Trump Drastically Inflates Annual Fentanyl Death Numbers
By Jacob Gardenswartz
August 23, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The former president’s claim of 300,000 annual opioid deaths contradicts government statistics.
Project 2025 Would Recast HHS as the Federal Department of Life
By Stephanie Armour
August 22, 2024
KFF Health News Original
It has become a rhetorical theme for Democrats working to hold on to the White House: Allies of former president Donald Trump, they say, want to infuse conservative ideals into how the federal government does business. That vision is outlined in the Project 2025 “Mandate for Leadership,” a 900-page blueprint produced by the conservative Heritage Foundation and other conservative organizations […]
Concerns Over Alzheimer’s Drug Risk For People With Down Syndrome
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
Among the worries: a possible brain bleed risk from lecanemab in certain people. Other news is on harnessing Zika virus as a therapy to destroy certain cancers; temperature tracking of mail-ordered drugs; and more.
60% Of Supermarket Baby Foods Packed With Sugar, Salt: Study
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
CNN reports on the new study, which found that 60% of 651 foods marketed for children fell short of the recommended World Health Organization nutritional guidelines. Also in health and wellness news: Pear Therapeutics, Yamacraw Village, author Rick Steves, and more.
First Case Of Mpox Detected In Wayne County, Michigan, Since 2022
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
Officials state the public risk is low but suggest people who might be at risk get vaccinated. Meanwhile, a suspected case of mpox on a cargo ship turns out to be chicken pox.
California County To Buy Troubled Private Hospital To Preserve Care
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Regional Medical Center had been slated for major cutbacks, but Santa Clara County has stepped in and reached a tentative purchase agreement with its owner. Separately, California lawmakers are considering whether to block private equity health deals.
Morning Briefing for Thursday, August 22, 2024
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
KFF Health News will host a full day of panels at the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 6. Check out the program and buy tickets here .
HIV-Positive Citizens May Join Military, Judge Rules, Citing ‘Irrational’ Policy
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, the Health Resources and Services Administration is setting aside $1.4 billion to help low-income Americans pay for HIV/AIDS treatment.
Walz Accepts VP Nomination As Dems Champion Health Care Freedom
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
“When we Democrats talk about freedom, we mean the freedom to make a better life for yourself and the people that you love,” Tim Walz said Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention. In a surprise appearance, Oprah Winfrey — who said she votes as an independent — declared that without reproductive choice, “There is no American dream.”
Florida Abortion Ballot Will Include Peculiar Financial Language
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
The wording of the measure, which was approved by the state’s Supreme Court, calls into question whether Floridians will wind up paying for the procedure. Meanwhile, health care providers are finding themselves in difficult positions after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to weigh in on the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
HHS Report Warns Of Risks For Kids From Too Much Fluoride In Water
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
The report found, “with moderate confidence,” that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit may be linked to lower IQ in kids. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy has received over 540,000 compensation claims related to contaminated water at North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune.
Study Details Long Covid Symptoms In Kids — And They Differ From Adults
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
The symptoms include back or neck pain, trouble with focus, fear of crowded spaces, and refusal to go to school, researchers determined. Also, an updated covid vaccine might be available within days.
First Edition: Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024
August 22, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
A Teen’s Murder, Mold in the Walls: Unfulfilled Promises Haunt Public Housing
By Fred Clasen-Kelly Renuka Rayasam
August 22, 2024
KFF Health News Original
For years, federal lawmakers have failed to deliver the money needed to fix derelict public housing, leaving tenants — mostly people of color and families with low incomes — living with mold and gun violence that has had lasting health consequences.
Biden Administration Blocks Two Private Sector Enrollment Sites From ACA Marketplace
By Julie Appleby
August 22, 2024
KFF Health News Original
Regulators have been under the gun to curb unauthorized Obamacare enrollment and switching of plans. Separately, a pending lawsuit was amended with additional defendants and new allegations regarding tactics to garner greater ACA sales commissions.
The Rapidly Evolving Field of Street Medicine
By Angela Hart
August 21, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The rapidly evolving field of street medicine — the practice of providing health care to homeless people living outside — is getting a jolt in California with a new player: a medical group devoted exclusively to homeless people. And it’s actually making money. Sachin Jain, who worked on federal Medicaid policy during his tenure in […]
As Cancer Afflicts Younger Generations, Employers Wary Of Expenses Ahead
August 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
In terms of health care costs, catastrophic claims and specialty medications are driving up increases, a survey has found. Meanwhile, in a study conducted during the covid pandemic, researchers found that playing video games does indeed have health benefits.
Mpox Cases Suspected In Travelers To Argentina And Thailand
August 21, 2024
Morning Briefing
Argentinian authorities have quarantined a cargo ship and Thai officials are monitoring dozens of people as both countries aim to stop the new fast-spreading variant of the disease. Meanwhile, Africa is almost ready to roll out mpox vaccinations.
