AP: N. Carolina Governor Signs Medicaid Expansion Bill Into Law
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday signed a Medicaid expansion law that was a decade in the making and gives the Democrat a legacy-setting victory, although one significant hurdle remains before coverage can be implemented, thanks to a Republican-backed provision. At an Executive Mansion ceremony attended by hundreds, Cooper celebrated passage of expansion legislation, which he’s ardently sought since being first elected governor in 2016. It took Republicans in charge of the General Assembly all this time to come around to the idea and agree to offer coverage to more low-income adults, with federal coffers paying for most of it. (Robertson, 3/27)

The New York Times: North Carolina Expands Medicaid After Republicans Abandon Their Opposition
The bill will expand Medicaid to adults who make up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $41,000 for a family of four. State officials say the expansion will cover an estimated 600,000 people. It will take effect when the state adopts a budget, likely by June, Mr. Cooper said in an interview before the signing ceremony. “Today is a historic step toward a healthier North Carolina,” the governor declared before signing the measure. When a reporter pressed him on when the expansion would take effect, he said, “It’s only a question of when, not if.” (Stolberg, 3/27)

UnitedHealthcare's UCard runs into problems in North Carolina —

North Carolina Health News: Problems With Medicare 'Flex Card' System
Electric cooperative and public-power groups across North Carolina are reporting that a UnitedHealthcare “UCard” sent this year to dual Medicaid and Medicare enrollees doesn’t work as advertised to pay utility bills. According to energy officials and publications, the flex-card program has caused weeks of difficulty for specific utility customers who often have “complex health and social needs.” (Goldsmith, 3/28)

In other Medicaid and Medicare developments —

The New York Times: In Mississippi, A Choice To Forgo Medicaid Funds Is Killing Hospitals 
Since its opening in a converted wood-frame mansion 117 years ago, Greenwood Leflore Hospital had become a medical hub for this part of Mississippi’s fertile but impoverished Delta, with 208 beds, an intensive-care unit, a string of walk-in clinics and a modern brick-and-glass building. But on a recent weekday, it counted just 13 inpatients clustered in a single ward. The I.C.U. and maternity ward were closed for lack of staffing and the rest of the building was eerily silent, all signs of a hospital savaged by too many poor patients. (LaFraniere, 3/28)

KHN: Congressman Seeks To Plug ‘Shocking Loophole’ Exposed By KHN Investigation 
A U.S. lawmaker is taking action after a KHN investigation exposed weaknesses in the federal system meant to stop repeat Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) said he decided to introduce a bill in the House late last week after KHN’s reporting revealed what he called a “shocking loophole. “The ability of fraudsters to continue billing Medicare for services is outrageous,” Doggett said. “This is an obvious correction that is needed to safeguard our system. Wherever there are large amounts of government money available, someone tries to steal it.” (Tribble, 3/28)

Stat: Health Insurers Fight Proposed Changes To Medicare Advantage
For the past two months, the health insurance industry has attempted to scare older adults and the public into thinking the federal government is slashing Medicare benefits next year. Op-eds, ads, and industry-backed reports have warned of cuts to prized perks and increases to premiums for Medicare Advantage, the growing alternative to traditional Medicare run by private health insurers. Since any changes to Medicare are politically unpopular, health insurers are hoping the pressure will force the Biden administration to retreat from its February proposals that would specifically change how Medicare Advantage plans are paid. Final regulations are due to come out April 3. (Herman, 3/27)

Modern Healthcare: HHS’ Xavier Becerra Focused On Improving Medicare, Healthcare Access
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, the first Latino to head the powerful, sprawling bureaucracy, often quotes his mother: “It’s better to prevent than to remedy.” The former California attorney general and 12-term House member applies that philosophy when it comes to implementing and enforcing policy, while ensuring such efforts hold up to legal challenges. (Turner, 3/27)

The Hill: Senate GOP: Gun Reform Legislation Unlikely After Nashville School Shooting
Senate Republicans on Monday cast doubt on the possibility of legislative action on firearms in response to the shooting at a school in Nashville, Tenn., earlier in the day. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters that he does not believe the Senate can go any further on firearm-related bills or on expanding background checks than the chamber did last year when it passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act following the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The legislation was the most consequential gun safety package signed into law in three decades and became law with bipartisan support, with Cornyn as the lead GOP negotiator for the legislation. (Weaver, 3/27)

The New York Times: Biden Calls On Congress To Pass An Assault Weapons Ban. That Is Unlikely
President Biden has repeatedly called for such a ban in recent public speeches and visits, including during a recent visit to Monterey Park, Calif., where a gunman killed 11 people at a dance studio in January. His remarks on Monday once again highlighted not only the scourge of mass shootings in America, but also the limits of his power to address them. Even with majorities in both houses of Congress during Mr. Biden’s first two years in office, Democrats were unable to pass a ban, and any effort now would be all but certain to die in the Republican-controlled House. That has left Mr. Biden with few options but the bully pulpit. (Rogers, 3/27)

The Hill: House Judiciary Postpones Pistol Brace Rule Markup After Nashville Shooting 
The House Judiciary Committee postponed a scheduled Tuesday markup on a resolution to nullify a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) pistol brace rule following the mass shooting at a Nashville, Tennessee, school on Monday. “Democrats were going to turn this tragic event into a political thing,” Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told The Hill on Monday evening. (Brooks, 3/27)

How the massacre unfolded in Nashville —

The New York Times: Shooter Who Killed 6 At Nashville School Was A Former Student, Police Say
A 28-year-old from Nashville fatally shot three children and three adults on Monday at a private Christian elementary school, officials said, leaving behind writings and detailed maps of the school and its security protocols. In the latest episode of gun violence that has devastated American families and communities, the assailant opened fire just after 10 a.m. inside the Covenant School, in the affluent Green Hills neighborhood, where children in preschool through sixth grade had just begun their final full week of classes before Easter break. (Cochrane, Shpigel, Levenson and Jimenez, 3/27)

The Washington Post: Nashville School Shooter Who Killed 6 Was Heavily Armed, Left Manifesto
Police said the shooter, Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, of Nashville, was armed with two semiautomatic weapons — an AR-15-style rifle, an “AR-style pistol” and a handgun. At least two of the weapons were purchased legally, according to Drake, who did not give the status of the third. He said Hale had “multiple rounds of ammunition prepared for confrontation with law enforcement” and was “prepared to do more harm.” The department late Monday released images of the weapons, adding that Hale had “significant ammunition.” Tennessee’s gun laws, like those in many conservative states, are comparatively loose. The state allows people to own automatic assault weapons and does not have a law banning high-capacity magazines. (Mueller, Shammas, Brasch and Bailey, 3/27)

NBC News: Police Chief Tells NBC News A Sense Of ‘Resentment’ May Have Fueled Nashville Shooter’s Attack At Former School
A sense of “resentment” might have played a role in a 28-year-old’s deadly attack on the private Christian school they once attended, Nashville police said Monday. The shooter, Nashville resident Audrey Hale, had no previous criminal record before opening fire at The Covenant School, killing three children and three adults, authorities said. “There’s some belief that there was some resentment for having to go to that school,” Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake told Lester Holt of NBC News. ... Officials “feel that she identifies as trans, but we’re still in the initial investigation into all of that and if it actually played a role into this incident,” Drake said. (Li, Ortiz and Lenthang, 3/27)

The Washington Post: Woman Who Survived Other Mass Killing Crashes Nashville News Conference 
A police spokesman had just finished updating reporters on the mass killing at a Nashville school when Ashbey Beasley suddenly stepped up to the clutch of microphones and asked, “Aren’t you guys tired of covering this?” She wasn’t an official or a member of law enforcement. She was a mom, she explained, who had grabbed her 6-year-old son and run months earlier when a gunman opened fire at a parade in Highland Park, Ill. Some TV stations cut away. Others continued rolling as Beasley, speaking quickly and forcefully, decried America’s epidemic of gun violence. She asked, “How is this still happening? How are our children still dying?” (Shammas, 3/27)

More about assault weapons —

The Washington Post: What Does An AR-15 Do To A Human Body? A Visual Examination Of The Deadly Damage. 
The Washington Post examined autopsy and postmortem reports from nearly a hundred victims of past mass shootings that involved an AR-15 style rifle. (Kirkpatrick, Mirza and Canales, 3/27)

The Washington Post: How The AR-15 Became A Powerful Political, Cultural Symbol In America
The AR-15 wasn’t supposed to be a bestseller. The rugged, powerful weapon was originally designed as a soldiers’ rifle in the late 1950s. “An outstanding weapon with phenomenal lethality,” an internal Pentagon report raved. It soon became standard issue for U.S. troops in the Vietnam War, where the weapon earned a new name: the M16. (Frankel, Boburg, Dawsey, Parker and Horton, 3/27)

The Washington Post: High-Capacity-Magazine Bans Could Save Lives. Will They Hold Up In Court?
In the aftermath of the Dayton massacre and another hours earlier in El Paso, all the familiar debates ignited over guns, assault weapons bans, mental health interventions and red-flag laws. Yet much of the public discussion overlooked a key factor in Dayton, something that connected the massacre to the carnage unleashed by mass shooters in Orlando, Las Vegas, Buffalo and other communities: the ammunition magazines that can enable gunmen to fire a hail of bullets without needing to stop and reload. (Berman and Frankel, 3/27)

Think your teen can't get ahold of a gun? Think again —

KHN: As Colorado Reels From Another School Shooting, Study Finds 1 In 4 Teens Have Quick Access To Guns 
One in 4 Colorado teens reported they could get access to a loaded gun within 24 hours, according to survey results published Monday. Nearly half of those teens said it would take them less than 10 minutes. “That’s a lot of access and those are short periods of time,” said Virginia McCarthy, a doctoral candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health and the lead author of the research letter describing the findings in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics. (Hawryluk, 3/27)

Houston Chronicle: UTHealth Study: COVID-19 Virus Can Change The Structure Of Cells
The virus that causes COVID-19 can alter the genomic structure of cells, which may explain the immunological symptoms that someone experiences from an infection, according to a new study from researchers at UTHealth Houston. Researchers also believe the changes to the genomic structure of cells could play a role in long COVID, which remains a mystery three years into the pandemic. (MacDonald, 3/27)

More on the spread of covid —

Oklahoman: Why Oklahoma Has One Of Highest COVID-19 Death Rates In America
After more than three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Oklahoma finds itself near the top of the list of states with the highest death rates. CDC data updated as of March 24 shows Oklahoma ranks 14th in the nation for COVID-19 death rates per capita. There have been 15,845 deaths from COVID-19 in Oklahoma, or 400 per 100,000 people. In terms of cases, Oklahoma currently falls at 22nd in the nation with 1.29 million cases, or 32,696 cases per 100,000 people. (Hayes, 3/28)

The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Ranked 5th In Nation For Fewest COVID-19 Deaths Per Capita
Maryland ranked fifth in the nation for having the fewest COVID-19 deaths per capita in a comprehensive study on variations in pandemic policies and behaviors among states published Thursday in The Lancet. The state was likely helped during the pandemic by its relatively low poverty rate and high level of educational attainment, said Emma Castro, a researcher at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle and a co-lead author on the paper. (Roberts, 3/27)

Los Angeles Times: Vaccines And Trust Are Key To Preventing COVID Deaths, Study Finds
In a comparison that controlled for demographic differences between states, Arizona’s COVID-19 mortality rate of 581 deaths per 100,000 residents was almost four times higher than Hawaii’s, where there were 147 deaths per 100,000 residents. Death rates in the hardest-hit U.S. states resembled those of countries with no healthcare infrastructure whatever. States that fared best had rates on a par with countries such as Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, which worked zealously to keep their pandemic death tolls low. (Healy, 3/27)

San Francisco Chronicle: Two Bay Area Counties Extend Mask Requirements For Health Care Sites
As California lifts its COVID-19 masking requirements for health care settings on April 3, two of the Bay Area’s biggest counties are taking a cautious approach to ensure the continued protection of their vulnerable populations. (Vaziri, 3/27)

In other pandemic news —

The Guardian: ‘Being Truthful Is Essential’: Scientist Who Stumbled Upon Wuhan Covid Data Speaks Out
One of the most compelling clues to the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic was uploaded without announcement to a scientific database, going unnoticed for weeks. And then, just as suddenly, it vanished from public view. The genetic data, from swabs taken at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, China, in the weeks after Covid-19 first emerged, were available online just long enough for a Parisian scientist to stumble upon them while working from her couch on a Saturday afternoon earlier this month.“I have a bad work-life balance,” says Florence Débarre, an evolutionary biologist whose accidental discovery of the files led to confirmation for the first time that animals susceptible to the coronavirus were present at the Wuhan market. (Safi and Block, 3/27)

CIDRAP: Four Groups Call For Enhanced Action Against One Health Threats 
After their first fact-to-face meeting, four global health agencies today issued an urgent call for more intensified action on a host of health issues that fall under the One Health umbrella, including zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), food safety, and the impacts from climate change. The groups include the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Program (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). (Schnirring, 3/27)

AP: Kansas High Court Signals Continued Abortion Rights Support
Kansas’ highest court signaled Monday that it still considers access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, as an attorney for the state argued that a decisive statewide vote last year affirming abortion rights “doesn’t matter.” The state Supreme Court is considering exactly how far the Republican-controlled Legislature can go in restricting abortion under a 2019 decision protecting abortion rights. The justices heard arguments from attorneys for Kansas and abortion providers in two lawsuits but isn’t likely to rule for months. (3/27)

Axios: Georgia's Six-Week Abortion Ban Has Its Big Day In Court
The future of abortion access in Georgia will hang in the balance as the state's Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in a case on the state's six-week abortion ban. Why it matters: This case represents abortion rights advocates' last significant legal chance to overturn Georgia's anti-abortion law, which is in effect and has been snarled in federal and state courts since 2019. (Hurt, 3/27)

Slate: Personhood Laws: The Real End Goal Of The Anti-Choice Texas Abortion Lawsuit
Even the conservative Supreme Court doesn’t seem ready to sign off on personhood—when an antiabortion group in Rhode Island asked the conservative supermajority to take on the issue recently, the justices turned down their request. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a likely key vote in any personhood case, wrote less than a year ago that the “Constitution is neither pro-choice or pro-life.” In overturning Roe v. Wade, meanwhile, Kavanaugh and the other conservatives stressed what they described as a surge in support for ending abortion rights in conservative states. At the moment, there is no comparable trend in red states when it comes to personhood. Further, finding fetal protections in the Constitution this quickly after proclaiming the neutrality of the Constitution might be too much, even for Kavanaugh. (Ziegler, 3/28)

AP: New Maryland Provider Opening In Post-Roe 'Abortion Desert' 
A new abortion provider is opening this year in Democratic-controlled Maryland — just across from deeply conservative West Virginia, where state lawmakers recently passed a near-total abortion ban. The Women’s Health Center of Maryland in Cumberland, roughly 5 miles (8 kilometers) from West Virginia, will open its doors in June — a year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections — to provide abortions to patients across central Appalachia, a region clinic operators say is an “abortion desert.” (Willingham, 3/27)

On abortion pills —

The Hill: Duckworth Asks FTC To Investigate Drug Distributor Over Abortion Pill 
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate reports that drug distributor AmeriSourceBergen is refusing to distribute Mifeprex to retail pharmacies in certain states, but was continuing to sell directly to health providers. In a letter sent Monday to FTC Chair Lina Kahn, Duckworth accused the company of exploiting the political climate around abortion medication in order to maximize profits. (Weixel, 3/27)

In other reproductive health news from Idaho and Wisconsin —

AP: Idaho Bill To Provide Free Period Products In Schools Fails 
A bill that would have provided free menstrual products in girls bathrooms in Idaho public schools failed in the state House, with at least one Republican lawmaker calling the proposal “very liberal.” The measure advanced earlier this month from the House Education Committee with a “do pass” recommendation. It failed on the House floor 35-35 last week. (3/27)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: City's Free Doula Program Serves 171 Milwaukee Mothers And Counting
Monica Cook was a mother of two, with her third on the way, when she sat down with her doula to have a serious talk. Cook decided she wanted to deliver her baby without medication — no epidural or other drugs — until and unless she reached the point where she could no longer take it. She wanted to fully experience labor and delivery. (Shastri, 3/27)

In related news from Alaska —

Anchorage Daily News: State Agency: Dunleavy’s ‘Parental Rights’ Bill Could Violate Alaska Constitution
A “parental rights” education bill proposed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy could be found to violate the state’s constitution, according to an agency charged with analyzing proposed legislation in Alaska. Counsel for the Legislative Affairs Agency wrote in a memorandum requested by Rep. Jennie Armstrong, D-Anchorage, that Dunleavy’s bill “will likely raise challenges” under the Alaska constitution’s privacy clause, which is one of the strongest in the nation and has been used to defend abortion access in the state. (Samuels, 3/27)

Reuters: Juul, Altria Face First Trial Over Claims Of Marketing E-Cigarettes To Teens 
E-cigarette company Juul Labs Inc and its former largest investor, Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc, will face their first U.S. trial this week over claims that they created a public nuisance by marketing addictive e-cigarettes to minors. Minnesota seeks to force the companies to pay for measures to remedy the harms of addiction. It says Juul sold its e-cigarettes in sweet flavors and promoted them on social media to appeal to underage consumers. (Pierson, 3/27)

AP: Minnesota Suit Against E-Cigarette Maker Juul Goes To Trial 
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to lead off opening statements expected for Tuesday in his state’s lawsuit against Juul Labs – marking the first time any of the thousands of cases against the e-cigarette maker over its alleged marketing to young people is going to play out in a courtroom. Minnesota sued Juul in 2019, accusing the San Francisco-based company of unlawfully targeting young people with its products to get a new generation addicted to nicotine. Ellison has declined to put a dollar figure on how much money the state is seeking in damages and civil penalties. But he said when he announced the lawsuit that it could be in the ballpark with Minnesota’s landmark $7.1 billion settlement with the tobacco industry in 1998. (Karnowski, 3/27)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court Mulls Amgen Bid To Revive Cholesterol Drug Patents 
Amgen Inc sought to convince the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to revive patents on its cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha, while rival Sanofi SA urged the justices not to stifle competition for therapies to address a common health risk. The justices heard arguments in Amgen's appeal of a lower court's ruling that invalidated two of its patents on Repatha, a drug that can reduce risk of heart attack and stroke in people with heart disease, after a legal fight with French drugmaker Sanofi and its partner Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Kruzel and Chung, 3/27)

Stat: Novartis Says Breast Cancer Drug Succeeds In Key Trial
Novartis announced data Monday that could set up one of the biggest marketing battles in cancer. At issue is the market for medicines called CDK 4/6 inhibitors. The first of these drugs, Pfizer’s Ibrance, is a $5-billion-a-year product and one of that company’s top sellers. But it has been losing market share to Eli Lilly’s Verzenio. (Herper, 3/27)

NBC News: Drug Combo May Extend The Lives Of Women With Advanced Endometrial Cancer
Women with advanced endometrial cancer may live longer before their tumors return if they receive immunotherapy and chemotherapy at the same time, according to two studies published Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine. (Edwards, 3/27)

Stat: New Depression Drugs Are Bringing Hope To A Long-Stagnant Field
On May 8, 1972, a researcher at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis named Jong-Sin Horng tested a compound his team had developed and found it had a curious property. The agent, called Lilly 110140, altered chemical activity in the brain linked to depression. It tested as mildly effective, had fewer side effects than older antidepressants, and virtually no overdose risk. (Even the most commonly prescribed drugs of that era, called tricyclics, were easy to overdose on in small amounts.) And in 1987, trade-named Prozac, it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, for the treatment of major depressive disorder. (Carey, 3/27)

Elon Musk is looking for volunteers for a brain implant —

Reuters: Musk's Brain Implant Company In Search Of Human Trials Partner
Elon Musk's brain implant company Neuralink has approached one of the biggest U.S. neurosurgery centers as a potential clinical trials partner as it prepares to test its devices on humans once regulators allow for it, according to six people familiar with the matter. Neuralink has been developing brain implants since 2016 it hopes will eventually be a cure for intractable conditions such as paralysis and blindness. (Taylor and Levy, 3/27)

In obituaries —

The New York Times: Gladys Kessler, Judge Who Curbed Deceptive Tobacco Ads, Dies At 85 
Gladys Kessler, a federal judge who in a historic ruling in 2006 found that the tobacco industry had violated civil racketeering laws for decades by “repeatedly, and with enormous skill and sophistication” deceiving the public about the health hazards of smoking, died on March 16 in Washington. She was 85. The cause of death, in a hospital, was complications of pneumonia, her family said. (Sandomir, 3/27)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost Sues Pharmacy Benefit Managers
Calling them "modern gangsters," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on Monday accused pharmacy benefit managers of illegally driving up drug prices for patients who rely on insulin and other key medications. “Medications shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, metaphorically or literally,” Yost said in a written statement. “Insulin is just a symptom of the problem; PBMs are the disease.” (Bischoff, 3/27)

In related news about diabetes care —

USA Today: A Billing Dispute Means A Mom Must Pay Nearly $1,000 A Month For Her Son's Diabetes Care
For Gianluca Cefalo, a new insulin pump has allowed him to reclaim his life. The 12-year-old boy with Type 1 diabetes no longer visits the school nurse for an insulin shot before lunch. He doesn't worry about his blood sugar spiking or dropping when he sprints on the basketball court. He looks forward to baseball after taking last season off over frustration managing his blood sugar. (Alltucker, 3/27)

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

The Boston Globe: Jury Awards $20 Million To Man Who Lost A Leg After Hospital Missed Blood Clot
A state court jury has awarded $20 million to a Lowell man who filed a lawsuit alleging that his left leg had to be amputated after employees at Lowell General Hospital’s emergency department twice misdiagnosed a painful blood clot as sciatica and sent him home. (Saltzman, 3/27)

Tampa Bay Times: Pushing Fentanyl Fear, Pinellas Sheriff Seeks Thousands For Drug Tests
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri wants the county to invest hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in contactless technology to field-test suspected drugs. To him, the promise of TruNarc to test for them in the field is about life and death. The County Commission is set to vote Tuesday on the request of $625,000 for 25 TruNarc analyzers, which use lasers to determine the composition of a substance, at $25,000 a pop. It likely will get the thumbs-up: It’s grouped with other budgetary requests they already have determined are not controversial. (Evans, 3/28)

Stateline: States With Legal Pot Consider How To Protect Cannabis Workers
Most cannabis dispensaries are cash-only businesses, constantly at risk of being robbed. Indoor growing facilities use harsh lighting, and plants get sprayed with pesticides. Those conditions can create daily hazards for cannabis workers, which is why labor organizers are trying to unionize them as legalization spreads and the marijuana workforce grows. (Giangreco, 3/27)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Bristol Plant That Spilled Chemicals Into Philly’s Water Supply Had Other Mishaps Over The Last Decade
A chemical plant in Bristol that authorities said caused a toxic spill, threatening Philadelphia’s drinking water, has a long history of mishaps — including at least four recent contamination incidents. The complex is owned by chemical company Trinseo, which produces acrylic products such as Altuglas, which is similar to Plexiglass. But the site is part of a cluster of industrial companies along the Delaware River north of Philadelphia that has hosted chemical giants since the early 20th Century. (Briggs, 3/27)

USA Today: Educational Model Wanted Students 'To Be Nice.' That's Controversial In Florida Now Under DeSantis
As states ranging from Iowa to Montana consider legislation targeting SEL, the sometimes-subtle changes happening in Florida show the chilling effect state inquiries can have on work to support students’ mental health and make schools more welcoming places. It’s “a tremendous blow to young people,” said Christiane Gunn, a veteran social studies teacher in Broward County, Florida. “Kids come to school with a lot of baggage. Right now, there's not enough available that's going to help them and it really scares me – what’s going to happen to the social-emotional wellness of some of these children” if these programs are cut? (Wong, 3/27)

Indianapolis Star: Indiana House Passes Ban On Youth Trans Care, Bill Heads To Holcomb
The Republican-controlled Indiana House on Monday approved a bill largely along party lines banning youths from receiving gender-affirming care. Senate Bill 480, authored by Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, heads to Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk after passing 65-30 after months of protest and debate. (Charron, 3/27)

AP: Idaho Senate Passes Ban On Gender-Affirming Care For Minors
The Idaho Senate on Monday voted 22-12 to pass a bill criminalizing gender-affirming healthcare for minors, one month after the state House passed similar legislation. The measure bars transgender and transitioning children, or children with gender dysphoria, from receiving hormones or puberty blockers to alleviate their symptoms or help them with transitioning, KTVB reported Monday. (3/28)

Dallas Morning News: Gender-Affirming Care Ban For Minors Debated In Texas House Committee
A House committee on Monday debated a bill that would ban certain medical treatments for transgender minors as hundreds of LGBTQ rights activists rallied within earshot of the hearing room. House Bill 1686 by Dr. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, would bar physicians from providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy or surgery to treat gender dysphoria in patients under the age of 18. These treatments are commonly referred to as “gender affirming care.” (McGaughy, 3/28)

Houston Chronicle: Texas GOP Likely Has Votes To Outlaw Transgender Care For Minors
A bill that would ban transgender medical care for minors has the votes to pass in the Republican-dominated Texas House, marking a tipping point for the body that was the roadblock for the legislation two years ago. (Goldenstein, 3/27)

NBC News: Losing Weight Is Good For The Heart, Even If You Regain Some Of It
Losing weight — even if some pounds are gained back — may help your heart over the long term, according to a study published Tuesday in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The findings may be welcome news to those who have found it difficult to keep weight off and feared the risks thought to be associated with gaining weight back. (Carroll, 3/28)

Colorado Sun: A New Study Shows The Benefits And Risks Of Weight Loss Surgery
The moment of realization for Johnnie Stephen came on Aug. 9, 2016 — a date he remembers because it is memorialized by a photograph hanging on his dining room wall. He and his wife, Michelle, were visiting Branson, Missouri, on vacation and had decided to check out the landlocked tourist town’s curiously located Titanic museum. At the bottom of a replica of the doomed ship’s famed grand staircase, a photographer for the museum asked if they wanted a picture and then snapped the camera’s shutter button. Click. (Ingold, 3/27)

In other health and wellness news —

The Washington Post: Early Birds With Sleep Apnea Use CPAP Machines Longer, Study Shows 
Many people with sleep apnea struggle to keep wearing their CPAP machines all night because they find the treatment so uncomfortable. Now new research shows that your chronotype — whether you are a morning lark, night owl or somewhere in between — can influence your reaction to the breathing devices. (Bever, 3/27)

WUSF Public Media: Research Shows High-Rent Burden Negatively Impacts Mental Health
Residents who spend more than 30 percent of their paycheck on rent are shown to experience higher rates of anxiety and depression, according to a study published by the National Library of Medicine. Isabelle Schroeder Le Bourlegat has moved four times in four years. She started therapy while living at her last apartment, a roughly 300-square-foot studio with no windows and bare amenities. (Paul, 3/27)

KHN: Truly Random Drug Testing: ADHD Patients Face Uneven Urine Screens And, Sometimes, Stigma
Some adults who take prescription medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are required to have their urine tested for drugs several times a year. Others never are tested. Such screenings are designed to check if ADHD patients are safely taking their pills, such as Adderall, and not selling them, taking too many, or using other drugs. (Zionts, 3/28)

The Atlantic: Sick All The Time
All over the country, local health resources advised people that if it seemed as though everyone they knew was sick, they weren’t imagining things—just living through a time of pestilence. (Elizabeth Bruening, 3/27)

Modern Healthcare: Violence Against Healthcare Workers Must End
The statistics are sobering: Violence is five times more likely to occur in a hospital setting than in the rest of the nation’s workplaces, according to recent assessments by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Drs. Bruce Meyer and Tom Campbell, 3/24)

The Philadelphia Inquirer: My Wife’s Dementia Started In Her 40s. And Our Medical System Failed Her
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, but if Dora had gotten a diagnosis earlier, we could have at least known what was happening, gotten some help, and tried to slow the disease. Perhaps she would still be next to me, not living in memory care. (William Collier, 3/27)

The Washington Post: Breaking Up Organ Transplant Authority UNOS Would Save Lives 
A proposed overhaul of the system that governs how human organs are procured, transported and transplanted in the United States could save many lives — if the Biden administration succeeds in breaking up the monopoly of the network that currently runs it. (3/27)

Stat: The SNAP Benefits Rollback Will Threaten Children's Health
At our pediatric clinic, we recently saw a child whose mother lost her job during the pandemic working as a caterer. The mother struggled to put food on the table after the precipitous loss of income. After the family enrolled in SNAP, we could literally measure how that policy benefited our young patient. After teetering close to severe malnutrition, she returned to a healthy weight. Now, the mother is back to work and trying to grow her business again. But new change may once again place her family at risk of food insecurity and poor health. (Megan Sandel and Charlotte Bruce, 3/28)

The Washington Post: With Covid, The Raccoon Dog May Finally Have Bitten Us Back 
Earlier this month, the pendulum of persuasion on the origin of the coronavirus pandemic swung again. An international team of scientists, including some of the world’s most trusted experts on virus evolution, released an analysis of genetic evidence, some viral, some animal, extracted from swabs of surfaces at Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Market in early 2020. (David Quammen, 3/28)

The New York Times: Calling The Lab-Leak Theory ‘Disinformation’ Created Disinformation 
Covid had just reached American shores on Feb. 9, 2020, when Newt Gingrich invited Anthony Fauci, the longtime head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the British zoologist Peter Daszak onto his podcast, “Newt’s World.” (Megan Stack, 3/28)

The Washington Post: Vulnerable People Should Be Allowed A Second Bivalent Covid Vaccine 
Health officials in Canada and Britain have already said they will allow elderly, immunocompromised and other high-risk people to receive an additional bivalent coronavirus booster shot six months after their previous one. (Leana S. Wen, 3/28)