FDA Wants Easier-To-See Nutrition Labels On Most Packaged Foods, Drinks
January 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
The proposal would require brands to list sodium, sugar, and fat on the fronts of packages in an effort to help people make better choices. Also in the news: A possible overhaul in how obesity is defined.
A Drink A Day Might Be Fine. More Than That? Not So Much, Study Finds.
January 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
The risk of premature death increases when people consume a couple of drinks a day, an HHS report says. A trade group disagrees, arguing the report is “rife with bias and conflicts of interest.” And in other health news, a federal judge has temporarily blocked a new warning label on cigarettes.
Biden Team Begins Cooperation With Trump Officials On Bird Flu Response
January 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
“We sent them all of the information on our work,” a Biden health official told NBC News. Public health officials raise concern that a lack of coordination could imperil the response to the emerging H5N1 threat. Other news is on the current norovirus wave and MIS-C recovery.
Trump Administration Could Squelch Biomedical Innovation, Experts Warn
January 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
Although some concede reforms are needed at the National Institutes of Health, and specifically the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, overhauling the agency whose research saves lives is a concern. ProPublica explains why.
Newly Sworn In, W.Va. Governor Immediately OKs Vaccine Exemptions
January 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
On his first full day in office, Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey approved religious exemptions from school vaccinations. Also: the threat of contaminated water from the California wildfires; a new Mississippi law that stops people from being jailed while awaiting mental health care; and more.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, January 15, 2025
January 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
KFF Health News is on Instagram and TikTok ! Watch our videos and follow along as we break down health care headlines and policy.
First Edition: Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025
January 15, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Midwives Blame California Rules for Hampering Birth Centers Amid Maternity Care Crisis
By Ronnie Cohen
January 15, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Birth centers, where midwives deliver babies with emergency backup from hospitals, can offer an alternative for families as hospitals close maternity units. But the state’s stiff regulations and what many call a dysfunctional licensing process are hobbling new initiatives and forcing some facilities to shut down.
I’m Moving Forward and Facing the Uncertainty of Aging
By Judith Graham
Updated January 21, 2025
Originally Published January 15, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Our “Navigating Aging” columnist sets off on a new phase in life with lessons she’s learned reporting on aging and health.
TB-Infected Pennsylvania Teen Returns To School, Putting Contacts On Notice
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
The student, who was awaiting clearance from a doctor to return to normal activities, was promptly isolated and sent home, officials assured. Meanwhile, as flu and RSV cases remain high across the country, covid ramps up. Also, Chinese scientists are studying a potentially novel tickborne virus.
CMS Finalizes Rule To Crack Down On Obamacare Plan-Switching Schemes
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
The final rule includes an update to the consent form agents and brokers provide to customers and also makes it easier for CMS to suspend agents and brokers who market exchange plans, Modern Healthcare reported. The policy changed after KFF Health News reported that brokers were switching people without their permission.
With Days To Go, Biden’s Unfinished Business Includes 3 Health Care Rules
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
The fates of regulations regarding Medicare, remote prescribing, and the No Surprises Act appear likely to fall to the incoming Trump administration. Meanwhile, opposition to Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. swells as he awaits his Senate confirmation hearing.
Conn. Governor Vows Hospitals To Stay Open Through Prospect Bankruptcy
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
Prospect Medical Holdings filed for bankruptcy Saturday, but officials in Connecticut are reassuring residents and employees that the local hospitals won’t close. Other news includes: incentives for nursing home jobs; a Gallup poll on the most trusted professions; and more.
Some Health Care Facilities Still Closed As Deadly Fires Tear Through Calif.
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
Doctors are advising those who are pregnant to limit exposure to smoke and toxins. Also, fires are releasing harmful heavy metals and toxins into the air that firefighter gear is not equipped to filter. Other news is on medical marijuana in Illinois; non-doctors training to provide abortions; and more.
Truveta Says It Will Create Huge Archive Of Patients’ Genetic Data
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
The health data company, based in Bellevue, Washington, plans to collect leftover specimens from consenting patients who get routine health care at participating facilities, Stat reported. Also in the news: Neuralink, J&J, Bayer, Nvidia, Amazon Web Services, and more.
Staggering Increase In Dementia Cases Predicted By 2060, New Study Shows
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
By 2060, 1 million adults per year will develop dementia, according to a study published in Nature Medicine. Also in the news, chronic cannabis use may lead to chronic illness; Eli Lilly hopes to release a new weight loss pill; and more.
First Edition: Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025
January 14, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Beyond Hard Hats: Mental Struggles Become the Deadliest Construction Industry Danger
By Katja Ridderbusch
January 14, 2025
KFF Health News Original
The physical hazards of construction work have long been a focus of safety professionals. Yet attention on the psychosocial hazards is relatively new, with suicide and substance use soaring among male construction workers. Mitigating those risks requires more than hard hats, safety vests, and protective goggles.
