Just Weeks After Launch, Wegovy Pill Sees High US Demand
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
Novo Nordisk says that more than 170,000 Americans are taking its new GLP-1 pill. Related news is on GLP-1 drugs’ impact on heart failure events in diabetes patients; the intersection between obesity drugs and eating disorders; and more.
Wildfire Pollution Linked To 24,100 Deaths A Year In The US, Study Shows
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
The researchers looked at the deaths linked to chronic exposure to fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is the main concern from wildfire smoke. Also: A global study suggests nearly 40% of cancer cases are linked to preventable risk factors; pregnancy and breastfeeding may be connected to stronger long-term cognitive health; and more.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
Senate Efforts To Revive ACA Subsidies ‘Effectively Over,’ Snubbing Millions
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
The roughly 20 million Americans who lost the enhanced Obamacare tax credits at the end of 2025 are contending with higher health insurance premiums. Negotiators couldn’t find common ground on how to handle abortion coverage. Plus, how insurers are hoping to cash in on the premium spike.
Study Dispels Long-Held Notion That Autism Afflicts More Boys Than Girls
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
A study based on data from millions of people found that it’s not that fewer girls and women have autism but instead that they aren’t diagnosed until later in life. Also: A study on leucovorin as a treatment for autism has been retracted; the FDA has withdrawn a webpage that warned about dangerous autism treatments; and more.
Newsom ajusta su discurso sobre la salud de inmigrantes enfocado en una posible candidatura presidencial
By Christine Mai-Duc
February 5, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Newsom propuso que el estado no intervenga cuando, a partir de octubre, el gobierno federal deje de brindar cobertura médica a unos 200.000 residentes legales, entre ellos solicitantes de asilo y refugiados.
First Edition: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026
February 5, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Poison at Play: Unsafe Levels of Lead Found in Half of New Orleans Playgrounds
By Tristan Baurick, Verite News Halle Parker, Verite News
February 5, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Verite News’ reporters tested soil in more than 80 playgrounds for lead contamination. Even in trace amounts, lead exposure in children can result in lower IQs, learning challenges, and behavioral issues.
Newsom Walks Thin Line on Immigrant Health as He Eyes Presidential Bid
By Christine Mai-Duc
February 5, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Progressives are assailing Gov. Gavin Newsom for proposing to pull back coverage for some legal residents, such as refugees and asylum-seekers, while conservatives lambaste the California Democrat for using limited state funds on Medicaid coverage for immigrants without legal status.
In A First, Plastic Surgeon Group Sides Against Youth Gender Care Surgeries
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
The Washington Post reports that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons is the first major U.S. medical association to narrow its guidance on youth gender care following a crackdown by the Trump administration. Other news on gender care comes from New York, Minnesota, and California.
Staffing Worries Mount As Health Care Workers Must Pay $100K H-1B Visa Fee
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
Medical organizations have petitioned DHS to exempt health care workers in the H-1B visa program. Other health industry news is on nursing shortages; the carbon footprint of a popular anesthetic; the dangers of duplicate medical records; and more.
New Mexico Health Department Warns Against Raw Milk After Infant’s Death
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
The child died of listeria, allegedly after its mother drank unpasteurized milk while pregnant. In unrelated news, two infants developed severe neurologic symptoms after infection with Paenibacillus dendritiformis, an emerging infectious-disease threat.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, February 4, 2026
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today is the final day to enter our Health Policy Valentines contest! 💌 We want to see your clever, heartfelt, or hilarious tributes to the policies that shape health care. Submit your poem — whether conventional, free-form, or haiku — by noon ET today. The winning poem will receive a custom comic illustration in the Morning Briefing on Feb. 13. Click here for the rules and to enter!
$1.2T Spending Package Boosts HHS, Funds Bipartisan Health Care Measures
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
The one-year funding bill, which gives Health and Human Services $20 billion more than the administration had requested, provides a five-year extension of the Acute Hospital Care at Home program and a two-year extension for Medicare telehealth flexibilities, Fierce Healthcare reported. It also introduces reforms to pharmacy benefit manager practices.
Bhattacharya Gives Senate A Glimpse Of Changes Being Made At NIH
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
Some of the reforms underway include centralized peer review, a new analytic office, stronger oversight, and a unified funding strategy to better align investments with national health priorities, MedPage Today reported. Plus, news about the FDA’s drug voucher program.
NIH Director Contradicts RFK Jr.’s Theory That Vaccines Cause Autism
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
“I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism,” Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health said, emphasizing that there has been no link found between the MMR vaccine and autism, but that other vaccines are “less well studied.”
First Edition: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026
February 4, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
