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Tuesday, April 21, 2026
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Morning Briefing |
Delivery of Wednesday's Morning Briefing might be delayed as KFF Health News undergoes internal development. We'll be back at our usual time on Thursday, April 23.
In This Edition:
From KFF Health News:
1. Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish
Real estate investment trusts are landlords for thousands of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals. Some select the managers and keep close watch over their performance but deny responsibility for bad care. (Jordan Rau, 4/21)
2. Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers’ Health Data
After KFF Health News reported that the Trump administration is seeking federal workers’ medical records, Democratic lawmakers are insisting that the Office of Personnel Management drop its request. (Amanda Seitz and Maia Rosenfeld, 4/21)
3. Listen: Cheap Health Insurance Isn’t Always Cheap
Across the country, people are choosing lower monthly premiums in exchange for higher out-of-pocket risk. Reporter Jackie Fortiér explains what the shift means for Americans’ health and wallets. (Jackie Fortiér, 4/21)
4. Political Cartoon: 'Where's...?'
KFF Health News provides a fresh take on health policy developments with "Political Cartoon: 'Where's...?'" by Chuck Legge.
Here's today's health policy haiku:
If you have a health policy haiku to share, please Contact Us and let us know if we can include your name. Haikus follow the format of 5-7-5 syllables. We give extra brownie points if you link back to an original story.
Opinions expressed in haikus and cartoons are solely the author's and do not reflect the opinions of KFF Health News or KFF.
Summaries Of The News:
5. To Better Prevent Cyberattacks, FBI Asks Hospitals To Step Up Info-Sharing
In an attempt to forge a more coordinated offense, FBI deputy director Andrew Bailey has asked hospital executives to share what they know, when they know it. More health industry news is about assault reports, a nursing home workers strike, donations to children's hospitals, and more.
Axios: FBI's No. 2 Calls On Hospitals To Share Cyberthreat Info
The FBI's No. 2 official told hospital executives Tuesday they need to step up information-sharing on cyberthreats as the agency works to disrupt attacks earlier. (Reed, 4/21)
More health care industry news —
The Boston Globe: Tewksbury State Hospital Reports Fourth Assault In 3 Weeks
In the fourth violent incident in three weeks at Tewksbury State Hospital, a patient on Monday was arrested after allegedly assaulting another patient with a sharp object, police said. Tewksbury police were called to the state-run hospital at 2:05 p.m. The two men had been separated by the time officers arrived, police said. The altercation happened in the Nichols Building where Beth Israel Lahey Health runs and houses a second step detox program. One patient accused another of stealing and assaulted him with a sharp object, Tewksbury police Chief Ryan M. Columbus said in a statement. (Alanez, 4/20)
Minnesota Public Radio: Nursing Home Workers Launch Strike Across Twin Cities Facilities
Nursing home workers at five metro-area facilities began a three-day strike on Monday in response to what they say are unfair labor practices. The strike involves nursing homes, Cerenity Care at Humboldt and four affiliated Monarch Healthcare Management facilities, the company that operates The Estates. (Zurek, 4/20)
KBIA: Grad School Loan Limits May Worsen Medical Shortages
Kansas City University is home to the fourth largest medical school in the U.S. by class size. However, president and CEO Marc Hahn is worried about students being able to afford classes after July. (Ramkumar, 4/21)
Fierce Healthcare: CVS, MGB's Primary Care Deal Would Fuel $40M Extra Spending
A planned primary care partnership between CVS’ MinuteClinics and major nonprofit system Mass General Brigham will likely add tens of millions in additional annual commercial healthcare spending per year, according to a “conservative” preliminary estimate shared by a Massachusetts agency late last week. The organizations shared plans last summer for a proposed affiliation in which 37 MinuteClinic sites in the state that currently provided limited convenience care services would expand to offer primary care services. (Muoio, 4/20)
Modern Healthcare: Akron Children’s, Dayton Children’s And Avera Get $125M Donation
Akron Children’s Hospital, Dayton Children’s Hospital and Avera Health will receive $125 million from Tom Golisano. Golisano, who founded the human resources software company Paychex, will give $50 million to Akron Children’s Hospital and $40 million to Dayton Children’s Hospital, both in Ohio, along with $35 million to Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based Avera Health, the philanthropist’s foundation announced Monday. (Kacik, 4/20)
Modern Healthcare: Medicaid Work Requirements Spur Aetna, Centene Marketing Efforts
Medicaid managed care carriers facing shrinking membership rolls are launching campaigns to keep people covered as massive program cuts are about to kick in. Insurers such as Centene, CVS Health subsidiary Aetna and LA Care Health Plan are investing in job training programs and marketing campaigns in preparation for tighter eligibility rules and work requirements that must be in force no later than Jan. 1 under the tax law President Donald Trump enacted last year, known as HR 1. (Tepper, 4/20)
KFF Health News: Real Estate Investors Profit From Long-Term Care While Residents Languish
By the time she was hospitalized in 2020, Pearlene Darby, a retired teacher, had suffered open sores on both legs, both hips, and both heels, as well as a five-inch-long gash on her tailbone. She died two weeks later at age 81 from infections and bedsores, according to her death certificate. Her daughter sued the nursing home, alleging it had left Darby sitting in her own feces and urine time and again. The lawsuit, settled on confidential terms last year, blamed not only the managers of City Creek Post-Acute and Assisted Living but also the building’s owner, a real estate investment trust, or REIT. (Rau, 4/21)
KFF Health News: Listen: Cheap Health Insurance Isn’t Always Cheap
High-deductible plans can look like a deal, until the bills start rolling in. On this episode of the NPR podcast Life Kit, reporter Jackie Fortiér breaks down what to expect and how to prepare. (Fortiér, 4/21)
Also —
MedicalXpress: A New Skin-Hugging Heart Monitor Material Could Make Long-Term ECG Tracking Far More Comfortable
Researchers have created heart monitoring sensors that conform to the skin, are comfortable, and can be worn while people are moving. With performance comparable to sensors already on the market, the new technology can be made using existing manufacturing processes. (Lock, 4/20)
6. Autism Risk Linked To Common Drugs Taken During Pregnancy, Study Finds
The authors stress that no pregnant patient should discontinue or alter medication without medical supervision, as many SBIMs (sterol biosynthesis–inhibiting medications) are essential, often lifesaving treatments. But safer alternatives for use during pregnancy should be developed, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reports.
MedicalXpress: Millions Of US Birth Records Uncover An Autism Risk Surge Tied To Common Drugs Taken During Pregnancy
A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Analyzing 6.14 million maternal-child health records from the Epic Cosmos database—representing nearly one-third of all U.S. births between 2014 and 2023—the team found that prescription of medications known to inhibit the cholesterol synthesis pathway were consistently associated with higher rates of ASD in offspring. These are the generic names of the 14 medications studied: aripiprazole, atorvastatin, bupropion, buspirone, fluoxetine, haloperidol, metoprolol, nebivolol, pravastatin, propranolol, rosuvastatin, sertraline, simvastatin and trazodone. (Clark, 4/20)
More research on pregnancy and birth —
CIDRAP: Antibiotic-Resistance Genes Detected In Babies Within First 3 Days Of Life
New research presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2026 conference in Munich suggests antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) are present in newborns shortly after birth. (Dall, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Having More Kids Associated With Reduced Risk Of Stroke And Brain Damage
While some say having lots of kids can make you lose your faculties, a new study suggests otherwise. Research co-led by UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, associates a greater number of live births with a reduced risk of stroke or brain damage for mothers. As more women than men have strokes, the finding is seen as significant in helping determine risk. (Clark, 4/20)
On food preservatives, sunshine, and asthma —
MedicalXpress: Widely Used Food Preservative Implicated In Recent Uptick In UK Suicide Deaths
A chemical widely used in food preservation is implicated in an uptick in recent UK deaths by suicide, with a disproportionately high number of cases among young people and boys/men, finds a comprehensive analysis of available data for the period 2019–24, published in the open access journal BMJ Public Health. (Harley, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Physicists Refute Famous 2025 Study Claiming Daylight Saving Time Poses Severe Health Risks
In 2025, Lara Weed and Jamie M. Zeitzer of Stanford University published an article linking the practice of seasonal time changes (Daylight Saving Time) to negative health outcomes, ranging from acute symptoms (heart attacks and strokes) to chronic conditions (obesity). Now, Professors José MarÃa MartÃn-Olalla (University of Seville) and Jorge Mira Pérez (University of Santiago de Compostela), after analyzing the methodology applied in that study, have concluded that "what the world read as scientific evidence against time change has turned out to be a mathematical illusion." (Clark, 4/20)
HealthDay: Young Adults Who Smoke Or Vape Cannabis Face Higher Asthma Attack Risk
Weed might increase a young person’s risk of an asthma attack, whether or not they are smoking or vaping it, a new study says. Young adults had 57% to 81% higher odds of an asthma attack if they smoked or vaped cannabis, researchers recently reported in the journal Chest. (Thompson, 4/21)
On aging and dementia —
MedPage Today: Midlife Migraines Tied To Higher Dementia Risk, 40-Year Study Suggests
A large study spanning more than 40 years suggested that migraines in midlife were associated with a modest increase in the long-term risk of dementia. Adults with migraines in midlife were slightly more likely to experience dementia later in life compared with those without migraine (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13), reported Pamela Rist, PhD, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues in a poster session at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting. (George, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Daytime Napping Patterns May Reveal Hidden Health Decline In Older Adults
New research reveals that as people age, naps may be an easily trackable warning sign of underlying conditions or declining health. A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham and Rush University Medical Center followed 1,338 older adults for up to 19 years to track napping habits and associated mortality rates. They found longer, more frequent, and morning naps were associated with higher mortality rates. (Harley, 4/20)
MedPage Today: New Kink In The Link Between GLP-1 Drugs And Cognition
Adults whose type 2 diabetes was treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists were more than likely to develop cognitive impairment over 10 years than their counterparts not treated with GLP-1 agents, a propensity-matched retrospective study of nearly 65,000 patients suggested. (George, 4/20)
On HIV —
Medical Xpress: Scientists Map How HIV Hijacks Human Cells—And How Cells Can Fight Back
Scientists at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) have opened a new door to understanding HIV by creating the first comprehensive genetic roadmap of how the virus interacts with real human cells. (Harley, 4/20)
CIDRAP: People Living With HIV Age Faster, But Antiretroviral Therapy Can Help: New Study
It’s well established that HIV speeds up the aging process, possibly due to chronic inflammation. But antiretroviral therapy (ART) can slow down and possibly even reverse aging caused by an infection, according to new research presented in Munich at the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). Researchers estimated biological age by developing a tool called the proteomic aging clock (PAC,) which analyzes protein patterns in blood plasma to estimate a person’s biological age. (Boden, 4/20)
7. Diets High In Fruits, Veggies May Raise Risk Of Lung Cancer In Younger People; Exposure To Pesticides Questioned
Researchers at the University of Southern California found that patients with early‑onset lung cancer reported eating significantly more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains than the general population, Newsweek reported. However, experts stressed that people should not interpret this as a reason to stop eating healthily. Instead, people are advised to wash produce and buy organic when possible.
Newsweek: Fruits And Vegetables May Increase Your Cancer Risk, New Research Shows
A new study from researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) has suggested that diets rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains may possibly be linked to a higher risk of early‑onset lung cancer. The study found this correlation specifically in younger people who have never smoked. (Blake, 4/20)
Fox News: Colorectal Cancer Deaths Rising Among Young Adults Without College Degrees
Colorectal cancer, once considered a disease of older age, is becoming a crisis for younger adults. New research shows one group getting hit the hardest – those without a college degree. A recent study from the American Cancer Society analyzed data from over 101,000 adults aged 25 to 49 who died from colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2023. (Quill, 4/20)
In other cancer research —
CNN: After A Year Of Turmoil, Cancer Researchers See Promising Signs For MRNA Vaccines
Vita Sara Blechner’s life changed on a Saturday afternoon. The middle school librarian was home in Oceanside, New York, when she felt shooting pains in her back. After an acid reflux pill couldn’t soothe the fiery feeling, her husband suggested a trip to the emergency room. (Hellerman, 4/20)
MedicalXpress: Scientists Crack An 'Undruggable' Childhood Cancer Protein, Opening A Path To Treatments For Neuroblastoma
Researchers at Linköping University show how two important cancer-related proteins can be prevented from collaborating with each other. The discovery shows the way toward future medications to combat, for example, neuroblastoma in children. Their study has been published in the journal Nature Communications. (Lock, 4/20)
Medical Xpress: Blood Test Detects Aggressive Brain Tumors Early And Could Reduce Need For Risky Surgery
Researchers at the University of Sussex, in collaboration with scientists from different institutes worldwide, have identified a blood test capable of early diagnosis of the most aggressive form of brain tumor. The technology has the potential to save lives. Lead author Professor Georgios Giamas and his team have identified distinctive biomarkers (molecules that act as signs of normal processes, diseases, or responses to treatment) within patient blood samples, which could signal the presence of glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain tumor. (Sutton, 4/20)
NBC News: AI Chatbots Gave People Alternatives To Chemotherapy, Study Finds
Artificial intelligence chatbots will tell you where to find alternatives to chemotherapy if you ask them, a new study finds. At a time when influencers and political figures on social media increasingly promote bogus treatments for cancer or other health problems — and as more people rely on AI for health advice — the new research suggests that some chatbot responses could be putting patients’ lives at risk. (Ozcan, 4/20)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Dartmouth Health Launches Program Focused On The Intersection Of Climate Change And Cancer Care
In 2022, Katie Lichter was a doctor in Northern California. She was walking home from work under orange skies due to the wildfires when she realized the connection between climate change and cancer treatment. (Richardson, 4/20)
8. Constitutionality Of Abortion Upheld In Pa.; Medicaid Fund Use Ban Is Lifted
Although the ruling may be appealed to the state's Supreme Court, it marks a victory for Planned Parenthood, which sued Pennsylvania over its Medicaid funding restrictions in 2019. This is the first time the right to abortion has been protected by the Pennsylvania Constitution, AP reported.
AP: State Constitution Guarantees Abortion Rights, Pennsylvania Court Rules
A Pennsylvania court on Monday said that the state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortion while striking down a decades-long law banning the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion costs. The ruling by a divided seven-judge panel of the appellate-level Commonwealth Court is a major victory for Planned Parenthood and abortion clinic operators who first sued Pennsylvania over its Medicaid funding restrictions in 2019. (Kruesi and Levy, 4/21)
More health news from across the U.S. —
The Washington Post: KitKat, Gatorade Or Granola Bars? What’s Banned Under New SNAP Rules Is Mixed
Across the country, retailers and low-income Americans are facing complex new rules overhauling what millions of people can buy with food stamps. In Iowa, anti-hunger advocates recently sought to highlight how some cold sandwiches and granola bars may not qualify. In Idaho, legislators had attempted to clarify the state’s candy ban, since it allows KitKats and Twix because they contain flour. And in some states, food stamp recipients said they were surprised to learn sports drinks and certain flavored fizzy waters are off-limits. (Roubein, 4/20)
Concord Monitor: ‘Not Cosmetic’: NH Lawmaker Wants State To Cover GLP-1 Drugs For Weight Loss
Two years ago, Sue Prentiss got a sobering reality check at her doctor’s office. The news was blunt: She qualified for bariatric surgery, a procedure for patients whose weight poses life-threatening risks. She was aware of her weight and had tried everything from high-intensity workouts to weight loss programs and diets. Nothing seemed to help until she started taking GLP-1 medications. (Gopalakrishnan, 4/20)
St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis County Health Chief Says Council Inaction Risks Care
The St. Louis County health director says the county council is slow-rolling a measure to allow its government-run health clinics to hire physicians. In a bill introduced nine months ago, the department asked the council to approve a three-year, $3.6 million contract that would authorize it to hire doctors from SSM Health to work at county-operated health clinics. (Fentem, 4/20)
North Carolina Health News: NC Legislators Urged To Boost Safe Sleep Funding
Every three days, a North Carolina baby dies in an unsafe sleep environment. That’s more than 100 babies every year. Less than two weeks into 2026, a Cary infant was found dead after falling asleep in a baby lounger, according to media reports. (Fernandez, 4/21)
Verite News New Orleans: Nearly One In Five New Orleanians — And One In Three Children — Are Food Insecure. What Can City Hall Do To Address This?
New Orleans is one of the hungriest cities in one of the hungriest states in the country. Approximately 70,000 New Orleanians — or almost one in five residents — are considered food insecure, meaning they lack easy access to fresh and affordable food. For children, that number increases to nearly one in three. That outpaces the national average of 13.7% and, according to local public health and food access experts, ranks New Orleans among the more food-insecure cities in the country, despite its reputation as a culinary hotspot. (Fernelius, 4/20)
KFF Health News: Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers’ Health Data
Democratic lawmakers are demanding that the Trump administration halt plans to collect sensitive medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, as well as their family members. The Office of Personnel Management has asked 65 insurance companies to provide monthly reports with detailed medical and pharmaceutical claims data of more than 8 million people enrolled in federal health plans, KFF Health News reported earlier this month. The request, which could dramatically expand the personally identifiable medical information OPM can access, alarmed health ethicists, insurance company executives, and privacy advocates. (Seitz and Rosenfeld, 4/21)
On gun violence in the U.S. and Mexico —
The New York Times: Louisiana Killer’s Threats To Himself And Others Hinted At Future Violence
Shamar Elkins and his soon-to-be-wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, were sitting on a couch three years ago in Shreveport, La., as their daughters played outside. Betty Walker — the woman who had raised Mr. Elkins as her son, though she was not his biological mother — was there, too, and could tell there was friction between the couple. Ms. Pugh said that evening that she was considering leaving Mr. Elkins and taking her children with her, Ms. Walker recalled in an interview. Mr. Elkins was furious, Ms. Walker said. He looked at Ms. Pugh and declared that if they tried to leave, “I’ll kill you, my kids and myself.” (Medina, Morales and Jimenez, 4/20)
The New York Times: Gunman Kills Canadian Tourist And Wounds Several Others, Including U.S. Nationals, At Mexican Pyramids
One Canadian tourist was shot dead and several other people were wounded, including U.S. nationals, officials said, when a man opened fire on Monday at one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, the Teotihuacán pyramids just outside Mexico City. (Mega and Diaz, 4/20)
9. Supreme Court Rejects Lawsuit Over Covid-Era Nursing Home Policy In NY
Justices declined to hear the case of a Brooklyn man who said former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's policy of directing nursing homes to accept covid-positive patients contributed to his father's death. Lower courts held that Cuomo was protected by qualified immunity, the New York Post reported.
New York Post: Supreme Court Lets Andrew Cuomo Off The Hook For ‘Wrongful Death’ Of COVID Nursing Home Patients
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to revive a wrongful death lawsuit that had been rejected by the lower courts against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo over his controversial COVID-19 era nursing home policy. In its Monday order list, the high court denied certiorari, or appeal, of the lower court’s rulings in the lawsuit against Cuomo led by Daniel Arbeeny, of Brooklyn, who alleged that the former governor’s nursing home policy caused his father’s death in 2020. (King and Campanile, 4/20)
AP: John Gotti's Grandson Sentenced For $1.1M COVID-19 Loan Scam
Late mob boss John Gotti’s reality-TV-star grandson was sentenced Monday to 15 months in prison for pocketing $1.1 million in loans from a federal program meant to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Carmine Agnello, whose gel-spiked hair was a mainstay of the mid-2000s A&E series “Growing Up Gotti,” must pay the money back and perform 100 hours of community service, Judge Nusrat Choudhury said in federal court on Long Island. (4/20)
Los Angeles Times: New COVID Subvariant 'Cicada' Is On The Rise In California
A highly mutated COVID-19 strain is circulating in California — raising concerns that disease activity could rise heading into the summer. The emergence of the BA.3.2 strain, nicknamed “Cicada,” comes amid broader uneasiness about COVID vaccination rates among seniors — who are especially susceptible to the virus — and whether complacency after back-to-back relatively quiet winters has left the elderly vulnerable. The “Cicada” nickname refers to this subvariant’s apparent dormancy before it reemerged in 2025, akin to some periodically active insects of the same name. (Lin II, 4/20)
On the spread of measles —
Bloomberg: Measles Outbreaks Push Some MAHA Parents Away From RFK JR To MMR Vaccine
Katie Jennings was scrolling on her phone last April when a headline stopped her cold. A second unvaccinated child had died of measles in her home state of Texas. It was a tipping point for the 40-year-old stay-at-home mom who had grown up in a staunchly anti-vaccine, fundamentalist Christian community. “What are we doing? Why are we doing this?” she remembers thinking. “I wanted to protect my kids.” She took all six of them to get the measles, mumps and rubella shot. Then she posted an emotional TikTok aimed at the anti-vax crowd she used to be a part of: “You can change your mind,” she said in the video that’s been watched more than 422,000 times. (Nix, 4/20)
The Boston Globe: Measles Case Confirmed In Rhode Island
The Rhode Island Department of Health has reported the state’s first confirmed 2026 case of measles in a man from Providence County. The man, who is in his 40s, had recently traveled internationally and returned to Rhode Island April 13, the department said in a statement. The man went to Atmed Treatment Center April 15 and is recovering at home, officials said. (Gavin, 4/20)
The Baltimore Sun: Did You Share Space With Maryland's Latest Measles Patient?
A new case of measles reported in Maryland last week could become an outbreak if gone unnoticed in under-vaccinated, susceptible areas, doctors told The Baltimore Sun. As a highly contagious disease starting with less dramatic symptoms, measles can fly under the radar, complicating efforts to track its spread. (Parker, 4/20)
10. High Court Rebuffs Gender Transition Case But OKs Case On Religious Rights
Justices declined to hear a case over whether a public school violates parents' rights when it encourages their child's social gender transition without their knowledge or consent, CBS News reported. In separate news, the Supreme Court said it will decide whether Catholic preschools in Colorado that decline to enroll 4-year-olds with gay or transgender parents can participate in a publicly funded state program, The New York Times reported.
CBS News: Supreme Court Turns Away Parental Rights Dispute Involving Child's Gender Transition In School
The Supreme Court on Monday turned away a legal battle testing whether a public school violates parents' rights when it encourages their child's social gender transition without their knowledge or consent. In declining the appeal from Massachusetts parents who sued their child's school district, the high court left untouched a lower court ruling that rejected their claim that their rights had been violated. But the justices may have another opportunity to weigh in on the simmering issue of parental rights in public schools, since a similar case brought by parents in Florida is awaiting action by the high court. (Quinn, 4/20)
The New York Times: Justices To Hear Case On Catholic Preschools That Reject Children Of Gay Parents
The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide whether Catholic preschools in Colorado that decline to enroll 4-year-olds with gay or transgender parents can participate in a publicly funded state program. Two Catholic parish preschools in the Denver area said admitting such children would require them to violate their religious convictions. A Colorado program pays for families to send their children to the preschool of their choice, public or private, including faith-based programs. But the state refused to grant an exception to its anti-discrimination rules to allow the preschools to participate. The church then sued. Lower court judges sided with the state. (Marimow, 4/20)
More news on LGBTQ+ health —
Advocate: Appeals Court Clears Path To Move Trans Women Into Men’s Prisons Despite Sexual Assault Risk
The Bureau of Prisons could soon relocate transgender women inmates to men’s prisons. A federal appellate court in Washington, D.C., ruled that 18 inmates failed to make a case that such transfers inherently amount to “cruel and unusual punishment,” reversing a lower court’s decision. (Ogles, 4/20)
The Oregonian: Oregon Pays $295,000 To Settle Transgender Woman’s Lawsuit Stemming From Alleged Prison Abuse
The state has agreed to pay $295,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by a transgender woman who was housed in an Oregon men’s prison and assigned to share a cell with a predatory sex offender. (Bernstein, 4/20)
Kansas City Star: Missouri House Passes Controversial Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill
The Missouri House passed a bill on Monday that would punish cities, public schools and other government entities that fail to prevent transgender people from using restrooms and other sex-specific spaces that don’t align with their sex assigned at birth. (Harvel, 4/20)
Stat: Transgender Adults Ensnared In Youth Gender-Affirming Care Bans
For Nikolas Indigo, the road to freedom was lined with warnings against a life of sin. Neither the road nor the message was a metaphor. Along nearly 250 miles of highway from Savannah to Atlanta, billboards preached: “turn from sin,” “Jesus is the way,” “repent.” It’s a common pilgrimage for transgender people, who often need to travel for affirming procedures. Indigo, 25, made appointments with four different surgeons before he was finally able to get masculinizing chest surgery in Atlanta in September. Despite Savannah’s reputation for being young, hip, and at least a little queer, few local physicians perform the basic procedure. (Gaffney, 4/20)
11. Viewpoints: FDA's Peptide Plan Fails On Consumer Safety; Health Care Is Hindered By Constant Second-Guessing
Editorial writers discuss these public health topics.
Bloomberg: Are Peptides Just Snake Oil? Don't Ask The FDA
The Food and Drug Administration will hold meetings this summer to discuss whether compounding pharmacies should be allowed to manufacture half a dozen commonly sought, yet unproven peptides. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claims the move will help shut down the black market for these products. (Lisa Jarvis, 4/21)
Stat: Second- And Third-Guessing Decisions Is Now Central To Medicine
In outpatient medicine, decisions move quickly. A prescription is sent to a pharmacy. A referral goes out to a specialist. A test is ordered. From the patient’s perspective, the process feels immediate. Care begins moving forward as soon as the visit ends. But often that is only the beginning of the story. (Holland Haynie, 4/21)
Stat: A Chief Executive With Diminished Executive Function Is Dangerous
Circa 1970, the renowned Russian neuropsychologist Alexander Luria together with Karl Pribram from Stanford University and other neuroscientists of that era introduced the term “executive functions” into the scientific lexicon to denote complex behaviors such as attention and awareness. They identified the frontal lobe — the front of the brain — as the “executive of the brain” responsible for these behaviors based on their experiments with primates and patients with specific brain injuries. (Anand Kumar and Neil Pliskin, 4/21)
The New York Times: My Child Died Of Measles
That last weekend in the hospital, watching Renae die, was so traumatic. I told the doctors that I didn’t want them to continue the treatments. I could tell Renae was in distress, and I just wanted her to be at peace. We turned off the machines on a Friday. My family and I stayed in the room that weekend. On Monday morning, Sept. 25, 2023, Renae took her last breath. It was nine days before her 11th birthday. (Rebecca Archer, 4/21)
The Washington Post: An Obama-Era Restriction Strengthens Hospital Monopolies
Physician-owned hospitals make health care better and cheaper for patients. (Richard Menger, 4/20)
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