FDA Authorizes Sale Of Zyn Pouches To Help Adult Smokers Cut Back
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
FDA officials say that while Zyn is not safe, the data show the pouches are less harmful than alternatives and contain fewer harmful ingredients than cigarettes. Meanwhile, a new report by the American Cancer Society shows a shift in cancer diagnoses from older to younger adults, with more women being diagnosed than men.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on covid, RFK Jr., Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and more.
Viewpoints: Steps Medical Professionals Can Take To Safeguard Immigrant Patients
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
Opinion writers tackle these public health issues.
Biden Issues Flurry Of Decisions At End Of Presidency; Trump Vows To Undo
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
On Friday, outgoing President Joe Biden said he was commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 prison inmates serving long terms for nonviolent drug offenses. Gun control and the Equal Rights Amendment were among the topics Biden was asked to consider in his final days in the White House.
States’ Lawsuit To Restrict Mifepristone Access Allowed To Proceed
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
After abortion opponents and doctors failed in their case to have the drug restricted — the Supreme Court ruled they lacked standing — Idaho, Kansas, and Missouri stepped in. Meanwhile, other states are making moves to protect reproductive rights.
AIDS Relief Program ‘In Jeopardy,’ Lawmaker Says, Citing Misuse Of Funds
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
Republican Sen. Jim Risch says PEPFAR money paid for abortions in Mozambique. Although the CDC acknowledged money was used to pay abortion providers who weren’t aware of the restrictions, it says the $4,100 has been returned. “CDC identified the error, took immediate action, has a plan in place to prevent it from happening again,” a spokesperson said.
UnitedHealth Group Dodges Blame for System Failures In Wake Of CEO Killing
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
In the first public appearance since Brian Thompson’s slaying in early December, UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty addressed the public’s discontent, skirting responsibility and blaming drug companies and hospitals for the health care system’s failures.
Arkansas Hopes To Reinstate Work Requirements For Medicaid
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
When Arkansas previously enacted work requirements in 2018, more than 18,000 people lost coverage. Also in the news: New Hampshire tackles the issue of exorbitant, unexpected ambulance bills; San Francisco’s public health director will step down; Montana seniors struggle with homelessness; and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, January 17, 2025
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Morning Briefing will not be published Monday, Jan. 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Look for it again in your inbox Tuesday.
First Edition: Friday, Jan. 17, 2025
January 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
Note to readers: the First Edition will not be published Monday, Jan. 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Look for it again in your inbox Tuesday. Here are today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
For Homeless Seniors, Getting Into Stable Housing Takes a Village — And a Lot of Luck
By Aaron Bolton, MTPR
January 17, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The number of unhoused seniors in the U.S. is expected to triple by 2030. About half of this population is becoming homeless for the first time. Homeless services struggle to help. Finding affordable housing that’s also accessible for older Americans with medical conditions is an extra challenge.
Junk Food Turns Public Villain as Power Shifts in Washington
By Stephanie Armour David Hilzenrath
January 17, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Some Trump insiders are ready to take on the food industry. It remains to be seen whether their entrée will result in any meaningful change in government oversight of “Big Food” — or in American health.
La comida chatarra es la nueva villana de Washington
By Stephanie Armour David Hilzenrath
January 17, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Los candidatos a las principales agencias de salud están apuntando a los alimentos ultraprocesados, que representan aproximadamente el 70% del suministro de alimentos de Estados Unidos.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Hello, Trump. Bye-Bye, Biden.
January 16, 2025
Podcast
With just days to go before the official launch of a new administration, the GOP-led Congress is putting together plans on how to enact incoming President Donald Trump’s agenda, with a particular emphasis on cutting spending on the Medicaid program. Meanwhile, the Biden administration makes major moves in its last days, including banning a controversial food dye and ordering cigarette companies to minimize their nicotine content. Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Harris Meyer, who reported and wrote the latest KFF Health News “Bill of the Month” feature, about a colonoscopy that came with a much larger price tag than estimated.
CMS Retracts Medicare Advantage Enrollment Report For Corrections
January 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile: Medicare Advantage enrollees aren’t seeing expected savings on supplemental care; Inflation Reduction Act’s annual prescription cap will provide significant savings; Georgia wants to change Medicaid eligibility requirements; and more.
First Covid, Now Wildfires: Calif. Teens Say Their Mental Health Is Suffering
January 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
The disaster has again disrupted the education and nutrition of thousands of children. In Pasadena alone, five school sites were destroyed or severely damaged, leaving 14,000 students with no clear plan. And it’s not just students: Almost half of Pasadena’s district employees lived in the evacuation zone, the Los Angeles Times noted.
Wisconsin Supreme Court Weighs Clash Over Conversion Therapy For LGBTQ+
January 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Justices are examining whether a GOP-led legislative panel overreached its authority when it blocked the ban that forbids professionals from counseling people to try to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. More news comes from Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and elsewhere.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
January 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
NIH Director To Step Down After Only One Year In The Role
January 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
National Institutes of Health Director Monica Bertagnolli will resign Friday. The Hill reports that while the agency has typically held bipartisan support, residual Republican dissatisfaction over the handling of the pandemic “has pushed NIH squarely into partisan crosshairs.” Also in the news: a conservative effort to oppose Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination; Trump’s plans for HHS; and more.
