Detainees’ Mental Health Declining Rapidly Inside ICE Centers, Lawyers Say
September 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
The New York Times reports that overcrowding, a lack of proper food, withheld medications, and no mental health treatment are all contributing factors. Since Jan. 1, at least 12 detainees have reportedly died, with at least two of those by suicide.
Eli Lilly Names Richmond, Virginia, As First Of Four Upcoming Expansion Sites
September 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
The $5 billion manufacturing plant will be the company’s first fully integrated facility for active pharmaceutical ingredients, Becker’s Hospital Review reported. More news is on the FDA’s crackdown on drug ads; medical device recalls; and more.
First Edition: Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025
September 17, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Montana Advocates Worry About Federal Impacts on Support for Students With Disabilities
By Alex Sakariassen
September 17, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Montana has a waitlist for people with disabilities who need vocational training, even as schools and disability advocates are concerned about how federal cuts will affect those programs.
Team Trump’s Answer to Ballooning Obamacare Premiums: Less Generous Coverage
By Julie Appleby
September 17, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Tens of millions of people face sticker shock enrolling in Affordable Care Act insurance for 2026. To save money, the Trump administration wants them to consider less generous coverage.
Projected Surge in Uninsured Will Strain Local Health Systems
By Sam Whitehead Renuka Rayasam
September 17, 2025
KFF Health News Original
In South Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, many people go without health insurance, and the health system struggles as a result. Similar communities dot the nation, and more could face such difficulties under President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending law.
Listen to the Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
September 16, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The “KFF Health News Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from our newsroom to the airwaves each week.
Applications Now Open For HHS’ Rural Health Transformation Program
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
States have until Nov. 5 to apply for the $50 billion included in the sweeping tax bill, which also cut $960 billion in Medicaid funding. The program was established to maintain access to services, but hospitals and providers worry it will not be enough.
More Than Half Of All Health Workers Plan To Switch Jobs In Next Year
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
A survey also shows that 40% will be looking for opportunities outside of their current organizations. Nearly half of respondents cited inadequate compensation, burnout, and a lack of career advancement opportunities as reasons to make a change.
Not Yet A Decade Since Pulse, Parkland Shootings, Florida OKs Open Gun Carry
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
As of Sept. 25, Florida will become the last red state to allow people to visibly carry firearms in public places. Florida is home to some of the worst mass shootings in the U.S., including the Pulse nightclub attack in 2016 that left 49 people dead and the Parkland school shooting in 2018 that left 17 dead. More recently, a shooting at Florida State University in April left two dead.
Tyson Foods Announces It Will Remove Corn Syrup From Foods By End Of Year
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Also, the USDA reinstates a farm-to-school program; Pennsylvania farmers struggle to find workers to harvest crops; cancer research is in peril from government funding cuts; and more.
Twice-Yearly Time Changes Can Harm Your Health, Study Says
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
According to a Stanford study, sticking with standard time would result in a slight decrease in the risk of suffering from obesity or stroke. Plus: A blind man is able to see again after a rare surgery that involved implanting his own tooth into his eye.
Morning Briefing for Tuesday, September 16, 2025
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each month, KFF Health News’ Rural Dispatch newsletter covers health issues in places where accessing care can be more challenging. Check out our Montana, Colorado, and Georgia newsletters, too. Sign up here!
RFK Jr. Adds 5 ACIP Panelists, Including Skeptics Of Vaccines, Covid Protocol
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices this week will meet and vote on chickenpox, covid-19, and hepatitis B shots. Former CDC officials expect the panel will vote against recommending hep B shots for newborns. Plus, ousted CDC Director Susan Monarez preps for a Senate hearing.
First Edition: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025
September 16, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
An HIV Outbreak in Maine Shows the Risk of Trump’s Crackdown on Homelessness and Drug Use
By Aneri Pattani
September 16, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Public health experts and advocates say the outbreak has been fueled by a confluence of local factors, including the sweeping of a homeless encampment and shuttering of a sterile-syringe program. But those issues may not remain local for long. The Trump administration is leading efforts to promote similar tactics nationwide.
RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Panel Expected To Recommend Delaying Hepatitis B Shot for Children
By Jackie Fortiér
September 16, 2025
KFF Health News Original
A federal vaccine panel, recently reshaped by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is expected to vote on delaying the hepatitis B shot for newborns. Pediatricians warn that could open the door to a comeback for a disease virtually eradicated among U.S. children.
More People Now Jobless For 6 Months, Possibly Without Health Insurance
September 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
In a worrisome sign, more than 1 in 4 workers without jobs have now been unemployed for at least half a year, data show. It’s usually a turning point for them, economists say, because they’ve likely run out of unemployment insurance benefits and severance payments, The Washington Post reported.
Utah Governor Advises People To Take A Social Media Break
September 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox called social media a “cancer on our society” and urged people to turn away after announcing the arrest of the suspected gunman in the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Also: guiding kids through violent online images; peers help teens in mental health struggles; and more.
