approval to spend hundreds of millions of dollars before identifying a bidder and terms of a deal. (Cohn, 10/12)

The Boston Globe: Kraft Family Donates $50 Million To MGH To Further Health Equity
Robert K. Kraft and the Kraft Family Foundation have donated $50 million to Massachusetts General Hospital to address health care disparities caused by race, ethnicity, geography, and economic status. (Bartlett, 10/12)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Even With Troubled Histories, Psych Hospitals Face Few Sanctions
The Joint Commission, which sets quality standards and conducts inspections, says patients and their families should rest assured by seeing the shiny emblem it awards. “By earning our Gold Seal,” the commission says on its website, “you’re telling your staff, competitors, community and each and every patient that comes through your doors that you have placed an emphasis on quality of care.” (Teegardin, 10/13)

KHN: Baby, That Bill Is High: Private Equity ‘Gambit’ Squeezes Excessive ER Charges From Routine Births 
Elizabeth Huffner thinks it is obvious: A full-term, healthy pregnancy results in a birth. “When your due date has come and gone, you’re expecting a baby any minute,” Huffner said. So she was surprised to discover she was an “unknown accident” — at least from a billing standpoint — when she went to the hospital during labor. Her bill included a charge for something she said she didn’t know she’d ever entered: an obstetrics emergency department. (Bichell, 10/13)

KHN: As Giant Hospitals Get Bigger, An Independent Doctor Feels The Squeeze
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Andrew Bush treated as many as 1,000 patients every month in his orthopedics practice. Now he worries about going bankrupt. The surgeon is among a dwindling number of independent physicians in the United States, where doctors are selling their practices to behemoth hospital systems or leaving the profession altogether. (Clasen-Kelly, 10/13)

ABC News: FDA Confirms Adderall Shortage In The US
After weeks of individual reports of frustration with getting Adderall prescriptions filled, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed Wednesday a nationwide shortage of the immediate release formulation of amphetamine mixed salts, commonly referred to by the brand name Adderall. (Pezenik, Salzman and Egan, 10/13)

Stat: Merck Pays $250M To License A Moderna Skin-Cancer Vaccine Candidate
Merck on Wednesday agreed to extend an ongoing collaboration with Moderna to develop a personalized vaccine for the treatment of patients with skin cancer. (Feuerstein, 10/12)

Bloomberg: Eisai ‘Extremely Confident’ Of Winning US Approval For Alzheimer’s Drug
Japanese drugmaker Eisai Co. is “extremely confident” of winning full US approval for its experimental Alzheimer’s drug, paving the way to broad coverage under Medicare insurance for elderly Americans, Chief Executive Officer Haruo Naito said. (Matsuyama and Huang, 10/12)

USA Today: Lung Disease Test Spirometry Fails Black Patients, Studies Show
“We've decided in the United States that it's ‘normal’ for Black people to have lower lung function than white people,” said Dr. Ravi Kalhan, deputy division chief of pulmonary and critical care at Northwestern University. “Race-specific equations result in us not diagnosing lung disease in Black people – despite quite high prevalence." (Hassanein, 10/12)

Stat: Can Alphabet's AlphaFold AI Really Speed Up Drug Discovery? 
Every two years since 1994, scientists have come together for an experiment — better described as a competition — where teams of computational biologists try to predict what proteins will look like in 3D given their amino acid sequence. (Tang, 10/13)

The Boston Globe: Boston Startup Ascidian Therapeutics Charts Vision For Therapies That ‘Rewrite RNA’
Ascidian Therapeutics, the latest entrant to the budding RNA editing field, emerged from stealth on Tuesday backed with $50 million to develop therapies that “rewrite RNA.” The Boston-based startup already has its sights set on developing an RNA-altering medicine for an inherited form of vision loss called Stargardt disease, for which there is no treatment. (Cross, 10/12)

Stat: Nations' Varied Rules Keep Some Advanced Therapies From Patients
Biotech companies developing cutting-edge cell and gene therapies often are tripped up by how much regulations around these drugs vary from country to country. On Wednesday, regulators from the United States, the European Union, and Japan came together to discuss the scale of the problem — and possible solutions. (Wosen, 10/12)

Also —

The Wall Street Journal: Elizabeth Holmes’s Ex-Colleague Disputes Account In Her Bid For New Trial 
Lawyers for Adam Rosendorff, the former Theranos Inc. lab director who testified against founder Elizabeth Holmes in her criminal-fraud trial, asked a judge Wednesday to reject a subpoena from Ms. Holmes as she seeks a new trial. Dr. Rosendorff emerged as a central witness for the prosecution in a monthslong trial of Ms. Holmes, who was convicted in January on four counts of wire fraud and conspiracy for misleading investors about the blood-testing startup’s technology. (Bobrowsky, 10/12)

The Wall Street Journal: How a Diabetes Drug Became the Talk of Hollywood, Tech and the Hamptons
At least once a day, Nancy Rahnama’s clinical nutrition practice in Beverly Hills, Calif., gets a call from a patient looking for a diabetes drug that they’ve heard can help them lose weight fast. “They specifically say, ‘How much is it to get Ozempic?’” Dr. Rahnama said. Ozempic, which is taken by injection in the thigh, stomach or arm, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2017 to help lower blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes. One Ozempic injection pen typically lasts about a month and costs about $900 before insurance, though coverage can be hard to come by. (O'Brien, 10/12)

KHN: New Generation Of Weight Loss Medications Offer Promise — But At A Price 
Excitement is building about a new generation of drugs that tout the ability to help adults with excess weight shed more pounds than older drugs on the market. Some patients, obesity medicine specialists say, are experiencing decreases in blood pressure, better-managed diabetes, less joint pain, and better sleep from these newfound treatments. (Appleby, 10/13)

The Washington Post: How To Shrink Fat Cells And Exercise To Make Them Healthier
Is your body fat fit? It could be, if you start or continue exercising, according to rousing new science, which shows that being physically active alters fat at a molecular level in ways that improve the fat’s health. The findings have broad implications for the state of our metabolisms, muscles and even how well our bodies deal with the approaching holiday season of cheery gluttony. Many of us may not realize that body fat can be metabolically healthy — or the reverse — no matter what someone’s weight or shape. (Reynolds, 10/12)

The Washington Post: Stress Eating? Here's How To Train Your Brain To Crave Healthy Foods.
Concerns about inflation, the economy, the lingering effects of the pandemic and other global crises have caused stress levels in the United States to surge to new highs. For some people, that stress is showing up on the scale. There are many biological mechanisms that explain why stress and anxiety can cause people to pack on unwanted pounds. In some cases, gaining weight can itself become a source of stress and stigma that fuels further weight gain. (O'Connor, 10/11)

Modern Healthcare: Weight Loss Company Noom Lays Off Hundreds
The layoffs come as the company is attempting to shift toward a more enterprise-focused offering rather than reliance on direct-to-consumer offerings. Last Thursday, the company rolled out an offering called Noom for Work. (Turner, 10/12)

The 19th: Judge Upholds Florida’s Ban On Medicaid Coverage For Gender-Affirming Care
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle on Wednesday upheld Florida’s rule preventing Medicaid coverage of gender-affirming care for patients of all ages, denying the preliminary injunction sought by the transgender people affected by the policy. (Rummler, 10/12)

Houston Chronicle: Loophole Blocks Crucial Services For Disabled Texans
Texans receiving Medicaid waiver program services must have their budgets renewed each year by the state. Texas law says that even if an individual's care plan expires before HHSC authorizes the renewal, they must continue to receive services “to ensure continuity of care and prevent the individual's health and welfare from being jeopardized.” (Stuckey, 10/12)

PBS NewsHour: Poll: About Half Of South Dakota Voters Want Medicaid Expansion, But Many Remain Undecided
Roughly half – 54 percent – of registered voters in South Dakota support Medicaid expansion less than a month before the public decides the midterm referendum, according to final results from the SDSU Poll. (Santhanam, 10/13)

In Medicare news —

Axios: Home Health Patients, Advocates Sue Becerra
Three disabled Medicare beneficiaries and two organizations are suing Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, alleging he restricted the availability of home health services for individuals who need aides for short periods of time. (Dreher, 10/12)

AP: How To Change Medicare Plans — And Why You Might Want To 
Medicare open enrollment starts soon, but 7 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries say they don’t compare Medicare plans during this period, according to a 2021 analysis by KFF, a health policy nonprofit. That’s not great, since Medicare Advantage plans — which operate much like the private insurance you may have had through an employer — change from year to year. One of your doctors may have fallen out of network or your prescription drug prices may have gone up. And people with Original Medicare should compare their Part D prescription drug coverage. Here’s how to approach switching Medicare plans. (Ashford, 10/12)

Fierce Healthcare: Employers Seek To Cut Costs Of Retiree Health Plans: Study
Employers want alternative ways to provide medical benefits to their retirees over the next three years, with some looking to replace their traditional group plans for pre-Medicare and Medicare-eligible retirees with individual insurance coverage through private marketplaces, according to a survey by Willis Towers Watson. (Diamond, 10/12)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Cost Of New Missouri Patient Visitation Law Skyrockets In Latest Analysis
One of the signature accomplishments of the Republican-controlled Legislature this year was the passage of a law barring hospitals from prohibiting visitors during emergencies. (Erickson, 10/12)

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

The Boston Globe: Lawsuit Says Mass. Residents ‘Unnecessarily Institutionalized’ In Nursing Homes Should Have Options For Independent Living
Six Massachusetts residents with disabilities who say they’ve been unnecessarily institutionalized in nursing facilities for prolonged periods filed a class action lawsuit in federal court Tuesday calling for the state to expand its residential programs so they, and others with disabilities, can return to living in a community setting, according to the complaint. (Stoico, 10/11)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers, Wisconsin DHS Grant $16 Million For Maternal And Infant Health
The funding, largely made possible through the American Rescue Plan Act, will be split between the state health department's Maternal and Child Health program, the Medical College of Wisconsin's Healthier Wisconsin Endowment and the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Medicine and Public Health. Each entity will receive $5.5 million. (Shastri, 10/12)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: New 14-Member Health Bureau To Address St. Louis’ Overdose Deaths
The St. Louis Department of Health has launched a massive effort to address substance abuse issues plaguing the city that involves going from zero to 14 new employees dedicated to prevention and improving access to treatment, city officials announced Wednesday. (Munz, 10/12)

Stateline: Doctors Prescribe Healthy Meals To Keep Patients Out Of The Hospital
Meals on Wheels had been delivering healthy meals to thousands of older adults in Portland, Oregon, for more than 50 years when a local hospital asked whether the group could cook similar meals for patients leaving the hospital after acute bouts of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. (Vestal, 10/12)

San Francisco Chronicle: Bay Area Health Justice Advocate Among New MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ Fellows
Priti Krishtel, a health justice lawyer, was among 25 recipients chosen nationwide for the prestigious annual award, which comes with an $800,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation of Chicago, paid quarterly over the next five years which fellows can use any way they choose. (Vaziri, 10/12)

KHN: ‘An Arm And A Leg’: Checking Up On California’s DIY Insulin Project 
This year, the state of California put up $100 million to begin manufacturing its own insulin and sell it cheaply. How’s it going to work? (Is it going to work?)The price of insulin could be the starkest example of an out-of-control health care system: More than 7 million Americans need it daily to survive, and some die because they can’t afford it. But it’s a medicine that’s been around for 100 years, a medicine its discoverers didn’t want to patent. (Weissmann, 10/13)

NPR: Human Neuron Clusters Transplanted Into Rats Offer New Tool To Study The Brain 
Scientists have demonstrated a new way to study conditions like autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and schizophrenia. The approach involves transplanting a cluster of living human brain cells from a dish in the lab to the brain of a newborn rat, a team from Stanford University reports in the journal Nature. (Hamilton, 10/12)

ScienceDaily: Human Brain Cells In A Dish Learn To Play Pong In Real Time 
Human and mouse neurons in a dish learned to play the video game Pong, researchers report. The experiments are evidence that even brain cells in a dish can exhibit inherent intelligence, modifying their behavior over time. (Cell Press, 10/12)

Also —

CIDRAP: Vaccinated COVID Patients Fare Better On Mechanical Ventilation, Data Show
A new study in JAMA Network Open suggests vaccinated COVID-19 patients intubated for mechanical ventilation had a higher survival rate than unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients. (10/10)

ScienceDaily: Scientists Are One Step Closer To Stopping Drug-Resistant Tumors From Growing 
Researchers have solved a long-standing mystery about how a cancer-promoting protein causes drug-resistant tumors to grow. (Huntsman Cancer Institute, 10/11)

New England Journal of Medicine: Trial Of Endovascular Treatment Of Acute Basilar-Artery Occlusion 
Data from trials investigating the effects and risks of endovascular thrombectomy for the treatment of stroke due to basilar-artery occlusion are limited. (Tao, M.D., Ph.D., et al, 10/13)

New England Journal of Medicine: Congenital Hypermetabolism And Uncoupled Oxidative Phosphorylation 
We describe the case of identical twin boys who presented with low body weight despite excessive caloric intake. An evaluation of their fibroblasts showed elevated oxygen consumption and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. (Ganetzky, M.D., et al, 10/13)

NPR: Brazil's Lack Of COVID Vaccines — And Skeptical President —Didn't Stop This Doc 
It's one of the most impressive COVID vaccination campaigns in the world. And it began with a text message out of the blue. (Nurith Aizenman, 10/12)

Chicago Tribune: A 15-Week Abortion Ban Is A Political Slogan, Not A Medical Solution 
When U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., recently proposed a 15-week federal abortion ban, he suggested that it could provide a reasonable compromise in the national debate over abortion. While Graham may speak of his ban as some form of political compromise, the only thing it actually would compromise is the health care of millions of women. (Elizabeth Weldon And Matangi Bala, 10/11)

The Boston Globe: My First Abortion Occurred At Age 11. Then There Were The Others
Ihad my first abortion when I was 11 years old, and another five or six between the ages of 12 and 21. (Lora-Ellen McKinney, 10/12)

Stat: Type 1 Diabetes: The Global Crisis Few Are Talking About 
In the numbers game of disease statistics, type 1 diabetes takes a back seat to type 2 diabetes, which accounts for more than 95% of diabetes cases around the globe. But the impact of type 1 diabetes (T1D), which tends to emerge earlier in life and can quickly kill an individual if it goes unrecognized or untreated, is huge. Its global burden, however, hasn’t been well understood — until now. (Aaron J. Kowalski, 10/13)

Modern Healthcare: Northwell Launches Awareness Campaign To Fight Gun Violence
In 2016, the American Medical Association declared gun violence a public health crisis. (Michael Dowling, 10/12)