AP: Biden Administration Announces $600M To Produce COVID Tests And Will Reopen Website To Order Them
The Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is providing $600 million in funding to produce new at-home COVID-19 tests and is restarting a website allowing Americans to again order up to four free tests per household — aiming to prevent possible shortages during a rise in coronavirus cases that has typically come during colder months. The Department of Health and Human Services says orders can be placed at COVIDTests.gov starting Sept. 25, and that no-cost tests will be delivered for free by the United States Postal Service. (Weissert, 9/20)

The Washington Post: Free Covid Tests Will Be Mailed Again, Biden Administration Says
Just as a summer covid wave shows signs of receding, the Biden administration announced Wednesday that it is reviving a program to mail free rapid coronavirus tests to Americans. Starting Sept. 25, people can request four free tests per household through covidtests.gov. Officials say the tests are able to detect the latest variants and are intended to be used through the end of the year. (Nirappil, 9/20)

USA Today: Four Free COVID Home Tests Per Household Available Beginning Monday
“The Biden-Harris Administration, in partnership with domestic manufacturers, has made great strides in addressing vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain by reducing our reliance on overseas manufacturing,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “These critical investments will strengthen our nation’s production levels of domestic at-home COVID-19 rapid tests and help mitigate the spread of the virus.” HHS officials said the tests will detect the COVID-19 variants now circulating and can be used through the end of 2023. (Alltucker, 9/20)

But don't forget about old tests in your medicine cabinet —

The Wall Street Journal: Your Expired At-Home Covid-19 Tests May Still Work
Don’t throw out that seemingly outdated at-home rapid Covid-19 test just yet. It may still be good. (Adams Otis and Calfas, 9/20)

And in developments on long covid —

CIDRAP: HHS Awards $45 Million To Support Long-COVID Clinics 
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), today announced nine grant awards of $1 million each for up to 5 years to support existing long-COVID clinics. The grants are also designed to expand access to care to patients suffering from long COVID, especially those in underserved groups and areas. (Schnirring, 9/20)

Politico: How A Government Shutdown Would Impact Health Programs
With less than two weeks to go, the White House is urging Congress to pass a continuing resolution — a short-term funding fix — that would keep the government open at current spending levels and punt decisions on program cuts or increases to later this year. Even if lawmakers could agree on that, it could have an effect on health programs that, according to the Biden administration, need an immediate infusion of funds. Biden, for example, wants any continuing resolution to include $3.7 billion more for CMS to assist states with their post-pandemic review of Medicaid eligibility. States have cut millions of people from their rolls, some for failing to fill out paperwork. (Hooper, 9/21)

The New York Times: Republicans Inch Closer To Spending Deal, Spoiling For A Shutdown Showdown
House Republicans inched closer on Wednesday to overcoming deep internal divisions and reaching an agreement that would allow them to advance stalled spending legislation, as Speaker Kevin McCarthy bowed to the demands of far-right lawmakers for steep spending cuts that stood little chance of surviving in the Senate. The emerging deal was unlikely to bring Congress closer to averting a shutdown in 10 days, and it remained unclear whether Republicans could even reach agreement among themselves on a purely symbolic measure that underscored Mr. McCarthy’s precarious hold on his job. (Hulse and Karni, 9/20)

The Hill: Senate GOP Predicts McCarthy Will Go To Democrats For Votes
Senate Republicans are predicting that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will need to reach out to House Democrats to get the votes to prevent a government shutdown at the end of next week. (Bolton, 9/21)

In developments on drug price negotiations —

Politico: House Republicans Slam Drug Price Negotiations As Unconstitutional
Top Republicans on a key House panel on Wednesday backed pharmaceutical industry arguments that Medicare drug price negotiations are unconstitutional and unfair. The latest salvo between Democrats and Republicans over the landmark Medicare negotiations came during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. At least eight lawsuits by trade groups and drugmakers challenging the Inflation Reduction Act program were the hearing's backdrop. (Lim, 9/20)

Stat: Hearing On Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Gets Unusually Heated
Republicans and Democrats fought it out over Medicare drug price negotiation Wednesday at a House hearing, with the former accusing the latter of setting up “mafia-style” theft of property. Typically, intense hearings like the one before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee take place when lawmakers are debating legislation, not well after a law passes. (Wilkerson, 9/20)

On a military chiefs promotion blockage over abortion policy —

The Washington Post: Senate Confirms Joint Chiefs Chair In Respite From Tuberville Blockade
The 83-11 vote avoids what had been the embarrassing prospect of a temporary administrator filling the Pentagon’s most prestigious post. Yet it leaves about 300 other senior officers ensnared in Tuberville’s months-long hold on military promotions with no clear path to advancement, as the underlying political standoff over the Defense Department’s abortion policy exhibits no signs of abating. (Alfaro, Lamothe and Hauslohner, 9/20)

In other news from the corridors of power —

Modern Healthcare: Limits To Short-Term Health Insurance Face Pushback From States
State regulators are urging federal officials to reconsider their proposal to limit short-term health plans despite the insurance industry's broad support of the draft regulation. The Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services departments in July proposed restricting short-term plans' duration to four months, essentially restoring regulations in place during President Barack Obama's administration. Under the draft rule, consumers would not be allowed to buy another short-term plan from the same insurance carrier in the same calendar year, although they would be permitted to purchase different short-term policies consecutively for up to 36 months. (Tepper, 9/20)

The Hill: Garcia Looks To Protect Legal ‘Magic Mushroom’ Use Against Federal Intervention 
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) introduced a bill Wednesday to prohibit the use of federal funds to prosecute the use of legal psilocybin, commonly known as “magic mushrooms.” The Validating Independence for State Initiatives on Organic Natural Substances (VISIONS) Act would protect legal mushroom use from federal law enforcement intervention in places where psilocybin is legal. (Irwin, 9/20)

The Hill: Hawley, Luján Call On House To Pass NDAA Amendment Expanding Radiation Compensation
Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) led a bipartisan press conference Wednesday in support of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) expanding compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA). (Budryk, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: FTC, DOJ Draft Merger Guidelines Divide Healthcare Groups
Healthcare groups are pointing fingers at whose deals warrant heavier levels of scrutiny by antitrust agencies. Trade associations representing hospitals, physicians and insurance companies, along with unions and consumer advocacy groups, submitted public comments this week on the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department’s draft merger guidelines. The proposed guidelines, released in July, could limit consolidation in all industries, including healthcare. (Berryman, 9/20)

AP: Revolving Door Redux: The DEA's Recently Departed No. 2 Returns To A Big Pharma Consulting Firm
Washington’s revolving door kept spinning this week as the Drug Enforcement Administration’s recently departed second-in-command returned for a new stint with the high-powered consulting firm where he previously advised Purdue Pharma and a drug distributor fighting sanctions over a deluge of suspicious painkiller shipments. Louis Milione retired from the DEA a second time this summer amid reporting by The Associated Press on potential conflicts caused by his prior consulting for the pharmaceutical industry. (Goodman and Mustian, 9/20)

Politico: Plan To Cut CDC Programs For Primary Care Package Dismays Public Health Groups
Public health groups and some lawmakers are concerned that a bipartisan deal to boost community health center funding and grow the health care workforce would take desperately needed money from mandatory public health funding. The deal between Senate HELP Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) is partially funded through $980 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund — mandatory funds established by the Affordable Care Act to bolster the U.S. public health system. (Lim and Payne, 9/20)

Stat: Cannabis Users Can’t Get Federal Jobs. Could Congress Step In?
Roughly three-quarters of states have legalized marijuana either for medical or recreational use, but for years, cannabis users have been barred from getting jobs with the federal government. Congress inched closer Wednesday toward making it easier for those who smoke pot to become feds, but several Republicans used the moment to rail against the idea. (Florko, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: UnitedHealth Sued By EEOC Over COVID-19 Vaccine Policy
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against UnitedHealthcare in federal court Tuesday, alleging the health insurance giant's COVID-19 vaccine policy violated federal civil rights law. The agency sued UnitedHealth in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio alleging it violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects employees from religious discrimination in the workplace. (Tepper, 9/20)

Meanwhile, the mental health of a federal judge draws scrutiny —

The Wall Street Journal: Federal Court Suspends 96-Year-Old Judge Amid Competence Investigation 
A federal court that oversees appeals in patent cases suspended a 96-year-old judge amid concerns about her mental competence, a rare instance in which a court has moved to sideline one of its life-tenured members for health reasons. (Timms, 9/20)

NBC News: New Kentucky Governor Ad Features Rape Victim Criticizing GOP On Abortion Exceptions
Abortion has become a focal point in Kentucky's race for governor less than two months before Election Day — and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's latest salvo paints his GOP opponent as too conservative on abortion for deep-red Kentucky. Beshear, who's running for a second term, is out with a TV ad featuring a young sexual abuse survivor who speaks directly to the camera about her experience. (Marquez, 9/20)

Lexington Herald Leader: Democrats Continue Attacking Cameron’s Abortion Stances In New Ad Featuring Rape Survivor
A new ad from the re-election campaign of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is the latest in a string of attacks on the GOP nominee for his stances on reproductive health care. The Wednesday ad comes on the heels of Cameron publicly softening his stance on exceptions, Planned Parenthood releasing ads against him and his position on birth control being nationally scrutinized. (Acquisto, Duvall, and Horn, 9/20)

The Washington Post: Trump, Who Paved Way For Roe Repeal, Faces Abortion Blowback From Right
The former president returned to Iowa on Wednesday, the first GOP nominating state — and one where abortion is a potent issue for many social conservatives expected to participate in January’s caucuses. During remarks in Dubuque, he touted his role in overturning Roe. “And last year I was able to do something that nobody thought was possible,” Trump said. “And you have to really think about this, study this, because its very important, we ended Roe v. Wade. I did something that for 52 years people talked, they spent vast amounts of money in fighting it, but they couldn’t get the job done. Fifty-two years they fought and they fought hard. … They couldn’t get the job done. I got the job done. I got it done.” (Itkowitz, Roubein, Dawsey and Knowles, 9/20)

The Hill: Trump Urges Supporters In Iowa To Back Abortion Ban Exceptions
Former President Trump warned Republicans they will lose elections next year unless they back exceptions to bans on abortion. “Without the exceptions, it is very difficult to win elections,” he said at a Wednesday rally in Iowa. “We would probably lose majorities [in Congress] in 2024 without the exceptions, and perhaps the presidency itself.” (Gans, 9/20)

AP: Virginia Is The Next Big Battleground For Abortion Rights And May Send A Signal For 2024
Democrat Russet Perry has knocked on thousands of doors in a swing district outside the nation’s capital as she campaigns for a seat that could decide control of the Virginia state Senate in November. The issue that comes up the most — particularly among women and even from some Republicans and independents, she says — is protecting abortion rights. (Rankin and Burnett, 9/20)

AP: Abortion-Rights Group Rebrands To Reproductive Freedom For All In Post-Roe World
NARAL Pro-Choice America, an influential abortion-rights group, announced Wednesday that it is changing its name to Reproductive Freedom for All. The rebrand was needed to better reflect how people think about abortion access little more than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court revoked the constitutional right to the procedure, according to the advocacy organization. (Kruesi, 9/20)

In news from Ohio —

The Hill: Ohio Supreme Court Allows ‘Unborn Child’ Language To Stay In Abortion Ballot Measure
Ohio’s Supreme Court ruled late Tuesday that much of the GOP-controlled state ballot board’s language to describe a November question about abortion is accurate, dealing a blow to the abortion rights groups that challenged the board’s description. (Weixel, 9/20)

AP: Ahead Of Abortion Vote, Ohio Supreme Court Has Ordered A Rewrite Of Some Misleading Ballot Language
A wildly divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled late Tuesday that only one element of the disputed ballot language for describing a closely watched fall abortion rights question is misleading and must be rewritten. The decision lets stand most of the word choices targeted in a lawsuit by Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, the pro-abortion rights ballot campaign, as well as the substitution of “unborn child” for “fetus,” which it chose not to dispute. (Carr Smyth, 9/20)

On other developments relating to abortion across the country —

Oklahoma Watch: Oklahoma Abortion Laws Force Women To Travel For Life-Saving Care
Magon Hoffman had to travel 600 miles for an abortion after Oklahoma passed confusing restrictions that led doctors to refuse the procedure. (Bryen, 9/20)

Axios Indianapolis: Indiana Abortions Fell Even Before The Ban Went Into Effect
Even before Indiana's near-total abortion ban took effect last month, the state already saw its number of abortions drop in 2023 compared to 2020. In the first six months of 2023 Indiana saw about 3% fewer abortions than during the same period in 2020, according to new data from the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion rights research and policy group. (Hurt, 9/20)

AP: Illinois Man Pleads Guilty To Trying To Burn Down Planned Abortion Clinic
A 73-year-old man has pleaded guilty to driving a car into a planned abortion clinic in eastern Illinois and trying to set the building on fire earlier this year, prosecutors said Wednesday. Philip J. Buyno of Prophetstown, Illinois, entered the plea Tuesday to a federal charge of attempting to use fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce. (9/21)

CIDRAP: UN Delegates Approve Political Declaration On Pandemic Readiness
Following the first-ever head-of-state summit on pandemic preparedness at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly today, leaders approved a political declaration that spells out steps to better prepare the world for the next pandemic. The negotiations were led by Ambassadors Gilad Erdan of Israel and Omar Hilale of Morocco and approved by Dennis Francis, a diplomat from Trinidad and Tobago, who is serving as president of the UN General Assembly. (Schnirring, 9/20)

Politico: UN Pandemic Prevention Declaration Passes First Hurdle
World leaders gave preliminary approval at a U.N. meeting Wednesday to a political declaration on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response, which calls for increased international cooperation. But opposition from Russia and its allies threatens adoption by the General Assembly. The bloc wants language in the declaration opposing sanctions not endorsed by the U.N., such as those NATO allies imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. (Peng, 9/20)

In news on health care lessons from the covid pandemic in Massachusetts —

The Boston Globe: Healthcare And Government Leaders Support Bill To Address Health Disparities In The State
Continuing their mission to ensure that key lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic are not forgotten, several of the state’s leading health experts and state officials testified at the State House on Wednesday in support of legislation that would tackle the racial and ethnic health disparities the pandemic illuminated. The bill, filed in January, would create a Cabinet-level Executive Office of Equity, expand full MassHealth coverage for all those eligible, regardless of immigration status, and lower the cost of medications for chronic conditions such as diabetes that disproportionately affect communities of color, among other provisions. (Mohammed, 9/20)

Reuters: US Employers To See Biggest Healthcare Cost Jump In A Decade In 2024
U.S. employers are bracing for the largest increase in health insurance costs in a decade next year, according forecasts from healthcare consultants, but workers may be somewhat spared this time around in a tight labor market. Benefit consultants from Mercer, Aon (AON.N) and Willis Towers Watson (WTW.O) see employer healthcare costs jumping 5.4% to 8.5% in 2024 due to medical inflation, soaring demand for costly weight-loss drugs and wider availability of high-priced gene therapies. (Leo and Mandowara, 9/20)

Modern Healthcare: PBMs Launch Transparency-Rx To Advocate For Industry Reform
A group of six pharmacy benefit manager companies have established the lobbying coalition Transparency-Rx to advocate for industry reforms targeting prescription drug costs. The nonprofit, which launched Tuesday, aims to advance legislation that would force PBMs to pass along drugmaker rebates to health insurance carriers, disclose their cost negotiations with pharmaceutical companies and end spread pricing, among other practices. (Devereaux, 9/20)

On financial developments in the health industry —

Modern Healthcare: Intermountain Ventures, Mercato Partners, Others Back Vivante Health
Vivante Health, a digestive health startup, raised $31 million in a Series B funding round on Wednesday. The company offers a digital digestive solution to employers and health plans. Enrolled members of Vivante are given access to dietitians, nurses and health coaches through a virtual platform. (Turner, 9/20)

Bloomberg: AI Startup Corti Raises $60 Million To Take On Microsoft In Health Care
Corti ApS, a medical software startup, has raised $60 million to sell an AI “co-pilot” to more hospitals and compete with Microsoft, Amazon and other tech giants racing into health care. Corti’s system is designed to transcribe calls made to emergency medics or doctor’s offices and then automate the paperwork process. That can include preparing the documents needed for patient care and insurance — and even offering guidance to medical professionals. Corti said it currently provides services to 60 hospitals and health networks across Europe, the UK and US. (Bergen, 9/20)

Axios: Intarcia, A Failed Diabetes "Unicorn," Could Be Resurrected
It's been nearly three years since the collapse of Intarcia, a diabetes-focused biotech that had burned through around $2 billion from venture capitalists. Tomorrow may mark the beginning of its unlikely revival. (Primack, 9/20)

Reuters: Ypsomed Signs Autoinjector Supply Deal With Novo Nordisk 
Swiss medical technology company Ypsomed (YPSN.S) announced on Wednesday a long-term supply deal with Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO) for autoinjectors, the latest sign of how the Danish drugmaker's weight-loss drug business is a boon for pharmaceutical services companies. Ypsomed said it would expand its manufacturing capacities over the coming years, with Novo Nordisk contributing a significant part of the investment for the additional production infrastructure. (Fick, 9/21)

Axios: Medical Devices A Bright Spot As Demand For Lab Space Shrinks
Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and San Francisco are among the U.S. hubs where medical device industries are thriving, according to a new report from commercial real estate firm JLL. While life sciences more broadly have seen shrinking demand for lab space amid a slowdown in investment and hiring, medical devices and medical technologies have emerged as a bright spot, JLL's Life Sciences Industry and Real Estate Perspective shows. (Reed, 9/20)

In other industry news —

Reuters: U.S. FDA Found Lapses At Novo's Main U.S. Factory In May 2022 -Report 
U.S. drug regulators issued a report detailing quality control lapses at Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) main factory in North America as early as May last year, according to the report obtained by Reuters via a Freedom of Information Act request. The inspection by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was at Novo's facility in Clayton, North Carolina, which the company says produces the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), semaglutide. (Fick, 9/21)

Stat: Novartis Again Scolded By U.K. Group Over Entresto Promotions
For the fourth time this year, Novartis has been reprimanded by a U.K. trade group for misleading promotional efforts for its biggest-selling drug and, in the process, failing to maintain high standards expected of pharmaceutical companies. (Silverman, 9/20)

Stat: FDA Panel To Weigh Approval Of NurOwn, Controversial ALS Drug
Years of polarizing scientific discourse and bruising online debate will come to a head next week when advisers to the Food and Drug Administration weigh in on NurOwn, a potential treatment to slow the progression of ALS that has bitterly divided physicians and patient advocates. (Garde, 9/21)

Stat: Eli Lilly Sues Compounding Pharmacies Over Mounjaro Versions
As the gold rush over weight-loss drugs accelerates, Eli Lilly filed lawsuits against several compounding pharmacies, spas and wellness centers around the U.S. for selling unapproved versions of its Mounjaro diabetes drug, which is frequently used for combating obesity. (Silverman, 9/20)

Also —

The 19th: Only 2 Percent Of U.S. Doctors Are Latina. These Women Want That To Change.
When Carolina Montaño began medical school she never questioned if she belonged there. In Colombia, there was no reason to. “I was like everyone else. The concept of being a minority or different didn’t cross my mind,” she said. (Luthra, 9/20)

Reuters: Musk's Neuralink To Start Human Trial Of Brain Implant For Paralysis Patients
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink said on Tuesday it has received approval from an independent review board to begin recruitment for the first human trial of its brain implant for paralysis patients. Those with paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may qualify for the study, it said, but did not reveal how many participants would be enrolled in the trial, which will take about six years to complete. (9/20)

USA Today: Elon Musk's Neuralink Is Ready To Embark On Its First Clinical Trial. Here's How To Sign Up
The search for human participants is on as Neuralink embarks on its first clinical trial, the company announced Tuesday. Neuralink, a tech startup owned and co-founded by Elon Musk, received FDA approval in May to implant brain chips into humans. (Encinas and Snider, 9/20)

Wired: The Gruesome Story Of How Neuralink’s Monkeys Actually Died 
Elon Musk says no primates died as a result of Neuralink’s implants. A WIRED investigation now reveals the grisly specifics of their deaths as US authorities have been asked to investigate Musk’s claims. (Mehrotra and Cameron, 9/20)

It's World Alzheimer's Day —

NPR: A Heartwarming Connection Among Music, Memory And Alzheimer's
After 18 years of living with Alzheimer's disease, Marti Kaye spends most of her time in a wheelchair, expressionless. That changes the minute her son Adam Kaye starts playing his guitar. (Jones, 9/21)

The Washington Post: Dental Health Can Affect Your Brain And Is Linked To Dementia, Alzheimer’s
Poor oral hygiene is associated with an increased risk for myriad health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and early death. The state of our teeth and gums, though, may be vital for our well-being beyond the mouth and body. Emerging evidence suggests that what goes on in our mouth can affect what goes on in our brain — and may even potentially affect our risk for dementia. (Sima, 9/21)

In other research news —

Stat: They Carry A Gene For ALS But Aren’t Sick. What Does Medical Research Owe Them?
A new movement is pushing the medical and research world to include people with genetic mutations for ALS for the first time. (Mast, 9/21)

Stat: How AI Helped Researchers Track Recovery From Depression
Researchers say they’ve been able to measure recovery from treatment-resistant depression through brain scans — a crucial step toward quantifying the impact of therapies on a condition whose progress is notoriously difficult to measure objectively. And that’s thanks to generative AI, they say. (Ravindranath, 9/20)

CBS News: AI Is Helping Doctors Measure Cardiovascular Risks
Artificial intelligence is being used to help doctors better diagnose a number of health conditions. Now, it's showing views of the heart like nothing they've seen before, providing doctors with the ability to predict if someone is going to have a heart attack or develop cardiovascular disease. ... "The artificial intelligence program that we're utilizing looks at plaque and it breaks it down into the types of plaque, because some types of plaque are more dangerous than others," said cardiologist, Dr. Richard Chazal. (Stahl, 9/20)

Bloomberg: Google DeepMind's AI Tool Could Pinpoint Our Genetic Faults
It’s becoming increasingly clear that scientists are only scratching the surface of what artificial intelligence can teach us about human biology and disease. Case in point: new work by Alphabet's AI subsidiary, Google DeepMind, that promises to help winnow down the genetic causes of disease. (Jarvis, 9/20)

CBS News: New Monell Center Research Teaches AI How To Smell
The science of smells has gone digital with a new research project from Philadelphia's Monell Chemical Senses Center. This research is using artificial intelligence to train computers to recognize certain smells, which could help various industries that depend on scents, as well as doctors with finding diseases. ... The technology being developed at the Monell Center could eventually be used to make electronic noses to detect things, like cancer. (Stahl, 9/20)

CIDRAP: Rehab, Breathing Exercises Aid In Long-COVID Recovery, Review Shows
A new systematic review and meta-analysis published in JAMA Network Open suggests that rehabilitation interventions involving breathing exercises and physical training are associated with improvements in functional exercise capacity, difficulty breathing, and quality of life for patients with long COVID, or post-COVID condition (PCC). (Soucheray, 9/20)

CIDRAP: Convalescent Plasma May Lessen The Odds Of Long COVID, Study Suggests
COVID-19 patients may be less likely to develop severe illness and persistent symptoms if they are treated early with convalescent plasma, according to a nationwide, multicenter follow-up study published yesterday in mBio. Johns Hopkins University researchers led the study, which involved 882 COVID-19 patients participating in a 2021 randomized trial on the effect of SARS-CoV-2 antibody–rich convalescent plasma on hospitalization. The 2021 trial, which included 1,181 symptomatic adults, concluded that convalescent plasma was safe and effective for the early treatment of COVID-19. It was published on the preprint server medRxiv. (Van Beusekom, 9/20)

On research developments in mental health and the brain —

Fox News: Aspartame Could Cause Memory And Learning Deficits In Future Generations, A New Study Suggests
The non-sugar, low-calorie sweetener aspartame — which is found in many sugar-free or "diet" foods and drinks — has been linked to potential problems with memory and learning, according to a study from the Florida State University (FSU) College of Medicine. In the study, which was published in the journal Scientific Reports, male mice that consumed aspartame — even at levels deemed safe by the FDA — had offspring that "demonstrated spatial learning and memory deficits," a press release from FSU stated. (Rudy, 9/20)

NBC News: Ultraprocessed Foods Linked To Depression, Study Finds
Consuming large amounts of ultraprocessed foods may be linked to depression, research published Wednesday found. ...The study, published in the journal JAMA Open Network, looked at the eating habits and mental health status of more than 31,000 women between the ages of 42 and 62. The participants came from the Nurses’ Health Study II, a long-running observational study group, and were almost entirely white. (Sullivan, 9/20)

NBC News: Suppressing Negative Thoughts Might Improve Mental Health: Study
In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, Anderson and his co-author found that training the brain to block out negative thoughts appeared to improve mental health outcomes. Their research involved 120 adults from 16 countries, who were each asked to list 20 fears about things that might happen in the future, 20 hopes and 36 neutral events, such a visit to the eye doctor. (Bendix, 9/21)

Also —

CNN: PMS Now Could Mean More Than Twice The Risk Of Early Menopause Later, Study Shows 
Cramps, headaches and depression may not be the only impacts of PMS — there could be complications with menopause down the line, according to a new study. People with premenstrual disorders, or PMDs, like premenstrual syndrome and the more severe premenstrual dysphoric disorder, have more than twice the risk of going through menopause early, according to the study. (Holcombe, 9/20)

CIDRAP: Only A Fourth Of Recommended Sepsis Screening Tools Can Reasonably Predict Sepsis, Researchers Say 
Just one of four internationally recommended sepsis screening tools that emergency medical services (EMS) use can identify the life-threatening condition with any accuracy, according to research presented today at the European Emergency Medicine Congress in Barcelona, Spain. (Van Beusekom, 9/20)

The New York Times: Warming Oceans May Raise Risk Of Bacterial Infections
On a warm day in early July, Ed Houlihan guided kayakers on a four-mile trip on Cape Cod from Popponesset Bay up the Mashpee River to a freshwater pond. It was three hours of paddling round trip, but afterward Mr. Houlihan, 83, felt no worse for wear — at first. Five days later, his left shin was red and sore, his body was aching, and he had fever and chills. Doctors diagnosed him with a Shewanella algae infection, a bacterium that thrives in brackish water. (Caryn Rabin, 9/20)

USA Today: Extreme Heat Is Killing New Yorkers With Diabetes, Heart Problems
Jewel Floyd doesn’t sleep in her bedroom. The small room facing south is a few degrees warmer than the rest of the older woman's 13th-floor apartment in a concrete senior public housing building in the Bronx. Sunlight seeps through the window most of the day. Floyd, 77, estimated the room stays above 80 degrees most of the time during the summer. Instead, she’s confined to her living room, where her couch faces her bed. (Cuevas, 9/21)

Politico: DeSantis: Humans Are ‘Safer Than Ever’ From Effects Of Climate Change
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that humans are “safer than ever” from the effects of climate change, less than a month after a hurricane pounded Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. The use of the phrase “climate change” increased between 2018 and 2020, DeSantis said during a campaign speech rolling out his energy policy in Midland, Texas. Despite reports from the World Meteorological Organization showing that climate change impacts continued to worsen during that time, DeSantis attributed the term’s jump in use to “ideology.” (Garrity, 9/20)

In mental health news —

The Boston Globe: Calls To 988 Suicide Hotline Increase 50 Percent In RI
Since the state launched a new suicide and crisis hotline more than a year ago, the number of Rhode Islanders calling into the system seeking help has increased by more than 50 percent. Rhode Island launched the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in July 2022. From July 2022 through June 2023, the line fielded nearly 6,300 calls, which was a 58 percent increase compared to the nearly 4,000 calls fielded during the previous year through the 10-digit National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number. (Gagosz, 9/20)

KFF Health News: As Younger Children Increasingly Die By Suicide, Better Tracking And Prevention Is Sought
Jason Lance thought Jan. 21, 2010, was a day like any other until the call came. He had dropped off his 9-year-old son, Montana, at Stewart’s Creek Elementary School in The Colony, Texas, that morning. “There were no problems at home. He was smart. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he talked and talked and talked,” said Lance. It was “the same old, same old normal day. There were kisses and goodbyes and he said, ‘I love you, Daddy.’” (Platzman Weinstock, 9/21)

Also —

Health News Florida: Meteorologists Talk Storm Prep For Deaf, Hard-Of-Hearing Floridians
Meteorologists are urging those who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing to make preparations for hurricane season. September is Deaf Awareness Month. There are more than 800,000 Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals in Florida. (Prieur, 9/20)

The 19th: Nearly Half Of Women With Disabilities Report Facing Sexual Violence At Work, Poll Finds
Almost half of women with disabilities have experienced sexual harassment or assault in the workplace, according to a new 19th News/SurveyMonkey poll that is one of the first to explore the issue. The number, 48 percent, compares to 32 percent of women without disabilities who reported experiencing sexual assault or harassment at work. (Luterman, 9/20)

Axios: Interest In Doula Care Grows Amid Maternal Health Crisis
The country's worsening maternal health crisis is driving interest in supporting doula care as other parts of the health system caring for pregnant patients face greater strain. (Reed and Goldman, 9/21)

In obituaries —

The Washington Post: Victor Fuchs, A Pioneer Of Health-Care Economics, Dies At 99
Victor Fuchs, a pioneering Stanford University economist who sought to explain why Americans don’t live longer, healthier lives despite spending a fortune on health care, died Sept. 16 at his home on the school’s campus in California. He was 99. ... Often described as the dean of American health economists, Dr. Fuchs spent more than five decades diagnosing the ills of the nation’s health system, which now accounts for 18 percent of gross domestic product. American health costs per capita have long been the highest in the world, with spending reaching nearly $13,000 a person in 2021, even as Dr. Fuchs and other economists found that the same quality of care was available in other countries for far less, sometimes at half the cost. (Smith, 9/20)

News Service of Florida: Florida Medicaid Drops 105,000 People In August As 'Unwinding' Continues
Enrollment in Florida’s Medicaid program dropped by more than 105,000 people in August, continuing decreases after the end of a federal public health emergency stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment totaled 5,254,460 people in August, down from 5,360,069 in July, according to data posted on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website. (9/20)

In news from California —

Axios San Francisco: Accidental Overdoses Increased In August In San Francisco
San Francisco had one of its deadliest months for accidental overdoses in August since 2020, according to data released this week from the city's medical examiner. San Francisco is facing a grim reality, as it's on pace to have the deadliest year for accidental overdoses since January 2020, when the city began publicly reporting overdose deaths. (Dickey, 9/20)

KFF Health News: California Officials Seek ‘CARE’ Without Coercion As New Mental Health Courts Launch This Fall
The first time Heidi Sweeney began hallucinating, the voices in her head told her Orange County’s Huntington Beach was where she would be safe. There, behind the bikini-clad crowds playing volleyball and riding beach cruisers, she slept in homeless encampments, then beside a bush outside a liquor store, drinking vodka to drown out the din only she could hear. For years, she refused help, insisting to all who offered, “I’m not sick,” until police arrested her for petty theft and public drunkenness. A judge gave her an ultimatum: jail or treatment. She chose treatment. (Dembosky, 9/21)

The New York Times: Bay Area Air Quality Hits Unhealthy Levels After Wildfires
Bay Area and Northern California residents woke up to air quality rated as “unhealthy for some” on Wednesday. Winds are bringing smoke from wildfires in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon to the Bay Area, according to the National Weather Service. Smoky air from the fires could linger across the Bay Area until Thursday, it said in a post on X. Wind directions are likely to shift late Thursday and Friday, it said, bringing relief from the smoke. (Carballo, 9/20)

San Francisco Chronicle: Did A Bay Area Woman Lose Her Limbs To Flesh-Eating Bacteria?
Public health officials in Santa Clara County are casting doubt on a shocking story that gained national attention this week in which a San Jose woman claimed she had all four of her limbs amputated after eating grocery store fish. On Wednesday, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department said investigators had contacted the hospital and discovered the woman’s laboratory tests did not indicate a Vibrio bacterial infection. (Mishanec, 9/20)

On other news from across the country —

Missouri Independent: Missourians Wait An Average Of 8 Months In Jail For Court-Ordered Mental Health Services 
Missourians who are arrested, deemed unfit to stand trial and ordered into mental health treatment are now detained in jail for an average of eight months before being transferred to a mental health facility. And that’s “some good news,” Nora Bock, director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Division of Behavioral Health, said during a monthly mental health commission meeting last week where she shared the new number. That’s because, Bock said, the mid-September wait time is down from July, when it stood at 11 months. (Bates, 9/20)

The Colorado Sun: Colorado Is Having The Worst West Nile Virus Season In The Country
Colorado is in the midst of the worst season for West Nile virus in the country. As of Wednesday, when the state posted its most recent data, 435 people had been diagnosed with a West Nile infection, including 262 who had been hospitalized. That is more than double the number of infections reported from all of last year’s season — which itself was the worst per capita in the country. (Ingold, 9/21)

Minnesota Public Radio: PrairieCare Expansion Means More Beds For Youth In Mental Health Crisis 
Like much of the country, adolescent mental health care needs are increasing in Minnesota. Todd Archbold, the CEO of PrairieCare, decided to expand his program to meet the demanding needs. (Crann, 9/20)

Roll Call: Long Road To Compensation For Camp Lejeune Victims Takes A Turn 
The government this month took the first step toward settling some of the nearly 100,000 claims by veterans and family members who say they were harmed by contaminated drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. (Magner, 9/20)

The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: UH Ends A Family Medicine Residency Program That Cares For Poor, Creates Pipeline For Public Health Leaders 
University Hospitals is closing a family medicine residency program, a move some local health experts say could affect sources of care for the urban poor and close a pipeline that produced leaders in Cleveland public health. (Washington, 9/21)

Fox News: Minnesota University Teaches Structural Racism Is Public Health Crisis, Physicians 'Must' Be Antiracist
The University of Minnesota's School of Public Health is using curriculum that teaches that structural racism is a public health crisis and that physicians have an obligation to be antiracist. The University of Minnesota School of Public Health's Center For Antiracism Research For Health Equity [CAHRE], the Minnesota Department of Health, and an organization called Diversity Science collaborated on developing a curriculum to help medical professionals provide perinatal care for Black and Indigenous "birthing people." (Nelson, 9/20)

ABC News: Mississippi Sees 10-Fold Increase In Babies Born With Syphilis Since 2016: Report
The number of babies born with syphilis in Mississippi has risen 10-fold over the last several years, according to a new report. Between 2016 and 2022, congenital syphilis cases rose from 10 to 110, marking a 1,000% increase, according to a report from the John D. Bower School of Population Health at University of Mississippi Medical Center. For the report, researchers looked at hospital discharge data from the Mississippi State Department of Health and the Mississippi Hospital Association. (Kekatos, 9/20)

AP: Federal Appeals Court Reverses Ruling That Found Mississippi Discriminated In Mental Health Care
A federal appeals court has overturned a lower court ruling that found Mississippi relies too much on institutionalizing people with mental health conditions rather than providing care in their communities. The decision came Wednesday from three judges on the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. They wrote that the federal government, which sued Mississippi, failed to prove that the state discriminated against people with mental health conditions in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Wagster Pettus, 9/21)

AP: Seattle City Council OKs Law To Prosecute For Having And Using Drugs Such As Fentanyl In Public
The Seattle City Council on Tuesday adopted a controlled substance law after rejecting it earlier this summer, making the possession and public use of drugs such as fentanyl a gross misdemeanor. The council voted to approve the measure by a 6-3 vote on Tuesday, aligning the city’s code with a new state law. (9/20)

AP: An Idaho Man Has Measles. Health Officials Are Trying To See If The Contagious Disease Has Spread
An Idaho man has contracted measles, and health officials are working to contact anyone who may have been exposed to the highly contagious disease. The man was unvaccinated, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare said in a news release Wednesday afternoon, and he was exposed during international travel. He was hospitalized for a time but is now recovering at home. (Boone, 9/21)

The Washington Post: Family Of Irvo Otieno, Who Died In Va. Sheriff’s Custody, Settles Lawsuit
The family of Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old who died of asphyxia at a state mental hospital as sheriff’s deputies and orderlies piled on him, has reached a settlement with Virginia, Henrico County and the county sheriff’s office over his death. (Rizzo, 9/20)

ScienceDaily: Genetic Biomarker May Predict Severity Of Food Allergy 
Researchers reported for the first time that a genetic biomarker may be able to help predict the severity of food allergy reactions. (Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 9/20)

CIDRAP: Paxlovid, Molnupiravir 'Probably' Improve Covid Outcomes
Researchers identified two randomized, controlled trials and six retrospective studies involving patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. The antiviral combination nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) was tied to lower rates of COVID-19 hospitalization (eg, 0.7% vs 1.2%; moderate certainty of evidence [COE]) and all-cause death (eg, <0.1% vs 0.2%; moderate COE). Molnupiravir, an antiviral, was linked to a higher recovery rate (31.8% vs 22.6%; moderate COE) and faster recovery (9 vs 15 median days; moderate COE) but didn't affect all-cause death or serious adverse events. (Van Beusekom, 9/19)

CIDRAP: Genomic Analysis Uncovers Syphilis Transmission Networks In England 
A study by scientists in the United Kingdom provides some new insight into how syphilis—including antibiotic-resistant strains—is spreading in England. (Dall, 9/18)

The New York Times: PEPFAR Turned The Tide Of AIDS And It’s Now At Risk 
PEPFAR, which stands for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, has a legislative authorization that expires at the end of this month. And Republicans are now fighting that reauthorization. (Nicholas Kristof, 9/20)

Stat: The Unintended Consequences Of Overturning Roe V. Wade
Every day at the Kansas clinic where I perform abortions, I take care of pregnant people who have driven 10 hours or more across state lines for their procedures. They’re exhausted after moving mountains to get there: taking time off work, arranging child care, gathering funds. They’re excessively grateful, and their gratitude makes me sad. These are the lucky ones, I think. These are the few that have managed to get here. (Alison Block, 9/21)

CNN: The Mistake Hospitals Made On Covid-19
As Covid-19 hospitalizations rise across the country, I (Dr. Pak) think back to my first Covid-19 patient. It was the first time I saw Covid in the hospital — and it wasn’t where it was supposed to be. (Theodore Pak, Lara Jirmanus and Andrew Wang, 9/19)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Updated COVID Boosters Are Here. Cue The MAGA Misinformation
The Food and Drug Administration’s approval of updated booster shots to combat the recent uptick in COVID-19 infections can only mean one thing: It’s time for extremist Republicans to play politics again with a serious public health issue. (9/21)