Latest Morning Briefing Stories

As Opioids Mixed With Animal Tranquilizers Arrive in Kensington, So Do Alarming Health Challenges

KFF Health News Original

The veterinary tranquilizer xylazine, the choice du jour of local drug dealers to cut fentanyl, leads to necrotic ulcers and leaves street medics and physicians confused about how best to deal with this wave of the opioid crisis.

Agencias de salud pública utilizan a locales para llegar a comunidades de inmigrantes

KFF Health News Original

El enfoque de micro subvenciones bien podría ser el futuro de los mensajes de salud pública para poblaciones diversas, y una forma de combatir la erosión de la confianza que se produjo con la politización de la salud pública por la pandemia.

‘The Country Is Watching’: California Homeless Crisis Looms as Gov. Newsom Eyes Political Future

KFF Health News Original

As Gov. Gavin Newsom enters his second term, his legacy as governor and path forward in the Democratic Party hinge on his making visible headway on California’s homeless crisis. We lay out the possibilities — and challenges — as he unleashes an $18 billion battle plan.

Congress Told HHS to Set Up a Health Data Network in 2006. The Agency Still Hasn’t.

KFF Health News Original

Since 2006, federal officials have been charged with setting up a network to let various parts of the U.S. health system share information during emergencies. It still hasn’t been built or even planned, even after the communication and data-sharing failures put on display during the pandemic.

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Au Revoir, Public Health Emergency

Podcast

The Biden administration this week announced it would let the covid-19 public health emergency lapse on May 11, even as the Republican-led House was voting to immediately eliminate the special authorities of the so-called PHE. Meanwhile, anti-abortion forces are pressuring legislators to both tighten abortion restrictions and pay for every birth in the nation. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KHN’s chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Hannah Wesolowski of the National Alliance on Mental Illness about the rollout of the national 988 suicide prevention hotline.

Numbers Don’t Lie. Biden Kept His Promise on Improving Obamacare.

KFF Health News Original

KHN has teamed up with our partners at PolitiFact to monitor 100 key promises made by Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential campaign — including those surrounding the Affordable Care Act.

Rural Seniors Benefit From Pandemic-Driven Remote Fitness Boom

KFF Health News Original

When the pandemic began, senior service agencies hustled to rework health classes to include virtual options for older adults. Now that isolation has ended, virtual classes remain. For seniors in rural areas, those classes have broadened access to supervised physical activity.

Sueño alterado y nervios de punta: la contaminación acústica afecta la mente y el cuerpo

KFF Health News Original

Décadas de investigación vinculan la contaminación acústica no solo con la interrupción del sueño, sino también con una serie de afecciones crónicas, como enfermedades cardíacas, deterioro cognitivo, depresión y ansiedad.

Lost Sleep and Jangled Nerves: The Rising Onslaught of Noise Harms Mind and Body

KFF Health News Original

Noise pollution is a growing problem that isn’t confined to the ears: It can cause harm throughout the body. California is taking baby steps to address the increasing din from traffic and illegally modified cars, but public health experts urge lawmakers to act more boldly.

Public Health Agencies Try to Restore Trust as They Fight Misinformation

KFF Health News Original

As public health departments work on improving their message, the skepticism and mistrust often reserved for covid-19 vaccines now threaten other public health priorities, including flu shots and childhood vaccines.