Using mRNA Shots ‘No Longer Viable,’ NIH Chief Says; FDA Might Rescind Covid Vaccine For Kids Under 5
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who opposed most covid mandates, said on Steve Bannon’s podcast Saturday that “a large fraction of the population” distrusts mRNA shots and that the technology is “promising but not yet ready for prime time for vaccines.” The mRNA vaccines for covid are widely credited with saving millions of lives.
First Edition: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Experts Say Rural Emergency Rooms Are Increasingly Run Without Doctors
By Arielle Zionts
August 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Some doctors and the groups that represent them say physicians’ extensive training leads to better emergency care, and that some hospitals are trying to save money by not hiring them. They support new laws in Indiana, Virginia, and South Carolina that require physicians to be on-site 24/7.
Considering a Life Change? Brace for Higher ACA Costs
By Julie Appleby
August 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Consumers contemplating an early retirement or starting a business should calculate how Trump administration and congressional policy changes could increase their health insurance costs — and plan accordingly.
Guía para encontrar seguro de salud a los 26
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
August 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Es muy probable que tengas menos opciones en el mercado que las que tenías en el plan de tus padres. Prepárate para hacer cambios y concesiones.
Supreme Court Is Formally Petitioned To Reverse Same-Sex Marriage Ruling
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The appeal, which comes 10 years after the historic Obergefell case, is being brought by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who was jailed for refusing marriage licenses to a same-sex couple.
VA Hospitals Having Difficulty Wooing Doctors, Nurses Amid Federal Turmoil
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Internal documents examined by ProPublica show nearly 4 in 10 of the approximately 2,000 doctors offered jobs from January through March turned them down — quadruple the rate during the same period last year — because the doctors worried the jobs weren’t stable.
Boar’s Head Plant At Center Of Listeria Outbreak Will Reopen Soon In Virginia
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The plant was shut down in September amid the outbreak that killed 10 people and sickened dozens. Recent inspections have found health concerns at other Boar’s Head facilities, however. Plus: Covid cases are rising everywhere, particularly in Louisiana.
A Dose Of Upbeat And Inspiring News
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s stories are on an elderly EMT, food insecurity, disability inclusion, ALS, allergies, and more.
Ousted Vaccine Regulator Vinay Prasad Is Back At FDA
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
It is not clear whether Prasad will still serve as the agency’s chief medical and scientific officer, Stat reports. Meanwhile, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research staff grill top drug regulator George Tidmarsh about the challenges they face.
Morning Briefing for Monday, August 11, 2025
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
We’d like to speak with personnel from the Department of Health and Human Services or its component agencies about what’s happening within the federal health bureaucracy. Please message us on Signal at (415) 519-8778 or get in touch here.
CDC Leaders And Staff Express Fear, Anger, And Resolve After Shooting
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
In a call with employees, agency brass told employees that the attack on the office complex was deliberate: “This was not stray bullets.” Employees are calling for the resignation of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who one says is “propagating misinformation and distrust.” Law enforcement sources say the suspect might have blamed his health concerns on the covid-19 vaccine.
Trump Demands Homeless People ‘Immediately’ Get Out Of DC
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
The president’s crackdown on homelessness in the nation’s capital comes after an alleged assault of a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer. Separately, the Commerce Department will launch an investigation into Harvard University’s patents that received government funding.
First Edition: Monday, Aug. 11, 2025
August 11, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Why Young Americans Dread Turning 26: Health Insurance Chaos
By Elisabeth Rosenthal Hannah Norman
August 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Young adults without jobs that provide insurance find their options are limited and expensive. The problem is about to get worse.
A Guide To Finding Insurance at 26
By Elisabeth Rosenthal
August 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
It’s a difficult rite of passage for young adults without job-based insurance. Here are some tips for getting started.
Inside the CDC, Shooting Adds to Trauma as Workers Describe Projects, Careers in Limbo
By Andy Miller, Healthbeat Rebecca Grapevine, Healthbeat
August 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Fired-then-reinstated workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worry about the future of public health amid proposed agency downsizing.
Listen: Regulatory Rollbacks and Federal Layoffs Threaten America’s Food Supply
By Stephanie Armour
August 11, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The Trump administration’s anti-regulatory approach and cost-cutting moves risk unraveling the system of checks and balances that helps ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply, say consumer advocates and former employees of the FDA and Department of Agriculture.
Journalists Talk Medicaid Work Rule Logistics and Colon Cancer Increase Among Young Adults
August 9, 2025
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
