NPR: Fauci Warns Dangerous Delta Variant Is The Greatest Threat To U.S. COVID Efforts
The dangerous Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading so quickly in the United States that it's likely the mutant strain will become predominant in the nation within weeks, according to federal health officials and a new analysis. At a White House briefing on COVID-19 on Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said 20.6% of new cases in the U.S. are due to the Delta variant. And other scientists tracking the variant say it is on track to become the dominant virus variant in the U.S. "The Delta variant is currently the greatest threat in the U.S. to our attempt to eliminate COVID-19," Fauci said. (Stein, 6/22)

Fox News: Delta Coronavirus Variant Doubling Biweekly, Now 20% Of Samples, Fauci Says
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Tuesday that the highly transmissible Delta variant has climbed to now account for over 20% of sequenced samples. The variant, first detected in India and now found in over 80 countries, is becoming the dominant strain worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The B.1.617.2 strain spreads more readily than the B.1.1.7 Alpha variant and the wild-type virus, and has been linked to an increased hospitalization risk. (Rivas, 6/22)

CIDRAP: Delta And Gamma Variants Make Up Larger Share Of US COVID Cases
The Delta and Gamma variants (B1617.2 and P.1, respectively) are on track to surpass the Alpha variant (B117) in the United States, according to a study on the non–peer-reviewed medRxiv preprint server yesterday. The researchers looked at 243,769 positive COVID-19 samples collected from Jan 1 to Jun 15 and viral sequence data from 19,987. Distribution is not representative of the US population, they note; for instance, Florida had 25.7% of the samples. (6/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Delta Covid-19 Variant Could Be Dominant In U.S. In Two To Three Weeks, Study Says 
The highly transmissible Delta variant of the Covid-19 virus is spreading so rapidly in the U.S. that it could become the dominant strain in the next two to three weeks, researchers said, adding urgency to the nationwide vaccination drive. The Delta strain, which first emerged in India in late 2020 and is also known as B.1.617.2, will probably make up 50% of Covid-19 infections in the U.S. by early to mid-July, said William Lee, vice president of science at population genomics company Helix and an author of the new analysis. (McKay, 6/22)

States and cities urge caution against the delta variant —

Fox News: Colorado Says Delta Variant Accounts For 40% Of State's Cases
Health officials in Colorado have predicted that the Delta coronavirus variant is likely to become the dominant strain circulating in the state after seeing a steady increase in recent weeks. In a briefing held Monday, the state’s epidemiologist said the strain now accounts for 40% of the state’s cases, while nationwide it makes up about 20% of cases.  Dr. Rachel Herlihy said Colorado is second in the U.S. in terms of Delta cases, falling only behind Missouri. "We’ve seen that rise pretty rapidly in Colorado," Herlihy said. "It’s not surprising because what we know about this variant is it is much more transmissible than other types of SARS-CoV-2 variants." (Hein, 6/22)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: St. Louis Area Health Officials On Edge As Delta Variant Increases Sickness Across Missouri 
As outbreaks in southwestern and northern Missouri continue to place the state first in the nation for the number of new coronavirus cases per capita, health officials warn that it’s only a matter of time before cases and hospitalizations rise in the St. Louis area. The outbreaks are driven by the Delta variant of the coronavirus, which is projected to quickly become the dominant variant in the U.S. It is much more infectious than original strains of the virus and has been shown to cause more severe disease, placing unvaccinated individuals at higher risk of ending up in the hospital. (Munz, 6/22)

Salt Lake Tribune: Delta Variant ‘On The Way’ To Being Dominant COVID-19 Strain, University Of Utah Health Experts Say
People who don’t get vaccinated against COVID-19 are becoming more likely to get sick from the coronavirus, experts at the University of Utah say — because of the spread of the Delta variant. “Choosing not to get vaccinated is a choice to ultimately get infected by this virus,” said Stephen Goldstein, a virologist and post-doctoral researcher at the University of Utah School of Medicine, on Tuesday during a briefing carried over Facebook Live. The Delta variant of the coronavirus, which first emerged in India late last year, has already become the dominant strain of the virus in the United Kingdom and is approaching becoming the dominant strain in the United States, said Dr. Sankar Swaminathan, chief of the division of infectious diseases at University of Utah Health. (Means, 6/22)

In related news from overseas —

CIDRAP: Multiple Nations Battle COVID-19 Surges As Delta Variant Advances In Israel 
As countries in Africa, the Americas, and Europe battle fresh COVID surges, a rise in Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant cases in Israel—known for its strong vaccine rollout and COVID measures—is raising new alarm bells. World Health Organization (WHO) officials have characterized a "two track" pandemic, made up of higher-income countries driving down cases as vaccination efforts gain tractions, contrasted with others struggling with new or ongoing surges, due to a host of factors, including scarce vaccine, more transmissible variants, and social mixing. (Schnirring, 6/22)

The Wall Street Journal: Covid-19 Delta Variant Threatens To Set Back Europe’s Recovery 
The Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading rapidly across continental Europe, raising the risk of a rebound in infections and a delay to the region’s economic comeback. The variant, first discovered in India late last year, has prompted Portugal to seal off its capital city of Lisbon on weekends. In Germany, where Delta is still rare, scientists expect it to make up the majority of Covid-19 infections in the coming months. In France and Italy, the prevalence of the variant is still below 5%, according to official figures, but has at least doubled in recent weeks. (Sylvers and Kowsmann, 6/22)

Reuters: AstraZeneca Vaccine Effective Against COVID-19 Variants Identified In India 
AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine is effective against Delta and Kappa variants, which were first identified in India, the company said on Tuesday, citing a study. The study by the Oxford University investigated the ability of monoclonal antibodies in blood from recovered people and from those vaccinated to neutralize the Delta and Kappa variants, the statement said. (6/22)

Axios: CDC: Nearly Every Adult COVID-19 Death Is Now "Entirely Preventable" 
Adult deaths from COVID-19 are "at this point entirely preventable" thanks to vaccines, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky said during a White House coronavirus briefing on Tuesday. Deaths from the virus have dramatically decreased since their peak in early 2021, but the U.S. is still currently reporting an average of more than 200 deaths every day, though the numbers could increase as the B.1.617.2 (or Delta) variant of the virus becomes the dominant strain in the country. (Knutson, 6/22)

In more news about the spread of the coronavirus —

Albuquerque Journal: NM Reports Girl Under 10 Among COVID Deaths
New Mexico’s coronavirus death toll now includes a child under 10. The Department of Health on Tuesday reported what may be the state’s youngest victim of the pandemic so far – a Doña Ana County girl who was 9 or younger. She is one of just a handful of pediatric deaths related to COVID-19 in New Mexico. The state last fall reported the deaths of a teenage girl in Eddy County and a 12-year-old boy from Albuquerque. An individual under 17 also died in May, according to state coronavirus records. The girl whose death was reported Tuesday had underlying health conditions, and she had been hospitalized. But the Department of Health didn’t release other details, citing health privacy regulations. (McKay, 6/22)

Bloomberg: Secret Service And Covid: Nearly 900 Employees Tested Positive For Virus In Year
Almost 900 active U.S. secret service employees -- most of them responsible for protecting government officials and buildings -- were diagnosed with Covid-19 in the year ending in March. Special Agents, who protect the president, vice president, and their families, made up more than half of the 881 employees who were infected, according to government records obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The uniformed division, which guards the White House and other federal buildings, made up the next largest group of infections. (Ford, 6/22)

AP: Arkansas Has Biggest 1-Day Jump In Virus Cases Since March
Arkansas on Tuesday reported 485 new coronavirus cases, its biggest one-day jump in more than three months. The Department of Health said it was the biggest one-day increase since the state reported 570 new cases on March 5. The state has had 346,180 cases since the pandemic began last year. (6/22)

The Oregonian: COVID-19 Outbreak At Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail Sickens 25 Inmates 
Another COVID-19 outbreak at Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail has sickened 25 inmates over the past month, county officials confirmed Tuesday. Inmates from the Northeast Portland jail were not brought to their court appearances Monday because of the outbreak, according to written notices posted at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse. (Ramakrishnan, 6/22)

Axios: The Coronavirus Pandemic Is A Much Bigger Deal In Some States Than Others 
The coronavirus pandemic has essentially ended in some states, while others are still experiencing outbreaks. The wide variation in states' vaccination rates means that stark disparities in case rates could be America's norm for awhile. Some states saw an average of seven or fewer new cases per 100,000 people over the last week. On the other end of the spectrum, Missouri had 76 new cases per 100,000 people. (Owens, 6/23)

Also —

KHN: Thousands Of Young Children Lost Parents To Covid. Where’s Help For Them?
Five months after her husband died of covid-19, Valerie Villegas can see how grief has wounded her children. Nicholas, the baby, who was 1 and almost weaned when his father died, now wants to nurse at all hours and calls every tall, dark-haired man “Dada,” the only word he knows. Robert, 3, regularly collapses into furious tantrums, stopped using the big-boy potty and frets about sick people giving him germs. Ayden, 5, recently announced it’s his job to “be strong” and protect his mom and brothers. (Aleccia, 6/23)

CIDRAP: 'Stolen Moments': Families Anguish Over Separation From Dying COVID Patients
In-depth interviews with 19 adult family members of patients lost to COVID-19 during the first pandemic wave in France uncover difficulties forging a bond with intensive care unit (ICU) staff, being separated from their loved ones at the time of greatest need, and grief over "stolen moments." Led by researchers at Saint Louis University Hospital in Paris, the study involved semi-structured, in-depth phone interviews conducted with family members of COVID-19 patients who died in one of 12 ICUs in seven regions of France in April and May 2020. The interviews took place 3 or 4 months after the patients' deaths, and the results were published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 6/22)

Bloomberg: Parasite Drug Analyzed As Possible Covid Treatment In U.K. Trial
A drug used to treat parasite infections in humans and livestock will be investigated as a possible treatment for Covid-19 in a large U.K. study at the University of Oxford. The medicine, known as ivermectin, has antiviral properties and initial preliminary studies have shown it can reduce viral load, the amount of virus in the respiratory tract, and the length of symptoms in those with a mild infection, according to a statement from the university. (Gemmell, 6/23)

In other news about covid research —

CIDRAP: Rare Cases Of Guillain-Barre Syndrome Detailed After COVID Vaccine
Two studies this month in the Annals of Neurology describe Guillain-Barre syndrome in seven Indian patients and four English patients, both within 22 days of receiving the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, which has already been linked to rare but severe clotting. The researchers described the seven cases in Kerala, India, where symptom onset occurred within 2 weeks after receiving the first dose of the vaccine. (6/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: CDC Panel To Examine Heart Inflammation Cases In Young People After COVID Vaccinations
Advisers for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are set to meet Wednesday to consider possible changes to COVID-19 vaccinations of adolescents and young adults as a result of reports of heart inflammation among a small number of younger vaccine recipients. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the CDC on vaccine policy, could recommend adjusting the dosing regimen for people in a certain age group, pausing administration of the shots to certain age groups, or adding a warning label. It could also opt not to recommend any changes. (Ho, 6/22)

CIDRAP: Racial Disparities Noted In Children With COVID-19
Non-White children may receive less COVID-19 testing and experience higher COVID-19 infections, COVID-19 severity, and hospitalization duration, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Pediatrics. ... White children received the most COVID tests (17.1%), followed by Asians (13.6%), those of mixed or other races (12.9%), and Black children (8.3%). Minority children had significantly higher COVID-19 infections, ranging from 6.3% (mixed/other races) to 10.8% (Asian) versus the 5.8% identified in White children. (6/22)

San Francisco Chronicle: Can A Dog Smell COVID-19? Testing And Training Is Now Under Way To See
It can sniff out the location of a buried landmine. Get a whiff of a human armpit and find its owner a quarter mile away. It can even direct conservation researchers toward fresh killer whale poop floating in the ocean. Now the super nose of Canis lupus familiaris — your basic dog — is also detecting COVID-19 in people who may not know they have it. “It’s remarkable,” said Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance (Los Angeles County), who introduced a bill in the House this month to create a pilot program at the Defense Department to see if using dogs to sniff out COVID can slow the spread of the disease. (Asimov, 6/22)

CNN: These People Suffer From Long Covid -- And They're Battling Survivor's Guilt 
Lauren Nichols' battle with Covid-19 began early in the pandemic, when resources were scarce and experts debated whether the US would have to ration care. It was a burden she felt personally as she worried about what a trip to the doctor could mean for someone else. "The guilt came on very quickly. I felt like if I were to go get help for myself because I was still having worsening symptoms and wasn't getting better, that I was robbing someone else of their ability to get care," Nichols, 33, said. "And for me, that ended up developing further into me feeling like why am I even alive." (Kallingal, 6/23)

Roll Call: 3 Questions Experts Say Need To Be Asked About Pandemic’s Origin
Biosecurity experts are pushing Congress to investigate a theory that the virus that causes COVID-19 escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China, saying important information could be uncovered even without the help of Chinese authorities. “Many threads of investigation are available in the U.S. and would be accessible to a congressional inquiry with subpoena power,” said Rutgers University molecular biologist Richard Ebright, who believes the pandemic resulted from a lab accident. (Kopp, 6/23)

The New York Times: White House Says It Will Narrowly Miss July 4 Vaccination Goal 
The White House publicly acknowledged on Tuesday that President Biden did not expect to meet his goal of having 70 percent of adults at least partly vaccinated by July 4 and instead would reach that milestone only with people older than 26. It would be the first time that Mr. Biden has failed to meet a vaccination goal he has set. If the rate of adult vaccinations continues on the current seven-day average, the country will come in just shy of his target, with about 67 percent of adults having at least one shot by July 4, according to a New York Times analysis. (LaFraniere, 6/22)

CIDRAP: White House: 70% Of Adults 30 And Up Have 1 Dose Of COVID Vaccine 
Today [Tuesday], Jeff Zients, White House COVID-19 coordinator, announced that among adults age 30 and older, 70% have met President Joe Biden's goal of receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine before the Fourth of July. "We got here because the president treated this as a wartime effort," Zients said, explaining that among adults over age 45, 75% have had at least one dose. In total, since Biden took office, 150 million vaccine doses have been administered, and now 56% of Americans are fully vaccinated against the virus, he said. (Soucheray, 6/22)

AP: Biden Urges Shots For Young Adults As Variant Concern Grows
The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to get younger Americans vaccinated for COVID-19 as the White House acknowledges it will miss two key vaccination benchmarks and as concern grows about the spread of a new variant that threatens to set the country back in the months ahead. The delta variant, first identified in India, in the last two weeks has come to represent more than 20% of coronavirus infections in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. That’s double what it was when the CDC last reported on the variant’s prevalence. (Miller, 6/22)

In related news on the inoculation efforts in Massachusetts, California and Mississippi —

The Boston Globe: Massachusetts Hits Milestone Of 4.1 Million People Fully Vaccinated; US To Miss Mark
President Biden Tuesday confirmed what had become apparent in recent days, that the country would miss his stated target of having 70 percent of Americans vaccinated by July 4. The announcement came on the same day Governor Charlie Baker declared that Massachusetts had finally hit its goal of 4.1 million inoculated adults. The divergent results at the national and state level paint yet another portrait of two Americas, as vaccination rates have dropped off nationally over the last month despite vaccines becoming more available. In announcing that the milestone was reached in Massachusetts, Baker praised medical workers on the front lines of the vaccination effort. (Finucane and Stoico, 6/22)

Bay Area News Group: California COVID Vaccination Uneven As State Reaches Milestone
California has reached a milestone with more than 70% of eligible residents at least partly vaccinated, driven by many Bay Area counties that have topped the 80% mark, yet immunization remains highly varied around the Golden State as it does across the rest of the country. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday noted the state’s progress inoculating residents 12 and older and credited recent incentives like drawings for cash prizes and vacations with boosting vaccination 22% over a one-week period. The 70% figure is important because the more people who are immunized against COVID-19, the harder it is for the virus to spread, as the vaccines provide strong protection against infection and serious illness. Though infection rates have plummeted in most of the U.S., the disease continues to spread in some states and around the world, driven by aggressive variants. (Woolfolk and Blair Rowan, 6/22)

AP: Jill Biden Touts Vaccine In Poorly Inoculated Mississippi
First lady Jill Biden visited one of the states least vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday, encouraging residents of Mississippi to get their shots and telling them, “The White House, our administration — we care about you.” “I’m here today to ask all of the people who can hear my voice, who can see my face, to get their shot,” Biden said after visiting a clinic at Jackson State University, one of the largest historically Black universities in the country. Biden later encouraged people who were getting vaccinated in Nashville, Tennessee, with the help of country singer Brad Paisley later Tuesday evening. (Willingham, 6/23)

CNN: Students Sue Indiana University Over Vaccine Mandate 
A potential showdown is looming between eight students who want to come to the Indiana University campus in August but think the school's Covid-19 vaccine mandate is unconstitutional. The mandate requires students, faculty and staff to be vaccinated or get an exemption for religious or medical reasons before starting the fall term. (Riess and Almasy, 6/22)

CNBC: Morgan Stanley To Bar Workers Without Covid Vaccinations From Offices
Morgan Stanley on Tuesday told its staff that workers and clients who are not vaccinated against Covid-19 will be barred from returning to New York City and Westchester County offices with a large employee presence beginning July 12, CNBC has confirmed. All Morgan Stanley staff in the New York metropolitan area are also now required to attest to their coronavirus vaccination status by July 1. Employees who are not fully vaccinated will have to continue working remotely, the company told workers Tuesday. (Mangan, 6/22)

In other news about the vaccine rollout —

The Hill: Americans Living Abroad Plead For COVID-19 Vaccine
Americans living abroad are pleading with the U.S. government to provide them with COVID-19 vaccine doses, particularly as demand is waning domestically with a majority of adults getting their shots. Expats living in places like Germany, India and Thailand are finding they have to choose between waiting until a vaccine is available in their country of residency or risk a trip to the U.S. or elsewhere to get vaccinated, potentially contracting the coronavirus en route. (Coleman, 6/23)

AP: 4 People Win $250K Apiece In New Mexico Vaccine Sweepstakes
State health officials announced Tuesday that four people have each won $250,000 prizes as part of the New Mexico vaccine sweepstakes. They were the first four winners of Vax 2 the Max Sweepstakes. The $10 million cash sweepstakes is funded by federal stimulus and intended to incentivize COVID-19 vaccinations. (6/22)

USA Today: Walgreens COVID Vaccine Giveaway: $25, Gift Cards For New Vaccinations
Walgreens, one of the nation's two largest drugstore chains, plans to give $25 in store credit to anyone who gets a COVID-19 vaccination there in the next several days. The move comes amid a flurry of COVID-19 vaccine incentives nationwide, including giveaways at Walgreens archrival CVS, million-dollar sweepstakes in states like Ohio and free food or drinks from restaurants like Krispy Kreme. Walgreens said it will provide its incentive in one of two forms: $25 in store credit loaded onto the customer's myWalgreens account or if they don't have one, a $25 Walgreens gift card. (Bomey, 6/22)

The New York Times: With Mass Vaccination Sites Winding Down, It’s All About The ‘Ground Game’ 
There were only six tiny vials of coronavirus vaccine in the refrigerator, one Air Force nurse on duty and a trickle of patients on Saturday morning at a federally run mass vaccination site here. A day before its doors shut for good, this once-frenetic operation was oddly quiet. The post-vaccination waiting room, with 165 socially distanced chairs, was mostly empty. The nurse, Maj. Margaret Dodd, who ordinarily cares for premature babies at Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, had already booked her flight home. So had the pharmacist, Heather Struempf, who was headed back to nursing school in Wyoming. (Stolberg, 6/22)

In vaccine-development news —

Modern Healthcare: ASCO: Cancer Patients Should Be Included In Vaccine Trials
Cancer patients have largely been excluded from COVID-19 vaccine trials, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology is asking drug manufacturers to change that in an effort to deduce whether the safety and effectiveness extends to these often-immunocompromised patients. The request, issued in a joint policy statement with the Friends of Cancer Research, also asked government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration to create incentives for drug companies to do so. (Gillespie, 6/22)

AP: Moderna's President Talks COVID-19 And Vaccine Technology
Moderna is now testing its vaccine in younger people as well as potential boosters that may be needed in the future — along with vaccines and treatments for other diseases — all using similar technology based on genetic code called messenger RNA. The Associated Press spoke with company president Dr. Stephen Hoge, who oversees Moderna’s research. (Johnson, 6/23)

The Washington Post: FDA Releases Fresh Details On Internal Debate Over Controversial Alzheimer’s Drug 
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday released fresh details on why it approved a controversial Alzheimer’s drug in hopes of quelling a fierce debate over whether the agency should have cleared the costly treatment. But the new information, included in interviews with agency officials and 83 pages of internal documents, might not quiet a furor over the drug Aduhelm that has drawn in Alzheimer’s doctors and patients, members of Congress, Medicare officials, and the agency itself. (McGinley, 6/22)

Stat: Documents Reveal The FDA’s Unprecedented Path To Approving Aduhelm
Chastened after a decisively negative review from outside advisers, the Food and Drug Administration convened a series of internal meetings in March and April where top officials hammered out a plan to approve Biogen’s Alzheimer’s drug, Aduhelm. The meetings were revealed in a series of documents released Tuesday by the FDA to explain its decision to use a truncated pathway, called accelerated approval, to approve Aduhelm. (Herper, Garde and Feuerstein, 6/22)

Bloomberg: Alzheimer’s Therapy Sparked Behind-Scenes FDA Clash On Approval
Statisticians at the Food and Drug Administration who had a thorough look at the clinical-trial data didn’t support approval of Biogen Inc.’s Alzheimer’s therapy, internal documents released by the agency show. The documents released on Tuesday show how top FDA officials weighed the concerns of their staff against the need of patients suffering from a serious fatal disease with no treatments that can halt its progression. (Edney and Langreth, 6/22)

Politico: FDA Approved Alzheimer's Drug Over Internal Objections
Statisticians at the Food and Drug Administration opposed this month's agency approval of a controversial Alzheimer’s drug, saying there was not enough evidence to prove the treatment works. The objections by Office of Biostatistics Director Sylva Collins, reviewer Tristan Massie and other agency statisticians are detailed in documents that the FDA released Tuesday. The criticisms align with those from a panel of external FDA advisers who voted last fall that there was not enough evidence to prove the drug from Biogen, known as Aduhelm, is effective. (Lim and Morello, 6/22)

The Wall Street Journal: FDA Approved Biogen Alzheimer’s Drug Despite Some Staff Concerns 
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first new Alzheimer’s drug in decades over the objection of agency statisticians who said there was insufficient evidence to support approval, according to newly released internal memos. In the internal memos released Tuesday, FDA officials discussed whether to approve the drug from Biogen Inc. over objections from the agency’s drug statistics office, which said that clinical trial data fell short of the proof typically required to put a new product on the market. (Walker and Burton, 6/22)

Also —

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Despite Controversial Approval, Arrival Of This New Alzheimer's Drug Is Bringing 'Hope' To Louisiana
Dr. Demetrius Maraganore, chair of the neurology department at Tulane University School of Medicine, said that since the approval, "the phone is ringing off the hook" with people who have questions about the drug and whether it might help their loved one. “Until June 7, we really had no tools in our toolbox for Alzheimer's disease,” said Maraganore. “We had some Band-Aids, some medicines that improved symptoms sometimes, a little bit. For the first time, we've got a toolbox and now it’s open.” (Woodruff, 6/22)

WJCT 89.9 FM Jacksonville: DeSantis Touts Additional $12 Million In Budget For Alzheimer’s 
Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference Monday to discuss the state’s increased budget for Alzheimer’s research and care in Jacksonville. Florida will allocate $51 million toward dealing with Alzheimer’s disease during the state’s 2021-22 fiscal year, an increase of $12 million. The money will fund the state’s Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative, which helps provide care and equipment for those dealing with the disease. (Wood, 6/22)

NPR: Defense Secretary Says He'll Support Removing Sexual Offense Cases From Commanders
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced he will support changes to the military justice system that would take sexual assault cases away from the chain of command and let independent military lawyers handle them. It's a seismic shift that requires amending the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which no other secretary of defense has been willing to do. (Romo, 6/22)

CBS News: Defense Secretary Supports Taking Decision To Prosecute Sexual Assault Cases Out Of Chain Of Command 
[Austin] said he will also support the inclusion of other special victims' crimes inside this independent prosecution system, including domestic violence, because of the correlation between these crimes and sexual assault. (Watson, 6/22)

Military Times: Senior DoD Leaders Question Plan To Shift Sexual Misconduct, Other Serious Crimes Away From Command
The Pentagon’s top uniformed leaders expressed concerns over plans to shift prosecution of serious crimes — particularly sexual assault — out of the traditional chain of command, according to letters released Tuesday by a chief Republican critic of the proposal. Responding to written questions on the issue from Senate Armed Services ranking member Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., seven of the eight-member Joint Chiefs of Staff suggested the changes could be detrimental, but said they are prepared to follow the law if directed to do so. “It is my professional opinion that removing commanders from prosecution decisions, process and accountability may have an adverse effect on readiness, mission accomplishment, good order and discipline, justice, unit cohesion, trust, and loyalty between commanders and those they lead,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley stated in a letter to Inhofe. (Shane III, 6/22)

In related news —

The New York Times: Report Finds Higher Sexual Assault Risk At Fort Hood 
As Congress and the Department of Defense debate how to address the ongoing scourge of sexual assault and harassment in the military, a study on the Army released Friday found that age, experience and where soldiers are based strongly correlate to both offenses. Women at Fort Hood in particular — where an Army specialist was killed by another soldier last year — have a far higher risk of sexual assault at that base in Texas than the average woman in the Army according to the new study, conducted by the RAND Arroyo Center, a federally funded research group. (Steinhauer, 6/18)

Modern Healthcare: CMS Offers $20M To State-Based Insurance Marketplaces
CMS plans to distribute $20 million in grants to state-based marketplaces that will finance technology upgrades to improve performance and the consumer experience. The grants, part of the American Rescue Plan Act, are meant to assist SBMs in complying with federal marketplace requirements and in providing quicker insurance enrollment and eligibility determinations. For states with currently approved SBMs, these grants will act as a form of federal maintenance funding, said Adam Block, a New York-based health economist and former CMS regulator. (Devereaux, 6/22)

In news on Medicaid and the uninsured —

The Washington Post: Medicaid Boasts Record Enrollment, But A Purge Is Coming
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans are now on Medicaid — the largest population since the program was first created in 1965. But millions, or even tens of millions, could get booted from the program next year, as states restart eligibility checks after a forced hiatus. (Cunningham, 6/22)

North Carolina Health News: NC Senate Budget Allocates Hefty Spending For Health 
In a much-delayed and much-anticipated bill, the state Senate presented their proposed biennial budget on Monday that includes billions of dollars to shift North Carolina’s Medicaid system from one run by the state to a new apparatus largely run by private managed-care insurance organizations. “Our nonpartisan fiscal analyst told us that we had an even bigger surplus than we initially thought,” Senate leader Phil Berger, an Eden Republican, said during a press briefing Monday before releasing the spending plan. “The Senate is proposing to reduce taxes even more and advance a 10-year $12 billion cash infrastructure and capital plan that includes $3 billion in cash over the next two years for projects.” (Barnes, Blythe, Dougani and Hoban, 6/23)

KARK: More Arkansas Children Go Without Health Insurance, Parents Struggle To Find Coverage
More children across Arkansas are going without health insurance. According to the 2021 Kids Count Data Book, which reports state data, the number of children without health insurance rose by almost 10,000 from 2018 to 2019. The study also found in 2021, more than one in five children live in poverty. (Ranck, 6/22)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Parson Calls Special Session On Medical Tax; Debate On Birth Control, Abortion Looms 
Gov. Mike Parson announced Tuesday that lawmakers would return to the Capitol at noon Wednesday for a special session to renew a tax on medical providers critical to the state’s Medicaid program. Parson, a Republican, said as part of his special session call that he would allow lawmakers to debate funding restrictions for contraceptives, such as Plan B and intrauterine devices, and bans on funding for abortion facilities and affiliates through the state’s Uninsured Women’s Health Services Program. (Suntrup, 6/22)

CNN: 153 Houston Methodist Employees Resign Or Are Fired After Refusing To Get Covid-19 Vaccine, Official Says 
More than 150 Houston Methodist Hospital employees were officially out of a job Tuesday, 10 days after a judge dismissed a lawsuit against the hospital by employees who opposed a Covid-19 vaccine mandate as a condition of employment, a hospital spokesperson said. The 153 employees either resigned in the two-week suspension period that began June 8 or were terminated Tuesday, according to Gale Smith. (Allen, 6/22)

And staffing shortages grow —

Health News Florida: Nurses Call On HCA To Address Staffing Shortages At Hospitals 
Registers nurses at four HCA Healthcare hospitals in Florida called on the company Monday to hire more nurses amid a nationwide staffing shortage. The nurses were standing for National Nurses United, which represents 12,000 HCA registered nurses across the country, and more than 175,000 nurses overall. The organization claims nurses have experienced "consistent problems with HCA administrators violating their own staffing guidelines and cutting support staff, which has led to often dangerously short RN staffing for patients." (Prieur, 6/22)

Health News Florida: Group Homes For Those With Developmental Disabilities Face Worker Shortage 
Developmental disability service providers are the latest to join a list of employers who say they're facing a worker shortage. Advocates say direct support professionals who left the industry because of health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic aren't returning because of low wages. (Gaffney, 6/22)

In other health care industry news —

Modern Healthcare: Blood, Testing Supply Shortage To Persist Through 2021
Hospitals across the country are delaying surgeries as blood utilization spikes. There has been at least a 10% increase in blood transfusions as patients resume care they deferred during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of whom are sicker, according to Vizient, the group purchasing organization that helps source supplies for more than half of the U.S. health systems. Donations are also down, which have delayed some non-urgent procedures. It's a perfect storm, said Akiva Faerber, a senior principal at Vizient. Utilization has gone up and supply has plummeted, which has not only compromised patient care but also inflated prices, he said. The price of O positive and O negative red blood cells has gone up 30% per unit in the past 12 months, Vizient said. (Kacik, 6/22)

Oklahoman: Oklahoma Blood Institute Seeing Worst Blood Shortage In Decades
Blood supplies are dangerously low in Oklahoma, and donations are urgently needed to address a historic shortage, the Oklahoma Blood Institute said Tuesday. It's the worst shortage in decades, said Dr. John Armitage, president and CEO of Oklahoma Blood Institute. "We're down to about one day's supply of blood on our shelf, which is highly unusual for us," Armitage said at a news conference Tuesday. "We like to have three to five days' supply. It's [the] worst in my career of 26 years in blood banking." (Branham, 6/23)

Crain's Detroit Business: Spectrum Health Services More Expensive Than Beaumont, Study Shows
As Beaumont and Spectrum explore a merger, executives from both health systems work to stabilize costs, improve care and are attracting and retaining talent. But payer costs remain a critical concern for employers and private insurers across the state. Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids is considerably more expensive for payers than Beaumont, according to a study published by the Rand Corp. in September. The Rand data compares what Medicare pays for hospital services, including facility and professional fees for inpatient and outpatient care, with what private payers pay for the same hospital services at the same facility. (Walsh, 6/22)

Stat: How The Pandemic Has Reshaped Collaboration And Competition In Science
For as long as people have pointed telescopes at the night sky and slipped drops of pond water under microscopes, competition has been as much a part of the scientific enterprise as curiosity, creativity, and discovery. And for centuries, that has served humanity well. Rivalries push fields forward; Tesla versus Edison sparked the electrical revolution, Pasteur versus Koch showed us how to fight once invisible sources of infection, Joliet-Curie versus Meitner ushered in the nuclear age. (Molteni, 6/22)

Stat: Pear Therapeutics To Go Public In $1.6 Billion SPAC Merger 
Barreling forward with its early momentum in the digital therapeutics market, Pear Therapeutics announced Tuesday it will go public via a merger with special purpose acquisition company Thimble Point Acquisition Corp. in a deal valuing Pear at $1.6 billion. Pear has been at the forefront of making the case to physicians, health systems, insurers, and regulators that software can be medicine for the treatment of all kinds of diseases. (Aguilar, 6/22)

In obituaries —

The New York Times: Edward Diener, Psychologist Known As Dr. Happiness, Dies At 74 
Edward Diener, a playful social psychologist who was nicknamed Dr. Happiness for his pioneering research into what defined contentment, died on April 27 at his home in Salt Lake City. He was 74. The cause was bladder cancer, his son, Robert Biswas-Diener, said. His death had not been widely reported. (Sandomir, 6/21)

Bloomberg: Nine Months After Lockdowns, U.S. Births Plummeted By 8%
Nine months after the declaration of a national emergency due to the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, U.S. births fell by 8% in a month. The December drop marked an acceleration in declines in the second part of the year. For the full year, the number of babies born in the country fell 4% to about 3.6 million, the largest decline since 1973, according to a Wednesday report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Tanzi, 6/23)

In other pediatric news —

Stat: Study: Prenatal Exposure To Ultra-Fine Particles Raises A Child's Asthma Risk
When Rosalind Wright started analyzing data on prenatal exposure to air pollution in mothers and children in Boston, she had a notion that ultra-fine particles could be even more harmful than the slightly larger particles she’d studied before. “If the effect is strong enough, we’ll find it,” Wright, a pulmonary physician and professor of pediatrics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, remembered thinking. (Sohn, 6/23)

Fox News: Screen All Kids For Heart Problems, Pediatricians Say
All children, regardless of their athletic status, should be screened for risk of cardiac arrest, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a policy statement Monday. The group included four questions to incorporate into the screenings, including two pertaining to family history of heart issues. "The unexpected death of a seemingly healthy child is a tragedy not only for the family but for the family community as well," the AAP said in a statement regarding the policy, which will be published in the July issue of Pediatrics. "Multiple studies have looked at sudden deaths in young people either as a whole or by individual disease processes. However, most of these studies are published in cardiology journals. The goal of the AAP-PACES policy is to present expanded information to pediatricians and other primary care providers." (Hein, 6/22)

ABC News and Good Morning America: Male Doula Aims To Be An Advocate For Women During Childbirth
One California resident wants to make childbirth a safer process for moms while bringing men into the fold as well. Dustin Young, 37, from Carson, California, became a certified doula in 2020. His experience helping his youngest sister, Alexis Pitts, with her pregnancy led him to pursue the job, which involves providing support to moms during and after pregnancy. (Azari, 6/22)

CNN: When And How To Talk About Puberty With Kids 
When my oldest child turned 11, I figured it was time to talk birds and bees and bodily changes, and purchased a couple of books that friends had recommended. When I tried to read the books with her, or get her to read them herself, or otherwise talk about puberty, she either covered her ears or tossed the books across the room -- or walked out of it. Oops. Many of us have tried broaching the subject -- or subjects -- of puberty with our tweens, only to discover that they're already too uncomfortable to engage. (Davis, 6/22)

In news about children's mental health —

Miami Herald: Mental Health Crisis Hits South Florida Children’s Hospitals 
During a typical year, the pediatric emergency room staff at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood would be preparing for a summer lull. But like last year, this one hasn’t been typical. Amid a surge in behavioral health issues that has overwhelmed children’s hospitals across the country, South Florida has been no exception. Dr. David Rube, the medical director of child and adolescent psychology at Joe DiMaggio, told the Miami Herald that kids and young adults in the emergency department are more frequently complaining of mental health issues like depression, anxiety and suicidal ideations when showing up for other medical conditions. They’re also more commonly presenting with conditions that are psychosomatic. (Conarck, 6/23)

WBUR: Wait Lists For Children's Mental Health Services Ballooned During COVID 
Early last year, as the coronavirus threat spread, a 9-year-old named Miles turned into a raging boy his parents did not recognize. The family pediatrician referred Miles to a therapist. His mom, Emily Johnson, says her son needed help right away, but the earliest appointment was one to two months away. Three weeks after seeing the pediatrician, Miles was in a hospital emergency room. It would be the first of six trips to an ER over the next four months. (Bebinger, 6/22)

USA Today: Drinking 3 To 4 Cups Of Coffee A Day Reduces Risk Of Liver Cancer, Study Suggests
Drinking three to four cups of coffee a day may reduce your risk of liver cancer and other alcohol-related liver diseases, according to a new study. Researchers looked at the coffee habits of more than 494,000 people in the UK Biobank, a biomedical database, and monitored their liver health over 11 years. Participants ranged from 40 to 69 years old, with 384,818 saying they were avid coffee drinkers, and 109,767 saying they were not. People who drank ground caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee saw the most benefits, while some reduction in risks was also found in instant coffee drinkers. (Miranda, 6/22)

The New York Times: Morning People May Be At Lower Risk Of Depression Than Night Owls 
If you are a morning person, you may be at reduced risk for major depression, a new study suggests. Several studies of the body’s circadian sleep-wake cycle have shown that being an early bird is associated with a lower risk for depression. But those studies were observational so could not prove cause and effect. (Bakalar, 6/21)

Cincinnati Enquirer: Pandemic Triggered More Smoking By Cincinnati's Smokers, Relapse In Those Who Quit: Survey
The novel coronavirus pandemic appears to have triggered more smoking among smokers in the Cincinnati region and prompted 1 of 10 former smokers to light up again, a newly released survey shows. Tobacco use by Cincinnati area adults had declined for more than 20 years, from 35% in 1999 to 19% in 2018. "But the COVID-19 pandemic stalled progress," officials at Interact for Health said in a news release Tuesday. The percentage of adult current smokers in the region was stable between 2018 (19%) and 2020 (21%), the organization said. (Demio, 6/22)

In other public health news —

Anchorage Daily News: Alaska Cruise Ships Unaffected By Florida’s Early Victory In Lawsuit Over CDC’s COVID-19 Measures
Cruise ships bound for Alaska are unaffected by a Friday court order that pauses COVID-19 mitigation rules imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The ruling specifies it applies only in Florida, according to attorneys for the state of Alaska and the City and Borough of Juneau. The state of Florida sued the Biden administration and the CDC in April, saying that COVID-19 restrictions on large cruise ships violated federal law. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in favor of Florida on Friday, pausing the CDC’s rules for at least one month. (Brooks, 6/22)

ABC News: Traffic Deaths Increased Among Black People More Than Any Other Race During Pandemic: Study 
The number of Black people killed in traffic crashes rose 23% in 2020 compared to the year prior, according to early estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Out of the 38,680 people that were killed in traffic crashes last year, 7,494 of them were Black -- the highest percentage increase out of any race. White people had the largest number of traffic deaths last year at 29,092, but the number increased by just 4% from the year prior. (Maile and Kaji, 6/22)

CBS News: Ciara Wants Black Women To "Be Your Best Self" With Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign 
Ciara is serving facts and "cerving confidence" to Black women across America with a new campaign to encourage them to see their OB/GYN for annual appointments and build awareness of the impact cervical cancer has on Black women. The Grammy-winning singer, dancer and businesswoman joined "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday to unveil the "Cerving Confidence" initiative, in partnership with Project Health Equality and the Black Women's Health Imperative. (6/22)

ABC News and Good Morning America: Chadwick Boseman's Death Inspires Young Reporter To Document His Colonoscopy 
Chadwick Boseman's death last year due to colon cancer led one man to take charge of his own health and try to inspire others to do the same. Nicholas St. Fleur, a reporter for STAT News, a health, medicine and science-focused publication, decided to get a colon cancer screening and document it from start to finish. (Kindelan, 6/22)

CBS News: Peloton Turned A Free Feature On Its $4,000 Treadmill Into A $39 Monthly Subscription 
Peloton announced that owners will need to sign up for a $39 monthly subscription to use its $4,000 treadmill because it made changes to its product after a voluntary recall that was linked to dozens of incidents and a child's death. (Larkin, 6/22)

Fox News: 'Jeopardy!' Viewers Upset Over 'Misogynistic,' 'Outdated' Clue About A Medical Condition 
"Jeopardy!" viewers are upset with the show after it included a medical clue that many argue is incorrect and even offensive. The clue had to do with a condition known as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a manageable condition that many in the U.S. and around the world suffer from. However, because so many people are familiar with POTS, many were quick to notice something didn't hold water on Monday's episode. (McCarthy, 6/22)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Court Blocks Abortion Law Mandating 24-Hour Waiting Period
An Iowa judge has permanently blocked a state law requiring women to wait 24 hours before getting an abortion. In his order, filed Monday afternoon, District Court Judge Mitchell Turner held that the 2020 law is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced on two grounds: that the Legislature violated the "single-subject rule" of the Iowa Constitution when lawmakers passed the measure as an amendment to an unrelated bill; and that the law violates a 2018 Iowa Supreme Court decision that protects abortion rights. (Morris and Gruber-Miller, 6/22)

In news from Georgia, Missouri and Massachusetts —

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Governor To End Public Health State Of Emergency On July 1
Gov. Brian Kemp is set to lift the public health state of emergency roughly 15 months after lawmakers granted him broad new authorities to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The governor signed an executive order on Tuesday that ends his emergency powers on July 1, saying they are no longer needed as “more Georgians are getting vaccinated, our economic momentum is strong and people are getting back to normal.” (Bluestein, 6/22)

Georgia Health News: DCH Chief To Retire; Successor To Face Challenges
Frank Berry is retiring after six years of heading the state’s main health care agency. He will be replaced by Gov. Brian Kemp’s deputy chief of staff for operations, Caylee Noggle, who will take over as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) on July 1. Berry, 55, has been Community Health commissioner since 2016. (Miller, 6/22)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: As Missouri Continues To Top Nation In COVID-19, Search For State Health Director Is Slow Going 
As Missouri tops the nation with the most COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, Gov. Mike Parson’s office says his search for a new public health chief could last another month. The delay in hiring a point person to manage the state’s response to the newest surge in cases comes after Parson said he hoped to have a new director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in place by mid-June. Now, when the vaccination rate in Missouri is stuck at 38%, the hiring could be on hold until next month, said spokeswoman Kelli Jones. (Erickson, 6/22)

The Boston Globe: A Government-Sanctioned Place To Inject Illicit Drugs? It May Come First To Somerville
Undeterred by the pandemic and legal uncertainties, the City of Somerville has been forging ahead with its proposal to open a center where people can consume illicit drugs with medical supervision, an audacious and possibly precedent-setting move to prevent overdose deaths. Some of those involved believe Somerville will become the first city in the country to open a “supervised consumption site” — and that it could happen within a year or so — even as attempts have faltered in bigger cities like New York and Philadelphia. Legislation at the state level would authorize two pilot sites in Massachusetts. But Somerville intends to move forward regardless of the fate of that bill. (Freyer, 6/22)

In news from Texas —

Houston Chronicle: Houston Paid $1.7M For Counterfeit N95 Masks Earlier This Year
The city paid $1.7 million for allegedly counterfeit N95 masks earlier this year, and federal prosecutors have seized the money from the company that provided them, according to court documents. Houston police are investigating the company, Med-Tech Resources LLC, for felony trademark counterfeiting. Homeland Security investigators also are involved, according to affidavits and police reports filed in the case to seize the money. No charges have been filed to date. (McGuinness, 6/22)

AP: Migrant Youth Describe Desperation To Leave Large Shelters
A 13-year-old Honduran girl who spent two months at the government’s largest emergency shelter for migrant children said she was put on suicide watch and was eating only popsicles and juice because the food smelled so foul. At another site, a 17-year-old Salvadoran girl said she had to wear the same clothes and underwear for two weeks and spent most days in bed. At a third facility in Texas, a 16-year-old Honduran boy said he had not met with a case manager for more than three weeks to see whether he could go live with his sister in New Orleans. (Taxin, Licon and Watson, 6/22)

KHN and El Paso Matters: At Texas Border, Pandemic’s High Toll Lays Bare Gaps In Health And Insurance 
Alfredo “Freddy” Valles was an accomplished trumpeter and a beloved music teacher for nearly four decades at one of the city’s poorest middle schools. He was known for buying his students shoes and bow ties for their band concerts, his effortlessly positive demeanor and a suave personal style — “he looked like he stepped out of a different era, the 1950s,” said his niece Ruby Montana. (Kladzyk, Galewitz and Lucas, 6/23)

In news from New Mexico and California —

AP: Medical Marijuana Producers Seek Tax Refund Worth Millions
A major business in New Mexico’s burgeoning market for marijuana wants the state to refund millions of dollars in taxes that were levied in recent years on sales of medical marijuana but not against most prescription medications. Integrated cannabis provider Ultra Health said Tuesday that it has asked the state Supreme Court for the opportunity to provide arguments in a legal dispute between another medical marijuana company and the state Taxation and Revenue Department. (6/22)

AP: California Oil Regulators Delay Health, Safety Rules Again
It’s been a year and a half since California Gov. Gavin Newsom directed oil regulators to consider new health and safety measures to protect people living near oil and gas drilling sites. But those regulators missed another deadline Monday for releasing the rules, frustrating environmental advocates who say communities can’t wait any longer for change. The California Geologic Energy Management Division, known as CalGEM, hasn’t set a new timeline for the rules, which Newsom originally mandated be out last December. Regulators delayed but said they would come out in the spring. (Ronayne, 6/23)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Extends COVID-19 Eviction Moratorium Through September
Fearing a “potential tsunami” of evictions, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor voted Tuesday to extend an eviction moratorium through the end of September. The moratorium bars landlords in the county from evicting tenants who cannot pay their rent because of financial burdens related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to announce an agreement later this week with legislative leaders for an extension of the state’s eviction moratorium, which expires June 30. (Cosgrove, 6/22)

Reuters: India Says New COVID Variant Is A Concern 
India on Tuesday declared a new coronavirus variant to be of concern, and said nearly two dozen cases had been detected in three states. The variant, identified locally as "Delta plus", was found in 16 cases in the state of Maharashtra, Federal Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan told a news conference. The ministry said Delta plus showed increased transmissibility and advised states to increase testing. (Acharya and Kumar, 6/22)

In other global developments —

AP: New Zealand On Edge After Virus-Infected Australian Visits
After enjoying nearly four months without any community transmission of the coronavirus, New Zealanders were on edge Wednesday after health authorities said an infectious traveler from Australia had visited over the weekend. New Zealand has taken a zero-tolerance approach to the pandemic and continues to pursue an elimination strategy. (Perry, 6/23)

The New York Times: They Relied On Chinese Vaccines. Now They’re Battling Outbreaks
Mongolia promised its people a “Covid-free summer.” Bahrain said there would be a “return to normal life.” The tiny island nation of the Seychelles aimed to jump-start its economy. All three put their faith, at least in part, in easily accessible Chinese-made vaccines, which would allow them to roll out ambitious inoculation programs when much of the world was going without. But instead of freedom from the coronavirus, all three countries are now battling a surge in infections. (Wee, 6/22)

AP: UAE's Capital Apparently Offering COVID Vaccines To Tourists
The capital of the United Arab Emirates has apparently started offering free coronavirus vaccines to tourists flying into the emirate, a move that could entice travelers and help revive the country’s struggling tourism industry. While Abu Dhabi has made no official announcement on the matter, the health authority’s phone application showed updated criteria for vaccine access on Tuesday, saying visitors to the capital could now get the COVID-19 shot by presenting their passports. (Debre, 6/22)

AP: Guam Launching COVID-19 Vaccine Tourism Program
Guam is launching a vaccine tourism program to encourage citizens of neighboring countries and Americans living in East Asia to come get inoculated against COVID-19. The Pacific Daily News reports the first group of three travelers was arriving on a charter flight from Taiwan. The Guam Visitors Bureau says this is a prelude to bigger groups to come. (6/23)

In news from Canada —

Politico: Trudeau Says He's Hopeful But ‘No Guarantee,’ As Delta Variant Hangs Over Canada-U.S. Border Decision
Justin Trudeau says he hopes "in the coming weeks" to announce loosened travel restrictions at the Canada-U.S. border, though that will depend on the trajectory of Covid-19.The prime minister offered the broad timetable Tuesday as he faces heat for renewing an arrangement that will keep pandemic measures in place at the frontier until at least July 21. (Blatchford, 6/22)

The Washington Post: Pressure Builds To Open U.S.-Canada Border
A Florida man takes out ads to call out the U.S. and Canadian governments for failing to lift border restrictions. Lawmakers use salty-ish language. Business owners worry about losing a second lucrative summer season. As restrictions on nonessential travel across the U.S.-Canada land border enter their 16th month this week, pressure is rising on both sides for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Biden to crack it open — even a little — or to provide something, anything, about what a reopening plan might look like. (Coletta, 6/22)

CIDRAP: Manitoba Reports H3N2v Flu Case
Public health officials in Manitoba, Canada, yesterday reported a swine-related variant H3N2 (H3N2v) flu case involving a patient in the southern part of the province, according to a government statement. The illnesses was detected in early June when the patient sought testing after experiencing a flulike illness. They had mild symptoms and recovered. Tests were negative for COVID-19, but the virus was later identified as H3N2v as part of routine flu surveillance. (6/22)

Bloomberg: Japan Reaches Suga’s Target Of A Million Vaccine Doses Per Day
Japan has surpassed 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered on a single day, meeting Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s target as the inoculation drive accelerates ahead of the political pressure points of the Tokyo Olympics and a general election. The milestone was achieved on June 14, according to data compiled by Bloomberg using figures released from the prime minister’s office on Wednesday. There’s a considerable lag in the reporting of vaccination data by local authorities, so much so that vaccine minister Taro Kono has been reported to suggest the government might skip shipments of shots to municipalities that are slow to report. (Jackman, 6/23)

The New York Times: A Month Before The Olympics, How Is Japan Faring With Covid?
With a month to go until the Tokyo Olympics and a state of emergency freshly lifted in most of the country, Japan is seeing relatively low coronavirus case counts after a surge last month. But the country’s low vaccination rate, especially compared with other rich countries, and variants on the rise there have prompted some public health experts in recent weeks to express concerns about the Games or call for them to be canceled. (Leatherby, 6/23)

Reuters: Tokyo 2020 Organisers Ban Alcohol, Defend Allowing Spectators 
With 30 days to go until the start of an Olympic Games dogged by the coronavirus pandemic and by controversy, Tokyo Olympics organisers decided on Wednesday against selling alcohol at venues while defending plans to allow thousands of spectators. Organisers have pushed ahead with preparations for the Games, postponed from 2020 because of the pandemic, despite strong concerns among the Japanese public that hosting delegations from across the globe could result in further COVID-19 outbreaks. (Murakami and Kajimoto, 6/23)

AP: Tokyo Shapes Up To Be No-Fun Olympics With Many Rules, Tests
The Tokyo Olympics, already delayed by the pandemic, are not looking like much fun: Not for athletes. Not for fans. And not for the Japanese public. They are caught between concerns about the coronavirus at a time when few are vaccinated on one side and politicians who hope to save face by holding the games and the International Olympic Committee with billions of dollars on the line on the other. Japan is famous for running on consensus. But the decision to proceed with the Olympics — and this week to permit some fans, if only locals — has shredded it. (Wade, 6/23)

Also —

Reuters: Second Member Of Uganda's Olympic Team Tests Positive For COVID-19 In Japan
A second member of Uganda’s Olympic delegation, an athlete, has tested positive for COVID-19 in Japan, an official from the team’s host city of Izumisano said on Wednesday. (6/23)

CNN: Uganda Olympic Coach Tests Positive For Covid After Arriving In Japan
A coach in Uganda's Olympic team tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Tokyo on Saturday night, according to Japanese officials. Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare said the coach, who has not been named, has no symptoms. It's not yet clear whether the coach, who is in a government facility, will be barred from participating or sent home. (Ogura, Hollingsworth and Watson, 6/20)

NPR: Weightlifter Laurel Hubbard Will Be The First Openly Trans Athlete In Olympics
New Zealand has named Laurel Hubbard to its women's weightlifting roster for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, making her the first openly transgender athlete to compete in the games. Hubbard, 43, will compete in the category for women over 87 kg, about 192 pounds. "I am grateful and humbled by the kindness and support that has been given to me by so many New Zealanders," Hubbard said in a statement on Monday. (Wamsley, 6/21)

The New York Times: New Alzheimer’s Drug Could Cost The Government As Much As It Spends On NASA
A newly approved drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease is expected to become a multibillion dollar expense for Medicare. By one projection, spending on the drug for Medicare’s patients could end up being higher than the budgets for the Environmental Protection Agency or NASA. There’s little evidence that the drug, Aduhelm, slows the progression of dementia, but the Food and Drug Administration approved it this month. Analysts expect that Medicare and its enrollees, who pay a share of their prescription drug costs, will spend $5.8 billion to $29 billion on the drug in a single year. Annual spending on NASA is approximately $23 billion. (Katz, Kliff and Sanger-Katz, 6/22)

Fierce Healthcare: Employer Groups Urge Congress To Address Drug Pricing In Wake Of Aducanumab's Approval 
Employers are urging Congress to take action on drug prices following the FDA's recent approval of controversial Alzheimer's disease drug Aduhelm. Aduhelm, or aducanumab, was developed by Biogen and Eisai and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration earlier this month despite pushback from the scientific community about the drug's efficacy. Following its approval, Biogen said the therapy would be priced at $56,000 per year. (Minemyer, 6/22)

The Washington Post: The Pricey New Alzheimer's Drug Adds To The Pressure For Drug Price Controls 
Even if Congress manages to pass the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Costs Now Act — more commonly known as H.R. 3 — the bill still wouldn’t let the government immediately slash prices on Aduhelm, which is expected to cost $56,000 annually for a single patient and could quickly become Medicare's biggest prescription drug expense. (Cunningham and Ellerbeck, 6/17)

USA Today: New Alzheimer's Drug: Brain Scans, MRIs, Monitoring Boost Aduhelm Cost
The eye-popping $56,000 price tag on Biogen’s newly approved Alzheimer’s medication has generated significant debate on the value of a drug not yet proven to slow the mind-robbing disease. But Aduhelm's price is only the start of what consumers and insurers might pay to get the first new Food and Drug Administration-approved drug to treat Alzheimer's since 2003. Many experts say patients will need expensive tests to verify they have the underlying sticky clumps of protein the drug targets in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Patients could see other bills from doctors, as well as from facilities that administer the drug via IV and imaging centers for MRIs to monitor common side effects such as brain swelling and bleeding. (Alltucker, 6/22)

Axios: AHIP's Matt Eyles: There's No Good Explanation For Aduhelm's $56,000 Price 
The head of the health insurance industry's main lobbying group doesn't think the $56,000 annual price tag for Biogen's unproven Alzheimer's treatment, Aduhelm, is justified, but the group won't call on insurance companies to deny coverage of it. Instead, insurers are relying heavily on Medicare and an independent drug pricing group for their coverage decisions. (Herman, 6/23)

Also —

Stat: Democrat’s Drug Pricing Manifesto Hints At A Carveout For Small Biotechs
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the influential chair of the Senate Finance Committee, is promising that his signature drug pricing package won’t eviscerate small biotech companies. Wyden, typically a fierce critic of the drug industry, is suddenly giving a shoutout to small biotech companies and their role in developing “groundbreaking new treatments.” He’s even promising that the package he is crafting “can be tailored to the scale of these companies, as well as other factors that affect their access to capital.” (Florko, 6/22)

Politico: Senior Democrat Outlines New Drug Pricing Plan As Talks Drag On 
Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden on Tuesday outlined a proposal for curbing prescription drug prices as pressure ramps up on Democratic lawmakers to use the reforms to pay for other priorities in a massive infrastructure package. The new framework, which Wyden has discussed for months with members of his influential committee and Democratic leadership, proposes building on the bipartisan plan he and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) offered last Congress that never came up for a floor vote due to GOP leaders' opposition. It would also include provisions similar to the House’s landmark drug pricing bill, H.R. 3 (117), that would empower Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies and apply those lower prices across other public and private insurance programs. (Ollstein, 6/22)

Modern Healthcare: Five Blues Plans Launch New For-Profit Company To Lower Drug Prices
Five Blue Cross Blue Shield plans have launched a new for-profit pharmacy solutions company to combat drug costs, which comprise an ever-growing share of their budgets, the insurers announced today. The Denver-based company, called Evio, will use data from the plans' more than 20 million members across the U.S. to collect real-world evidence into how drugs actually perform, especially across specific patient types and with certain comorbidities. One of the goals is to get drugmakers to agree to outcomes-based contracts, where the plans pay in accordance with drugs' effectiveness. (Bannow, 6/22)

Stat: Teva Agrees To Pay $925,000 To Mississippi To Settle Generic Price-Fixing Charges 
After years of controversy, Teva Pharmaceuticals (TEVA) agreed to pay $925,000 to the state of Mississippi to settle allegations of conspiring to set prices of generic medicines, the first instance in which a state and drug maker have reached a deal over sweeping price-fixing litigation. Several current and former executives also reached a settlement, according to a court document. (Silverman, 6/22)

WOIO Cleveland: AARP Warns Brand Name Prescription Drug Prices Are Soaring
Tough choices could be coming for many seniors. Some may soon have to decide between paying skyrocketing prices for prescription drugs or paying their bills.19 Investigates found there could be major consequences if inflation like this continues. Higher health care costs could be coming, which will lead to poorer health, a new report from AARP warns. (Goldenberg, 6/17)

Undark: How Patent Extensions Keep Some Drug Costs High
Priti Krishtel's first case as a legal aid lawyer in India was as tragic as they come. One day in 2004, she recalls a couple walking into her office in Bengaluru with their three children. Unable to afford life-saving medicine to keep their HIV infections in check, the parents were dying of AIDS. With no other options, they wanted Krishtel to draw up guardianship transfer papers: The rambunctious siblings were to be sent to an orphanage before their parents died. (Sinha, 6/16)

Maryland Matters: Colorado Creates Maryland-Style Prescription Drug Price Containment Board, As Other States Consider Action 
Colorado has become the third state in the nation — following trailblazer Maryland and Maine — to create a panel with the power to rein in prescription drug prices. The measure signed by Gov. Jared Polis (D) on Wednesday creates a five-member Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which will evaluate whether medications are fairly priced. In cases where they are determined to be too costly, the board will have the authority to set maximum prices. (DePuyt, 6/21)

Fierce Healthcare: Industry Voices: Why Drug Companies Should Stop Meddling In The 340B Program 
Even with drug prices skyrocketing and new drugs coming to market at astronomical starting prices, a group of drug companies continues to seek ways to boost profits even higher. By targeting drug discounts required by the 340B drug pricing program, companies are hurting safety net hospitals, health centers and public health clinics serving the Americans most in need. In his recent opinion piece, drug industry consultant Jeremy Docken demonstrates how companies are broadening their attacks on 340B. He argues the program has grown too large and needs industry intervention to rein it in, but he omits several important facts. (Maureen Testoni, president and CEO of 340B Health, 6/18)

Columbus Dispatch: Pharmacy Benefit Managers Increase Costs, Reduce Options
You know you have a big problem when $88 million is just the tip of the iceberg drifting toward you. But that pretty much sums up what the $88 million that Centene, America's 24th-largest corporation, agreed to pay Ohio means in the discussion about pharmacy benefit managers. The settlement is in response to a lawsuit filed three months ago by State Attorney General David Yost, who said Centene and Envolve and Buckeye Community Health Plan, its wholly owned subsidiaries that provide pharmacy benefit management services, were double-billing the state. (6/20)

San Diego Union-Tribune: Congress Should Support The Lower Drug Costs Now Act For Affordable Medicine 
As the mom of two children with Type 1 diabetes, I constantly worry: What if my husband and I lose our health coverage or can no longer afford the medicines they need because drug corporations raise the prices beyond our means? Our sons, Thomas and Owen, both have Type 1 diabetes. Owen was diagnosed in 2011 at age 2 and Thomas was diagnosed in 2017 at age 9. They will need insulin for the rest of their lives to manage the condition. When it comes to the price of insulin, the drug corporations have all the power and families like us are at their mercy. (Annemarie Gibson, 6/21)

Colorado Politics: Only Congress Can Rein In Big Pharma 
In the fall of 1955, my twin brother and I switched schools from Alexandria, Virginia, to Fort Worth, Texas, when our father left the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission to join General Dynamics' nuclear plane project. Before we entered junior high school, we had attended eight elementary schools. In our new fifth grade was a classmate afflicted with both diabetes and hemophilia. He could not participate in recess games and we were constantly warned there could be no accidental bumping, rough housing or fighting of any kind near him. Twice each day he reported to the nurse’s office to receive an insulin shot. Despite these precautions he frequently sported large, ugly bruises. (Miller Hudson, 6/21)

Insider NJ: It’s Time To Solve The Prescription Drug Price Crisis 
If the COVID-19 pandemic taught us anything, it’s that our nation needs to get serious about our approach to public health. There are many flaws and inefficiencies in the healthcare system in need of reform, but one of the most pressing is the astronomically high costs that drug companies charge for prescription medication. The sticker shock that patients face to fill life-saving drugs is a burden for too many families, and if we are truly going to build our country back following the pandemic, bringing down prescription drug costs has to be our top goal. (Ruth Dugan, 6/17)

Stat: Health Care Is A Human Right In Times Of Crisis. Why Not Every Day? 
Much of the world has settled the matter of whether health care ought to be a human right. The United Nations said so in 1948. The American founders might as well have said it in 1776 when they listed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness among citizens’ unalienable rights, but this vision has not yet been realized, as evidenced by rampant disparities in access to care. (Vikram Bakhru, 6/23)

Kansas City Star: Missouri Legislature’s Bumbling, Indifference Risks Medicaid 
Just after noon Tuesday, Gov. Mike Parson agreed to call a special session to consider renewing the critical Medicaid tax. The session begins Wednesday. But there’s still no deal on renewing that tax, and the unnecessary near-collapse of the effort to fund Medicaid in Missouri shows just how seriously lawmakers in our state take the well-being of those without resources. And how far they are willing to go to prevent public funding for some forms of contraceptives. (6/23)

Newsweek: The Stigma Of Obesity Hurts Black And Latinx Communities Most 
As a Black physician, I've seen systemic inequities in our health care system disproportionately impact my community long before the COVID-19 pandemic. The lack of access and inequity in our system has been aided by the inadequate training of my fellow doctors and health care providers in the effective assessment and treatment of obesity without stigma, and policy makers who allow our laws to perpetuate this stigma instead of following science—the one thing we all know can lead us out of a health crisis. (Michael Knight, 6/22)

Stat: The Quest For Thermostable Vaccines And Other Vaccine Innovations 
The unprecedented rapid development and distribution of Covid-19 vaccines worldwide has brought new visibility to how vaccines are produced, packaged, and distributed. The world learned about the vaccine cold chain, for example, as people monitored rollout plans for Covid-19 vaccines and the added logistics that came with keeping them cold. Since then, many people have asked this question: Why don’t we have more thermostable, easy-to-administer vaccines? (Debra Kristensen, 6/23)

NPR: Why I Kept My Cancer A Secret, And Why I Won't Anymore
I've been keeping a secret. I've decided to tell it. I have metastatic breast cancer, MBC, stage 4. That means the breast cancer has spread to my lungs, bones and brain. There is no cure. Eventually, it kills you. Actually, I've had it for two years. Keeping it secret served me well. I didn't have to explain myself to friends and strangers while I was still in the hysterical stage. Because, faced with an incurable cancer diagnosis, I did what any normal person would do: I stopped sleeping. I stopped eating. I sobbed a lot. I was grieving for my own life. (Ina Jaffe, 6/22)

Modern Healthcare: Growing An Intentional And Embedded Diversity And Inclusion Program
For over 130 years, Sentara Healthcare has cared for some of the most diverse communities in Virginia and North Carolina. We believe our differences are our strengths, and as a result have always prided ourselves on our equally diverse teams and the work we do within our communities. In mid-2019, we decided to formalize our commitment by intentionally fostering a culture of inclusion, creating a diversity and inclusion program led by our first chief diversity officer, Dana Beckton. We also set our strategy to impact anyone who interacts with Sentara. (Becky Sawyer, 6/22)

The New York Times: Abortion Politics Are Harming Miscarriage Treatment 
Up to 26 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage. These losses can be as physically painful as they are emotionally wrenching. And yet many patients are not offered the best care for their miscarriages because of abortion politics. Both of us have had miscarriages. We each visited our doctors for scheduled ultrasounds between eight and 11 weeks of pregnancy, expecting to see a little bean-shaped baby-to-be with a reassuring heartbeat. Unfortunately, all we heard was quiet. No motion. No beautiful pulse. Only stillness. (Amanda Allen and Cari Siestra, 6/22)

NPR: Vaccine Hesitancy In The U.S. Is A Peculiar Privilege 
"I want to wait and watch. "This is a peculiar response I receive from my friends and some family members in the United States when I ask them about their thoughts on COVID-19 vaccination. This is a peculiar response for a couple of reasons: COVID-19 vaccines are exceptionally effective, are now readily available and are the best way to end the pandemic and return to normalcy. This skeptical response is reflective of broader trends in the United States: An NPR/Marist poll this spring revealed that up to one-fourth of the national population would decline to get vaccinated even when offered. (Junaid Nabi, 6/22)

Bloomberg: Covid-19's Deadly Long Tail Means Only More Vaccines Can End The Pandemic 
China has now delivered more than 1 billion vaccine doses, hitting that Covid-19 milestone the same weekend that Brazil passed one of its own: more than 500,000 deaths. Daily case numbers remain worryingly high, and those hospitalized and dying include larger numbers of young people. India, meanwhile, is at risk of a third wave of infections sooner than predicted, after a devastating second. The end of the pandemic is almost here. But the tail is long and — thanks to short-sighted global and national policies — this phase is no more of a “great equalizer” than the start was. Blame uneven access to immunization made worse by vaccine nationalism as rich governments focus on domestic needs. Insufficient state capacity, poor logistics, and distrust and misinformation, often fueled by populist leaders, have left millions behind and widened existing gaps in the global economy. Then there are insular policies in places like Australia or Hong Kong that focus on zero cases, making them reluctant to open up, discouraging vaccination and prolonging the endgame. (Clara Ferreira Marques, 6/22)

The Baltimore Sun: Much-Admired Greatest Generation Values Missing In Half The Country During Pandemic
Every Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and Father’s Day you can count on baby boomers and Gen Xers to post Facebook tributes to the so-called “Greatest Generation,” expressing eternal gratitude for the men and women who persevered through the Depression and World War II to deliver freedom and prosperity to their children and grandchildren. I’ll tell you what else the Greatest Generation did — they got their kids vaccinated against polio. They didn’t question the vaccine. In fact, it was eagerly awaited and widely embraced. Its developer, Dr. Jonas Salk, was a national hero, like Joe DiMaggio in a lab coat. (Dan Rodricks, 6/22)

Los Angeles Times: COVID Vaccine Incentives Work, But Send The Wrong Message 
As we claw our way out of the pandemic, state governments across the country are offering all kinds of rewards for getting vaccinated against COVID-19. In return for getting your shot, you could take a thrilling lap around the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, win a free fishing and hunting license in Maine, or get your own custom shotgun in West Virginia. In California, residents who get vaccinated have a chance at $1.5 million as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vaccination lottery program, Vax for the Win. There’s some evidence that these incentives are working. Since California launched its lottery on May 27, over 900,000 residents began their vaccination process. According to the California Department of Public Health, the state saw a 13% increase in vaccinations from the last week of May to the first week of June. (Caroline Petrow-Cohen, 6/22)

The New York Times: Modi Enabled A 'Covid Massacre' In India 
In the Opinion video above, Kunal Kamra, an enormously popular stand-up comedian in India, puts all jokes aside and takes a serious look at his government’s handling of the pandemic. His assessment is withering: He accuses the nation’s leadership, especially an overconfident Prime Minister Narendra Modi, of putting political vanity before common sense and opening the door to a devastating resurgence of coronavirus infections that have devastated the country. India has been struggling for weeks amid this second wave, which has sickened millions, killed hundreds of thousands and overwhelmed the nation’s health care system. At the peak of the crisis, new infections numbered about 400,000 a day, a record-breaking pace. (Kunal Kamra, 6/23)