Morning Briefing for Friday, September 12, 2025
September 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
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Spending Deal Appears Tenuous As Lawmakers Spar Over Health Care
September 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Republicans, thinking they have the votes to pass the government funding measure and avoid a shutdown, brush off demands by Democrats to include ACA subsidy extensions and other health care-related policies. Seven Senate Democrats would have to break with the party for the bill to pass. “They ain’t going to get the votes,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says.
Senators Implement ‘Nuclear Option’ To Push Republican Nominees Through
September 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Republicans advanced the rule change in an effort to bypass Democratic opposition and push through 48 GOP nominees at once. The rule change is expected to be finalized next week, The New York Times reported.
Parents Fret Over Kids’ Mental Health After Seeing Kirk’s Slaying Online
September 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Children were easily able to watch the unedited video of the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on their social media feeds, parents say. Plus: Americans of all political persuasions are worried that his killing will suppress the peaceful exchange of ideas. In related news: how mental health measures already in place in Colorado failed to stop this week’s school shooting.
First Edition: Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
September 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Watch: Why Is Having a Baby So Expensive in the US?
By Hannah Norman
September 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News video producer Hannah Norman breaks down why new parents are getting billed thousands of dollars for births.
Under Trump, FDA Seeks To Abandon Expert Reviews of New Drugs
By Arthur Allen
September 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Advisory committee meetings help FDA scientists make decisions and increase public understanding of drug regulation, and abandoning them doesn’t make sense, former officials said.
A Surgical Team Was About To Harvest This Man’s Organs — Until His Doctor Intervened
By Cara Anthony
September 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
A 22-year-old was shot in the head in St. Louis. As a surgical team prepared him for organ harvesting, his neurosurgeon raced to the operating room to stop it, saying that his patient had a chance at life. Today, the man is alive, sharing his story.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: Countdown to Government Shutdown
September 11, 2025
Podcast
With less than three weeks before the deadline to pass legislation to keep the federal government running, lawmakers are still far apart on a strategy. Democrats hope Republicans will agree to extend expanded tax credits for the Affordable Care Act as part of a compromise, but so far Republicans are not negotiating. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. released his long-awaited “Make America Healthy Again” report, with few specific action items. Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Fight Over Obamacare Premiums Could Trigger Federal Government Shutdown
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Senate and House Democrats are demanding that Republicans stop a sharp spike in Affordable Care Act premiums. In other news, House lawmakers have included an amendment in their 2026 spending bill to fund mRNA vaccine research — in direct opposition to HHS chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
FTC To Health Care Employers: Review Your Noncompete Agreements
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Federal Trade Commission sent letters warning large employers and firms to make sure any noncompetes are not overly broad or anticompetitive. Other industry news covers the rising share of doctors who belong to unions, CMS’ Medicare Plan Finder tool, robotic intubation, and more.
Supreme Court Rejects South Carolina’s Plea To Enforce Trans Bathroom Ban
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
A lower court ruling was left in place, allowing a 14-year-old student to use the school bathroom that best aligned with their gender identity while his lawsuit winds through the courts. The high court determined South Carolina did not meet the standards for obtaining an emergency injunction.
US Has Worst Chronic Disease Death Data Among High-Income Countries
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
According to a study published Wednesday in The Lancet, the U.S. performed the worst in reducing deaths caused by chronic diseases. Germany wasn’t far behind, while Denmark showed the largest improvement. Also: Insomnia ages the brain; beta-glucan fiber increases weight loss: and more.
Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, And Connecticut Preserve Covid Vax Access
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Bucking HHS, several more states issued orders allowing their residents to get shots without a doctor’s prescription. Meanwhile in Oregon, CVS rescinded its policy allowing anyone to get a shot.
Partisan Division Over Gun Control Erupts In US House After Kirk Slaying
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Leaders across the political spectrum have decried Wednesday’s fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, at a political event in Utah. But in the House, a moment of silence led to a shouting match, with at least one conservative blaming liberals for the shooting and Democrats demanding that Republicans “pass some gun laws!”
FDNY Honors 39 Who Died This Year From 9/11-Related Illnesses; HHS ‘Chaos’ Delays WTC Health Program
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Plus, three more victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were recently identified using DNA. The New York City medical examiner’s office is still working to identify about 1,100 victims.
First Edition: Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025
September 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Affirmative Action Critics Refuse To Back Down in Fight Over Medical Bias Training
By Ronnie Cohen
September 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
A nonprofit fighting affirmative action in medicine and a Los Angeles ophthalmologist have launched a long-shot legal appeal aimed at ending California’s requirement that every continuing medical education class include training to recognize and address unconscious bias.
