HHS’ Order To Remove Health Websites Was Illegal, Judge Rules
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
U.S. District Judge John Bates vacated directives from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Personnel and Management. However, he denied a broader request to prevent HHS from blocking references to gender. The government is “free to say what it wants,” he said, “including about ‘gender ideology.’ But … it must abide by the bounds of authority and the procedures that Congress has prescribed.”
First Edition: Tuesday, July 8, 2025
July 8, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
In a Nation Growing Hostile Toward Drugs and Homelessness, Los Angeles Tries Leniency
By Angela Hart
July 8, 2025
KFF Health News Original
A new care center for homeless people on Los Angeles’ infamous Skid Row embraces the principle of harm reduction, a more lenient approach to drug use and addiction. County officials say criminalization only worsens homelessness.
Workplace Mental Health at Risk as Key Federal Agency Faces Cuts
By Aneri Pattani
July 8, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Efforts to decrease alarmingly high rates of suicide among construction workers and prevent burnout in health care workers are in jeopardy after the firing of hundreds of employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Journalists Assess Health Impacts of Trump’s Megabill, Who Will Feel Them, and When
July 5, 2025
KFF Health News Original
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and regional media this week to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
States Brace for Reversal of Obamacare Coverage Gains Under Trump’s Budget Bill
By Julie Appleby
July 3, 2025
KFF Health News Original
States that run their own health insurance marketplaces fear an end to automatic Obamacare reenrollment under the tax and spending megabill would have an outsize effect on their policyholders.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Trump’s Bill Reaches the Finish Line
July 3, 2025
Podcast
The House on Thursday moved to approve the largest-ever cuts to federal safety net programs, the last step before the measure goes to President Donald Trump’s desk. After the Senate very narrowly passed the bill, House GOP leaders ushered it past resistance from conservatives wary of adding trillions to the federal debt and moderates concerned about its cuts to Medicaid. Meanwhile, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has continued to pursue his anti-vaccine agenda, despite promising that he would not. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Maya Goldman of Axios, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more.
Trump Signs Megabill Into Law, Setting Up Historic Medicaid Cuts
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
The $4.5 trillion tax and immigration bill cleared the House Thursday after a chaotic overnight and morning in Congress. The legislation contains $1.2 trillion in cutbacks to Medicaid and food stamps. The CBO forecasts that 11.8 million Americans would become uninsured by 2034 under the bill’s provisions. Check back with KFF Health News for more coverage of this breaking news.
Medtech Companies Expand US Production To Meet Increased Demand
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
These expansions include millions of dollars to increase domestic manufacturing by adding new facilities and increasing capacity at existing facilities. In other news: Regeneron gets FDA green light on blood cancer drug; FDA issues alert about Abiomed blood pump controller; and more.
Iowa Has Launched Its New And Improved Behavioral Health Program
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
The overhaul, which was signed into law by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds in May 2024, replaces the old system with a more centralized safety net system. Other states in the news include Florida, California, and Texas.
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of the latest health research and news.
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News finds longer stories for you to enjoy. Today’s selections are on terminal cancer, NIH cuts, PFAS, aging, the Slim-Fast founder, and more. Happy July Fourth weekend!
Morning Briefing for Thursday, July 3, 2025
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Morning Briefing will not be published Friday or Monday in observance of July Fourth. Look for it again in your inbox on Tuesday, July 8.
Speaking For Hours, Jeffries Slams ‘Big Ugly Bill’ That Will Decimate Medicaid
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the bill “immoral” and a “disgusting abomination.” About 11 million people would lose Medicaid coverage, estimates show. The legislation also calls for cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
‘Backdoor Ban’ In Megabill Will Likely Cripple Abortion Access In Blue States
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
Planned Parenthood stands to lose $700 million in federal funding tied to Medicaid. Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s President and CEO, Alexis McGill Johnson, warned Wednesday that nearly 200 health centers could close. The legislation affects blue states more severely because those states have larger numbers of people on Medicaid, The Guardian reported.
CDC Recommends RSV Vaccine For High-Risk People 50 And Older
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
The agency’s website indicates HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. adopted the previous advisory panel’s suggestion to expand access on June 25. AP also reports on FDA vaccine chief Vinay Prasad’s role in a decision to restrict covid shots.
DOJ May Strip Citizenship From Those Who Dupe Medicaid, Medicare
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
A legal expert notes the U.S. denaturalization policy is legit but says “its use has historically been rare and reserved for extreme cases — such as war crimes or national security threats.” Plus, news about immigrant detention centers, including the “Alligator Alcatraz” set to receive occupants.
As Pollution Rises, Non-Smokers Might Not Be Able To Dodge Lung Cancer
July 3, 2025
Morning Briefing
A new analysis shows high levels of fine-particulate air pollution causes more cancer mutations. A quarter of all lung cancer cases worldwide are among people who never smoked. Meanwhile, websites for U.S. national climate assessments have disappeared. The White House says NASA will now house the information, but reports as late as Tuesday say it was not available on their site.
