AP: GOP's Graham Unveils Nationwide Abortion Ban After 15 Weeks 
Upending the political debate, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham introduced a nationwide abortion ban Tuesday, sending shockwaves through both parties and igniting fresh debate on a fraught issue weeks before the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. Graham’s own Republican Party leaders did not immediately embrace his abortion ban bill, which would prohibit the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy with rare exceptions, and has almost no chance of becoming law in the Democratic-held Congress. Democrats torched it as an alarming signal of where “MAGA” Republicans are headed if they win control of the House and Senate in November. (Mascaro, 9/14)

Politico: Graham's Abortion Ban Stuns Senate GOP
Lindsey Graham’s anti-abortion legislation once unified the Republican Party. The 15-week abortion ban he pitched Tuesday had the exact opposite effect. The South Carolina senator chose a uniquely tense moment to unveil his party’s first bill limiting abortion access since this summer’s watershed reversal of Roe v. Wade. It was designed as a nod to anti-abortion activists who have never felt more emboldened. Yet Graham’s bill also attempted to skate past a Republican Party that’s divided over whether Congress should even be legislating on abortion after the Supreme Court struck down a nationwide right to terminate pregnancies. (Everett, Levine and Ferris, 9/13)

ABC News: Graham's Proposed Near-Total National Abortion Ban Quickly Meets GOP Resistance
Even if the GOP were to regain control of the Senate in November, Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the Senate's second-ranking Republican, said he didn't know if Republicans would proceed with a floor vote on Graham's measure. Likewise, just a few of the GOP Senate candidates in competitive races immediately voiced support for the measure, including Arizona's Blake Masters and Georgia's Herschel Walker. Joe O'Dea, a moderate Republican running to unseat Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in Colorado, told the Denver Post he did not back Graham's bill and called for "balance on the abortion issue." (Ferris, 9/13)

The Hill: McConnell Throws Shade On Graham’s Proposed National Abortion Ban 
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Tuesday made clear that Senate Republicans are not eager to debate Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) proposal to ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, telling reporters that most GOP senators want to leave the issue to states.  McConnell also said Graham’s proposal is the South Carolina senator’s own initiative and not something being pushed at the leadership level.  (Bolton, 9/13)

Graham's announcement likely will rock the midterm elections —

The New York Times: Republicans Struggle To Unite Party Around National Abortion Restrictions 
For weeks, anti-abortion activists and their Republican allies have been quietly seeking to rally their party around a single platform on abortion, hoping to settle divisions and blunt political damage from an issue with growing potency in the midterm elections. But when Senator Lindsey Graham came ahead on Tuesday with a proposed 15-week national abortion ban intended to unite his party, the result was only more division. (Lerer and Dias, 9/13)

Newsweek: Lindsey Graham Gambles Republicans' Midterm Victory On 15-Week Abortion Ban
Senator Lindsey Graham's bill to ban abortion federally after 15 weeks could further put Republican midterm victories at risk as the party faces political backlash over the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. ... Republicans once hoped President Joe Biden's lagging approval numbers would propel them to a strong midterm victory, but recent polling indicates their hardline stance on abortion has seen their leads evaporate. Graham's 15-week abortion ban bill could put Republican candidates in competitive races in a tight spot as they try to strike a balance between motivating their conservative base while not alienating moderate, independent voters on abortion. (Stanton, 9/13)

The Washington Post: Lindsey Graham’s Abortion-Ban Proposal Is Not Helping His Party 
In announcing the proposal, Graham tied it explicitly to the midterm elections. “If we take back the House and the Senate, I can assure you we’ll have a vote on our bill,” he said. “If the Democrats are in charge, I don’t know if we’ll ever have a vote on our bill.” (Phillip Bump, 9/13)

Also —

The Hill: White House Blasts Graham Abortion Bill As ‘Wildly Out Of Step’
The White House on Tuesday described a new bill that would impose a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy as “wildly out of step” with the country, pushing back hard on the legislation introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the ban “would strip away women’s rights in all 50 states.” (Gangitano, 9/13)

The New York Times: How A Nationwide Abortion Ban After 15 Weeks Would Compare To State Laws 
A proposal to ban abortion nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy would stop short of some states’ limits on the procedure but would upend the longtime standard in most others. Such a ban would come early in the second trimester, before common screenings for certain health conditions and several weeks before a fetus is considered viable. (Lutz and McCann, 9/13)

Democrats urge President Biden to protect reproductive health data —

The 19th: Democratic Senators Urge Biden Admin To Use HIPAA To Protect Abortion Rights
Thirty Democratic senators led by Washington’s Patty Murray are calling on the Biden administration to use health care privacy laws to protect patients’ reproductive health information, specifically when it comes to abortion. (Luthra, 9/13)

The Hill: West Virginia Legislature Approves Abortion Ban, Headed To Governor For Signature 
West Virginia’s legislature approved a sweeping abortion ban on Tuesday, only allowing the procedure in cases of medical emergencies, rape and incest. The bill, known as HB 302, will now head to the desk of Gov. Jim Justice (R), who called a special session of the legislature in July to “clarify and modernize” the state’s abortion laws in the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. (Gans, 9/13)

The Washington Post: West Virginia Lawmakers Pass Abortion Ban 
The West Virginia legislature Tuesday passed a bill to prohibit nearly all abortions, making it the second state to pass a new ban since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in June. ... West Virginia Republicans moved forward with the strict ban despite signs in other parts of the country that many American voters do not support the Supreme Court’s ruling and largely oppose the harshest restrictions on abortion. A similar effort to pass a near-total abortion ban in South Carolina fizzled out last week, and voters resoundingly rejected a ballot measure in Kansas that would have stripped abortion protections from the state constitution. (Shepherd, 9/13)

Indiana's abortion ban goes into effect tomorrow —

NPR: The First Abortion Ban Passed After Roe Takes Effect Thursday In Indiana
The first new abortion ban passed by a state legislature since the overturning of Roe v. Wade this summer is set to take effect Thursday in Indiana. Indiana lawmakers passed legislation banning most abortions in a special session in early August. It includes narrow exceptions for rape, incest, and certain serious medical complications and emergencies. (McCammon, 9/14)

In abortion updates from California —

AP: California Launches Website Promoting Abortion Services 
California launched a publicly funded website Tuesday to promote the state’s abortion services, listing clinics, linking to financial help for travel and lodging and letting teenagers in other states know they don’t need their parents’ permission to get an abortion in the state. The website is part of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to make California a sanctuary for women seeking abortions now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade — the landmark 1973 decision that said states could not ban abortion. (Beam, 9/13)

Bay Area News Group: Newsom Unveils Website To Smooth Access To California Abortions
Abortion.ca.gov allows users to search for an abortion provider near them, while also providing information about abortion rights, the different types of abortions, how to pay for the procedure and more. The website has resources both for people living in California and those coming from states where abortions have been restricted or banned, such as Texas, Tennessee and Alabama. It is available in Spanish, and will be translated into additional languages as well, according to the governor’s office. (Kendall, 9/13)

From Iowa, Texas, and elsewhere —

AP: Iowa Abortion Providers Say No Basis To Enact Near Ban
Lawyers for Iowa’s largest abortion provider argued in court documents Tuesday that there’s no precedent or legal support for bringing back a law banning most abortions, which a judge had permanently blocked in 2019. Planned Parenthood’s lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa were responding in state court filings to arguments made by lawyers for Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds last month. (Pitt, 9/13)

The Texas Tribune: Fetal Personhood Law Is Complex And Texas Is Only Beginning To Untangle It 
During the 1960s and ’70s, abortion opponents pushed for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define life as beginning at the point of fertilization. Such an amendment would have automatically criminalized abortion across the country. But it would also raise all sorts of new questions such as whether a fetus should be included when determining child tax credits, in census counts — or even as a passenger in an HOV lane. Critics say that lawmakers haven’t fully considered these legal questions. Georgia is the only state with a “fetal personhood law” in effect, according to The Guttmacher Institute, and that state is still trying to figure out exactly how to apply that law. (Salhotra, 9/13)

CNN: The Fight For Abortion Rights In The US Is All Over The Map 
Good luck trying to keep on top of the fight for abortion rights in the US. It’s everywhere, all over the map, and it’s all happening right now. (Wolf, 9/14)

Newsweek: Abortion Clinics Rush To Relocate To Friendlier Border Towns As Bans Start
Oregon. Minnesota. Illinois. New Mexico. Anticipating a wave of women willing to cross borders to get an abortion, these abortion-friendly states are permitting a string of new clinics to open on their periphery. ... Some critics have labeled this the new "abortion tourism," creating regional abortion outposts next to states where the procedure has been outlawed. (Duin, 9/13)

NPR: Poverty And Uninsured Rates Drop, Thanks To Pandemic-Era Policies
The census numbers show 8.3% of Americans – or 27.2 million people – did not have any health insurance in 2021. That's an improvement from 2020, when 8.6% of people were uninsured. The force behind this trend is Medicaid, the public health insurance option for people with low incomes, according to census officials who briefed reporters Tuesday. (Simmons-Duffin and Ludden, 9/13)

Axios: The Uninsured Rate Of Americans Remains Relatively Steady
The number of Americans without health insurance fell by a million people in 2021, according to U.S. Census Bureau data published yesterday. Why it matters: Despite COVID-19 and the economic uncertainty it spawned, the uninsured rate remained stable due to enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies and the Medicaid continuous coverage provisions Congress enacted in response to the pandemic. (Knight, 9/14)

The New York Times: Pandemic Aid Cut U.S. Poverty To New Low In 2021, Census Bureau Reports
A second year of emergency pandemic aid from the federal government drove poverty to the lowest level on record in 2021 and cut the number of poor children by nearly half, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday. The poverty rate fell to 7.8 percent, down from 9.2 percent the previous year, according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure, a yardstick that includes wages, taxes and the fullest account of government aid. (DePillis and DeParle, 9/13)

Center On Budget And Policy Priorities: In Pandemic’s Second Year, Government Policies Helped Drive Child Poverty Rate To A Record Low, Cut Uninsured Rate, New Census Data Show
Today’s Census figures show government policies prevented massively higher financial hardship and lack of health insurance in 2021, as the nation continued to wrestle with the COVID-19 pandemic and recover from the resulting job loss. (Parrott, 9/13)

USA Today: COLA 2023: Social Security Cost-Of-Living Bump Could Hit 8.7%
The roughly 70 million people – retirees, disabled people and others – who rely on Social Security could receive an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, next year, according to an estimate by Mary Johnson, a policy analyst for the Senior Citizen League, an advocacy group. That would be the largest increase since 1982. (Davidson, 9/13)

CNBC: There Could Be A Record High Social Security Cost-Of-Living Adjustment In 2023, But It’s Not Set In Stone: 3 Things To Watch
The estimate comes from The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group, which found that increase would boost the $1,656 average monthly retirement benefit by $144.10. Such an annual increase in benefits would be the highest COLA ever received by most of Social Security’s current beneficiaries, according to The Senior Citizens League. ... The official cost-of-living adjustment is typically announced by the Social Security Administration in October. Between now and then, there are several factors that could affect next year’s increase and how much of that money makes it to retirees’ checks. Here are three to watch. (Konish, 9/13)

The New York Times: Social Security’s Cost-Of-Living Increase Will Be Largest In Four Decades, An Estimate Says
Rising Medicare premiums often take a significant bite out of COLAs; the premium for Part B (which covers outpatient services, like doctors’ visits) typically is deducted from Social Security benefits. Large increases in Part B can sharply reduce, or even eliminate, a COLA. But next year, most experts expect the standard Part B premium to rise very modestly, or even stay flat at the current $170.10 per month. (Miller, 9/14)

In Medicare news —

Reuters: Explainer: How The U.S. Drug Pricing Law Affects Medicare And Its Members 
U.S. President Joe Biden last month signed the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act, authorizing the federal government to negotiate prices on some prescription drugs and cap costs for the government's Medicare health program. Here is how the law may affect some of the 63 million Americans aged 65 or over or with disabilities who receive Medicare health benefits. (Aboulenein, 9/13)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Telehealth Flexibilities: Senate Urged To Extend
A group of 375 trade groups, health systems and other companies said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that uncertainty around the continuation of telehealth flexibilities has started to affect innovation. "Virtual care is now a fundamental part of the U.S. healthcare system, and it will improve patient access to high quality care and strengthen continuity of care well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic," the letter said. (Goldman, 9/13)

Fierce Healthcare: Study Examines Spending On Low-Value Care In Medicare
More money is wasted in caring for beneficiaries in traditional Medicare than in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, according to a study that examined data from nearly 2.5 million Humana members. (Diamond, 9/13)

Bloomberg: Monkeypox Virus: Brain Inflammation Seen In Two US Cases, CDC Says
US health officials cautioned Tuesday that monkeypox led to neurological complications in two otherwise healthy men in their 30s. (Muller, 9/13)

CIDRAP: Two US Cases Of Monkeypox-Related Brain Inflammation Raise Concern 
Two US monkeypox patients developed encephalomyelitis—inflammation of the brain and spinal cord—in the week after symptom onset, one in Colorado and one in Washington, DC, suggesting neurologic complications are a potential outcome of monkeypox infections. The cases are described today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The United States is home to the largest monkeypox outbreak in the world, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today reporting 91 more monkeypox cases, raising the national total to 21,985. (Soucheray, 9/13)

And a health care worker has been infected at work —

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Reports Nation's First MPX Case In Exposed Healthcare Worker
“We have identified a healthcare worker with monkeypox who appears to have been exposed to the virus at their worksite,” Dr. Rita Singhal, chief medical officer for the L.A. County Department of Public Health, said in a presentation to the Board of Supervisors. “This is the first case of monkeypox in a healthcare worker in the United States that has been linked to a worksite exposure.” (Toohey, 9/13)

More on the spread of monkeypox —

KHN: Southern States’ Lackluster Monkeypox Efforts Leave LGBTQ+ Groups Going It Alone
Dan DeChellis started looking for a monkeypox vaccine around July Fourth but was unable to find a place that offered one in Orlando, Florida, where he lives. After about a week of searching online, he and three friends made an appointment in Wilton Manors, a city about 3½ hours south by car. DeChellis, who is gay, said he doesn’t understand why the vaccine wasn’t available closer to home or why getting answers about who was eligible from his local health department was so difficult. (Chang and DeGuzman, 9/14)

Bloomberg: Monkeypox On Campus: Reports Raise Concerns About Fall Semester Spread
When Pennsylvania State University junior Nick Ribaudo got an email last month saying that a fellow student had tested positive for monkeypox, his first thought was, “Oh boy, here we go again.” Several US colleges have confirmed cases of the virus, raising concerns as students return to campus for the fall semester. That’s especially so as many students, like 22-year-old Ribaudo, saw earlier school years cut short or moved online due to Covid-19. (Taylor, 9/12)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: DPH Reports Decrease In New Monkeypox Cases
The rate of new monkeypox cases in the state has been on a consistent decline over the last few weeks, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. State health officials are “cautiously optimistic” that with the drop in new cases, the outbreak can be contained within a year with continued outreach aimed at heavily impacted populations. (Thomas, 9/14)

Stat: Complexity Of Covid Vaccine Program Fuels Concern On Potential For Errors
The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program has reached new heights of complexity with the start of the bivalent booster program, leading to concerns about the potential for more errors in the administration of vaccines. (Branswell, 9/14)

PBS NewsHour: Should I Get The New COVID-19 Booster? Here’s What You Need To Know
“How high that wave is, and how overwhelmed our hospital systems are, are going to be a direct correlation with how many people get their booster and how this virus mutates,” said Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist and publisher of the Your Local Epidemiologist newsletter. “One of those things we can control, and the other one, we can’t.” (Cooney and Rasnic, 9/13)

More on the vaccine rollout —

AP: Court Rehears Fight Over Vaccine Mandate For Federal Workers 
President Joe Biden has the same authority to impose a COVID-19 vaccine requirement on federal workers that private employers have for their employees, an administration lawyer told a federal appeals court Tuesday. A lawyer for opponents of the vaccine requirement, which has been blocked nationwide by a federal judge in Texas, said the requirement imposes an “unconstitutionally intolerable choice” for executive branch workers — taking a vaccine they don’t want or losing their jobs. (McGill, 9/13)

Axios: Why We Need To Be Talking About Vaccines That Offer "Mucosal Immunity"
As the U.S. rolls out updated mRNA-based COVID shots, a growing chorus of experts say it's a mistake not to focus on treatments that boost immunity through mucous membranes. (Reed, 9/13)

In covid research —

Fortune: Twice-Daily Nose Flushing Can Reduce COVID-Related Hospitalizations And Death, Researchers Find
A study out of the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University has found that flushing your nose twice daily with a mild saline solution shortly after testing positive for COVID-19 can drastically decrease your chances of hospitalization and death. Simply mix a half teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of baking soda in a cup of boiled (and cooled) or distilled water, then pour it into a sinus rinse bottle. A squeeze bottle or bulb syringe works, too. (Payton, 9/13)

Fierce Healthcare: Insurers Could Track Long COVID Through Loss-Of-Smell Data: Study
As health plans wrestle with what to do about COVID-19 coverage going forward, a recent study in JAMA Network Open concludes that patients suffering from a loss of the sense of smell might be more susceptible to exhibiting symptoms of long COVID for longer periods of time. (Diamond, 9/13)

USA Today: 'We Are Only Beginning To Know What It Is': Issues Abound In Long COVID Treatment
"We don't know how to treat long COVID. We are only beginning to know what it is," said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and a senior scientist at the Maine Health Institute for Research. Although long COVID clinics have popped up in nearly every state, and the internet is filled with promises of easy fixes, there's still very little solid science about the condition. Medical care – if someone can get it – consists of trying to address each troublesome symptom on its own. (Weintraub, 9/14)

San Francisco Chronicle: HIV Infections Rose In S.F. For First Time In A Decade, Perhaps Due To Pandemic
San Francisco recorded its first year-over-year increase in new HIV infections in nearly a decade in 2021, though at least some of those cases likely were in people who became infected in 2020 and only tested positive last year due to pandemic lockdowns and other restrictions that led to testing delays. (Allday, 9/13)

More health news from California and across the U.S. —

KHN: California And New York Aim To Curb Diet Pill Sales To Minors
California and New York are on the cusp of going further than the FDA in restricting the sale of non-prescription diet pills to minors as pediatricians and public health advocates try to protect kids from extreme weight-loss gimmicks online. A bill before Gov. Gavin Newsom would bar anyone under 18 in California from buying over-the-counter weight loss supplements — whether online or in shops — without a prescription. A similar bill passed by New York lawmakers is on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk. Neither Democrat has indicated how he or she will act. (Udesky, 9/14)

The New York Times: Montana Restricts Changes To Birth Certificates For Transgender People 
Transgender people born in Montana will no longer be able to change the sex listed on their birth certificate to accurately reflect their identity under a new state rule that is among the most restrictive in the country, according to transgender rights groups. Under the rule, which took effect on Saturday, transgender people may change the sex listed on their birth certificate only if it was recorded incorrectly as a result of a clerical error or if the person’s sex was “misidentified” on the original certificate and they can prove it through DNA or other scientific testing. (Bohra and Levenson, 9/13)

Houston Chronicle: Texas Maternal Death Rate Study Delayed Until Mid-2023
Texas health officials have missed a key window to complete the state’s first major updated count of pregnancy related deaths in nearly a decade, saying the findings will now be released next summer, most likely after the Legislature’s biennial session. The delay, disclosed earlier this month by the Department of State Health Services, means lawmakers won’t likely be able to use the analysis, covering deaths from 2019, until the 2025 legislative cycle. The most recent state-level data available is nine years old. (Gill and Blackman, 9/13)

Bloomberg: NJ Public Workers Rally Against Rising Health-Care Costs
New Jersey public employees rallied in the state capital Tuesday, demanding that officials delay a contentious vote on increases in workers’ health-care premiums of more than 20% for next year. (Tozzi, 9/13)

Bangor Daily News: Cost Emerges As Early Hurdle To Maine Paid-Leave Plans
A paid family and medical leave plan for Maine could cost employers and employees a minimum of $266 million starting in 2024, depending on how generous the benefits are, according to a study released Monday. (Valigra, 9/13)

AP: House For Families Of Veterans Set For Memphis Hospital 
Officials at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Memphis say a house where families can stay while their relative is being treated will be built at the facility. The Memphis Veterans Affairs Health Care System Medical Center is among the sites selected to establish a Fisher House, officials said in a news release Monday. (9/14)

Reuters: Exclusive: Medical Journals Broaden Inquiry Into Potential Heart Research Misconduct
Three medical journals recently launched independent investigations of possible data manipulation in heart studies led by Temple University researchers, Reuters has learned, adding new scrutiny to a misconduct inquiry by the university and the U.S. government. The Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology and the Journal of Biological Chemistry are investigating five papers authored by Temple scientists, the journals told Reuters. (Taylor and Heath, 9/13)

In other health industry news —

Fierce Healthcare: Aetna To Enter ACA Exchanges In 4 More States
Aetna will enter the Affordable Care Act's (ACA's) exchanges in four more states, bringing its total footprint to 12 states, the insurer announced late last week. The CVS Health subsidiary will begin offering plans in California, Delaware, Illinois and New Jersey for the 2023 plan year. Aetna already offered plans in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, Texas and Virginia after returning to the exchanges at the beginning of 2022. (Minemyer, 9/12)

Modern Healthcare: AMA Joins MultiPlan Class Action Lawsuit Against Cigna
The nation’s largest medical organization and two physician groups joined a class-action lawsuit against Cigna Monday, accusing the insurer of shortchanging providers and leaving patients inappropriately exposed to balance bills. (Tepper, 9/13)

Bloomberg: US States Like Massachusetts, California Impose Caps On Hospital Costs
The landmark Massachusetts health reform of 2006 was so successful it served as the model for Obamacare. Then, state leaders vowed to “bend the curve” of ever-rising health costs. That hasn’t gone as well. So now calls are rising for a new reform, one in which Massachusetts would join a small, but growing number of states, from California to Rhode Island, that have begun to impose caps on certain health-care prices. (Goldberg, 9/13)

North Carolina Health News: The Benefits Of Treating Patients Through Hospital-At-Home
Betty Ratcliffe is one of more than 500 people who have received “hospital at home” services from UNC over the past year. (Hoban, 9/14)

Becker's Hospital Review: Cleveland Clinic Reverts To Open Visitation
Cleveland Clinic on Sept. 13 lifted COVID-19 screenings, set visiting hours and visitor limits across all of its U.S. locations. Open visitation now applies across inpatient and outpatient settings, with the exception of some intensive care unit settings, the health system said in a news release sent to Becker's. (Carbajal, 9/14)

In news about mental health care —

Fierce Healthcare: Nurse Practitioners Filling The Gap For Mental Health Care
While the number of psychiatrists in the United States to manage unmet mental healthcare needs is lacking, psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners may help fill gaps in care. (Kreimer, 9/13)

USA Today: Baby Won't Stop Crying? Here's How Study Says To Get Them To Sleep
The findings, published Tuesday in the peer reviewed journal Current Biology, suggest the best method is to hold a crying baby and walk with them for five minutes. After that, researchers say to sit and hold the baby for five-to-eight minutes before putting them to bed. The walking-to-sit method even worked in the daytime, the results showed. (Mendoza, 9/13)

KHN: Newborns Get Routine Heel Blood Tests, But Should States Keep Those Samples?
Close to 4 million babies are born in the United States every year, and within their first 48 hours nearly all are pricked in the heel so their blood can be tested for dozens of life-threatening genetic and metabolic problems. The heel-stick test is considered such a crucial public health measure that states typically require it and parents aren’t asked for their permission before it’s done. But the lab tests for newborn screenings generally don’t use all of the half-dozen or so drops of blood collected on filter paper cards. So states hold on to the leftover “dried blood spots,” as they’re called, often without parents’ knowledge or consent. In recent years, privacy-related concerns have grown about the sometimes decades-long storage and use of the material. (Andrews, 9/14)

Reuters: Evidence Is Lacking For Diabetes Screening In Youths -U.S. Panel
A U.S. panel tasked with weighing the pros and cons of regular diabetes screening for children and adolescents found a lack of evidence for the testing, even as the proportion of U.S. youths with type 2 diabetes has doubled since 2001. That rise tracks with increases in obesity - the chief risk factor for the most common form of the diabetes linked to poor diet and lack of exercise. (Steenhuysen, 9/13)

In other public health news from Michigan, Florida, and Wyoming —

CIDRAP: Michigan Reports H1N2v Flu In Fairgoer
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) yesterday reported a variant H1N2 (H1N2v) infection in a person who had contact with pigs at the Berrien County Youth Fair. Officials said the case was confirmed on Sep 9 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The fair was held Aug 15 through 20. The MDHHS said fair season in Michigan extends into October, and it warned state residents to avoid pigs and swine barns if they are at risk for flu complications. (9/13)

WQCS: St. Lucie Health Officials Issue A Warning About Smoke Risk From The Glades Mulch Fire 
The 28-acre Glades mulch fire that has burned for nearly three weeks in St. Lucie County is continuing to produce large amounts of smoke. The Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County on Monday issued a warning that smoke from the fire could possibly worsen asthma, and other chronic lung or heart conditions. (9/13)

Wyoming Public Radio: Gov. Gordon Makes September Sepsis Awareness Month After Advocacy Efforts From A Cheyenne Woman
A Cheyenne woman is helping to raise public awareness of sepsis after her 15-month-old grandson died from it in late 2016. Sepsis occurs when the body’s response to an infection damages its own tissues and can lead to organ failure. (Cook, 9/13)

In celebrity news —

CBS News: Ryan Reynolds And Rob McElhenney Film Their Colonoscopy Experiences To Raise Awareness
Actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are bringing a new meaning to the term "lead from behind." The two are raising awareness about colon cancer by filming their colonoscopy experiences.  Reynolds' colonoscopy was performed by CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook. (Novak, 9/13)

CIDRAP: COVID Vaccine May Cut Long-Term Symptoms Up To 80% 
COVID-19 patients who had received two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine reported 8 of the 10 most common long-COVID symptoms 50% to 80% less often than their unvaccinated counterparts, finds an ongoing Israeli study published in the Nature journal npj Vaccines. (Van Beusekom, 9/12)

CIDRAP: Monkeypox Vaccine-Maker Data Show Strong Response 
In contrast to a recent Dutch preprint that cast doubt on the efficacy of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos (modified vaccinia Ankara [MVA]) vaccine to produce significant neutralizing antibodies to monkeypox, the company has released its own preprint study showing that single and two-dose Jynneos vaccinations administered subcutaneously induced durable neutralizing antibody responses in healthy volunteers. (Soucheray, 9/12)

The Washington Post: Ketamine Shown To Curb Suicidal Thoughts In New Research 
Throughout his 15-year battle with depression, Anthony, 52, could barely get out of bed. He kept empty liter-size soda bottles nearby for when he couldn’t get to the bathroom. Showering and walking out the front door was a feat. He wouldn’t have thought to amuse himself with a tune. (Kornfield, 9/12)

ScienceDaily: Researchers Develop Messenger RNA Therapy For Ovarian Cancer, Muscle Wasting 
Researchers have developed a promising, first-of-its-kind messenger RNA therapy for ovarian cancer as well as cachexia, a muscle-wasting condition associated with cancer and other chronic illnesses. (Oregon State University, 9/13)

North Carolina Health News: Counterfeit Pills More Common In Street Drug Supply 
These days, if you buy a pill off the streets, it’s most likely a counterfeit. Even if a pill says “Xanax” on it — unless acquired directly from a pharmacy — it’s likely something else. (Knopf, 9/6)

New England Journal of Medicine: Neoadjuvant Cemiplimab For Stage II To IV Cutaneous Squamous-Cell Carcinoma 
In a pilot study involving patients with cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma, a high percentage of patients had a pathological complete response with the use of two doses of neoadjuvant cemiplimab before surgery. (Gross, M.D., et al, 9/12)

The Gainesville Sun: Behavioral Treatments To Treat Sleep Disruptions More Effective Than Sleep Drugs
The use of medication to treat sleep disturbances has fallen dramatically in the U.S. in recent years after several decades of climbing steeply, according to a study by a team of researchers led by a University of Florida Health scientist. (Mallard, 9/11)

Stat: Akero Drug For NASH Reduces Liver Scarring, Goal Of Mid-Stage Study 
Akero Therapeutics said Tuesday that an experimental medicine improved liver scarring at twice the rate of a placebo without worsening other symptoms — achieving the main goal of a mid-stage clinical trial involving patients with the fatty liver disease known as NASH. (Feuerstein, 9/13)

Modern Healthcare: Humira Biosimilar Savings May Face Delays 
Humira, the rheumatoid arthritis and anti-inflammatory biologic that has netted AbbVie nearly $200 billion in sales, has benefited from nearly two decades of exclusivity, allowing the manufacturer to hike the price 470% since the drug was introduced. The monopoly will end with the introduction of several Food and Drug Administration-approved copycat versions slated to hit the market in 2023, and more are on the way. (Kacik, 9/13)

Stat: How Drugmakers Are Turning Telehealth Into A Marketing Gold Mine
A familiar refrain echoes through drug ads in the United States. It’s heard at the end of TV spots and plastered across magazine pages: Ask your doctor if this drug is right for you. But as medicine moves increasingly online, direct-to-consumer advertising is adopting a more assertive catchphrase: Talk to a doctor now. (Palmer, 9/14)

The Baltimore Sun: Superbugs Need Their Own Moonshot Initiative 
For many cancer patients who die from this awful disease, their tumors aren’t solely responsible. In many instances, superbugs sicken these patients, who can’t fight off resistant infections due to weakened immune systems — even with the help of antibiotics. (Cynthia L. Sears and Fyza Shaikh, 9/12)

NBC News: Texas' PrEP Ruling Goes Against Common Sense HIV Prevention
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As an HIV doctor in central Texas, I know that nowhere is that adage truer than in the case of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that is up to 99% effective at preventing HIV. A recent ruling in a Texas federal court has the potential to threaten not just PrEP but access to all commonsense preventive medical care for people in the U.S. (Dr. Aliza Norwood, 9/11)

Bloomberg: The FDA Is Rushing A New And Unproven ALS Drug 
A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee voted yesterday to recommend approval for an ALS drug being developed by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals. The fate of this small company’s drug could matter well beyond ALS to influence how data are regarded for other medicines. (Lisa Jarvis, 9/8)

Stat: Tackling The Next Drug Pricing Challenge 
The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act brings a new era to drug pricing in the United States. After decades of being an outlier, it now joins every other developed nation in having the federal government engaged in negotiating drug pricing. (Steve Pearson, 9/8)

Bloomberg: Insulin Prices Are Surging. Here's How Congress Can Rein Them In
Among the many crowd-pleasing elements of the Inflation Reduction Act, signed by President Joe Biden last month, is a measure that will cap the cost of insulin for Medicare recipients. (9/9)

Houston Chronicle: Greg Abbott Failed To ‘Eliminate Rape.’ His Plan B Isn’t Enough
If Abbott wanted to encourage more pharmacies and other stores to sell Plan B over the counter, he could direct the attorney general to clarify the legality of doing so since there seems to be so much confusion. (9/12)

Kansas City Star: Missouri, Kansas Opioid Crisis Demands New Approach And Laws 
The face of Ashton Harmon-Manser on a billboard hangs high above a busy strip of Interstate 70 in Kansas City because that’s where the 22-year-old died two years ago of an accidental overdose of fentanyl. (9/9)

Kansas City Star: Kansas And Missouri Senators Can Help Leave Outdated Animal Drug Testing In The Past
Our nation’s public-private partnership that has guided formulation, testing and delivery of drugs to patients — from cancer treatments to pain medications to neurological problems — is badly in need of a reboot. (David Wiebers, 9/10)

The New York Times: Can Life-Of-The-Mother Abortion Exceptions Work? 
In addition to granting new political hope to Democrats, the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade has clarified the ground of public argument about abortion. As abortion-rights supporters have pressed their sudden political momentum, three pro-choice arguments have loomed particularly large: an argument about abortion in life-threatening circumstances; an argument about the unique physical costs of pregnancy in general; and an argument for the virtues of the Roe-era cultural status quo. (Ross Douthat, 9/14)

Los Angeles Times: You Might Need A COVID Booster Yearly. But This Virus Is Still Nothing Like The Flu 
Should everyone eligible get the new Omicron-specific COVID booster? Yes, absolutely. But we should not get lulled into the illusion that the fight against COVID is over and now comparable to preventing the flu. (Peter Chin-Hong, 9/14)

The Washington Post: Is Being Transgender A Medical Condition? 
Many years ago at a wedding reception, a transgender woman showed me a scan of the human brain. One section — the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, in fact — was highlighted. “You see?” she said. “It’s not my fault!” (Jennifer Finney Boylan, 9/13)

Dallas Morning News: Court Was Wrong To Oppose HIV Drug Mandate Because Of Employer’s Religion
Religious liberty and pluralism are democratic principles that sometimes clash and that our nation must balance. We think that a federal district court in Fort Worth got that balance wrong and imperiled health care access with its recent ruling in Braidwood Management vs. Becerra. In that case, the court found that a federal mandate to cover preventive HIV medication violates employers’ religious freedoms. (9/14)

Newsweek: We Have The Tools To Prevent Opioid Deaths And Improve Health Equity 
The pandemic exposed deep inequities that persist in our health care system, and the opioid crisis is no different. The latest data from the CDC tell us the crisis is worsening and deepening disparities among Black, American Indian (AI), and Alaska Native (AN) communities, who are dying at a higher rate. (Mary Bono, 9/14)

Kansas City Star: Rural Missouri Hospitals Need More Nurses Like Me, But The Current System Is Broken
I’ve had a passion for nursing since the first time my daughter, who struggled with spinal muscular atrophy Type 2, was hospitalized. (Christy Warner, 9/13)

Stat: A Challenge Trial Can Streamline Testing Of Hepatitis C Vaccines
Trade-offs in medicine can be harsh, even when clearly necessary. Chemotherapy can save people from cancer, but the side effects can wreak havoc on their bodies for months or years. These trade-offs aren’t limited to the clinical world. They are also part of research. (Andrea L. Cox, 9/14)