First Of Its Kind: Labcorp’s At-Home Mpox PCR Test Gets Green Light
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
The collection kit has received EUA status from the FDA as mpox cases continue to rise. Also in the news: measles, bird flu, whooping cough, and more.
Feds End Gun Show Loophole In Effort To Keep Firearms From Violent People
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
The Justice Department has finalized rules that would close a loophole that allowed people to sell guns online, at shows, or at other informal events without carrying out background checks.
Appeals Court To Examine Arkansas’ Historic Ban On Trans Minors’ Care
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
A federal appeals court will hear arguments today over the state’s ban, which was the first in the nation. Arkansas is appealing an earlier federal ruling that the ban was unconstitutional. Also in the news: Mississippi may expand Medicaid.
Proposed Inpatient Hospital Payments Won’t Cover Inflation, AHA Says
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
The American Hospital Association called the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ proposal to increase reimbursements by just 2.6% “woefully inadequate.”
EPA To Water Utilities: Reduce ‘Forever Chemicals’ To Near-Zero Levels
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
In a first, the Environmental Protection Agency is mandating that municipal water systems remove perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS, from tap water. Also in the news: a new director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy, the PACT Act, and more.
Arizona Republicans Stymie Attempts To Repeal 1864 Abortion Ban
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
AP reports the Arizona Legislature collapsed into shouts of “shame!” as GOP lawmakers twice shut down discussion of winding back the state’s strict abortion ban. Also: How the GOP molded the court that made that decision, and the man behind the original law.
Trump Denies He’d Sign A Federal Abortion Ban If Reelected
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
Former President Trump says Arizona’s abortion ban goes too far. However, Trump also argued it would be OK if other states chose to enact laws that punished abortion doctors.
First Edition: April 11, 2024
April 11, 2024
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Arkansas Led the Nation in Measuring Obesity in Kids. Did It Help?
By Kavitha Cardoza
April 11, 2024
KFF Health News Original
For more than 20 years, children in Arkansas have been measured in school as part of a statewide effort to reduce childhood obesity. But the letters have had no impact on weight loss — and obesity rates have risen. Still, the practice of sending letters has spread to other states.
After Uphill Battle, Company Is Poised for Takeover of Bankrupt California Hospital
By Melissa Montalvo, The Fresno Bee Bernard J. Wolfson
April 11, 2024
KFF Health News Original
American Advanced Management, a steadily growing operator of small hospitals, is expected to get the green light from a bankruptcy court next week to take over the shuttered Madera Community Hospital. Some community groups worry about the company’s track record.
The NIH Hopes To Make TMJ ‘Bearable.’ It Has a Long Way To Go.
By Brett Kelman
April 10, 2024
KFF Health News Original
The National Institutes of Health is spending more money than ever to solve the mysteries of TMJ disorders — little-understood ailments that afflict as many as 33 million Americans. Temporomandibular joint disorders, known as TMJ or TMD, cause pain in the jaw and face that can range from discomfort to disabling, with severe symptoms far […]
Study: Taking Acetaminophen In Pregnancy Not Linked To Autism Risk
April 10, 2024
Morning Briefing
Read recent pharmaceutical and tech updates in KFF Health News’ Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
HHS Secretary Becerra Mulls Leaving Post To Run For California Governor
April 10, 2024
Morning Briefing
Politico reports Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and supporters have been having conversations on the matter. Separately, the White House carefully downplayed President Biden’s “strong” remarks against GOP attitudes to health care.
To Tackle Cancer, EPA Announces New Chemical Plant Pollution Limits
April 10, 2024
Morning Briefing
Over 200 chemical plants will have to limit toxic chemicals they release into the air in an effort to reduce cancer risks for those living nearby. Separately, seven studies from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have now been retracted over a manipulation controversy.
Bipartisan Bill Aims To Address US Troops’ Blast Exposure
April 10, 2024
Morning Briefing
The New York Times reports on the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, which would require the Pentagon to “track and limit troops’ exposure to damaging shock waves from firing their own weapons.” Also in the news from Capitol Hill: private equity in health care, telehealth policies, and more.
STD Rates Soar For One Surprising Age Group: The Over-55s
April 10, 2024
Morning Briefing
The latest CDC data show that chlamydia, hepatitis C, and syphilis are skyrocketing in Americans aged 55 and up. Separately, the WHO is warning about rising deaths from viral hepatitis. Also in the news: Drug-resistant Campylobacter infections rise.
Texas Hospital Halts Kidney Transplants In Wake Of ‘Irregularities’
April 10, 2024
Morning Briefing
The hospital has declined to describe “a pattern of irregularities” in liver donor acceptance criteria in detail, but Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center has now halted kidney transplants after stopping liver transplants days ago.
Michigan School Shooter’s Parents Get 10 To 15 Years In Prison
April 10, 2024
Morning Briefing
Both James and Jennifer Crumbley were sentenced, separately, for involuntary manslaughter for not stopping their teenage son from shooting and killing four students. Also in the news, Virginia’s governor vetoed a plan to make a drug price affordability board.
