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The State of the Union Is … Busy

Episode 337

March 7, 2024

At last, Congress is getting half of its annual spending bills across the finish line, albeit five months after the start of the fiscal year. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden delivers his annual State of the Union address, an over-the-counter birth control pill is (finally) available, and controversy erupts over new public health guidelines for covid-19 isolation. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Neera Tanden, the White House domestic policy adviser, about Biden’s health agenda. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too.

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A digital illustration of a circle of hands extending from the edge of the image, each holding a sheet of paper. The papers overlap in the center and, like a puzzle, come together to reveal a drawing of a handgun. The gun is partially pixelated, representing the data and information each person is adding to the pile. In the background, a yellow spotlight made of Ben-Day dots eclipses the research over a textured black background.

Why Even Public Health Experts Have Limited Insight Into Stopping Gun Violence in America

After the 1996 Dickey Amendment halted federal spending on research into firearms risks, a small group of academics pressed on, with little money or political support, to document the nation’s growing gun violence problem and start to understand what can be done to curb the public health crisis.

By Christine Spolar

March 6, 2024

A photo of a person's hands holding a lighter under a piece of foil with fentanyl.

‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic Crashes Ashore, Propelled by Fentanyl and Meth

A report based on millions of urine drug tests found the United States is facing a rise in the use of multiple drugs at once, which not only is often more deadly but complicates treatment efforts.

By Colleen DeGuzman

Feb. 21, 2024

A screenshot from a video of Celine Gounder on CBS News. Text on the screen reads, "Covid guidelines changing? Report: CDC considers removing five-day isolation for positive tests."

Watch: The Feds Reexamine Covid Protocols. Here’s Why You Should Care.

KFF Health News' Céline Gounder explains the "five-day rule" on covid safety, how guidelines and testing have evolved, and how best to protect yourself and others.

Feb. 15, 2024

KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Congressman Off-Base in Ad Claiming Fauci Shipped Covid to Montana Before the Pandemic

Facts don’t support claims by a likely Republican Senate candidate that a federal research laboratory in Montana infected bats with a coronavirus from China before the covid-19 outbreak.

By Katheryn Houghton

Feb. 5, 2024

a white box of syringes containing a clear medication with a white and blue label wrapped around each

Surge in Syphilis Cases Leads Some Providers to Ration Penicillin

Injectable penicillin is the go-to treatment for syphilis and the only treatment considered safe for pregnant people with the disease. But as rates of syphilis increase across the U.S., a shortage of the injectable has prompted some public health agencies to ration it.

By Catherine Sweeney, WPLN

Feb. 1, 2024

A photo of protesters holding signs that read, "End all vaccine mandates," and "Don't experiment on our kids."

How Fringe Anti-Science Views Infiltrated Mainstream Politics — And What It Means in 2024

Opposition to vaccines and other public health measures backed by science has become politically charged. That makes dangerous misinformation much harder to fight.

By Amy Maxmen

Jan. 29, 2024

Rift Over When to Use N95s Puts Health Workers at Risk Again

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering fuzzy guidelines on infection control in hospitals, critics say, leaving employers free to cut corners on N95 masks and other protective measures.

By Amy Maxmen

Dec. 14, 2023

A man in a suit and red tie stands at an angle to the camera. There are many people behind him and out of focus.

GOP Presidential Hopefuls Use Trump’s Covid Record to Court Vaccine Skeptics

Candidates see former President Donald Trump’s embrace of his administration’s covid-19 vaccine policies as an opportunity to gain ground. So far, their efforts haven’t found traction.

By Darius Tahir and Daniel Chang

Nov. 29, 2023

The Health 202

Nikki Haley (And Her Opponents) Struggle With a Vaccine Message

By Darius Tahir

Nov. 21, 2023

KFF Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Do Republican Spending Cuts Threaten Federal HIV Funding? For Some Programs, Yes.

Spending cuts proposed by a Republican-led House subcommittee would cut millions from HIV-related spending.

By Grace Abels, PolitiFact

Nov. 14, 2023

A photo of a woman holding her infant child.

A New RSV Shot Could Help Protect Babies This Winter — If They Can Get It in Time

Supply problems, a high price tag, and bureaucratic obstacles are slowing the distribution of a therapy that can protect infants from the respiratory syncytial virus. That will leave them unnecessarily at risk of hospitalization this winter, pediatricians fear.

By Amelia Templeton, Oregon Public Broadcasting

Nov. 9, 2023

A photo of a medical worker's gloved hands applying a bandage to a patient's arm after a vaccine.

News Analysis

A New Era of Vaccines Leaves Old Questions About Prices Unanswered

The CDC’s RSV vaccination recommendations beg the question: How much should an immunization that will possibly be given to millions of Americans cost to be truly valuable?

By Elisabeth Rosenthal

Oct. 27, 2023

A photo of a woman in a wheelchair lifting hand weights. Her right leg is amputated.

Rare ‘Flesh-Eating’ Bacterium Spreads North as Oceans Warm

A rise in cases of Vibrio vulnificus and its spread northward have heightened concern about the bacterium, which can cause human tissue to rot and skin to decay. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to make more doctors aware of the dangerous pathogen.

By Christopher O’Donnell, Tampa Bay Times

Oct. 13, 2023

Alexis Perkins is sitting at a table outside and is using her computer.

PrEP, a Key HIV Prevention Tool, Isn’t Reaching Black Women

New HIV infections occur disproportionately among Black women, but exclusionary marketing, fewer treatment options, and provider wariness have limited uptake of preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, drugs, which reduce the risk of contracting the virus.

By Sam Whitehead

Oct. 12, 2023

A photo of a woman standing outside for a portrait.

A Decades-Long Drop in Teen Births Is Slowing, and Advocates Worry a Reversal Is Coming

After three decades of declines in teen pregnancies, data shows the rates are starting to plateau. The reversal of "Roe v. Wade," coupled with efforts to suspend sex education in schools and higher rates of youth mental health issues post-pandemic, could culminate in a perfect storm.

By Catherine Sweeney, WPLN

Sept. 26, 2023

A silhouette of a child sitting in the doorway of a bathroom.

As Younger Children Increasingly Die by Suicide, Better Tracking and Prevention Is Sought

Decades-long systemic shortcomings have left suicide among children ages 5 to 11 poorly tracked and addressed. Now, as rates appear to be rising, advocates are strengthening efforts to screen for problems and prevent deaths in younger children.

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock

Sept. 21, 2023

A photograph shows a white pill bottle of Harvoni, a drug to treat hepititis C.

Hep C’s Number Comes Up: Can Biden’s 5-Year Plan Eliminate the Longtime Scourge?

Before covid-19, hepatitis C held the distinction of claiming more American lives each year than any other infectious disease — that’s despite the marketing of several relatively affordable, highly effective treatments.

By Michelle Andrews

Sept. 20, 2023

A photo of a lab technician writing a note while wearing a surgical mask and scrubs inside a hospital.

Health Workers Warn Loosening Mask Advice in Hospitals Would Harm Patients and Providers

Clinicians, researchers, and workplace safety officers worry new guidelines on face masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might reduce protection against the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens in hospitals.

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 18, 2023

A man in blue prison uniform sits and holds out a card in front of him with both hands.

COVID-19

A New Covid Booster Is Here. Will Those at Greatest Risk Get It?

The CDC says everyone over 6 months old should get the new covid booster. But the emergency response mechanisms that supported earlier vaccine campaigns are gone. As one expert wonders: How to get boosters to people beyond Democrats, college graduates, and those with high incomes?

By Amy Maxmen

Sept. 15, 2023

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