Colorectal Cancer Ousts Lung Cancer As Deadliest Type For People Under 50
January 23, 2026
Morning Briefing
Colorectal cancer leaped from the fifth-leading cause in 1990 to first place in 2023, the most recent year examined in the JAMA study. Of the top cancers, it was the only one that increased. Lung cancer deaths fell to No. 4.
Global Groups That Don’t Abide By US Health Priorities Will Lose Foreign Aid
January 23, 2026
Morning Briefing
In addition to organizations that provide abortion-related care, the Trump administration announced it is cutting off funding to those that promote DEI and gender-identity programs. The administration also halted funding for fetal tissue research.
Moderna Says It’s Scaling Back Vaccine Trials Because Of US Resistance
January 23, 2026
Morning Briefing
“You cannot make a return on investment if you don’t have access to the U.S. market,” CEO Stéphane Bancel said. In other news, the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices suggested in a podcast that the public might want to reconsider the use of polio vaccines.
EPA To Stop Testing Chemical Toxicity On Animals By 2035
January 23, 2026
Morning Briefing
The agency is working to adopt testing methods that do not involve animals but that meet legal obligations for chemical safety. Plus: the FDA weighs Zyn’s safer-than-cigarettes claim; the use of a device to treat ADHD is questioned; the role of llamas in drug development; and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, January 23, 2026
January 23, 2026
Morning Briefing
Send us your Health Policy Valentines! 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 on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The winning poem will receive a custom comic illustration in the Morning Briefing on Feb. 13. Click here for the rules and to enter!
Health Insurers, Lawmakers Lock Horns Over High Cost Of Medical Care
January 23, 2026
Morning Briefing
The chief executive officers of five large insurance companies largely deflected the blame for soaring costs, arguing it’s the hospitals, doctors, and drug companies that charge too much to begin with. Lawmakers were united in their criticism, with Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., telling the CEOs, “You all have been very delinquent in your duty.” Plus, a look at the VA’s plan to expand community care.
First Edition: Friday, Jan. 23, 2026
January 23, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Why Medication Abortion Is the Top Target for Anti-Abortion Groups in 2026
By Julie Rovner
January 23, 2026
KFF Health News Original
With abortions still on the rise nationwide despite widespread bans, curtailing the use of pregnancy-terminating medication is a top priority for abortion opponents — and they’re frustrated that the Trump administration isn’t doing more to limit its use.
These 3 Policy Moves Are Likely To Change Health Care for Older People
By Paula Span
January 23, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Two Trump administration regulatory rollbacks affect nursing home staffing and home care workers, and a new AI experiment in Medicare has alarmed eldercare advocates and congressional Democrats.
Estas medidas podrían cambiar la calidad de la atención médica de las personas mayores
By Paula Span
January 23, 2026
KFF Health News Original
Después de décadas de lucha y presión, en 2023 la administración Biden abordó el problema crónico de la falta de personal en los centros de cuidado a largo plazo. ahora todo ha cambiado.
What the Health? From KFF Health News: Health Spending Is Moving in Congress
January 22, 2026
Podcast
Lawmakers appear on the brink of passing a spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services and a bipartisan health policy bill delayed for over a year. But the outlook is bleaker for the health care outline released by President Trump last week. Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Sheryl Gay Stolberg of The New York Times, and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss those stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews oncologist and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel to discuss his new book, “Eat Your Ice Cream.”
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.
Research Finds Trace Amounts Of Pesticides, Chemicals In Breast Milk
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
Although researchers were quick to say that the health effects are still unknown, they say this new data could help strengthen chemical regulations as well as protections for infants and parents. Plus, news about abortion access, vasectomies, C-sections, and more.
FDA Clears AI Radiology Tool That Triages CT Scan For 14 Conditions
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
Aidoc’s tool can scan for multiple critical findings — including liver injury, spleen injury, bowel obstruction, and appendicitis — in one abdominal scan, which sets it apart from other approved AI-based medical devices.
Morning Briefing for Thursday, January 22, 2026
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
Behind on your reading? Catch up on this week's KFF Health News stories with The Week in Brief, delivered every Friday to your inbox. Sign up here !
Withdrawal From WHO, Now In Effect, Weakens America’s Sway, Experts Warn
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
Today marks the United States’ formal exit from the World Health Organization, of which it had been a member since 1948. Advocates for the disease-fighting alliance see a path to the U.S. agreeing to rejoin, perhaps if the Trump administration sees an American at the helm.
Insurance CEOs In Capitol Hill Hot Seat Over Surging Health Care Costs
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
The chief executive officers of UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, Elevance Health, Cigna, and Ascendiun are slated to testify today. One insurer, UnitedHealth Group, has revealed plans to return ACA profits to its marketplace members while Congress works “toward more long-term solutions.”
Florida Bill Would Criminalize Helping Minors Access Gender-Affirming Care
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
Although gender-affirming care is already illegal in Florida, a new bill would change who could be held criminally liable for it. More news from around the nation comes from Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Oregon, New York, and North Carolina.
Heart Disease Deaths Drop 2.7% But Remain Top Cause Of Death In US
January 22, 2026
Morning Briefing
Other public health news is on measles in Utah, flu vaccination rates among older Americans, Robert Kennedy Jr.’s national “Take Back Your Health” tour, and more.
