AP: Iowa GOP Passes A Bill Banning Most Abortions After About 6 Weeks
Iowa’s Republican-led Legislature passed a bill banning most abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy during a marathon special session Tuesday that continued late into the night. Gov. Kim Reynolds immediately said in a statement she would sign the bill on Friday. ... Just after 11 p.m., lingering protesters in the gallery booed and yelled “shame” to state senators in the minutes after the bill was approved. (Fingerhut, 7/11)

Abortion news from Idaho, Indiana, and Oregon —

KFF Health News: Groups Sue To Overturn Idaho ‘Abortion Trafficking’ Law Targeting Teens
Advocates who counsel and aid Idaho teenagers seeking abortion care filed suit Tuesday against Republican Attorney General Raúl Labrador in a bid to overturn the state’s abortion travel ban. The travel ban, which took effect May 5, created the crime of “abortion trafficking,” punishable by a minimum of two years in prison. It forbids helping a person under 18 years old obtain abortion pills or leave the state for abortion care without parental permission. (Varney, 7/11)

Indianapolis Star: As Indiana Abortion Ban Nears, Planned Parenthood Out Of Appointments
All Planned Parenthood clinics in Indiana are out of appointments for abortion services for the next three weeks, right until the state's near total abortion ban takes effect. This news comes just after the Indiana Supreme Court announced on June 30 that it would vacate an injunction on the state's near total abortion ban, allowing it to take effect as soon the decision is certified. That's likely on or near Aug. 1. (Basile, 7/11)

Axios: Abortions Rise In Oregon After Fall Of Roe V. Wade 
Abortion rates in Oregon have increased since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade's federal abortion protections last year led patients in states where the procedure is restricted to seek care here. Oregon created a $15 million fund last year to expand abortion services across the state, while also funneling money into nonprofit abortion funds like the Northwest Abortion Access Fund, which helps people pay for the procedure and travel. (Gebel and Gonzalez, 7/11)

The Washington Post: U.N.: Black Maternal Health In Crisis Across Hemisphere, Not Just In U.S.
Black women in the Americas bear a heavier burden of maternal mortality than their peers, but according to a report released Wednesday by the United Nations, the gap between who lives and who dies is especially wide in the world’s richest nation — the United States. Of the region’s 35 countries, only four publish comparable maternal mortality data by race, according to the report, which analyzed the maternal health of women and girls of African descent in the Americas: Brazil, Colombia, Suriname and the United States. And while the United States had the lowest overall maternal mortality rate among those four nations, the report said Black women and girls were three times more likely than their U.S. peers to die while giving birth or in the six weeks afterward. (Johnson, 7/12)

In other reproductive health news —

KFF Health News: With More People Giving Birth At Home, Montana Passed A Pair Of Laws To Make It Easier
Ashley Jones’ three children were born in three different places — a hospital, a birth center, and at home. Jones, who is 31 and lives in Belgrade, Montana, said she had “zero control over what was going on” during her hospital birth. Jones wanted a midwife to help deliver her third child, and after finding one she clicked with, she decided to go with a home birth. “I felt like I was in control of everything and she was there to listen to what I needed from her,” Jones said. (Larson, 7/12)

Axios: Health Tech Startup Mahmee Tackles Gaps In Pregnancy Care
Mahmee, a maternal health startup first formed in 2014, recently rolled out a new pregnancy care membership program in an effort to lower the U.S.' maternal mortality rate outside the traditional medical setting. Mahmee offers wraparound services for people navigating pregnancy and childbirth and has served over 20,000 people, according to Amanda Williams, Mahmee's medical director who is also an adviser to the Stanford-based California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative. (Chen, 7/11)

Fox News: AI Babies: New Technology Is Helping Fertility Docs Choose The Best Embryos For IVF 
It’s been shown to detect cancer, pinpoint cavities and answer medical questions — and now, artificial intelligence may help fertility doctors select the ideal embryo for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). With one in every five U.S. adult married women unable to get pregnant after a year of trying, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), many turn to IVF for help. The fertility treatment is responsible for between 1% and 2% of all births in the country. (Rudy, 7/12)

Stat: A New Study Sees Potential In DNA Sequencing Of Infants
There’s growing evidence that DNA sequencing can help diagnose the health care system’s youngest patients — babies in their first year of life. But a new report resurfaces a thorny challenge in researchers’ quest to turn long strings of A’s, T’s, G’s, and C’s into information doctors and patients can use: Reading the genome is one challenge, interpreting it is another. (Wosen, 7/11)

On child care and paid family leave —

Reuters: VP Kamala Harris Unveils Proposed Rule Change To Cut US Childcare Costs
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday announced new steps to lower the cost of childcare for American families with a proposal that would cap co-payments under a block grant program that serves 1.5 million children and their families each month. "This is a critical issue for almost every family in our country," Harris told reporters. "Low-income families often spend one-third, one-third of their yearly income on childcare, more than they spend on their rent or mortgage." (7/11)

AP: Workers In Maine Will Get Paid Family And Medical Leave Starting In 2026 
Most Maine workers will get up to 12 weeks of paid time off for family or medical reasons as part of a supplemental budget Democratic Gov. Janet Mills signed into law on Tuesday. The spending bill included $25 million in startup costs for the state program which allows workers — starting in 2026 — to receive paid leave to deal with illness, to care for a relative, or for the birth of a child. (Sharp, 7/11)

CIDRAP: Senate Hearing Highlights Superbug Threats, Solutions 
A panel of experts in infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and drug development [Tuesday] urged US lawmakers to support legislation that could help revitalize the antibiotic development pipeline. At a hearing held by a subcommittee of the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, the experts spoke about the rising threat AMR poses to public health and modern medicine and the role that infection prevention, antibiotic stewardship, diagnostics, and a bolstered infectious disease workforce can play in addressing the problem. (Dall, 7/11)

Stat: Superbugs, Antibiotic Resistance Get Scrutiny In Congress
Melanie Lawrence doesn’t think she’ll live long enough to see her son graduate college. Lawrence, a patient with cystic fibrosis from Massachusetts, has been on antibiotics almost her whole life. Throughout her childhood and early teenage years, the antibiotics were “highly effective,” but with Lawrence now in her 40s, “the bacteria in my lungs are resistant to nearly all antibiotics,” she told the Senate HELP subcommittee on primary health & retirement security at a hearing on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Tuesday. (Bajaj, 7/11)

In related news about antibiotic resistance —

CIDRAP: Inappropriate Dental Antibiotics Cost US Healthcare System Millions, Study Finds 
Inappropriate dental antibiotic prescriptions to prevent infective endocarditis cost the US healthcare system nearly $31 million a year, according to a modeling study published today on Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. (Dall, 7/10)

CIDRAP: Pharmacist Review Identifies Improper Antibiotic Prescriptions
A pilot study conducted at an academic medical center highlights the benefits of direct review of antibiotic prescriptions by pharmacists, researchers reported today in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. (Dall, 7/10)

Updates from HHS and NIH —

Roll Call: HHS Proposes Expanding Nondiscrimination Protections 
The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed expanding nondiscrimination protections related to sexual orientation and gender identity to some federal grant programs providing human services. While most of the Department of Health and Human Services's purview covers health care, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the National Institutes of Health, those health programs and services, said Melanie Fontes Rainer, the director of HHS' Office of Civil Rights, are covered under a provision of the 2010 health law preventing discrimination based on factors like sex, race and national origin. The new rule would focus on human services, such as some of the HHS programs covered by the Administration for Children and Families including Head Start and services provided to homeless individuals, refugees and those experiencing substance use or mental health disorders. (Raman, 7/11)

Politico: Bernie Sanders Is Personally Stopping Biden’s NIH Nominee — And He’s Not Budging 
Monica Bertagnolli’s candidacy is stalled indefinitely, caught up in a standoff between the administration and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over Biden’s drug pricing agenda. It’s a process that’s become so unexpectedly drawn out and uncomfortable for Bertagnolli that her allies privately question at what point it’s no longer worth the hassle. In addition to juggling full-time duties at NCI and her candidacy to run NIH, Bertagnolli recently underwent treatment for her own breast cancer diagnosis. (Cancryn, 7/11)

CBS News: Deer Spread COVID To Humans Multiple Times, New Research Suggests
Americans have transmitted COVID-19 to wild deer hundreds of times, an analysis of thousands of samples collected from the animals suggests, and people have also caught and spread mutated variants from deer at least three times. The analysis published Monday stems from the first year of a multiyear federal effort to study the virus as it has spread into American wildlife, spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, or APHIS. (Tin, 7/11)

CIDRAP: Report Details COVID-19 Spillover Events In White-Tailed Deer 
Of the 109 spillover events, 106 were within the same state, including 64 that were human-to-deer, 39 that were human-to-deer-to-deer, and 3 human-to-deer-to-human. (Soucheray, 7/11)

More on the spread of covid —

Bangor Daily News: Maine Eyes End To COVID-19 Vaccinate Mandate For Health Workers
Health care workers would no longer need to receive the COVID-19 vaccine under a proposed change from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. The department filed a proposed rule change Tuesday with the secretary of state’s office that would remove the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of required immunizations for workers in health care facilities. (Kobin, 7/11)

On the origins of covid —

Science: Politicians, Scientists Spar Over Alleged NIH Cover-Up Using COVID-19 Origin Paper 
Two scientists who are coauthors of a 3-year-old article on the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic faced down Republican lawmakers today in what might be the most in-depth discussion ever of a scientific paper in the halls of the U.S. Congress. At a House subcommittee hearing, the Republicans asserted that top officials at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) prompted the researchers to write the paper to try and “kill” the theory that SARS-CoV-2 leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, China. (Cohen, 7/11)

CNN: Scientists At House Hearing Refute Claims They Were Bribed And Influenced To Deny Covid-19 ‘Lab Leak’ Theory
Democrats on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic said they aimed to use a hearing Tuesday to set the record straight on Republicans’ claims that Drs. Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins steered scientists investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic away from the idea that the virus was created in a lab in Wuhan, China. (Goodman, 7/11)

The Wall Street Journal: CVS Caremark Delays Block Customers From Their Prescriptions 
Patients whose drug benefits are covered by CVS’s Caremark business couldn’t get their prescriptions processed for many hours starting Monday morning, leaving some stranded without medications. The CVS Health unit, which is the biggest U.S. drug-benefit manager and handles the prescriptions of millions of Americans, said in a letter sent to pharmacists Monday that it was experiencing an “unexpected system slowdown.” (Mathews, 7/11)

On drug shortages —

The Wall Street Journal: America Has Shortage Of Key Lead-Poisoning Drug 
Supplies are running out for a key antidote for life-threatening lead poisoning. The drug, named dimercaprol, has been a go-to treatment for years for the worst cases of lead poisoning. But doctors have had to scrounge for dwindling doses since the medicine’s sole manufacturer for the U.S. declared bankruptcy in February. Now that some parts of the country don’t have any supplies left, doctors have been forced to turn to other, less preferred treatments. (Whyte, 7/11)

Stat: Break The Logjam: Economists Pitch Plan To Curb Dire Drug Shortages
There are alarmingly frequent reports of shortages of vitally needed medicines. From tablets to treat ADHD and severe pain to injectable treatments for syphilis and various cancers, the U.S. has been facing a number of serious shortages recently. And this was before a U.S. Senate report found the number of active shortages reached a peak at 295 at the end of 2022. The reasons can vary, from quality control failures at manufacturing plants to surging demand, including significant interest that has at times squelched availability of drugs taken for weight loss. (Silverman, 7/12)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Reuters: Exclusive: Most Patients Using Weight-Loss Drugs Like Wegovy Stop Within A Year, Data Show 
Only about one-third of patients prescribed a popular weight-loss drug like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy were still taking it a year later, while total healthcare costs for the group rose sharply, according to an analysis of U.S. pharmacy claims shared with Reuters. The annual cost of overall care for patients prior to taking Wegovy or a similar drug was $12,371, on average, according to the analysis. The full-year cost after starting the medication jumped by 59% to $19,657, on average. (Terhune, 7/11)

Stat: How Are Insurers Handling Leqembi And Related Scans?
A week after the Food and Drug Administration granted full, traditional approval to a new Alzheimer’s treatment, insurers are finalizing their plans to cover it as well as associated scans and diagnostic tests. Medicare will cover most patients eligible for Leqembi, a new treatment developed by Eisai and Biogen to help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug, which has modest benefits, has potentially serious side effects for some patients including brain swelling and bleeding. (Cohrs, 7/12)

In updates on the Theranos scandal —

The Washington Post: Elizabeth Holmes Projected To Be Released In 9 Years Instead Of 11 
Elizabeth Holmes is now projected to leave prison two years earlier than the 11-year sentence assigned her, federal prison records show. The disgraced Theranos founder is set to be freed Dec. 29, 2032, according to her profile on the Bureau of Prisons website. Abraham Simmons, a Justice Department spokesman, said Holmes’s sentence has not changed. He said a prisoner’s release date “almost certainly” will reflect good conduct and recidivism-reduction programs that inmates can use to reduce their time in prison. (Gregg and Mark, 7/11)

Axios: Campaign Aims To Create "World’s Largest Library" Of Diverse Medical Illustrations
Chidiebere Ibe, whose illustration of a Black fetus went viral a year and a half ago, is helping launch a campaign to diversify images used in medical textbooks and diagnosis manuals. The scarcity of such illustrations is an example of — and can lead to — racial inequities in health care. (Franco, 7/11)

Axios: Health Care's Cyber Defenses Fall Short
A massive data breach affecting 11 million HCA Healthcare patients provided a stark reminder this week of how often the defenses of America's largest health care organizations are hacked. The hospital industry keeps sensitive personal data that is among the highest value assets on the black market — and experts predict further attacks will get harder to thwart. (Reed, 7/12)

USA Today: Best US Hospitals: Why Experts Say Patients Need Health Rankings
Researchers and patient advocates say the U.S. health care system is complex and hospital rankings will always fall short. They argue, however, transparency is important for patients to make informed decisions and for providers to improve quality. And, there’s not really a better alternative, said Michael Millenson, an expert on quality care and patient safety. (Rodriguez, 7/12)

Modern Healthcare: Digital Health Funding Down, But At-Home Care Still Hot: Report
Digital health companies are pulling in less funding, though sectors such as at-home care and generative artificial intelligence are still attracting investors. The average deal size in the first half of the year dropped to $24.8 million, a $1.7 million decrease from the 2022 average, according to data from Rock Health, a research and digital health venture firm. About 41% of the deals were not publicly classified with a series or round label, possibly signifying valuation shortfalls or declines in investments from prior rounds. (Turner, 7/11)

Also —

Philadelphia Inquirer: Nurse Staffing Minimum Bill Gains Support From Penn Medicine CEO
Penn Medicine CEO Kevin Mahoney supports a bill that would impose nurse staffing minimums on Pennsylvania hospitals, while nurse leaders of nearly every other health system in the Philadelphia area have signed a letter in opposition. (Gutman, 7/11)

Philadelphia Inquirer: Cancer Center In Camden Expands With Help From Cooper, Rowan And Coriell
A new cancer research center in Camden aims to bolster South Jersey’s research profile by pooling resources from three leading local health institutions. The Camden Cancer Research Center is a $30-million collaboration between the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, and Cooper University Health Care. (Cooper’s health system is also home to a MD Anderson Cancer Center.) (Ke Li, 7/12)

Modern Healthcare: UVA Health-Riverside Health Partnership Expands Statewide Reach
UVA Health on Tuesday announced a partnership with Riverside Health System, the latest move in the academic health system’s efforts to form a statewide network. Charlottesville, Virginia-based UVA Health will acquire a 5% ownership stake in Newport News, Virginia-based Riverside, which operates four acute-care hospitals and a behavioral health hospital, as well as a physical rehabilitation hospital and a critical illness recovery hospital in partnership with Select Medical. (Kacik, 7/11)

AP: North Carolina Medicaid Managed Care For People With Mental Illness And Disabilities Delayed Again 
North Carolina’s planned managed care program for Medicaid enrollees who also need services for behavioral health or intellectual or developmental disabilities is being delayed again by state officials. The start date for these “tailored plans” that will cover roughly 160,000 people had been last Dec. 1. The state Department of Health and Human Services then pushed back its implementation to April 1, then to this coming Oct. 1. (7/11)

AP: Mississippi Removes Thousands Of People From Medicaid As It Examines Post-Pandemic Eligibility
Mississippi has removed more than 29,000 people from Medicaid as the program starts reviewing who is eligible to keep coverage now that the federal government has ended a pandemic public health emergency. That is just over 3% of people who were enrolled in the state’s program in June. The Mississippi Division of Medicaid said in a statement Monday that it expects enrollment to further decrease in the coming months as officials continue reviewing eligibility. (Pettus, 7/11)

The CT Mirror: Medicaid Is 'Unwinding' In CT, But Most Residents Still Have Coverage
Three months after the end of a pandemic policy that prevented states from kicking people off Medicaid, most Connecticut enrollees still qualify for coverage. During the public health emergency, the federal government allowed people to stay on Medicaid, even if their income rose above the eligibility limits. On March 31, that measure came to an end, and the 12-month process of “unwinding” began. During unwinding, the state is reassessing eligibility for broad swaths of Medicaid enrollees for the first time in three years. Nearly 75% of the roughly 274,000 residents who went through unwinding in April, May and June kept their Medicaid coverage, according to data submitted by the Department of Social Services to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Golvala, 7/12)

News Service of Florida: A Legal Fight Related To Medicaid Providers And Wages Is Dropped
Industry groups and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration have agreed to end a legal fight about part of last year’s state budget that could have opened Medicaid providers to litigation if they didn’t pay a $15 minimum wage to “direct care” workers. Attorneys for the Florida Ambulance Association, Florida Assisted Living Association, two other plaintiffs and AHCA last week filed a joint motion in Leon County circuit court to dismiss the case. The motion said a new state budget that took effect July 1 did not include the disputed issue. (7/11)

On marijuana use in North Carolina and Montana —

AP: North Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Likely Dead For This Year, House Speaker Says
Legislation that would legalize marijuana use for medicinal purposes in North Carolina is probably dead for the rest of this year’s General Assembly session, House Speaker Tim Moore said Tuesday, citing opposition by many fellow Republicans in his chamber. A bill that would lay out the structure for patients with serious and life-ending illnesses to lawfully obtain cannabis and smoke or consume it passed the Senate by a wide margin over four months ago. But it has idled in the House ever since, save for a committee hearing on the measure in early June. (7/11)

Billings Gazette: Montana To Crack Down On Synthetic Marijuana
Montana will soon crack down on synthetic marijuana and intoxicating hemp products that have proliferated through regulatory loopholes despite concerns they pose a health risk to children. The Cannabis Control Division, the marijuana regulatory arm of the Montana Department of Revenue, said Tuesday eradicating synthetic products will be the "biggest lift" for the agency between now and the 2025 Legislature. (Larson, 7/11)

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

WLRN: Lawmakers Rejected Proposal To Create Free Skin Cancer Screenings In Florida
With the number of melanoma deaths expected to rise in 2023, state lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill to make test screenings free. But the bill, which would’ve required insurers to fully cover annual screenings, died in the Florida Senate. Having passed in the House of Representatives, it was referred to a committee, where it failed. (Herrera, 7/11)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Group That Monitors St. Louis-Area Nursing Homes Pushes Back On Budget Veto
A funding increase for a group that monitors St. Louis-area nursing homes was among the items recently vetoed from the state’s annual budget. VOYCE, the Marlborough-based nonprofit that serves as the long-term care ombudsman program locally, said Friday the additional funding would have allowed it to send more staff and volunteers into the hundreds of facilities to speak with residents, educate staff and try to catch problems before they become serious. The line-item veto was part of more than $550 million in cuts Missouri Gov. Mike Parson made to the state’s $50 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. His move brought the $2.3 million allocation down to $150,000. (Merrilees and Erickson, 7/11)

AP: Oregon County Pauses Plan To Distribute Tin Foil, Straws For Fentanyl Users 
A plan by Oregon’s largest county to distribute tin foil and straws for fentanyl users and glass pipes for methamphetamine and crack users has been halted after opposition from Portland’s mayor and other officials. “Our health department went forward with this proposal without proper implementation protocols,” Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said in a statement to KGW-TV. “And in that light, I am suspending the program pending further analysis.” (7/11)

Detroit Free Press: New Law Gives Michigan DNR Officers Authority To Intervene During Mental Health Crises
Conservation officers who work for Michigan's Department of Natural Resources can now intervene to take individuals experiencing a mental health crisis into protective custody. Leaders with the department say such occurrences have become more frequent. (Hendrickson, 7/11)

Also —

Houston Chronicle: Food Not Bombs Fined More Than $10K For Feeding Houston's Homeless
Ben Craft’s sedan pulled up to the Downtown Public Library on a recent Monday evening, packed with pasta and serving supplies. Craft was on his way to pass out fresh, vegetarian meals to those in need, something volunteers have done there for nearly two decades, four days a week. People had already formed a line down the block, which faced the same park as City Hall, when he arrived. (Schuetz, 7/11)

CBS News: Restaurants Charging Extra For Water, Bread And Workers' Health Plan
A Los Angeles restaurant has come under fire after a prominent podcaster took issue with an unfamiliar surcharge on his guest check: an extra 4% fee automatically added to the bill to help fund the workers' health insurance. (Cerullo, 7/12)

The Wall Street Journal: NYC To Consider Indoor Air Quality Regulations Following Covid-19 And Summer’s Smoky Haze
New York City officials are set to propose indoor air quality regulations, legislation that has been in the works for nearly a year but found new urgency after heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires shrouded the skies along the East Coast. If adopted, two bills lawmakers are bringing forward Thursday would require the city to create standards to measure, monitor, report and enforce air quality inside schools and municipal buildings. Officials would have 18 months to craft such standards, which would be more detailed than current city building and health codes, proponents say. (Ailworth, 7/12)

In other environmental health news —

The Washington Post: First Major Saharan Dust Event Reaches Florida. What It Means
Like the wildfire smoke across North America of late, the fine particles contained in Saharan dust can be harmful to breathe in large quantities, especially for those with respiratory issues and nearer the source. (Livingston, 7/11)

The New York Times: Phoenix Heat Becomes A Brutal Test Of Endurance 
In triple-digit heat, monkey bars singe children’s hands, water bottles warp and seatbelts feel like hot irons. Devoted runners strap on headlamps to go jogging at 4 a.m., when it is still only 90 degrees, come home drenched in sweat and promptly roll down the sun shutters. Neighborhoods feel like ghost towns at midday, with rumbling rooftop air-conditioners offering the only sign of life. (Healy, 7/11)

WJCT News: Splash Pads Could Expose Children To Bacteria, A Jacksonville Doctor Warns
Splash pad visits might provide some relief from sweltering heat, but they could also be exposing children to bacteria that could make them sick. Dr. Pauline Rolle, medical director of Jacksonville Pediatrics and Southeast Georgia Primary Care for Ascension Medical Group, said parents should be careful when taking their kids to splash pads. “They're not always as sanitary as we would like them to be,” Rolle said. “I can't speak to Jacksonville in particular, but as a whole across the United States, they're typically not regulated very well and are not always required to have disinfectant.” (Pantano, 7/11)

Los Angeles Times: Newsom Launches $20-Million Campaign On The Dangers Of Extreme Heat 
As California braces for its most intense and prolonged heat wave of the year, state officials are investing in new methods to warn residents of the dangers of soaring temperatures. Extreme heat is among the deadliest of all weather-related events, with the National Weather Service recording more heat-related fatalities than deaths from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and other climate hazards in 2022. (Smith, 7/11)

USA Today: Mosquito-Borne West Nile Virus Detected In Ohio. What To Know
A mosquito sample collected in Cincinnati, Ohio has tested positive for the West Nile virus, the Cincinnati Health Department reported Monday. The department collected the sample during routine, ongoing "surveillance" to find mosquito-borne diseases in the Cincinnati area, located near the Ohio River, according to a news release. (Sutherland, 7/11)

Also —

USA Today: PFAS In US Drinking Water: Filtration Systems 'Band-Aid' To Problem
Consumer-available water filtration systems that everyday people can use to rid PFAS from tap water are the center of a new study from the nonprofit activist group Environmental Working Group. Scientists from the group researched the effectiveness of several filtration systems available to consumers across the U.S., and determined that they can serve as a "band-aid" to the problem until a longer-term solution comes to form, said Sydney Evans, a senior science analyst at the Environmental Working Group who has led many types of PFAS testing nationwide. (Jimenez, 7/12)

NBC News: Black Men Are At An Increased Risk For Melanoma, Study Finds
Black men are at a higher risk of death from melanoma than other racial groups, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD). Across 205,125 cases of male patients diagnosed with cutaneous invasive melanoma from 2004 to 2018 tracked by the National Cancer Database, the five-year survival rate was the lowest for Black men at 51.7%. The rate of survival was the highest for white men, at 75.1%, compared to the other racial groups in the study. (Bellamy, 7/11)

On discrimination and health —

USA Today: Racism Has 'Huge' Implications For Childhood Obesity, Study Finds
Racism contributes to childhood obesity, according to a new study that found children as young as 9 were more likely to meet the definition of obesity if they faced racism a year earlier. While the link between racism and obesity has long been assumed, this was a clear confirmation in young children, said co-author Adolfo Cuevas, an expert on racism and health at the NYU School of Global Public Health. (Weintraub, 7/11)

Bloomberg: US Veterans In ‘Redlined’ Areas Face Greater Heart Death Risks, Study Shows
US military veterans living in areas with a history of economic discrimination face an increased risk of death, according to a study that adds to the evidence of social factors’ impact on health. (Webb Carey, 7/11)

In other health and wellness news —

KFF Health News: Excessive Drinking During The Pandemic Increased Alcoholic Liver Disease Death Rates 
Excessive drinking during the covid-19 pandemic increased alcoholic liver disease deaths so much that the condition killed more Californians than car accidents or breast cancer, a KFF Health News analysis has found. Lockdowns made people feel isolated, depressed, and anxious, leading some to increase their alcohol intake. Alcohol sales rose during the pandemic, with especially large jumps in the consumption of spirits. (Reese, 7/12)

CNN: A Little Exercise Counters Depression In People With Chronic Conditions, Study Finds
As little as 20 minutes of moderate activity a day for five days a week can significantly lower the risk of depressive symptoms for people over 50 who have conditions often linked to depression, such as diabetes, heart disease and chronic pain, a new study found. People without chronic disease in the study, however, needed to do moderate to vigorous exercise two hours a day to see improvement in depressive symptoms, according to lead study author Eamon Laird, a researcher at the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Limerick in Ireland. (LaMotte, 7/10)

The 19th: Disability Rights Advocate Eleanor Smith Aims To Make All New Homes Visitable
At 80, longtime disability rights advocate Eleanor Smith is still pushing to enact change. Since the late 1980s, Smith has been advocating to make new homes more accessible for people who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. The idea was born from the profound isolation experienced by Smith, who got polio as a child and was unable to easily visit many other people’s homes because they were not wheelchair accessible. (Luterman, 7/11)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
This week on the KFF Health News Minute: A proposed rule change to telehealth prescriptions worries some rural Americans, and a look at racial inequities in medical bill crowdfunding campaigns. (7/11)

Stat: One Year Into 988 Hotline, Staff Push For Fixes To System
One year after 988 launched as the new number for the national U.S. mental health hotline, the people behind the system say they’re still working out some kinks. In an ideal world, for example, a caller in New York looking to talk would be routed to a New York call center, so that hotline workers could direct them to the most relevant information on local resources. But right now, calls are routed to the system by area code — meaning someone based in New York, but whose phone has a Massachusetts area code, will be routed to a Massachusetts call center. (Gaffney, 7/12)

If you are in need of help —

Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

Reuters: Indian Drugs Regulators Took Action Against 105 Pharma Firms, Minister Says
Indian drugs regulators have taken action against 105 pharmaceutical companies after a risk-based inspection and audit of manufacturing plants, the health minister said on Tuesday. The action by national and state regulators comes after Indian-made cough syrups were linked to the deaths of dozens of children overseas. The minister said production has been stopped at 31 companies while product license cancellations or suspensions have been issued against a further 50 companies. (7/11)

ScienceDaily: Triple Combination Therapy Brings Lasting Improvement In Cystic Fibrosis
Two years ago, a research group headed by Charité showed that combination therapy involving three drugs -- elexacaftor, tezacaftor, and ivacaftor -- is effective in a large portion of patients with cystic fibrosis, a hereditary disease, meaning that the treatment noticeably improves both lung function and quality of life. (Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, 7/7)

Reuters: US FDA Classifies Recall Of J&J's Electrosurgical Tools As Most Serious
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday classified the recall of certain electrosurgery tools manufactured by a Johnson & Johnson unit (JNJ.N) as "most serious", saying their use could lead to injuries or death. The U.S. health regulator said it had received reports of pediatric and adult patients suffering burn injuries when the tools, sold under the brand names MEGA 2000 and MEGA SOFT Reusable Patient Return Electrodes, were used on them. (7/11)

FiercePharma: Takeda Yanks FDA Application For Dengue Vaccine Qdenga
U.S. travelers and healthcare providers looking for another—and potentially safer—dengue vaccine will have to keep waiting. (Liu, 7/11)

FiercePharma: ADC Pauses Zynlonta Study After 7 Patient Deaths
ADC Therapeutics has slammed the brakes on enrollment in a phase 2 combination trial for Zynlonta as it investigates seven patient deaths and five other severe respiratory events among patients who received the drug. (Becker, 7/11)

New England Journal of Medicine: A Phase 3, Randomized Trial Of Bulevirtide In Chronic Hepatitis D
Coinfection with hepatitis D virus (HDV) accelerates the progression of liver disease associated with chronic hepatitis B. Bulevirtide inhibits the entry of HDV into hepatocytes. (Wedemeyer, M.D., et al, 7/6)

The New York Times: This Drug Could Help Survivors Heal From Cults Like NXIVM
Psychedelic drugs like ketamine, which is already legal as an anesthetic, are promising new treatments for many psychiatric disorders, including addictions. But these medicines also carry significant risks. (Maia Szalavitz, 7/9)

The Star Tribune: Take Note, Seniors: RSV Vaccines Are Coming
In what health experts have described as a needed step forward in medicine, adults over 60 will be able to be vaccinated this fall against RSV, a virus that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates to cause between 60,000–160,000 hospitalizations and 6,000–10,000 deaths among older Americans per year through respiratory illness. (7/11)

NPR: New Malaria Vaccine Offers Ray Of Hope To Nigeria. There's Just One Thing 
On April 17, 2023, Nigeria approved a promising new malaria vaccine. It's called R21, and in early trials, up to 80% of kids who were vaccinated did not develop malaria. (Tolani Yesufu, 7/11)

Los Angeles Times: Pharmacies Selling Fentanyl-Laced Pills Are Deadly Tourist Traps In Mexico 
A warning appeared on Tripadvisor on May 25, 2020: “Cabo pharmacies selling fentanyl laced pills.” The person posting under the moniker Spreadingfacts wrote, “My brother passed away last year after buying pills at a pharmacy in Cabo.” Over several posts, the writer said their brother died after buying what he thought were Oxycontin pills. When his blood was tested it revealed the deadly presence of fentanyl. (Minerva Canto, 7/10)

Bloomberg: Alzheimer’s Drug Leqembi Gets FDA Nod But Hurdles Remain
Eisai Co. and Biogen Inc.’s Alzhiemer’s drug Leqembi has been granted full approval by the Food and Drug Administration, making it the first disease-slowing drug to secure that full blessing. (Lisa Jarvis, 7/7)

The Washington Post: After Trump Sabotaged Obamacare, Biden Limits Junk Insurance Again 
Slowly but surely, President Biden is repairing the U.S. health-care system, reversing Trump-era sabotage and ensuring millions more Americans get access to affordable coverage. (Catherine Rampell, 7/11)

Houston Chronicle: When Justice Means Treatment, Not Jail
An estimated 85 percent of the U.S. prison population either meets the criteria for a substance use disorder or was incarcerated for a drug crime. Without treatment, many of these individuals will continue a cycle of addiction and criminal activity. (Karen Freeman-Wilson, 7/12)

The Washington Post: The AI Revolution In Health Care Is Already Here 
To better understand how AI is used in medicine, I spoke with John Halamka, a physician trained in medical informatics who is president of Mayo Clinic Platform. As he explained to me, “AI is just the simulation of human intelligence via machines.” (Leana S. Wen, 7/11)

Stat: Sickle Cell Gene Therapy Cures Need To Be Accessible In Africa
The treatment of sickle cell disease is on the cusp of a historic breakthrough, with makers of two gene-based treatments for the debilitating blood disorder hoping for regulatory approval this year. But for those with sickle cell in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 60% of the 120 million people worldwide live with this disease, there is little cause to celebrate. A potential cure that could save them from severe illness and early death will exist — but its expected multimillion-dollar price tag will be far out of reach. (Jayasree K. Iyer, 7/12)

Stat: Pandemic And All Hazards Preparedness Act Needs Lean Update
In 2006, when many Americans had barely heard the word “coronavirus,” Congress passed the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA), a landmark, bipartisan legislative framework that has successfully steered our nation’s biosecurity policy ever since. Before and during the worst of Covid, PAHPA’s authorities and programs served as the backbone of the country’s public health response, enabling the acceleration of medical countermeasure development via public-private partnerships; a swift regulatory process to make tests, treatments, and vaccines available to Americans; and a strategic distribution and deployment of such medical products and supplies based on need. (Richard Burr and Julie L. Gerberding, 7/11)

Stat: The U.S. Needs A New Definition Of Substance Use “Recovery”
“When I use a word,” one of 19th century British author and mathematician Lewis Carroll’s characters once said, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” Though he was a formidable philosopher and logician, Carroll likely would be stymied by the circular logic that justifies the definition of “recovery” currently used to support critical federal substance use disorder programs and activities. For more than a decade, the federal government has been using an imprecise, nebulous, and informally developed “working definition” of “recovery” to support critical federal substance use disorder programs. Ultimately, that imprecise definition may undermine rather than advance important national substance use disorder treatment and policy goals. (Mitchell Berger, 7/11)

Stat: ARPA-H, The Heilmeier Questions, And How To Take Risks Wisely
Despite remarkable progress in health and medicine, biology’s final frontiers remain beyond our reach. Humanity has not yet cured Alzheimer’s or ended cancer, and was unable to prevent Covid-19 from growing into a pandemic. As physicians and scientists, we understand the frustration of patients who still feel left behind despite the marvels of modern medicine. And we wonder: What would it take to cure Alzheimer’s? End cancer? Prevent pandemics? (Janika Schmitt, Jacob Swett and Jassi Pannu, 7/10)