Missouri Set To Close 12 Schools For Children With Severe Disabilities
August 13, 2025
Morning Briefing
The State Board of Education on Tuesday approved a plan to close the schools, citing issues of declining enrollment, staffing struggles, and deferred maintenance. Other states making news: New York, Wyoming, Florida, California, and Texas.
ACA Market May Be In For Turbulent Ride, CMS Data Suggest
August 13, 2025
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services noted it found inconsistencies in the number of claims on exchanges. “As you pull … subsidized dollars out of the system, it means margins will be lower and people are going to be paying higher premiums,” one health care strategist says.
UCLA Science Research Grants Must Be Restored, Federal Judge Rules
August 13, 2025
Morning Briefing
The federal government has until Aug. 19 to comply with the order or explain why it couldn’t. Only NSF grants are covered by this order. Grants from the NIH and Energy Department are not affected. “UCLA should have considerably more leverage … in resisting Trump administration demands that wrongly take research hostage for political dealmaking,” a lawyer representing researchers said.
Monarez: CDC Will Be Guided By ‘Rational, Evidence-Based Discourse’
August 13, 2025
Morning Briefing
The CDC director spoke with staffers about the dangers of misinformation and rebuilding trust in the agency. Meanwhile, authorities confirmed vaccine mistrust motivated the gunman to attack the CDC campus — a day after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declined to discuss a motive.
Morning Briefing for Wednesday, August 13, 2025
August 13, 2025
Morning Briefing
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First Edition: Aug. 13, 2025
August 13, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Medicaid Cuts Could Have Vast Ripple Effects in This Rural Colorado Community
By John Daley, Colorado Public Radio
August 13, 2025
KFF Health News Original
In rural Colorado and across rural America, Medicaid is a lifeline, especially for people who wouldn’t otherwise have easy access to health care. That includes low-income seniors who need supplemental coverage in addition to Medicare, and people of all ages with disabilities.
Using mRNA Shots ‘No Longer Viable,’ NIH Chief Says; FDA Might Rescind Covid Vaccine For Kids Under 5
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, who opposed most covid mandates, said on Steve Bannon’s podcast Saturday that “a large fraction of the population” distrusts mRNA shots and that the technology is “promising but not yet ready for prime time for vaccines.” The mRNA vaccines for covid are widely credited with saving millions of lives.
As Kennedy Visits Bullet-Riddled CDC, Critics Insist He Stop Vaccine Rhetoric
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
The HHS secretary also met with the widow of officer David Rose. Meanwhile, the agency says it is adding safety and security measures before it brings back employees, who are reeling from the trauma and have the option of working remotely this week. “I think most of us would very much like the next message we hear from [Kennedy] to begin with ‘I hereby resign,’” one staffer said.
For Two Companies, State Department Resumes Nutrition Aid Orders
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Some famine experts are optimistic about the government’s decision to ship U.S.-made ready-to-use therapeutic food — it’s a start — but one notes: “What we haven’t seen yet … is any indication that programs and funding that were meant to address long-term food security will be resumed.”
Doctors Are Working Harder For Less Pay, Report Shows
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Stalled reimbursements from both private and public insurers — which means less net revenue — and an increase in practitioners’ workload since the start of the pandemic could mean less access for patients. Also in the news: rural ERs; Blue Cross’ antitrust deal; and more.
Telehealth Has Unlocked Abortion Access In South And Midwest: Study
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
A study released Monday in JAMA found that the rates of telehealth abortion were notably highest in states with abortion bans. Also: news on birth control, in-utero procedures, and more.
In Promising Trial, Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Helped Patients Live Longer
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
As NBC News reported, people with pancreatic cancer survived for an average of 29 months and lived recurrence-free for more than 15 months post-vaccination — far longer than the rates of resectable cancers. A randomized phase 2 trial is being held to test the durability of the vaccine.
Buoyed By MAHA, Anti-Sunscreen Fad Emerges — To Dermatologists’ Dismay
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Social media influencers skeptical of sunscreen ingredients are advocating for natural alternatives, but health experts maintain sunscreen is one of the most effective tools for preventing skin cancer. “Ultraviolet radiation is a known carcinogen,” said Adam Friedman, a professor of dermatology.
First Edition: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025
August 12, 2025
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Experts Say Rural Emergency Rooms Are Increasingly Run Without Doctors
By Arielle Zionts
August 12, 2025
KFF Health News Original
Some doctors and the groups that represent them say physicians’ extensive training leads to better emergency care, and that some hospitals are trying to save money by not hiring them. They support new laws in Indiana, Virginia, and South Carolina that require physicians to be on-site 24/7.
