Kaiser Health News Original Stories

Why the War in Ukraine Might Make Root Canals More Difficult

Russia’s attacks on Ukraine are making it harder for the health care system to secure important supplies, including gases used in imaging and by dentists. (Darius Tahir, 6/4 )

Black Women Have Much at Stake in States Where Abortion Access May Vanish

For many women, abortion access has also meant better economic opportunities. But that could change in states that plan to ban most abortion access if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. And those constraints could have a big impact on Black women. In Tennessee, Black women have abortions at more than four times the rate of white women. (Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio, 6/4 )

For Many Low-Income Families, Getting Formula Has Always Been a Strain

Finding formula for children with allergies and other dietary restrictions was challenging even before the current shortage for families who rely on the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance program. (Christina Szalinski, 6/4 )

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Washington’s Slow Churn

Stemming gun violence is back on the legislative agenda following three mass shootings in less than a month, but it’s hard to predict success when so many previous efforts have failed. Meanwhile, lawmakers must soon decide if they will extend current premium subsidies for those buying health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, and the Biden administration acts, belatedly, on Medicare premiums. Margot Sanger-Katz of the New York Times, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat News join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KHN’s Michelle Andrews, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” episode about a too-common problem: denial of no-cost preventive care for a colonoscopy under the Affordable Care Act. ( 6/4 )

Political Cartoon: 'Pulling All the Strings'

Kaiser Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Pulling All the Strings'" by Dave Coverly.

Medicare Trust Fund Gains A Little Breathing Room

The annual trustees report estimates that the Medicare trust fund will be able to pay all the costs for hospital services of older and disabled beneficiaries until 2028, two years later than the trustees said last year. Their analysis, which also noted an improved outlook for the Social Security trust fund, credited the strong economic recovery following the covid crisis.

AP: Go-Broke Dates Pushed Back For Social Security, Medicare  A stronger-than-expected economic recovery from the pandemic has pushed back the go-broke dates for Social Security and Medicare, but officials warn that the current economic turbulence is putting additional pressures on the bedrock retirement programs. The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released Thursday says Social Security’s trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035, instead of last year’s estimate of 2034. The year before that it estimated an exhaustion date of 2035. (Hussein and Murphy, 6/2)

The Hill: Medicare Funding Outlook Improves Slightly The financial outlook for Medicare improved in the past year, and the program’s funding to pay all the costs for hospital services of older and disabled beneficiaries won’t run out until 2028, two years later than last year’s estimated date. Once the program’s reserves are depleted, it would only be able to cover 90 percent of the expected costs, according to the annual report from Social Security and Medicare trustees released Thursday. (Weixel, 6/2)

The New York Times: Social Security And Medicare Funds Improved, But The Long Term Is Dire The forecast for Medicare’s hospital trust fund improved. It is now expected to encounter a shortfall in 2028, two years later than forecast in last year’s report. That change is due mostly to the improved economic forecast, since the program is funded through payroll taxes. The actuaries do not expect the pandemic to have any substantial long-term impact on the trajectory of Medicare spending, according to the report. Spending on many elective services declined during the pandemic, while spending on vaccines and treatment for Covid-19 increased. The actuaries said they expected medical spending to return to its normal trend in a few years. But they noted that there was “a large degree of uncertainty” about the future of spending related to the virus. (Bernard and Sanger-Katz, 6/2)

The Hill: Progressives Slam HHS Decision To Keep Higher 2022 Medicare Premium  Progressives are criticizing the Biden administration’s recent announcement that the 2022 Medicare premium will not be cut despite lower-than-expected costs for a new Alzheimer’s medicine. The cost of a premium jumped by $21.60 to a minimum of $170.10 and a maximum of $578.30 in 2022, the largest increase in the program’s history. Premiums are based in part on income and tax-filing status. (Choi, 6/3)

Dallas Morning News: Irving’s Caris Life Sciences To Pay $2.8 Million Over Delayed Breast Cancer Tests An Irving-based molecular science firm has agreed to pay $2.8 million to settle a claim that it delayed molecular tests for breast cancer patients in order to receive a higher payout from Medicare. Caris Life Sciences Inc. allegedly violated the False Claims Act by improperly billing Medicare for laboratory tests known as “Caris Molecular Intelligence” and the “ADAPT Biotargeting System.” Two whistleblowers tipped off the Justice Department, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Brooklyn. Caris did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement. (Skores, 6/2)

Fierce Healthcare: Steward Health Care Sells Off Medicare Value-Based Care Business CareMax, a publicly traded value-based care provider, announced acquisition plans that will more than quintuple its current number of covered seniors and open the door to hundreds of thousands more. The company announced Wednesday morning plans to acquire Steward Health Care System’s Medicare value-based care business for a combination of cash and stock valued at roughly $135 million. (Muoio, 6/1)

Hospitals Bolster Security After Tulsa Shooting; Doctors Push For Gun Laws

As more details emerge about the mass shooting at an Oklahoma hospital campus, facilities nationwide grapple with the growing safety threat to medical professionals. And health workers are joining in the chorus of people demanding that lawmakers act on gun controls.

AP: Pain Management: Tulsa Shooting Exposes Threats Doctors Face  The deadly mass shooting at an Oklahoma medical office by a man who blamed his surgeon for continuing pain following an operation on his back underscores the escalating threat of violence doctors have faced in recent years. Michael Louis, 45, fatally shot Dr. Preston Phillips and three other people in Tulsa on Wednesday before killing himself. Police said Louis had been calling the clinic repeatedly complaining of pain and that he specifically targeted Phillips, who performed his surgery. (DeMillo, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Tulsa Gunman Angry Over Pain After Back Surgery, Police Say A man who blamed his doctor for pain after back surgery last month bought guns in recent days before storming into a Tulsa medical building, killing four people and then himself, police said. Shortly before the attack at St. Francis Hospital on Wednesday, Michael Louis, 45, bought a semiautomatic rifle and drove to the medical building, specifically looking for his doctor Preston Phillips, Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin told reporters Thursday. ... Authorities say Phillips operated on Louis on May 19. Louis was released less than a week later and called several times in the following days, complaining of pain and requesting treatment. On Tuesday, a day before the shooting, Phillips saw his patient. The next day, Louis called again to express his discomfort and ask for additional aid — the exact nature of which police did not disclose. (Bella, Knowles, Bever and Kornfield, 6/2)

Modern Healthcare: Hospital Shootings Spur System Safety Measure Review "These tragedies show us that no one is exempt from the violence. We have seen an uptick in our communities," said Scott Strauss, vice president of security at Northwell Health, which has 21 hospitals throughout New York. "I don't know why people are killing people at the rate they are. These are crazy times, I haven't seen anything like it before." St. Francis said in a statement that it was grieving the loss of its four community members and thanked emergency personnel for their quick response. The health system has mass shooting "training and educational modules," but executives "couldn't speak to actual drills." (Kacik and Berryman, 6/2)

Forbes: Disgusted By Shootings, Doctors Push Congress On Gun Violence The American Medical Association and a parade of medical care provider groups are intensifying their calls for Congress to pass gun control legislation, frustrated at the mounting death toll of Americans including children, teachers and – just this week – physicians. The AMA, which said it has more than 20 years of policy positions designed to reduce firearm trauma, injury and death, is expected to renew and strengthen its push for gun control measures when its policy-making House of Delegates meets for its annual conference later this month. The AMA is among several healthcare provider groups that are repeatedly bombarding Congress and media outlets with their calls for legislation to address firearm violence with gun control legislation. (Japsen, 6/3)

Biden, Democrats push for 'red flag' laws, assault rifle bans —

NBC News: Biden Calls On Congress To Act On Gun Control, Saying 'Too Many' Schools Have Become 'Killing Fields' President Joe Biden laid out specific actions he wants Congress to take on gun control legislation Thursday, calling Republican congressional opposition to the measures “unconscionable.” ... He said lawmakers should reinstate the ban on so-called assault weapons, like AR-15s, and ban high-capacity magazines. If those weapons aren’t banned, the age to purchase them should be raised to 21 from 18. Biden said Congress should also strengthen background checks, including requiring them at gun shows and in online sales; enact safe storage and red flag laws; and repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability. (Pettypiece, 6/2)

Bloomberg: Democratic Bill To Address Gun Violence Clears House Committee A House committee approved a package of gun legislation that would raise the minimum age to purchase some semiautomatic rifles and prohibit sales of high-capacity ammunition magazines in the latest attempt by Democrats to respond to mass shootings across the nation. The Judiciary Committee voted 25-19 along party lines Thursday to move the legislation to consideration before the full House, which could come as soon as next week. But it’s not likely to get traction in the Senate because of Republican opposition to many of the provisions. A bipartisan Senate group is negotiating other measures. (Dillard and Dennis, 6/2)

KHN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Washington’s Slow Churn  In the wake of three high-profile mass shootings in less than a month, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have renewed negotiations over legislation that could stem gun violence. But even those who are trying to reach an agreement on the long-divisive issue acknowledge that finding consensus remains an enormous task. (6/2)

Reuters: Routing Of Emergency-911 Calls Questioned In Texas School Massacre  Emergency-911 calls from children hiding from the gunman who killed 21 people inside a Texas elementary school were not routed to the on-scene police commander who waited nearly an hour before officers moved in to end the siege, a state senator said on Thursday. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose constituency includes Uvalde, Texas, the town 80 miles west of San Antonio where last week's shooting occurred, said the lapse in how 911 calls were transmitted was part of a larger "system failure" that is still just coming to light. (Brooks and Gorman, 6/2)

The Texas Tribune: Uvalde Shooting Survivors, Community Must Now Cope With Trauma  Eight days after surviving the shooting at Robb Elementary, 9-year-old Zayin Zuniga returned to the school grounds to visit the memorial for his slain classmates. Zayin and his mom approached one of the 21 crosses that were set on the school’s lawn to honor each of the victims killed last week: the one for Eliahna Amyah Garcia, 9, whom Zayin called Ellie. After a school dance at Robb, Zayin decided he wanted to give Ellie a gift. He begged his mom to get him a ring that he could give her. He was never able to do it. (Lopez, 6/3)

ABC News and Medpage Today: What Happens When Kids Experience A Traumatic Event?  Three days after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, social worker and child therapist Bonnie Rumilly arrived in Newtown, Connecticut, to help with crisis counseling. It quickly became obvious that this would become "a long-term deployment," said Rumilly, who spent 4.5 years working with children who survived the attack. While she feels a fierce loyalty to her young patients and their privacy, Rumilly said her experience with Sandy Hook revealed that pediatric trauma is highly individualized, and that children are not just little adults when it comes to the way trauma manifests. (D'ambrosio and Fiore, 6/2)

The Wall Street Journal: The Altered Lives Of America’s School-Shooting Survivors  At 15, Brittney Thomas saw a close friend get shot to death at school. Twenty-five years later, she was in a grocery store near her Kentucky home when her phone flashed an alert about the elementary-school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Ms. Thomas started hyperventilating. A stranger asked if she needed help. Ms. Thomas sobbed that she couldn’t find the creamed corn, left her groceries behind and ran out to her car. (Elinson, Campo-Flores, McWhirter and Frosch, 6/2)

Young Americans Taking Their Own Lives With Guns Hits Record Levels

The blooming mental health crisis among U.S. youth is leading to more attempted suicides, many using firearms and poisons at alarming levels.

ABC News: Gun Suicide Soars As Cause Of Death Among Youth: Report  The rate of young people taking their own lives with firearms in the U.S. has increased faster than for any other age group, and the youth suicide rate is at its highest point in more than 20 years, according to a new gun violence prevention report by Everytown For Gun Safety and first obtained by ABC News. While firearm suicide overall increased about 2% during the pandemic, the rate among young people increased 15% and nearly half of all suicide attempts by young people involve a gun, researchers with Everytown For Gun Safety found. Experts have not pinned down exactly what is causing more young people to turn to suicide with guns, the report notes. But increased anxiety and depression, likely exacerbated by the pandemic, along with the impacts of social media and cyberbullying are among the theorized drivers. (Owen, 6/2)

CBS News: Firearm Suicide Among America's Youth Has Hit Its Highest Rate In 20 Years, Report Finds  As the debate over gun policy has once again moved to the forefront following a string of mass shootings, a new report by Everytown for Gun Safety is shedding light on another aspect of gun violence impacting children: suicide. The report, published on Thursday, found that the rate at which children, teens and young adults are dying by suicide by use of a firearm has increased faster than any other age group over the past decade. According to the group, firearm suicide among ages 10 to 24 is at its highest rate in more than 20 years. (Cohen, 6/2)

And more youths are poisoning themselves —

Stateline: Child Suicides By Poisoning Rose During Pandemic, Studies Show Suspected suicide attempts by young people ages 6-19 reported to U.S. poison centers increased 27% between 2015 and 2020, according to a new study from the University of Virginia. The findings are based on cases reported to the National Poison Data System as suspected suicides, which includes attempted suicides and deaths. The total number of suspected child suicides by self-poisoning rose from 75,248 in 2015 to 93,532 in 2020, with girls accounting for 78% of cases. (Vestal, 6/1)

Time: More Young People Are Attempting Suicide By Self-Poisoning Suicides among young people have been on the rise for a long time. Among 10 to 24 year olds, overall rates of deaths by suicide in the U.S. increased 57% from 2000 to 2018, according to federal data. Now, a new study published in the journal Clinical Toxicology has looked more closely at a particular method of attempted suicide—self-poisoning—and turned up some disturbing results: From 2015 to 2020, suicide attempts by ingesting toxic substances or overdosing on medications soared by 26% among people ages 6 to 19. (Kluger, 6/1)

The Seattle Times: Rising Number Of Suicide Attempts Among Young Children Worries NW Physicians, Poison Centers Dr. Rebecca Marshall became increasingly concerned as she did rounds in the ER at a children’s hospital in Portland. More young children than usual — and girls in particular — were being brought to the hospital after swallowing medications to attempt suicide. Children of jarringly young ages, some just 9 or 10, were seeking out pills in the family medicine cabinet. As Marshall tried to come to grips with what she was witnessing, she’d make a point to ask: Why did you think about ending your life?  (Furfaro, 5/31)

More on teen suicide and mental health —

The CT Mirror: School Mental Health Center Debate Roils Rural CT Town It’s not clear whether having mental health care at his school would have helped Charlie Cournoyer. Maybe a professional could have identified the early signs of his mental illness and intervened. Then again, maybe not. What is perfectly clear to his mother, Judy Cournoyer, is that there’s a need in Killingly for more mental health resources. And if her son’s 2009 death can help other students get help, she wants to find a way to make it happen. (Monk, 6/2)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The People Trying To Reduce Youth Suicide In Missouri And What They Need After two St. Louis University students died of suicide this fall, nearly 10,000 people signed an online petition started by a student calling for changes to the way the university provides mental health services. Two more students have died of suicide since, and some in the SLU community — much like students, parents and educators across the country — are getting involved in grassroots prevention efforts. (Sultan, 5/27)

KING5.com: Student-Athletes Dying By Suicide Raise Mental Health Concerns The number of college athletes who have died by suicide is raising concerns about the struggle student-athletes face. There have been multiple suicides at universities across the country recently, including 22-year-old Stanford University soccer star Katie Meyer, who died by suicide in March, and Washington State University quarterback Tyler Hilinski, who died by suicide in January 2018. ... When you dig deeper into the why, Mark Hilinski said there are a number of reasons a student may take their own life. Some experts said the same characteristics that make a student a great athlete also have a darker side. “This drive to make every shot, to win every race, every game, there's a lot of pressure they're putting on themselves," said Dr. Jennifer Louie, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute in San Francisco. (Kakade, 5/31)

Littlest Kids Could Start Getting Covid Shots In Weeks

Biden administration officials say that covid vaccines could arrive in doctor's offices as soon as June 21 to start administering to most children under 5 — if approved by the FDA following a June 15 meeting of vaccine advisers.

AP: White House: 1st Shots For Kids Under 5 Possible By June 21  The Biden administration said Thursday that children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21, if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group, as expected. White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha outlined the administration’s planning for the last remaining ineligible age group to get shots. He said the Food and Drug Administration’s outside panel of advisers will meet on June 14-15 to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for younger kids. Shipments to doctors’ offices and pediatric care facilities would begin soon after FDA authorization, with the first shots possible the following week. (Miller, 6/2)

NPR: COVID Vaccinations For Kids Younger Than 5 Could Start In Late June In a White House briefing on Thursday, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, said if the Food and Drug Administration authorizes vaccines for the youngest kids soon after a June 15 advisory meeting, shipments of the first 10 million doses could start arriving at doctors' offices as soon as the following weekend. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would also have to weigh in. Ultimately, the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, would have to give the go-ahead before vaccination could start. "We expect that vaccination will begin in earnest as early as June 21 and really roll on throughout that week," Jha said. (Stein, 6/2)

The New York Times: Youngest Children Could Get Covid Shots In Late June, White House Says “I want to be very clear that I am not here to prejudge the outcome of the process,” Dr. Jha said. “But the administration is hard at work planning all sorts of scenarios based on whatever the outcome is.” He said the administration has been working closely with local health departments, pediatricians and family doctors, and has asked states to distribute the initial tranche of doses to sites like children’s hospitals, which serve the most vulnerable young patients, and sites in neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic. (Stolberg, 6/3)

CNN: White House Says Covid-19 Shots For Kids Under 5 Could Begin As Soon As June 21  The vaccination program for children younger than 5 would come more than 18 months after vaccines were first authorized for adults. Dr. Ashish Jha, White House coronavirus response coordinator, laid out a timeline for authorization of vaccines for children younger than 5 at an afternoon news briefing. The US Food and Drug Administration's vaccine advisers will review data submitted by Pfizer and Moderna during a meeting on June 14-15, and the agency will then decide whether to authorize the vaccines for emergency use. (Carvajal, 6/2)

Paxlovid Lowers Covid Hospitalization And Death Rates Among Seniors

An Israeli study, published without peer review, notes that the Pfizer drug helped lower hospitalizations for both vaccinated and unvaccinated covid patients over the age of 65. The treatment was not as effective for younger patients. Earlier studies of the drug have focused on unvaccinated patients. Also: the need for more treatment options; outbreaks among vaccinated people; and the impact of vaccination during pregnancy.

Reuters: Pfizer's Paxlovid Reduces COVID Risk In Seniors Regardless Of Vaccine Status -Study  Pfizer Inc's antiviral treatment Paxlovid reduces COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients 65 years and older, according to a new study in Israel conducted during the rise of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The treatment, however, was not found to prevent severe illness among younger adults, according to research from Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest healthcare provider. (Rabinovitch, 6/2)

Axios: America Still Needs More COVID Treatments As The Virus Evolves America's COVID treatment arsenal is still dangerously understocked, experts warn, and more government funding may be required to bring new drugs to market quickly enough. Having one reliable antiviral and one effective monoclonal antibody is far from ideal heading into the fall, but the federal government says it doesn't have enough money to buy more of the existing therapeutics, let alone invest in new ones. (Owens, 6/3)

CBS News: Why Boosted Americans Seem To Be Getting More COVID-19 Infections As COVID-19 cases began to accelerate again this spring, federal data suggests the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans — though rates of deaths and hospitalizations remained the lowest among the boosted. The new data do not mean booster shots are somehow increasing the risk. Ongoing studies continue to provide strong evidence of additional protection offered by booster shots against infection, severe disease, and death. Instead, the shift underscores the growing complexity of measuring vaccine effectiveness at this stage of the pandemic. (Tin, 6/2)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy May Protect Infants  COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy protects babies from SARS-CoV-2 infection in their first 4 months of life, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the cohort study, which included all infants born in Norway late last year and early this year, COVID-19 incidence was lower in babies born to women who received either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. (Wappes, 6/2)

AP: Novavax Hopes Its COVID Shot Wins Over FDA, Vaccine Holdouts Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option -- shots made with a more tried-and-true technology than today’s versions. The big question: Why should they care? After long delays, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide within weeks whether to authorize Novavax’s vaccine. It’s late in the pandemic for a new choice, with about three-quarters of U.S. adults already vaccinated. (Neergaard, 6/2)

The Boston Globe: CDC Has Recommended Booster Shots For Those 50 And Over. But Only 17.5 Percent Of Those Eligible In Mass. Have Gone Ahead And Done It The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people 50 and older get a second COVID-19 booster shot, but so far Massachusetts residents have not jumped at the opportunity. Only about 471,000 people 50 and older in Massachusetts have gotten a second booster shot, or about 17.5 percent of the 2.7 million people in that age group, according to data from the state’s Department of Public Health. The data come from the state’s weekly vaccination report, which is updated every Thursday. (Finucane and Prignano, 6/2)

Majority Of Planet Has Covid Antibodies From Vaccines Or Infections: WHO

As of last October, the number stood at 67% of people globally — and with the following omicron surge, that percentage is surely higher. World Health Organization data also confirmed the benefit of vaccines against severe disease. Separately, Politico reports that the CDC is researching deaths to determine possible linkages to long covid.

Bloomberg: More Than Two-Thirds Of People Have Covid Antibodies, WHO Says More than two-thirds of the world’s population probably have significant levels of Covid-19 antibodies, meaning they have either been infected or were vaccinated, the World Health Organization said. So-called seroprevalence rates surged to 67% in October from 16% in February of 2021, the WHO said, in a summary of studies from around the globe. Given the emergence of the fast-spreading omicron variant, the figure is probably even higher now. (Mulier, 6/2)

Politico: Can Long Covid Lead To Death? A New Analysis Suggests It Could The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is analyzing more than 100 deaths that could be attributed to long Covid by looking at death certificates from across the country over the last two years, according to two people familiar with the matter. The National Center for Health Statistics, a division within the CDC, collects death certificates from states after they have been completed by a coroner, medical examiner or doctor. NCHS is now reviewing a batch of those files from 2020 and 2021. The review at the CDC, the details of which POLITICO obtained, is the first of its kind and indicates that long Covid and the health complications associated with it could lead to death. NCHS is set to publish preliminary data from its analysis in the coming days. (Banco, 6/3)

Prisons are still struggling with covid outbreaks —

Sacramento Bee: COVID Outbreaks Emerging Again In California State Prisons Outbreaks are underway at several state prisons among both inmates and staff, data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation show, amid a broader surge of COVID-19 spreading across California and nationwide. Prisons reported nearly 1,500 new inmate COVID-19 cases between May 1 and May 29, an almost 20-fold increase compared to just 75 infections reported over the preceding four weeks, according to a CDCR online data tracker. (McGough, 6/1)

Stat: Unpacking Biden’s Moves To Improve Prisons’ Covid Response The Biden administration is trying to finally unsnarl the federal Bureau of Prisons’ response to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say its latest moves also underscore just how much is still broken about the government’s response to Covid-19 in prisons. As part of an executive order on reforming the criminal justice system last week, President Biden tasked the attorney general with updating the prison system’s protocols for testing, identifying alternatives to facility-wide lockdowns used to contain the spread of the virus, and expanding the data that is shared by the Bureau of Prisons regarding vaccination, testing, and deaths behind bars. The order also directs the attorney general to compile a tally of all incarcerated people who would be eligible for early release. (Florko, 6/3)

In other news about the spread of covid —

AP: Alameda County Reinstates Mask Mandate Amid California Surge Northern California’s Alameda County said Thursday it will reinstate an indoor mask policy as COVID-19 hospitalizations steadily increase in the nation’s most populous state. Daily new hospital admissions of patients with COVID-19 have exceeded last summer’s peak and the mandate is meant to “reflect the seriousness of the moment” during another surge in coronavirus cases in California, Alameda County’s health officer, Dr. Nicholas Moss, said in a statement. (6/3)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Moves Closer To Possible Mask Requirement As Coronavirus Hospitalizations Rise With coronavirus-positive hospitalizations in Los Angeles County on the rise, officials said the nation’s most populous county could be poised to see a new universal indoor mask mandate later this month if the upward trends continue. “Our weekly case rate and the rate of increase in hospital admissions are of concern,” L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. “If we continue on the current trajectory … we’re likely to move into the CDC high [COVID-19] community level within a few weeks towards the end of June, indicating increased stress on the healthcare system.” (Lin II, 6/2)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta’s COVID-19 Risk Increases Following Memorial Day Weekend The risk of COVID-19 infection is rising in metro Atlanta, and Memorial Day Weekend likely added gasoline to an already increasing flame. The latest data from state health officials shows a spike in positive COVID-19 cases after Georgians returned home from gatherings and traveling. There were more than 5,300 confirmed cases across the state Wednesday, which is more than double the average number of infections over the past few weeks. (Hansen, 6/3)

AP: West Virginia Scaling Back Coronavirus Testing Sites West Virginia is scaling back its community testing events for the coronavirus, Gov. Jim Justice said. Justice said Thursday that the decision was made due to the availability and convenience of at-home test kits for COVID-19. The state has provided free community testing since the start of the pandemic in 2020. (6/3)

CIDRAP: Study Says Dogs 97% Sensitive At Detecting COVID-19 In Patients Compared with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, dogs can detect COVID-19 infections via scent with high sensitivity (97%)—though lower specificity (91%)—even when patients are asymptomatic, according to a study in PLOS One yesterday. (6/2)

The Hill: These Members Of Biden’s Cabinet Have Now Caught COVID-19  More than half of President Biden’s Cabinet members have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past few months. None of the officials experienced severe symptoms, and all recovered quickly. All were also fully vaccinated, and all but one had received a booster shot when they became infected. Here are the Cabinet members who have tested positive for COVID-19 since late 2021. (Gans, 6/2)

WHO Pushes Unified Monkeypox Response; US May Not Share Shots

As the unexpected global monkeypox outbreak spreads, with probable U.S. cases now also in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Chicago, the World Health Organization said that a global fight is needed that includes Africa. Politico reports the U.S. is "undecided" on sharing its vaccine store.

PoliticoPro: U.S. Undecided About Sharing Monkeypox Vaccines The U.S. has not decided whether it will answer the World Health Organization’s call to pool monkeypox vaccinations as case numbers continue to rise around the world, a Department of Health and Human Services official told POLITICO. Last week, WHO officials asked countries with stockpiles of monkeypox and smallpox vaccines to distribute to countries based on their need, nodding to a 20-year-old vaccine-sharing agreement designed for a smallpox emergency. (Payne and Mahr, 6/1)

AP: Monkeypox Outbreak Needs A United Response, Says WHO Africa Africa must be part of a united global fight against monkeypox, the World Health Organization’s Africa office said Thursday, as countries in Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere respond to unusual outbreaks of the disease. “We must have one connected global response to monkeypox to avoid it becoming endemic in more countries,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Africa director, said in an online briefing. (Asadu, 6/2)

Reuters: Developing World Should Reap Benefits Of New Monkeypox Research, Experts Urge  As cases of monkeypox in wealthier Western nations spark a flurry of scientific research to combat the outbreak, scientists are urging the world to make sure lower-income nations benefit from the fruits of that labor as well. ... The biopharmaceutical industry has in recent weeks made commitments deliver vaccines, treatments and develop more diagnostics to address monkeypox as the viral disease spreads in many parts of the developed world. "We do have to recognize that this is not a new disease - this is not something that we just learned existed in the world," said Daniel Bausch, senior director, emerging threats and global health security at FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics. (Grover and Roy, 6/2)

Reuters: Test Makers Target Monkeypox Market As Cases Surge  Diagnostic companies are racing to develop tests for monkeypox, hoping to tap into a new market as governments ramp up efforts to trace the world's first major outbreak of the viral infection outside of Africa. The scramble started last month, much like early 2020 when companies rushed to make kits to help diagnose COVID-19, creating a multibillion-dollar boon for test makers. (Grover, 6/3)

Cases are spreading in the U.S. —

Chicago Tribune: Illinois Announces First Probable Monkeypox Case Illinois announced its first probable case of monkeypox on Thursday — one of a small but growing number of cases across the country. The case is in a male Chicagoan who recently traveled to Europe, according to the Chicago and Illinois departments of public health. The person did not require hospitalization and is in good condition, isolating at home. (Schencker and Sheridan, 6/2)

MediaNews: Los Angeles County Reports First Apparent Monkeypox Case The first case of monkeypox appears to have been detected in Los Angeles County, officials said Thursday morning, June 2. The result is presumptive, pending confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An adult resident recently traveled, and came in contact with, “a known close contact to a case,” according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. The patient is doing fine, officials said, adding that the person is not hospitalized but is isolated from others. (Carter, 6/2)

Fox News: Probable Monkeypox Cases Reported In Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles County Health officials in multiple U.S. cities – including Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles County – reported probable cases of monkeypox on Thursday. A man in the metro Atlanta area with a history of international travel has a probable monkeypox infection, pending confirmation of the test results by the CDC, Georgia health officials said Thursday. Los Angeles County health officials reported their first case in a patient who recently had close contact with another infected individual while traveling. Three probable cases have previously been detected in Sacramento County. (Best, 6/2)

CIDRAP: Experts Highlight Sexual Aspect Of Monkeypox Spread  Researchers today at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting spelled out the sexual transmission component  of a monkeypox outbreak that has affected hundreds of people—mostly men who have sex with men—in at least 27 countries outside of Africa. ... In a presentation made to the WHO by Gianfranco Spiteri, MD, MDH, of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, he detailed the initial cases in Portugal and suggested that close skin-to-skin contact during sexual relations is the primary mode of transmission for these cases. Spiteri explained that the clinical manifestations of a genital rash were the first telltale sign that sexual activity was playing a role in transmission. (Soucheray, 6/2)

The Wall Street Journal: Monkeypox Resurfaced In Nigeria After Four Decades. Researchers Still Don’t Know Why For Adesola Yinka-Ogunleye, the monkeypox outbreak that has spread to dozens of countries around the world has a ring of déjà vu. Five years ago, the epidemiologist at the Nigeria Center for Disease Control was puzzled by the sudden identification of monkeypox in her country after nearly four decades without a case. (Roland, 6/2)

Stat: What To Make Of The Many Mutations On The Monkeypox Genome  When scientists investigate the spread of an infectious disease, one area they look at is the genetic sequences of the pathogen. But there’s a snag when it comes to the monkeypox virus, which is now causing an unprecedented outbreak of several hundred infections in some 30 countries where it’s not typically seen. DNA viruses, particularly those with relatively big genomes like poxviruses (the family that includes monkeypox), generally accrue mutations much more slowly than, say, an RNA virus like SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. That means that examining the sequences might be less fruitful in terms of tracking how the virus is spreading from person to person. There are fewer changes to the virus’ genome that might shine a light on transmission chains. (Joseph, 6/2)

As Formula Shortages Grow, Parents Turn To Other Baby Food Options

Some families who are having trouble finding formula are using baby food to supplement their child's nutrition, according to a new poll quoted by MarketWatch. Although federal officials have rushed to bring in formula from overseas to help stem the crisis, out-of-stock rates climbed to 74% last week.

MarketWatch: Baby-Food Sales Surge Amid The Baby-Formula Shortage, As More Parents Consider Transitioning Babies Out Of The Milk Phase Sooner  The infant-formula shortage has led to a surge in other baby-food products. Sales of baby-food products soared by 58% in March and April compared with last year, according to figures released this week by consumer insights and data company Numerator. The level marked the highest sales increase for baby-food products in recent years. ... Among 576 respondents in a poll who said they are recent formula shoppers, 14% said they will supplement the lack of formula with other nutrition. About 10% said they will begin transitioning their babies fully out of formula. (Han, 6/2)

And more on the formula shortage —

Bloomberg: Baby Formula Shortage Worsens To 74% Out Of Stock In US Out-of-stock rates climbed to 74% nationally for the week ending May 28, according to data on 130,000 stores followed by Datasembly. The increase comes after rates spiked to 70% for the week ending May 21 from 45% the week prior. Ten states now have out-of-stock rates at 90% or greater, including Arizona, Mississippi, California, Nevada, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Louisiana, Florida and Washington. Georgia is the hardest hit at 94%, a jump from 74% the week before. (Paris, 6/2)

Bangor Daily News: Bangor’s 1st Breast Milk Donation Center To Open As Formula Shortage Drives Demand Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center will open the Bangor area’s first breast milk donation center in partnership with a regional milk bank as the U.S. continues to deal with a baby formula shortage. The Bangor hospital said the milk depot will open as milk banks across the country experience steep increases in demand. The formula shortage began during the pandemic, but was exacerbated by a recall and Abbott Nutrition’s closure of its Michigan infant formula production facility. Between 2020 and 2021, Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast saw a 20 percent increase in demand, according to Northern Light. (O'Brien, 6/2)

Vox: Abbott’s Baby Formula Shortage Reveals Deep Problems With The US Industry  The story of how the US formula market got into this mess starts with two companies that have fought to preserve their dominance over the baby formula industry — with help from a federal program that guarantees companies huge sales. What is clear now, advocates say, is that the formula industry is in desperate need of reform. The shortages of the last few months can’t be repeated. (Scott, 6/2)

NPR: Baby Formula Shortage Hits Some Parents Especially Hard  The frustration is being felt practically everywhere. This time last year, the average out-of-stock rate in the U.S. hovered around 6%. Store shelves were practically full all of the time. By the end of the last full week in May, not a single state was below 45%, according to Datasembly. In states such as Arizona, California, Georgia and Mississippi, the rate was creeping toward 95%. Everywhere you look, shelves are nearly bare. For some, the crisis has been particularly painful. Even though most families will give formula to an infant at some point during their first year, parents from low-income households or from communities of color often depend on it the most. (Breslow, 6/2)

The Washington Post: Scams, Long Drives, Empty Shelves: What Parents Endure For Baby Formula  Parents desperate to find formula are driving far from home, pleading for help on social media and paying exorbitant prices. Some have been snared by online scams, with opportunists taking advantage of the crisis to make money. Many feel a sense of panic about how to get their babies the food they need. For Christopher Okenka and his husband, feeding their son has never been easy. Since they adopted him as a newborn, the now-8-month-old has had gastrointestinal problems. He turned red, screamed and vomited up every formula he tried before EleCare, a hypoallergenic, more easily digestible brand made by Abbott. (Shammas, 6/2)

KHN: For Many Low-Income Families, Getting Formula Has Always Been A Strain  The ongoing dearth of formula has caused tremendous stress for families nationwide, especially those who rely upon WIC. The federally funded grant program, administered by nearly 90 state, territorial, and tribal governments, accounts for as much as two-thirds of all formula purchases in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs WIC. ... But the program’s massive purchasing also limits choices for families and can make it hard for mothers like Abbott to get formula that is a good fit for their infants. (Szalinski, 6/3)

Idaho Court To Hear Arguments On New Abortion Law In August

Planned Parenthood's lawsuit against the state's strict new anti-abortion law will likely be heard in the Idaho Supreme Court after the U.S. Supreme Court issues its ruling that could overturn Roe v. Wade. Separately, a political storm brews in Rhode Island as a senator was stopped from introducing a law to protect local providers from Texas-style prosecutions.

AP: Idaho Supreme Court Sets Hearing In Abortion Case For August  The Idaho Supreme Court will hear arguments in a lawsuit over the state’s newest anti-abortion law in August — but probably after the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling that could overturn the right to legalized abortion nationwide. The Idaho Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it would hear arguments on Aug. 3 in the lawsuit brought by a regional Planned Parenthood organization against Idaho’s new law banning abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. That’s before most people know they are pregnant. (Boone, 6/2)

The Boston Globe: Mendes Blasts Ruggerio For Not Allowing Late Introduction Of Bill To Protect R.I. Abortion Providers Senator Cynthia Mendes on Thursday criticized Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio for not letting her introduce after deadline a bill to try to protect Rhode Island-based abortion providers from out-of-state prosecutions. Mendes, an East Providence Democrat running for lieutenant governor, said the legislation is needed following the May 2 release of a draft US Supreme Court opinion indicating that the high court may be poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. The Senate set Feb. 10 as the last day to submit bills during this legislative session, but senators are allowed to introduce legislation after that date if they get permission from the Senate president. (Fitzpatrick, 6/2)

USA Today: 'Catastrophic': Women In The Military Could Face Huge Obstacles To Abortion If Roe Is Overturned, Lawmakers Say After being sexually assaulted at Camp Pendleton in 2007, Erin Kirk went to the base's medical facility for the medication designed to prevent pregnancy in an emergency. The base didn't have any Plan B pills, so she had to go to the nearest Planned Parenthood for help. Kirk, a former Marine, is now worried about how other female service members will cope if Roe v. Wade is overturned and they face an unwanted pregnancy. She has influential backing on Capitol Hill. (Vanden Brook, 6/3)

The Wall Street Journal: BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street Forced Into The Abortion Debate  Shareholders have placed abortion-rights proposals on the proxies at three big retailers this spring: Walmart, Lowe’s and TJX, the owner of off-price chains including TJ Maxx. Many more could follow next year. That development is pressuring asset managers such as BlackRock Inc., Vanguard Group and State Street Global Advisors to confront the issue because they hold significant stakes in those and other companies on behalf of millions of other investors. (Au-Yeung, 6/3)

USA Today: Gallup Poll: Most Identify As Pro-Choice, Want Abortion To Stay Legal The poll, conducted throughout May, reflects dramatic changes in abortion views following the Supreme Court leak of a draft opinion suggesting the court may overturn Roe v. Wade. The 1973 decision established the constitutional right to abortion. In general, support for abortion rights grew. Gallup found 55% of those surveyed identify as pro-choice – the highest percentage reported since 1995. Less than half – 49% – used that label to describe themselves in the same poll last year. Conversely, those identifying as pro-life fell from 47% to 39%, showing the gap between both groups jumped from 2 to 16 percentage points. (Looker, 6/2)

Politico: In Florida, There’s A Growing Gap Between What People Say About Abortion And What They Do The clinic is neither conspicuous nor subtle — it’s just another storefront in a strip mall on a busy street in South Florida, next to a Dominican hair-design place and near a Western Union advertising remittances to Cuba. It was doing a pretty good business on a recent sticky weekday; by 9:15 the waiting room was filling up with women .... The administrator, a woman who gave her name only as Rosita, said the clinic performs anywhere between five and 20 abortions per day. Last year, according to figures from Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, this added up to 2,285 abortions. ... By Rosita’s estimation, A Hialeah Woman’s Care Center could be the busiest abortion clinic in Miami-Dade County, which as Florida’s most populous county has by far the highest number of abortions in the state, which in turn has the nation’s third-highest abortion rate among states, according to the CDC’s most recent figures from 2019, behind only New York and Illinois. With close to 19 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 that year, Florida’s rate is nearly twice the national average of around 11. Which is odd, because its government is altogether dominated by Republicans. (Gilsinan and Sarkissian, 6/3)

KHN: Black Women Have Much At Stake In States Where Abortion Access May Vanish  “Adulting” was not going great for Tia Freeman. She had lost her scholarship at the University of Tennessee and enlisted in the Air Force. As she finished training to be an analyst, she got pregnant despite being on birth control. Both her parents worked, so the child care they could provide was limited. Day care would have eaten most of her paycheck. And even at age 20, Freeman knew that as a Black woman she would have more difficulty climbing the economic ladder than some other women would. So she had an abortion. (Farmer, 6/3)

CNN: How Abortion Storylines In Film And TV Have Evolved In Recent Years There is no one "right" way to tell an abortion story. But seeing them onscreen can humanize the issue that's become wildly divisive, said Steph Herold, a research analyst at Abortion Onscreen, a project at the University of California San Francisco that tracks and studies abortion storylines in media. "Seeing characters have abortions on television [or in film] may be the first time someone sees abortion as a personal issue, not just a political issue," Herold said. (Andrew, 6/2)

Ex-NIH Director Brushes Off Concerns Over ARPA-H Independence

The new research office, essentially a medical equivalent of defense research agency DARPA, has been surrounded by controversy over how it will act independently. The FTC suing to block hospital acquisitions in New Jersey and Utah, and other health industry matters are also in the news.

Stat: Collins: Concern About ARPA-H Independence ‘Overblown’ Francis Collins thinks the debate surrounding the Biden administration’s new high-stakes research agency is much ado about nothing. The new research office, known as ARPA-H, has been the subject of multiple lobbying campaigns lately, chief among them a battle over whether it should be housed within the National Institutes of Health. But Collins, who led the NIH for 12 years and recently assumed the role of interim White House science adviser, told STAT this week that he views the debates as an unnecessary distraction. (Facher, 6/3)

Modern Healthcare: FTC Sues To Block Hospital Acquisitions In New Jersey, Utah The Federal Trade Commission filed lawsuits to block RWJBarnabas Health's acquisition of St. Peter's HealthCare System in New Jersey and HCA Healthcare's acquisition of five Steward Health Care System hospitals in Utah, regulators announced Thursday. The proposed deal in New Jersey would give the West Orange-based not-for-profit health system a 50% market share for general acute care services in Middlesex County, according to the complaint. For-profit HCA Healthcare's acquisition of five Steward Health Care System hospitals in Utah would reduce the number of health systems offering acute services from three to two in some markets, the FTC said. (Kacik, 6/2)

AP: West Virginia Hospital Plans To Join Mountain Health Network  A West Virginia hospital plans to join the Mountain Health Network under an agreement that calls for $39 million in investments over the next five years, health officials announced. The agreement announced Thursday is the first step toward Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant being acquired by Cabell Huntington Hospital and allowing the 101-bed nonprofit hospital to become part of the health network that also includes St. Marys Medical Center in Huntington, Mountain Health said in a news release. (6/3)

Chicago Tribune: Northwestern Medicine Plans $100M Outpatient Center Northwestern Medicine plans to spend more than $100 million to build a 120,000-square-foot outpatient care center in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood — after facing past criticism that it hasn’t done enough to serve patients on the South Side. The proposal still needs to be approved by the state Health Facilities and Services Review Board. Pending that approval, construction could begin next summer, and the facility could open in the summer of 2025 on the 4800 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue. The facility would include an immediate care center, primary care, specialty care, pharmacy services, mammograms, lab tests, chemotherapy and programs to promote community health. The center is expected to serve more than 50,000 people a year. (Schencker, 6/2)

Columbus Dispatch: Equitas Health Workers Seek Union With Ohio Federation Of Teachers After a year-long process, a group of Equitas Health employees has taken steps to unionize. On Tuesday, the frontline, client-facing workers submitted a letter and signed union cards to interim CEO Robert Copeland and the board of trustees. They requested that leadership recognize their union, Equitas Health Workers United, which is affiliated with the Ohio Federation of Teachers. They also filed the signed union cards with the Cincinnati regional office of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). (Thompson, 6/2)

San Francisco Chronicle: CEO Of S.F.’s Laguna Honda Steps Down As Hospital Weathers Funding Crisis Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center CEO Michael Phillips has departed the embattled San Francisco skilled nursing facility in the midst of a crisis that threatens to displace hundreds of patients, many of whom are medically fragile. Roland Pickens, CEO of the San Francisco Health Network, announced Phillips’ departure in a letter to Laguna Honda staff on Thursday. Pickens said he would be taking over as interim CEO of Laguna Honda as the city-run hospital searches for a new leader. (Fracassa, 6/2)

Hack Hits 27,000 Customers Of Pharmacy App Capsule

Capsule has not revealed what data was compromised and says that an outside review determined its security measures were not at fault. In other cybercrime news, the Food and Drug Administration has warned DNA sequencing machines owned by Illumina may be hackable, potentially affecting diagnoses or leaking patient data.

Crain's New York Business: Digital Pharmacy Capsule Reports Hack Affecting 27,000 Users Capsule, an app-based pharmacy that delivers medications to patients, has reported a network server breach that affected more than 27,000 people. The Manhattan startup said the attack was likely an instance of “password spraying,” the term for when an attacker uses login information from other companies’ data breaches to attempt to break into users’ accounts. A third-party cybersecurity firm concluded the breach was not a result of any weaknesses in Capsule’s security or data infrastructure, a company spokeswoman said. She did not name the firm that conducted the investigation. (Kaufman, 6/2)

Bloomberg: FDA Warns DNA Sequencing Machines Could Be Hacked US regulators warned health-care providers about a cybersecurity risk with some Illumina Inc. DNA-sequencing machines that could compromise patient data. Several of Illumina’s next-generation machines have a software vulnerability that could allow an unauthorized user to take control of the system remotely and alter settings or data, the Food and Drug Administration said in a letter Thursday. While there have been no reports of this happening, it’s possible that a hacker could alter a patient’s clinical diagnosis or gain access to sensitive genetic information. (Brown, 6/2)

In other medical technology news —

Press Association: New Smartphone App Identifying Jaundice From Babies' Eyes 'Could Save Lives' A smartphone app that can identify severe jaundice in newborn babies by scanning their eyes could help save lives in poorer parts of the world, a new study suggests. In the study - co-authored by researchers at University College London (UCL) and the University of Ghana - an app called neoSCB was used to scan the eyes of more than 300 newborns in Ghana, following an initial pilot study on 37 newborns in 2020. The app, developed by UCL clinicians and engineers, was used to analyse images taken on a smartphone to quantify the yellowness in the whites of the newborns' eyes - a sign of neonatal jaundice. (Lough, 6/3)

And more from the pharmaceutical industry —

Columbus Dispatch: Cardinal Health To Open New Distribution Center In Grove City Pharmaceutical and medical supplies distribution company Cardinal Health announced Thursday it will create about 100 jobs with the opening of a new distribution center in Grove City. The center is projected to be fully operational in November and is part of a multi-year warehouse modernization and growth plan, according to a press release. The 208,144-square-foot location will work to support Cardinal Health's at-Home Solutions business, which provides medical supplies for in-home care aimed at those with chronic or serious health conditions. It is the 10th distribution center in the U.S. for Cardinal Health at-Home Solutions. (Skidmore, 6/2)

Axios: Americans Overpay For Generic Drugs, Paper Says U.S. consumers overpay for generic drug prescriptions by as much as 20% and it's largely because of the industry middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), according to a white paper from the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. PBMs are powerful, secretive and heavily consolidated, and have a big impact on drug prices in America. This report focuses specifically on generics, which account for more than 90% of U.S. prescriptions and 18% of drug spending. (Reed, 6/1)

Reports Of Kids With Melatonin Poisoning Jump Dramatically

Researchers looking into poisoning events involving children and the sleep-aid drug melatonin warn that figures have risen dramatically during the pandemic, up over six times the figures from a decade ago. Separately, the puzzling child hepatitis outbreak continues with 30 more U.S. cases.

AP: Melatonin Poisoning Reports Are Up In Kids, Study Says  Researchers are drawing attention to a rise in poisonings in children involving the sleep aid melatonin — including a big jump during the pandemic. Last year, U.S. poison control centers received more than 52,000 calls about children consuming worrisome amounts of the dietary supplement — a six-fold increase from about a decade earlier. Most such calls are about young children who accidentally got into bottles of melatonin, some of which come in the form of gummies for kids. (Stobbe, 6/2)

In updates on two separate hepatitis outbreaks —

CIDRAP: CDC Reports 30 More Kids' Unexplained Hepatitis Cases In its weekly update yesterday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that investigations are under way into 30 more unexplained hepatitis cases in children, raising the nation's total to 246. The number of affected states and jurisdictions remained the same, at 38. The CDC has said that many of the recently reported cases are retrospective, with the probe covering illnesses experienced since October 2021. (6/2)

USA Today: FDA Probes Strawberries, Hepatitis A Link: How A Virus Gets To Fruit Public health officials are investigating an outbreak of hepatitis A potentially linked to organic strawberries. But how could the virus have gotten into the fruit in the first place? The source of any hepatitis A food contamination is human, said Francisco Diez, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. "There are different possibilities how the virus gets to the strawberries," Diez said. "One of them could be because the water used for irrigating the strawberries could have been contaminated with sewage, because the virus is specific for humans." The berries could have also been contaminated after being handled by an infected person who did not follow proper hand washing hygiene, Diez said. (Pérez Pintado, 6/2)

CBS News: Feds Warn Not To Use Adult Bed Rails Blamed For At Least 3 Deaths  Americans are being urged to stop using any of 285,000 adult portable bed rails after the deaths of at least three people who suffocated after becoming caught in one of 10 models of the product. The bed rails were manufactured and sold by Mobility Transfer Systems from 1992 to 2021 and by Metal Tubing USA in 2021 and 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday. Neither company has agreed to recall the beds or offer a remedy to consumers, according to the agency. The bed rails were sold at Walmart.com, Amazon.com, MTSMedicalSupply.com, VitalityMedical.com, Alimed.com and other online retailers for roughly $30 to $170. (Gibson, 6/2)

AP: Baseball Honors Gehrig While Raising Awareness Of ALS  Jim Poole describes the past year almost matter-of-factly, even though the effects of ALS on the former reliever are anything but. “I’m going to say a downhill spiral, but not in the negative sense. I’m not sad, or ‘woe is me.’ It’s just the way it is,” the 56-year-old said. “When I was diagnosed, I could still walk, my left arm still worked, I could speak well. In a matter of 11 months, (I’m) in a wheelchair and I adapt. That’s the main word that it’s been about, adapting and appreciating whatever I can accomplish in a given day.” Poole was at Camden Yards on Thursday night for Lou Gehrig Day, when baseball celebrates the life and legacy of the Yankees’ Hall of Famer, who died on June 2, 1941, of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. (Trister, 6/3)

The 19th: Biden’s New Environmental Justice Office Aims To Tackle The Health Impacts Disproportionately Faced By People Of Color  The Biden administration has created an Office of Environmental Justice in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), part of an effort to tackle the health impacts of pollution and climate change disproportionately faced by communities of color. Dr. Sharunda Buchanan, who has over 30 years of experience working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in positions related to environmental justice and environmental health, will lead the office as the interim director. She joins a growing list of women of color working on environmental justice issues on a federal level in the Biden administration. (Kutz, 6/2)

LA Will Restrict Sales Of Flavored Tobacco Products

The city's new restrictions on the sale of sweet, spicy, and minty tobacco flavors will go into effect in January if the mayor signs the bill. Meanwhile, in two communities in Maine, a similar ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products went into effect Wednesday. Other tobacco- and drug-related news is reported.

Los Angeles Times: Los Angeles To Restrict Sales Of Flavored Tobacco Products Los Angeles will ban many businesses from selling tobacco products that come in sweet, spicy and minty flavors under new restrictions backed Wednesday by the City Council. The new rules were celebrated by public health advocates and community groups that argue that tobacco products with appealing flavors — including menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars and liquid pods for electronic cigarettes — have been a gateway to nicotine addiction for teens. Researchers have found that the majority of youth who use tobacco started with flavored products. (Reyes, 6/1)

WABI5: Bans On Flavored Tobacco Sales Take Effect In Maine Communities As of Wednesday, you can no longer buy flavored tobacco products in Portland or Brunswick. New ordinances banning the sale are in effect. The city of Bangor was actually the first community in Maine to pass a ban, but the city council had to repeal that ordinance last month due to a procedural error of not providing proper notice to impacted businesses. (6/1)

In other news about tobacco use and the tobacco industry —

NJ.com: Rutgers Plans To Go Tobacco-Free By 2023  Rutgers University will be a tobacco-free institution by January 1, the school’s president announced Wednesday morning. The school’s “Tobacco-Free by 2023″ initiative will cover all tobacco products on all campuses, indoors and outdoors, and affect all students, employees, and visitors. (6/1)

Fast Company: Big Tobacco Companies Advertise Near Schools, Candy: Report Multinational tobacco companies, including British American Tobacco (BAT) and Philip Morris International (PMI), systematically advertise cigarettes to kids near playgrounds and schools in 42 countries, according to a study published today by the journal Tobacco Control.  With data collected between 2015 and 2021, the report’s analysis details how almost identical marketing tactics across these 40-plus global locations suggest that these advertising methods are part of a larger, coordinated attempt to expose young consumers to cigarette products.  (Buono, 6/2)

Euronews: Big Tobacco Is Having A ‘Devastating’ Impact On The Environment, WHO Report Reveals As well as killing eight million people every year, the tobacco industry has a far bigger impact on the planet than many people realise. A new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) released today details the destructive impact of this deadly industry on the environment and health of ordinary people. Every year, tobacco costs the world 600 million trees, 200,0000 hectares of land, 22 billion tonnes of water and releases 84 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere, according to the report. The CO2 emissions alone are equivalent to one-fifth of what is produced by the airline industry. (Frost, 5/31)

The Guardian: Africa Will Be The World’s Ashtray If Big Tobacco Is Able To Get Its Way  For decades, smoking has been on the rise, driving more than 100 million deaths in the 20th century alone and creating health and other costs of about $1,500B a year that have hampering global growth. According to a report from the global health policy organization Vital Strategies and the University of Illinois Chicago in the latest edition of the Tobacco Atlas, the era of big tobacco is coming to an end: there is an unequivocal drop in global smoking rates, to 19.6% in 2019 from 22.6% in 2007.Concealed in the figures, however, is a plan to turn tobacco back into a growth industry by focusing on Africa. (Kitonyo and Drope, 6/2)

On marijuana, fentanyl, and other drug use —

AP: Medical Pot Proposal Gets Bipartisan Support In NC Senate Marijuana would be legalized for medical use in North Carolina with a physician’s prescription and purchased through dozens of tightly regulated dispensaries in a measure receiving initial approval Thursday in the Senate. The legislation, which received strong bipartisan support, could help people facing more than a dozen different “debilitating medical conditions” in which their doctor declares the health benefits of smoking or consuming cannabis outweigh the risks. (Robertson, 6/2)

Los Angeles Times: After 3 Teens Overdose, L.A. Schools Warn Of Fentanyl-Laced Ecstasy Pills The Los Angeles Unified School District is sounding an alarm about fentanyl-laced ecstasy pills after three high school students overdosed. Three teenage girls were found unconscious in a Los Angeles County home on May 25 after taking ecstasy pills that were contaminated with fentanyl, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a Twitter post this week. The teens reportedly crushed and snorted blue circular tablets that they had purchased from an online dealer selling ecstasy. Emergency personnel used naloxone, or Narcan, to resuscitate the teens, one of whom suffered a brain injury, said Dr. Siddarth Puri, the associate medical director of prevention with the county health department. (Alvarez, 6/2)

AP: Oregon Botched Drug Treatment Plan Tied To Decriminalization  Efforts to get millions of dollars in funding to treatment centers and related services as part of Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization have been botched even as drug addictions and overdoses increase, state officials and lawmakers said on Thursday. Oregonians passed Ballot Measure 110 in 2020 decriminalizing possession of personal amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs — the first in the nation to do so. A person found with drugs receives a citation, like a traffic ticket, with the maximum $100 fine waived if they call a hotline for a health assessment. (Selsky, 6/3)

The Baltimore Sun: Pilot Testing Program In Maryland Could Save Life And Limb As New Illegal Drug Danger Emerges  A young woman in a pink hoodie and a blond bun clutched a plastic bag filled with 20 fresh syringes and a box of naloxone, the antidote to opioid overdoses. Jason Bienert, a wound care nurse at a needle exchange program in Cecil County, noticed her bandaged hand and offered to take a look at it. She declined and exited swiftly to a waiting car. “That was the first time I met her,” Bienert said. “I just gave her a little love and didn’t push it.” Bienert hoped over time the young woman would trust him and accept medical care. He knows she’ll need it because, thanks to a new federally backed testing program, he already knows what’s causing her wounds. (Cohn, 6/2)

DeSantis Amps Up Assault Against Rights Of Transgender Minors

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, is reportedly pushing to essentially ban transition-related care for minors and those on Medicaid. In South Dakota, Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, threatened to sue over a trans-inclusive school lunch policy.

NBC News: DeSantis Moves To Ban Transition Care For Transgender Youths, Medicaid Recipients Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration Thursday asked the state board regulating doctors to essentially ban transition-related care for transgender minors, according to a letter obtained by NBC News. The state Health Department made the request hours after another state agency issued a 46-page report to justify banning Medicaid coverage for transgender people of any age who want puberty blockers, hormone therapies or gender-assignment surgery. (Caputo, 6/2)

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SD Gov. Noem Threatens To Sue Over Trans-Inclusive School Lunch Policy A new initiative to cut off school lunch funds for schools that deviate from federally-backed transgender policy in classrooms has South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem threatening a lawsuit. The dispute comes after new rules, proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that would stop sending money to public schools that prohibit transgender youth from participating in sports or using gender-designated bathrooms of their choice. “President Biden is holding lunch money for poor Americans hostage in pursuit of his radical agenda,” Noem said in a statement sent to the Argus Leader. (Sneve, 6/2)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

AP: NC Bill Seeks "Forever Chemical" Standards, Reimbursements  North Carolina state regulators would set maximum acceptable levels of “forever chemicals” — like those discharged for decades into the Cape Fear River — for drinking water in legislation considered Thursday by a state House committee. The measure also would give the state environment secretary power to order a company responsible for excessive levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to pay for public water system improvements designed to remove the chemicals or lessen concentrations. (Robertson, 6/2)

The CT Mirror: CT Contemplates Doula Certification, Seeks Input From Those In The Field The state is taking another step toward launching a certification program for doulas, a process that would allow those workers to seek Medicaid reimbursement for their services and reach more people. Doulas offer physical and emotional support throughout pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. They also act as advocates for parents during and after pregnancy and help facilitate communication between their clients and hospital staff. (Carlesso, 6/3)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlanta’s Homeless Numbers Drop 38% In Survey Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced Thursday the results of a survey that suggests there are fewer homeless people in the city than before the pandemic. Partners for Home, a nonprofit organization created by the city in 2013 that works to combat homelessness, reports a 38% decrease in the homeless population since 2020 in their Point in Time Count, which identifies people who were homeless on one night in January of each year. In January 2022, volunteers counted 2,017 homeless people, with just 640 living on the streets. Both numbers are the lowest the annual count has recorded. The 2022 survey was conducted the night of Jan. 24, a Monday. Daytime surveys of shelters were conducted Jan. 25-27. (Price, 6/2)

AP: Tenants Sue Over Conditions At Affordable Housing Complex Residents of an Oregon affordable housing complex say their living conditions are inhospitable and they want their rent back. Tenants at the Allen Fremont Plaza in Northeast Portland gathered in the courtyard of the three-story complex Wednesday, describing mold, vermin and people who don’t live there camping in the building’s indoor common areas, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. (6/2)

WMFE: Some Restaurants Are Making It Easier For Dementia Patients To Dine Out  The Alzheimer’s Association projects that 720,000 Florida seniors will have Alzheimer’s dementia by 2025. That’s a 24% increase from 2020 to 2025. Those people and their caregivers will find it harder and harder to enjoy life’s simple pleasures, like dining out. Some Central Florida restaurants are making it easier for them. It’s called dementia-friendly dining. (Byrnes, 6/2)

San Francisco Chronicle: California Could Be First State To Hold Social Media Companies Liable For Harm To Children But two parents and California state lawmakers — Assembly Members Jordan Cunningham, R-San Luis Obispo, and Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland — are taking the issue head on with proposed legislation that would require tech companies to provide online protections tailored for kids. Their proposal, composed of two bills, would be the most sweeping package of children’s internet law in the country. It could give momentum to similar efforts in other state as attempts to pass child internet protections have largely fizzled at the federal level.(Gardiner, 6/2)

Iran Has Zero Daily Covid Deaths For First Time In 2 Years

The Middle Eastern nation had one of the region's highest number of covid cases. The World Health Organization, meanwhile, has good news for Africa with a prediction from models that deaths from covid may tumble 94% this year from 2021's figures. But in India, covid is soaring.

AP: Health Minister: Iran Marks First Day Without COVID Deaths Iran’s health minister said Thursday the country has marked its first day after more than two years without a single COVID-19 death, lauding this as a significant milestone for a nation that long had the highest number of coronavirus cases in the Middle East. (6/2)

Bloomberg: Covid-19: Deaths In Africa May Fall 94% This Year, WHO Model Shows The number of deaths from the coronavirus in Africa may fall 94% to 22,563 this year if current variants and transmission rates remain the same, according to a World Health Organization model. The fall in deaths, from an estimated 350,000 in 2021, comes even though as many as 73% of people will be infected. This reflects the less lethal nature of the omicron variant in relation to the delta strain and the protection people have from prior infections and vaccination, the WHO said in a statement on Thursday. The modeling exercise used data from the 47 nations included under WHO’s Africa region. (Sguazzin and Clowes, 6/2)

Bloomberg: India Covid News: Biggest Jump In Cases In Almost Three Months India reported 4,041 new Covid-19 infections on Friday -- the highest single-day jump since March 11 -- stoking fears of another wave building up in some parts of the densely-populated country that has eased almost all restrictions. The South Asian nation has recorded 43.17 million Covid infections since the start of the pandemic and 524,651 fatalities, according to health ministry data, although the World Health Organization has said the death toll is significantly higher. The daily positivity rate, or the confirmed Covid cases as a percentage of overall tests, stands at 0.95% for the country while the weekly positivity rate has begun inching up, the data show. (Chaudhary, 6/3)

KHN: Why The War In Ukraine Might Make Root Canals More Difficult  Russia’s assault on Ukraine is being felt worldwide, and the U.S. health care system is not immune. Both Russia and Ukraine are powerhouses in supplying certain commodities — in this case, ammonium nitrate and natural gas. These commodities, after being refined, can produce two gases crucial for the health care system: nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, and helium. They are used in millions of procedures each day. And crimped supplies could make every root canal that much more painful and every MRI scan that much pricier. (Tahir, 6/3)

The New York Times: Israel Moves Blood Bank Underground To Safeguard It From Attacks When the sirens warning of incoming rockets split the skies, Israel’s national blood bank moves into high alert to keep the nation’s blood supply safe. The heavy machinery for blood processing, plasma freezers and centrifuges are transferred to a basement bomb shelter, a cumbersome operation that takes 10 to 12 hours. That is about to change. By the end of the year, the blood bank will be relocated to a bright, state-of-the-art subterranean facility built to withstand chemical, biological and conventional weapons, including a direct hit from a large missile, as well as earthquakes and cyberattacks. (Kershner, 6/1)

Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed

Each week, KHN finds longer stories for you to enjoy. This week's selections include stories on hepatitis, "terramation," feminine wash products, HIV and malaria vaccines, covid, and much more.

The New York Times: Liviah’s New Liver: A Family Grapples With A Girl’s Puzzling Hepatitis  The first signs of trouble came on Dec. 11, when Liviah began throwing up. At first, her parents chalked it up to overindulgence; Liviah had spent the previous night with her grandmother, who was known to spoil the children with treats. “We called it a ‘grandma hangover,’” Mrs. Widders recalled. Liviah, a lively, athletic child, bounced back quickly, but the next day, her 6-year-old brother, Jaxson, also fell ill. He spiked a high fever and was sick for days. Liviah — who returned to school, visited a trampoline park and decorated cookies with the neighbors — seemed to have dodged the worst of it.Until, a week and a half later, when her mother noticed her eyes. Her urine was orange, too, Liviah divulged to her. (Anthes, 6/1)

BuzzFeed: This Funeral Home Turns Human Bodies Into Soil On today's episode of Science Is Amazing, there's apparently a funeral home in Washington state that's turning human bodies into fertile soil. They're called Return Home, and you may have already seen them on TikTok, where they've shared many of their now-viral videos. The human-to-soil transformation process is called "terramation," which they explain in this clip. (Adams, 6/2)

CNN: The 'Benjamin Button' Effect: Scientists Can Reverse Aging In Mice. The Goal Is To Do The Same For Humans In molecular biologist David Sinclair's lab at Harvard Medical School, old mice are growing young again. Using proteins that can turn an adult cell into a stem cell, Sinclair and his team have reset aging cells in mice to earlier versions of themselves. In his team's first breakthrough, published in late 2020, old mice with poor eyesight and damaged retinas could suddenly see again, with vision that at times rivaled their offspring's. (LaMotte, 6/3)

The Washington Post: Honey Pot And The History Of Feminine Wash Products Explained  The Honey Pot Co., one of several Black- or women-owned intimate care brands that have risen in popularity in recent years, largely built its appeal on a commitment to products that are “plant-derived” and “free of chemicals.” ... But some are asking: Why are women, particularly those of color, still using feminine wash products, which are widely considered unnecessary and can potentially lead to infections or skin irritation, among other concerns? The answer, according to researchers, gynecologists and historians, is a complicated one that involves racism, tradition and targeted advertising. (Chiu and Ferguson, 5/31)

The New York Times: This Retreat Offers A (Pretty Expensive) Form Of Postpartum Care  When Dr. Alicia Robbins, who lives in Greenwich, Conn., had her third child, Otto, on April 5, she welcomed the opportunity to check into a retreat for mothers with means, who have just given birth, and their infants. Until now such retreats were usually private, community-based options not available to the wider public. (Krueger, 6/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Couples, There’s Hope For Your Stalled Sex Life  Want to reignite the sexual spark? Psychologists say it is possible, even in long-term relationships. The most important first step is believing that you can. Having a “sexual growth mind-set,” or believing that it’s possible to become a better sexual partner over time, can improve your sexual relationship. You also need to believe that your partner thinks your sex life can get better, according to recent research from scientists at Rutgers and Duke universities, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. (Bernstein, 5/31)

NerdWallet: Should You Use A Reverse Mortgage To Pay For Long-Term Care?  Someone turning 65 has nearly a 7-in-10 chance of needing long-term care in the future, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, and many don’t have the savings to manage the cost of assisted living. But they may have a mortgage-free home — and the equity in it, giving them the potential option of a reverse mortgage to help cover care costs. Here’s how to evaluate whether a reverse mortgage might be a good option. (Ashford, 6/1)

Undark: It Took 35 Years To Get A Malaria Vaccine. Why? When the World Health Organization approved a malaria vaccine for the first time in October 2021, it was widely hailed as a milestone. ... What those plaudits often failed to note, though, was that the core ingredient of the path-breaking vaccine was actually almost 35 years old — and that researchers have known since the late 1990s that the formula was probably somewhat effective at protecting against malaria. (Pawar, 5/25)

The Washington Post: The Good And Bad About Home Medical Tests  At-home tests for detecting the coronavirus have been in the news for the past year. But these are only one of the many types of home medical tests, for which users collect a “sample” — typically blood, urine, saliva or mucus — and get immediate results or send it to a lab the test manufacturer designates. These over-the-counter products have been used to diagnose an illness or keep an eye on issues such as high blood glucose. In recent years, however, thousands of new tests of all types have begun showing up on store shelves and on the Internet — many from companies such as Everlywell, LetsGetChecked and myLab Box. Some are straightforward, such as those for the coronavirus, but others have squishier metrics such as “cell aging.” (Carr, 5/30)

The Washington Post: There’s Still No HIV Vaccine. The Science Behind Coronavirus Shots May Help Kathryn Stephenson was crushed last summer when she learned that an experimental HIV vaccine she had worked on for years failed to protect young women in sub-Saharan Africa from infection. “I’m not afraid to say that I cried,” recalled Stephenson, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. The failure wasn’t personal. Over decades, nearly every idea in science has been tried in the quest for an HIV vaccine — and faltered. But the new technology that helped coronavirus shots break every speed record in medicine is opening a promising new avenue of research that could accelerate the pursuit of an HIV vaccine. (Johnson, 6/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Plan A Response To A Positive Covid Test While Traveling Overseas  Vacationers and business travelers testing positive face pricey extended stays and rebooked flights, confusion over which quarantine rules reign and a near daily scramble to test negative or get a doctor’s note vouching for recovery from Covid. Then there’s the off-the-charts stress. (Gilbertson, 6/1)

Viewpoints: Media Coverage Of Monkeypox Is Racist; Baby Formula Shouldn't Be Treated As A Drug

Editorial writers weigh in on these public health issues.

NPR: Why This Nigerian Doctor Is Angry At Media Coverage Of Monkeypox  The world is in the midst of a monkeypox outbreak. The World Health Organization has recorded more than 500 cases in 30 countries this year – including the United Kingdom, the United States and a number of European nations. And how do Western media outlets illustrate the story? The BBC, the Independent, CNBC and ABC News are among those that have used a stock photo of a Black person with monkeypox blisters. (Ifeanyi Nsofor, 6/2)

The Washington Post: To Solve The Baby Formula Crisis, Regulate It As Food, Not Pharmaceuticals The Biden administration is getting hammered for the baby formula shortage — and deservedly so. A whistleblower notified the Food and Drug Administration in October of unsanitary conditions at a baby formula factory, but the FDA did not shutter the plant until February, and the president took no steps to address the crisis — such as easing import rules — until May. That is inexcusable. (Marc A. Thiessen, 6/2)

Stat: The World's Future Depends On Investing In Women, Children, And Nutrition The global health financing landscape has drastically changed since the end of 2019. The emergence of Covid-19 dramatically increased the need and urgency for investment in global health and additional funds have been needed to respond to the pandemic and its direct and indirect consequences. Overall, countries around the world are not on track to meet the World Health Organization’s Sustainable Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality. While the global maternal mortality rate fell 38% from 2000 to 2017 — a significant achievement — this is still less than half the annual rate needed to achieve the goal of less than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. (Vineeta Gupta and Philippa Whitford, 6/3)

Miami Herald: ACA Tax Credits Giving More Floridians Healthcare Coverage  As a state representative of a community that relies heavily on the Affordable Care Act marketplace, there are few issues as important as ensuring that my constituents’ healthcare is affordable and accessible. When I meet with families, one thing I hear repeatedly is concern over the cost of healthcare. Many Floridians share this sentiment. They know that unexpected healthcare costs can affect their bottom line. (Nicholas X. Duran, 6/2)

The CT Mirror: Unsafe Staffing Ratios Put Patients At Risk Have you ever worked with a heavy, unsafe patient load due to understaffing on the unit and having double the recommended number of patients under your care? I am sure you felt defeated after your twelve-hour shift. Nurse ratios are constantly changing depending on the number of staff members. When a nurse has too many patients to care for it compromises patient care. Hospitals strive for patient-centered care, but it is not obtained with unsafe ratios. A high ratio of patients to nurses actively jeopardizes the quality of patient care in hospitals. It also endangers the health of nurses who are being overworked and have high levels of stress. (Stephanie Fernandes, 6/2)

Scientific American: Pediatric Gun Deaths Are A Massive Problem In The U.S.  We are researchers and pediatric emergency medicine physicians who study firearm injuries. After many hard, politically fraught years of investigating this subject, we believe that it is our collective responsibility to address, head on, the interlinked issues of gun availability, gun safety, gun regulations and gun violence prevention research—and, dare we say it, the politicization of guns taking priority over public health. With thousands of children killed each year in the U.S. by firearms, we must, as a country, ultimately reckon with the essential question of what is most important: Is it the narrow focus on individuals’ rights or the broader vision of societal responsibility? (Eric W. Fleegler and Lois K. Lee, 6/2)

Stat: In Depp V. Heard, Forensic Psychiatry Took The Stand. We Weren't Impressed Like millions of people around the world, we’ve found ourselves drawn to the Depp v. Heard trial. As forensic psychiatrists, we’ve had a professional interest as well as a pop culture interest, since members of our profession were in the spotlight in court. In this unfortunate and complex clash between divorced actors, Johnny Depp sued Amber Heard for $50 million for defamation due to her 2018 Washington Post essay that implied Depp had perpetrated partner violence. Heard counter-sued Depp for $100 million for defamation, stemming from statements made by his attorney in 2020 that the abuse was a hoax. On Wednesday, the jury found that Depp had been defamed by the op-ed, and also that Heard had been defamed by Depp’s lawyer, and awarded large damages to each. This live-streamed case has blurred lines between entertainment and the courtroom. It has also drawn attention to forensic psychiatry. (Susan Hatters Friedman, Renee Sorrentino and Karen B. Rosenbaum, 6/3)

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