Axios: White House Looking To Cut Certain Disability Benefits
Hundreds of thousands of poor Americans are poised to get their disability benefits cut, as the Trump administration moves to reverse a Biden-era change. It would hurt low-income and disabled Americans at a time when inflation is driving up the cost of food and shelter; and further cuts to Medicaid and food benefits are on tap. (Peck, 9/8)

CalMatters: Why California May Ban Fees For Veterans' Disability Claims 
California may soon ban unaccredited consultants from charging fees for helping veterans prepare disability claims, a practice that some view as exploitative. (Ashton, 9/4)

On domestic violence —

The 19th: Trump Downplays Domestic Violence
President Donald Trump on Monday downplayed the severity of domestic violence crimes, saying that were it not for “things that take place in the home they call crime,” the administration’s deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., would have resulted in a bigger statistical reduction in crime. (Barclay, 9/8)

If you need help —

Dial 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for 24/7 support from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. It's free and confidential.

More military health care news —

Chicago Tribune: Lawsuit: The VA's Failure To Treat An Infection Forever Changes Man's Life
Anthony Walker always liked to think of himself as “the man.” He always liked to think of himself as “tough Tony.” That’s how he felt jumping out of planes while in the Army and stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. He felt it later, too, as a small-business owner, husband and a father to six children. (Carter, 9/8)

Military.com: Transgender Military Kids Face 'Profound Harm' From Health Care Restrictions, Lawsuit Alleges
Military families with transgender children are suing the Pentagon over the Trump administration’s efforts to cut off gender-affirming health care to military dependents. In a lawsuit filed Monday, three families are alleging that the administration’s moves go beyond a law that was passed last year to restrict gender-affirming care for military children and violate a separate law that says federal regulations cannot be “arbitrary and capricious.” (Kheel, 9/8)

On the EPA and the effects of climate change —

Bloomberg: How Trump’s War On Climate Science Impacts All Americans
In late July, President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency announced a proposal so bold it would have once seemed unthinkable: to reverse the endangerment finding, a legal determination under which the agency regulates planet-warming pollution. The 2009 finding rests on a vast body of scientific evidence showing greenhouse gas emissions cause climate change and threaten public health. The agency held a public hearing on the move last month. (Hirji, Roston and Kahn, 9/8)

AP: Study Finds That In A Warming World, Americans Eat More Sugar
Global warming in the United States is amping up the country’s sweet tooth, a new study found. When the temperature rises, Americans — especially those with less money and education — drink lots more sugary beverages and a bit more frozen desserts. It amounts to more than 100 million pounds of added sugar (358 million kilograms) consumed in a year, compared to 15 years earlier, according to a team of researchers in the U.S. and United Kingdom writing in Monday’s Nature Climate Change. (Borenstein, 9/8)

MedPage Today: Alzheimer's Disease Exacerbated By Air Pollution, Autopsy Study Suggests
Worse outdoor air quality was tied to worse Alzheimer's disease pathology in older adults, an autopsy study showed. Among 602 autopsy cases, higher exposure to fine particulate matter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) before death raised the odds of more severe Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic change (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.28), said Edward Lee, MD, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia, and co-authors. (George, 9/8)

Bloomberg: FDA Head Says Government Hasn’t Started Writing Autism Report
US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said the federal government has not yet started writing a report on the possible causes of autism but reaffirmed a longstanding promise that it will be released “within a month.” Makary said last week’s Wall Street Journal story about the autism report was “premature.” (Cohrs Zhang, 9/8)

Politico: Trump Shares Video Highlighting Discredited Theory Linking Vaccines To Autism
President Donald Trump on Monday posted a video to his social media account promoting the discredited theory that vaccines cause autism. The decades-old video, in part, features David Geier, who Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tapped this spring to investigate links between vaccines and autism, alongside his father, Dr. Mark Geier, whose medical license was suspended following claims he endangered children with autism. (Messerly, 9/8)

Fortune: RFK Jr.'s Planned Report Linking Tylenol To Autism Crashes Shares Of Parent Company Kenvue
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing a report that will allegedly claim a link between prenatal Tylenol (acetaminophen) use and autism, but current evidence does not support a causal relationship, and major medical groups continue to recommend prudent acetaminophen use in pregnancy when indicated; meanwhile, Tylenol parent Kenvue’s shares sold off sharply following the reports and remain volatile. (Lutz, 9/8)

In case you missed this study in JAMA —

JAMA Network: Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy And Children’s Risk Of Autism, ADHD, And Intellectual Disability
Acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with children’s risk of autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability in sibling control analysis. This suggests that associations observed in other models may have been attributable to familial confounding. (Ahlqvist et al, 4/9/2024)

Also —

WBUR: What 25 Years Of CDC Data On Autism Tells Us 
One in 31 American children have autism spectrum disorder, according to the CDC. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has vowed to find the cause. But experts are skeptical. (McQuilkin and Chakrabarti, 9/8)

Newsweek: Human Evolution May Explain High Autism Rates
Scientists have uncovered new evidence suggesting that autism may have it roots in how the human brain has evolved. "Our results suggest that some of the same genetic changes that make the human brain unique also made humans more neurodiverse," said the study's lead author, Alexander L. Starr in a statement. (Notarantonio, 9/9)

Stat: Kennedy Allies Rally As Vaccine Policies Pose Possible Rift With Trump
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s aggressive moves to change vaccine policy — adopted by leaders at other federal health agencies — may be putting him at odds with President Trump himself. Now Kennedy’s allies are rallying to support him, believing the coming weeks and months will be key to cementing the Make America Healthy Again agenda in Washington. (Cirruzzo and Payne, 9/8)

The Hill: Democrats Urge Caution In Battle Over Vaccines, RFK Jr.
Democrats are jumping into the fray to voice their disapproval about Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the broader debate of rolling back vaccines, which was announced in Florida this past week. But after the public pushback on COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccines on the heels of the pandemic, some voices in the Democratic Party are urging restraint, even as public opinion leans toward them and Republicans show their own divisions. (Parnes, 9/8)

The Hill: Chris Christie: RFK Jr. A 'Joke'
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) on Sunday called Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “joke” amid turmoil in Kennedy’s own department. “You looked at that appearance before Congress, and it just confirms what all of us around this table have known for decades: Robert F Kennedy Jr. is a foolish man, full of foolish and vapid ideas,” Christie said on ABC News’s “This Week.” (Suter, 9/8)

More on the upheaval at HHS —

The Washington Post: RFK Jr. Considering New Vaccine Advisers Who Criticized Coronavirus Shots
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been weighing whether to appoint new members to the committee that recommends which vaccines Americans should receive, according to two former federal health officials, most of whom appear to have been highly critical of coronavirus vaccines. Kennedy in June fired every member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and replaced them with his own picks, most of whom have criticized coronavirus vaccine policies. (Weber and Sun, 9/8)

CIDRAP: CDC Upheaval Triggers Global Concern Amid Ongoing US Vaccine Policy Debate
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday called for efforts to protect public health excellence at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which follows massive staff layoffs, the firing of its newly confirmed director, recent resignations of top scientists, an armed attack, and the gutting of its vaccine advisory group under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary. (Schnirring, 9/8)

MedPage Today: NIH Chief Becomes Loomer's Next Target
The latest Trump administration official to field criticism from far-right activist Laura Loomer is NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD. Last week, Loomer posted a video on X showing Bhattacharya being confronted about the topic of animal testing as he entered the National Conservatism Conference in Washington, D.C. Along with the video, Loomer alleged in her post that the NIH is extending animal testing grants and "issuing tens of millions of dollars in new grants that fund testing on dogs, cats and primates." (Henderson, 9/8)

On state vaccine access —

CIDRAP: Minnesota, New York Issue Executive Orders Promoting Access To COVID Vaccines
Governors in Minnesota and New York are issuing executive orders in an effort to protect vaccine access in those states, in the wake of chaos and confusion over the availability of COVID-19 vaccine boosters at the federal level. In Minnesota, the executive order from Governor Tim Walz directs the state epidemiologist to issue a standing order for the COVID-19 vaccine, which offers flexibility for healthcare providers and pharmacists to provide the vaccine. (Soucheray, 9/8)

The Boston Globe: COVID Booster Confusion Eases In Mass. After Healey's Order
Sasha Singh walked into the Fenway Target Sunday morning with one goal: to get COVID shots for herself and her 82-year-old mother. She left disappointed. Singh, 49, of Fenway, was told that the pharmacy is reserving vaccinations for those who are elderly or at-risk, per guidelines from the federal government. Her mother left with a vaccine appointment, but she left empty-handed. (Coultoff, Schmeiszer and Tokhi, 9/8)

San Francisco Chronicle: California COVID Hospitalizations Double As Vaccine Access Tightens
California is seeing a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections. Hospitalizations have nearly doubled in the past month, and wastewater data shows “very high” levels of the virus circulating across the state. The spike comes just as access to updated vaccines is becoming more complicated under the Trump administration, leaving many wondering how they’ll navigate the fall respiratory virus season. (Vaziri, 9/8)

Central Florida Public Media: DeSantis Says He's Anti-Mandate, Not Anti-Vax As GOP Pushes Back On Plan For Florida Kids 
Gov. Ron DeSantis says he's anti-mandate, not anti-vaccine. His comments on Monday come after high-ranking Republicans opposed his plan to end shot requirements for schoolchildren in the state. (Prieur, 9/8)

Also —

NPR: This Is What Could Happen To A Child Who Doesn't Get Vaccinated
Pneumonia struck first. Then tonsillitis spiraled into sepsis. Malaria battered him next, and after treatment, the other illnesses flared back up again. This unvaccinated 2-year-old boy is trapped in a relentless cycle. "I was very sad. I knew these things could be prevented by vaccines," his mother, Alzhraa Fadul, says through an interpreter. (Ruprecht, 9/8)

NBC News: The Hepatitis B Vaccine Has Sharply Cut Infections In Children. Why Are Some Against It?
The hepatitis B vaccine has emerged as the latest flashpoint as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to cast doubt on the safety of vaccines. The vaccine is routinely given to babies shortly after birth because hepatitis B — an incurable infection that can lead to liver disease, cancer and death — can be transmitted from mother to child during delivery. (Szabo, 9/9)

Modern Healthcare: FTC To Drop Noncompete Ban Lawsuits
The Federal Trade Commission plans to drop lawsuits that sought to preserve the agency’s ban on most noncompete agreements, as well as eliminate the regulation. The FTC on Friday filed motions to dismiss its appeals of district court rulings that found the agency’s noncompete ban exceeded its regulatory authority. The agency also voted 3-1 to vacate the April 2024 rule. Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter cast the dissenting vote. She said in statement that tossing the regulation and related legal cases is another attempt by President Donald Trump to “throw workers under the bus to ingratiate himself with corporations and their billionaire CEOs.” (Kacik, 9/8)

Fierce Healthcare: SCOTUS Temporarily Allows Firing Of FTC's Lone Democrat
The Supreme Court gave President Donald Trump a temporary green light on his removal of Rebecca Kelly Slaughter, one of two Democratic Federal Trade Commission (FTC) members he fired in March. Slaughter, shortly after her ordered removal, sued to block what she described as “direct violation of a century of federal law and Supreme Court precedent.” She cited a 90-year-old decision, Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, that gave statutory tenure protections to FTC commissioners by requiring demonstration of cause under most circumstances. (Muoio, 9/8)

More news about antitrust concerns —

Becker's Hospital Review: Hospital Group Urges Federal Probe Of Drugmakers' 340B Rebate Models: 5 Notes
The American Hospital Association is calling on federal regulators to launch an antitrust investigation into its claims of drug manufacturers’ actions regarding 340B rebate models. In a letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, the AHA accused several pharmaceutical giants of undermining the 340B drug pricing program through behavior the association said may violate federal competition laws. (Murphy, 9/8)

Modern Healthcare: Epic Antitrust Lawsuit Can Continue, Federal Judge Says
A federal judge dismissed some of Particle Health’s antitrust charges against Epic, but allowed a portion of the lawsuit to continue. Judge Naomi Buchwald of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied Epic’s motion to dismiss antitrust claims alleged by digital health startup Particle Health. In a ruling issued Friday, Buchwald said Particle Health had sufficiently done enough to continue the antitrust litigation. (Perna, 9/8)

Modern Healthcare: August Jobs Report Shows Healthcare Jobs May Be Slowing
Healthcare was one of the few upbeat spots in the most recent jobs report but the shine may be starting to wear off. Labor Department employment data released Friday noted that job gains in healthcare helped offset weakness in other parts of the economy. That said, even in healthcare, the gains aren’t what they once were, as evidenced by new and revised figures. The report comes as the industry’s employers trim jobs up and down the ladder and hold positions open, preparing for the implications of the federal tax bill and uncertainty over tariffs. (DeSilva, 9/8)

Healthcare Dive: More Than 600 Kaiser Workers Hold 1-Day Strike In Northern California
More than 600 certified nurse midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists employed by Kaiser Permanente held a one-day strike at two facilities in Northern California on Monday. (Vogel, 9/8)

On closures, consolidations, and financial trouble in health care —

CalMatters: North Central California Hospital Faces Closure After Losing Federal 'Critical Access' Status
Absent a Hail Mary, Glenn County, California’s only hospital is set to close its doors in October. Tucked between two national forests, the rural county is home to 28,000 people. Without a local emergency room, they’ll instead have to travel at least 40 minutes to a neighboring county for critical care. One hundred and fifty health workers will lose their jobs; they’re already resigning to seek work elsewhere. (Ibarra, 9/8)

KFF Health News: Instead Of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together To Survive
Retta Jacobi stepped onto a metal platform that lifted her to an entrance on the side of a custom-designed semitrailer. Once inside, she lay down on a platform that technicians slid into an MRI machine. ... The mobile MRI unit visits Southwest Healthcare Services, the hospital in Bowman, North Dakota, each Wednesday. Without it, the community’s 1,400 residents would have to drive 40 minutes to get to an MRI machine, an expensive piece of medical equipment the hospital couldn’t afford on its own. (Zionts, 9/9)

Minnesota Public Radio: Mayo To Consolidate Services In Southern Minnesota 
Mayo Clinic Health System will transition care from several of its clinics to alternate locations by early December. Outpatient clinical services in Belle Plaine, Caledonia, Montgomery, Northridge, St. Peter and Wells will move to nearby Mayo Clinic sites. Elective surgeries and procedures in orthopedics, podiatry, endoscopy, ophthalmology and gynecology will be relocated from Albert Lea to the Austin and Waseca campuses. (Zurek, 9/9)

Modern Healthcare: How CVS' Partnerships With Emory, Rush Aim To Boost Primary Care
CVS Health is tapping into health system partnerships as it rapidly expands primary care offerings. CVS has added primary care services at more than 400 MinuteClinic sites across 12 states and Washington, D.C., in the last year or so, said Dr. Creagh Milford, interim president of retail health at CVS Health and president at CVS-owned Oak Street Health. The goal is to offer primary care at all MinuteClinic sites and build a payer-agnostic network to serve patients, he said. (Hudson, 9/5)

Modern Healthcare: Why Ascension, OhioHealth Are Selling Hospitals, Lab Services
Imminent reimbursement cuts are prompting health systems to look at selling ancillary businesses and real estate, as well as exit certain markets. Providers have increasingly turned to divestitures and joint ventures with companies that specialize in real estate management, long-term care, home health, labs and other services. Hospitals are ramping up these strategies with the hope that increasing cash reserves and simplifying operations will help them weather federal funding reductions under the new tax law. (Kacik and Hudson, 9/8)

Keene Sentinel: Cheshire County Ambulance Service Loses Money On 1 In 10 Calls, Chief Says
Sometimes, when a Cheshire County EMS first-responder rushes to save a life, the department ends up losing money. That’s because the county’s ambulance service responds to every call it receives for support, but may not get paid if the patient is uninsured, or refuses transfer. It’s an issue that Deputy Chief Mark Kreamer has dealt with for years in the departments he’s worked at. (del Castro, 9/8)

On expansion —

North Carolina Health News and The Charlotte Ledger: Duke Health Sets Its Sights On Statewide Expansion 
For years, Charlotte’s health care market has been dominated by two names: Atrium Health and Novant Health. Between them, the two hospital systems hold a near lock on the region’s hospitals, a growing share of its doctors and much of its specialty care. Now a third player is muscling into the market. (Crouch, 9/8)

Kansas City Star: State-Of-The-Art KU Cancer Center Planned For Wyandotte 
The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s highly anticipated new, state-of-the-art facility has made it through some foundational hoops since its official groundbreaking in May, a representative from the center told Wyandotte County’s governing board. (Zeman, 9/5)

MedPage Today: Large Jump In Poison Center Calls Tied To Self-Harm In Preteens
Exposures to medications, dietary supplements, or psychoactive substances increased among children from 2000 to 2023, particularly exposures associated with suspected self-harm or suicidal intent, according to data from U.S. poison centers. Among children ages 6 to 12 years, the overall rate of exposure increased non-linearly by 53.8% over this time period, while the exposure rate associated with suspected self-harm or suicidal intent increased by 311%, reported Gary A. Smith, MD, DrPH, of the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and colleagues. (Firth, 9/8)

If you need help —

Dial 988 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

In other health and wellness news —

CNN: Diabetes Symptoms: Nearly Half Of People Living With The Disease Are Undiagnosed 
When was the last time you had your blood sugar checked? It might be worth looking into, a new study says. Forty-four percent of people age 15 and older living with diabetes are undiagnosed, so they don’t know they have it, according to data analysis published Monday in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. (Park, 9/8)

Stat: Life Expectancy: How Women Outliving Men Is Overlooked By Society
A century ago, there were less than two years between men’s and women’s life expectancies in the United States. Today, that gender gap has almost tripled, with men dying 5.3 years earlier than women in 2023. Yet despite the disparity, there’s no focused public health campaign to address men’s early deaths or much conversation about why this is happening. (Goldhill, 9/9)

The New York Times: Gunman In Manhattan Shooting Claimed To Have CTE. How Do Doctors Search For It? 
In July, a gunman in Midtown Manhattan left a note that referred to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., a brain disease that can be diagnosed only after death. “Study my brain please,” the note said. The New York City medical examiner’s office is examining the shooter’s brain, a process that can take weeks, or months. A visit to the Neuropathology Brain Bank at Mount Sinai in New York City reveals the many steps required to prepare brain tissue for analysis and diagnosis. (Corum, 9/4)

The New York Times: Do You See The Same Colors That I Do?
After decades of brain research, scientists still aren’t sure whether most people see the same way, more or less — especially with colors. Is what I call red also red for you? Or could my red be your blue? Or maybe neon pink? If it were possible to project what I see directly into your mind, would the view be the same, or would it instead resemble a crazy-hued Andy Warhol painting? (Chang, 9/8)

CIDRAP: Amid COVID Pandemic, Toddlers Showed Resilience, Less Bad Behavior, Researchers Say
A study today in JAMA Network Open involving nearly 3,500 US toddlers suggests that they had fewer parent-reported behavioral problems amid than before the COVID-19 pandemic. New York University (NYU)–led researchers parsed data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) cohort from nine sites from September 2009 to July 2023. Parents completed the 99-item Preschool Child Behavior Checklist, which asks about child anxiety, sadness, and aggression. (Van Beusekom, 9/5)

In obituaries —

The New York Times: Michael Seltzer, Who Raised Millions To Fight AIDS, Dies At 78
Michael Seltzer, whose bedside vigil for a friend who was dying of AIDS transformed him into a prodigious fund-raiser who rallied individuals, foundations and corporations to support the prevention and treatment of the disease in the 1980s, when it was largely neglected at all levels of government, died on July 31 at his summer home on Governor Island, near Branford, Conn. He was 78. His husband, Ralph Tachuk, said the cause was cardiac arrest. His death was not widely reported at the time. (Roberts, 9/8)

The New York Times: States Heading Toward Constitutional Showdown Over Abortion Shield Laws
On Monday, the attorney general of New York, Letitia James, announced that she was stepping into a case filed in New York by the attorney general of Texas, Ken Paxton. The case stems from a lawsuit Mr. Paxton filed in December against a New York doctor, whom he accused of prescribing abortion pills to a patient in Texas. In court documents, Mr. Paxton argues that New York’s abortion shield law amounts to a “policy of hostility to the public acts/statutes of a sister state” and that it violates the Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause, which says that states should generally respect other states’ laws. (Belluck, 9/8)

Louisiana Illuminator: Louisiana Has Not Monitored Public Funds Given To Anti-Abortion Pregnancy Centers
Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration has failed to regulate or provide oversight of public money given to anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers over the past year, as required by state law. The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services did not monitor how state dollars were spent at pregnancy centers, create regulations for how they can use that money or track whether the centers met the goals of their state contracts, according to a report the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office released Monday. Those benchmarks were expected to be met under a 2024 state law. (O'Donoghue, 9/9)

Houston Public Media: Houston-Area Midwife Facing 15 Count Indictment Over Abortion Accusations 
A Houston-area midwife has been indicted on 15 felony charges stemming from allegations that she performed illegal abortions and operated local health clinics without licenses. Maria Margarita Rojas, in March, became the first person arrested under the state’s near-total abortion ban. Days later, a Texas judge issued a temporary restraining order preventing Maternal and Child Healthcare and Research Center, Clinicas Latinoamericanas, and Houston Birth House from providing any medical services or abortions. (Grunau, 9/8)

More health news from across the U.S. —

Wyoming Public Radio: West Nile Virus On The Rise In Wyoming 
The Wyoming Department of Health (WDH) says West Nile Virus cases are on the rise. As of September 4, 11 have been reported statewide. There’s been one death and six people were severely sick. (Kudelska, 9/8)

CIDRAP: South Carolina, Utah Report Measles In Unvaccinated Residents
Both South Carolina and Utah confirmed new measles cases in unvaccinated residents. South Carolina officials said this is the state’s third measles case this year, and the patient, who lives in the Upstate region, was unvaccinated and had no prior immunity from measles exposure. (Soucheray, 9/8)

AP: Invasive, Disease-Carrying Tick Found In Maine
Researchers have confirmed the presence of an invasive species of tick in Maine for the first time, marking the farthest northeast in the United States the pest has been discovered. The University of Maine and state conservation officials said Monday they confirmed the presence of the Asian longhorned tick in the state in July. The tick is native to east Asia, where it is capable of spreading tickborne infections such as spotted fever. (Whittle, 9/8)

CBS News: Chagas Disease, Or Deadly "Kissing Bug" Disease, Has Spread In The U.S. Here's What To Know
Chagas disease, a potentially deadly condition caused by an infected triatomine insect or "kissing bug," may be becoming endemic in the United States, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. In the report, which was originally published last month for the September issue of the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, the authors said the disease is already endemic to 21 countries in the Americas, and growing evidence of the parasite is challenging the non-endemic label in the U.S. (Moniuszko, 9/8)

KFF Health News: In The Fallout From Trump’s Health Funding Cuts, States Face Tough Budget Decisions
Patients begin lining up before dawn at Operation Border Health, an annual five-day health clinic in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Many residents in this predominantly Latino and Hispanic region spanning the Mexican border lack insurance, making the health fair a major source of free medical care in South Texas for more than 25 years. Until this year. The Trump administration’s plan to strip more than $550 million in federal public health and pandemic funds from Texas helped prompt cancellation of the event just before its scheduled July 21 start. (Armour and Mai-Duc and Whitehead and Zionts, 9/9)

Stat: FDA Expands Access To Gene-Edited Pig Organ Transplants 
Bill Stewart is the most recent recipient of a pig kidney — but chances are, he won’t hold that distinction for long. On Monday, eGenesis, a Cambridge-based biotechnology company, announced that it had been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to begin a trial of kidneys from donor pigs that have been CRISPR’d to make their organs more human-friendly.(Boodman and Molteni, 9/8)

In other pharma and tech news —

The Wall Street Journal: Novartis Agrees To Buy Tourmaline Bio In $1.4 Billion-Dollar Deal
Novartis agreed to buy New York-based Tourmaline Bio in a roughly $1.4 billion-dollar deal that boosts its cardiovascular drug pipeline with access to the targeted therapy drug pacibekitug. The Swiss pharmaceutical company said Tuesday that it would offer Tourmaline Bio shareholders $48 a share, valuing the company at approximately $1.4 billion on a fully diluted basis. Tourmaline’s board has approved the deal. (Whittaker, 9/9)

Stat: Summit Therapeutics Hits Possible Snag On Lung Cancer Drug Seen As Blockbuster
Summit Therapeutics may have a geography problem with its lung cancer drug ivonescimab. In a study update reported Sunday, patients from North America and Europe treated with the drug saw their lung cancer return and progress faster than patients from China — a discordant result that could complicate Summit’s plans to secure approval of ivonescimab in the U.S. and Europe. (Feuerstein, 9/7)

Newsweek: Russia Cancer Vaccine: What To Know About Enteromix Claims
Russia has reported that its cancer vaccine "Enteromix" has completed preclinical trials—demonstrating both safety and high efficacy. Veronika Skvortsova, head of the Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA), made the announcement on Saturday at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, according to a report by Russian news agency TASS. (Millington, 9/8)

Medical Xpress: Squishy 'Smart Cartilage' Could Target Arthritis Pain As Soon As Flareups Begin
Researchers have developed a material that can sense tiny changes within the body, such as during an arthritis flareup, and release drugs exactly where and when they are needed. The squishy material can be loaded with anti-inflammatory drugs that are released in response to small changes in pH in the body. During an arthritis flareup, a joint becomes inflamed and slightly more acidic than the surrounding tissue. (University of Cambridge, 9/8)

Phys.org: Scientists Harness The Power Of Collapsing Bubbles To Propel Tiny Robots
A team of scientists from China and the U.S. is pioneering the development of bubble-powered robots, which could one day replace needles for painless drug delivery into the body. Inspired by nature, the researchers developed a new technique that harnesses the energy released by a collapsing bubble in a liquid, a process known as cavitation. (Arnold, 9/8)

The New York Times: You Might Have Already Fallen For MAHA's Conspiracy Theories
How does someone become an anti-vaxxer or come to believe that chemotherapy is more dangerous than cancer? It can begin with what seems like a harmless health tip: Cut seed oils or artificial food dyes from your diet. From there, the road can get treacherous. It’s paved with good intentions, surrounded by misinformation and filled with influencers who say they just want to make you, and America, healthy again. (Alexander Stockton and Derek Beres, 9/9)

The Washington Post: How States Can Protect Vaccine Access From RFK Jr. 
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made it abundantly clear since becoming health and human services secretary that his assurances to Congress cannot be trusted. Again and again, he has implemented policies straight from the anti-vaccine playbook, directly contradicting promises he made during his confirmation hearings. (Leana S. Wen, 9/9)

Stat: The Coming Red-State Blue-State Divide On Vaccine Requirements 
On Sept. 3, Florida became the first state in the nation to announce its intention to eliminate school vaccination requirements. The consequences for children, teachers, and families are immediate, widespread, and potentially devastating. But the even larger threat is national. We’re worried that our states could be next. (Phil Huang and Mysheika Roberts, 9/9)

The Baltimore Sun: Public Health's Worst Ailment: RFK Jr.
Americans are not chumps. They can usually tell the difference between health care guidance offered by well-informed medical practitioners and the ravings of conspiracy theorists. The latest evidence of this? Polling by The Economist and YouGov found that just 26% would trust Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for medical advice compared with 48% who distrust him. Oh, and what percentage trust their own doctors? That would be a whopping 79% of respondents. Hooray for family physicians. (Peter Jensen, 9/8)

Bloomberg: RFK Jr.’s CDC Plans Should Alarm Congress And The Public 
[Susan] Monarez’s departure from the CDC highlights a dilemma that any successor will face: Under Kennedy, no serious scientist can hold the job. The risk this vacuum of expertise could pose to Americans’ health and safety is significant. (9/9)

Stat: AI Must Change The Very Architecture Of Medicine 
“My watch saved my life.” Liam — not his real name — is a 75-year-old retired teacher in Boston. Two years ago, his son-in-law gave him an Apple Watch. Soon after, it began flagging something strange: possible atrial fibrillation. His cardiologist glanced at the alerts Liam presented, referred to an older EKG, and dismissed the idea. (Charlotte Blease, 9/9)