Category: health
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STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start
STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mary Talley Bowden, who spent years in an expensive court battle with the Texas Medical Board over her license for…
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STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’?
STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’? AUSTIN, Texas — As Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ticked through a list of ways the Trump administration is trying to clean up the nation’s food supply before an appreciative Texas crowd last week, he previewed more to come, including potentially pulling certain ingredients from the…
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Wildfire pollution linked to higher stroke risk
Wildfire pollution linked to higher stroke risk Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. Here’s a combination of proper nouns you might not expect: Harry Styles and Haruki Marakami for Runner’s World. It’s quite an existential conversation, shared in segments amid a…
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STAT+: Trump can’t break free from vaccine politics
STAT+: Trump can’t break free from vaccine politics You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And you may find yourself climbing a StairMaster next to RFK Jr. Send news tips and vague Talking…
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A swine flu case to keep tabs on
A swine flu case to keep tabs on Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. There’s already plenty of news to keep up with this week, but if you have a chance to rewind to September, consider re-visiting Eric Boodman’s story on post-tubal…
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Henrietta Lacks’ estate settles with Novartis over the ‘stolen cells’ that advanced science
Henrietta Lacks’ estate settles with Novartis over the ‘stolen cells’ that advanced science Novartis has settled a lawsuit by the estate of Henrietta Lacks that alleged the pharmaceutical giant unjustly profited off her cells, which were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and reproduced in labs to enable major medical advancements, including…
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Kansas’ new ID law could have health consequences for trans people
Kansas’ new ID law could have health consequences for trans people Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Happy Friday. If I ever have kids, I want them to be treated at the newly christened Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital in Tennessee. What’s your favorite Dolly song?…
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CMS announces pause on new durable medical equipment suppliers
CMS announces pause on new durable medical equipment suppliers The Trump administration announced Wednesday a nationwide moratorium on new suppliers for certain medical equipment, citing a need to get a handle on the “fraud, waste, and abuse” in the industry that provides wheelchairs, artificial limbs and other equipment. “The amount of fraud is so massive…
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Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’
Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’ An eight-minute exchange at the end of Casey Means’ two-hour confirmation hearing captured the potential and the predicament the MAHA movement has created for itself. Means, an entrepreneurial wellness influencer with a medical degree from Stanford, appeared on Wednesday at the Senate health…
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STAT+: HHS adviser hopes prior authorization reform happens in ‘double-digit months,’ not years
STAT+: HHS adviser hopes prior authorization reform happens in ‘double-digit months,’ not years WASHINGTON — A top U.S. health official told a room full of doctors on Wednesday that he hopes the Trump administration’s efforts to whittle down the insurance industry’s use of prior authorizations will produce results “in double-digit months” instead of years, calling…
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Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor
Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor The Make America Healthy Again movement, which has turned dissatisfaction with mainstream medicine into a disruptive political movement, was poised on Wednesday to put one of its leading figures, Casey Means, at the top of the U.S. medical system. Means, an entrepreneurial wellness…
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Hepatitis B vaccine rates are dropping
Hepatitis B vaccine rates are dropping Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. There’s nothing like an old-fashioned blizzard to ground you in your present, physical reality. I promise I’ll try to dig my car out faster this time around. Read the…
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STAT+: Nature Medicine to investigate study that found cancer treatment is better in morning
STAT+: Nature Medicine to investigate study that found cancer treatment is better in morning The notion that oncologists could boost immunotherapy responses simply by giving infusions in the morning, rather than late afternoon, is an attractive one. So when a clinical trial published in Nature Medicine this month showed that lung cancer patients treated in…
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ACIP meeting postponed, for reasons that are unclear
ACIP meeting postponed, for reasons that are unclear Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Happy Friday! Read the rest… O. Rose Broderick Go to statnews
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STAT+: In first speech to her FDA staff, Høeg says she’ll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRIs in pregnancy
STAT+: In first speech to her FDA staff, Høeg says she’ll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRIs in pregnancy WASHINGTON — Tracy Beth Høeg, the top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, indicated in her first address to staff that she’ll scrutinize antidepressants and the shots used to protect babies from RSV. Høeg told…
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Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines
Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines WASHINGTON — Federal officials have missed the legal deadline to notify the public of an upcoming meeting of a vaccine advisory panel that was planned for next week, raising questions about whether the meeting, expected to be closely monitored for signs of…
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Bayer agrees to $7.25 billion proposed settlement over thousands of Roundup cancer lawsuits
Bayer agrees to $7.25 billion proposed settlement over thousands of Roundup cancer lawsuits JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Agrochemical maker Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller Roundup could cause cancer. The proposed…
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STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods
STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the starting gun in a challenge to the food industry on Sunday, announcing on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he plans to act on a plan outlined by former Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler to overhaul…
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STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader
STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader For 28 days last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a director who had been confirmed by the Senate. But in less time than it took Susan Monarez to get approved, she was fired for not kowtowing to her boss, Robert…
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Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms
Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms WASHINGTON — Two top health officials are leaving their jobs amid a shakeup at the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at refocusing HHS on politically popular aspects of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda in advance of the midterm elections. Deputy…
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STAT+: FDA’s rejection of Moderna threatens to stifle broader vaccine industry
STAT+: FDA’s rejection of Moderna threatens to stifle broader vaccine industry The Food and Drug Administration’s refusal to review Moderna’s flu vaccine this month has renewed fears that Trump administration policies could paralyze the vaccine industry, dissuading companies from developing new shots in the U.S. and leaving the country flat-footed in the event of future…
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STAT+: Trump administration is urged to use a federal law to authorize generic versions of GLP-1 drugs
STAT+: Trump administration is urged to use a federal law to authorize generic versions of GLP-1 drugs Public Citizen petitioned the Trump administration to use a federal law to authorize generic competitors for GLP-1 drugs for treating obesity and diabetes, arguing that prices are “unjustifiably high” for too many Americans. In arguing its case, the…
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WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’
WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’ The director-general of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that a U.S.-funded study of the hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau would be “unethical” if it proceeds as planned. “Of course, a sovereign country can decide whatever they want, but as far as WHO’s position is concerned,…
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We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok
We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok How trustworthy is the new U.S. food pyramid? It’s a mixed bag, according to the government website devoted to that pyramid. Kyle Diamantas, head of the Human Foods Program at the Food and Drug Administration, alerted the public this week to a generative artificial intelligence…
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Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law
Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law A Christian group in Washington state on Tuesday announced a potentially landmark legal settlement that could establish new legal protections for harm reduction services for people experiencing drug addiction, including syringe exchange, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA has previously been…
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STAT+: Hims & Hers will stop selling compounded version of Novo’s obesity pill
STAT+: Hims & Hers will stop selling compounded version of Novo’s obesity pill Hims & Hers said Saturday it will stop selling what it claims to be a cheaper, compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s obesity pill on its telehealth platform, after health officials called for an investigation of the company for potentially violating federal law.…
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President Trump Launches TrumpRx, Promising Lower Drug Prices: Is It Legit?
President Trump Launches TrumpRx, Promising Lower Drug Prices: Is It Legit? The White House is betting that a new cash-pay platform—built around blockbuster GLP-1 drugs—can pressure Big Pharma and bypass the middlemen who keep U.S. prices high. Josh Quittner Go to decrypt.co
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China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law
China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law China criticized the United States on Friday for withdrawing from the World Health Organization, saying countries should not place domestic politics ahead of international law. The country’s representative, attending a meeting of the WHO’s executive board, made the comments during discussions about the…
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Amid federal pressure, more hospitals stop gender-affirming care for minors
Amid federal pressure, more hospitals stop gender-affirming care for minors At least nine hospitals or health systems have stopped providing gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers to young trans people since the start of the year, in the wake of federal rules proposed in December that would withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding from clinics that continue…
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Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 U.S. deaths per year
Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 U.S. deaths per year Chronic exposure to pollution from wildfires has been linked to tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States, according to a new study. The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that from 2006 to 2020, long-term exposure to tiny…
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New PBM law could open door to direct sales between employers, drugmakers
New PBM law could open door to direct sales between employers, drugmakers WASHINGTON — The pharmacy benefit manager reforms that President Trump signed into law on Tuesday could lead to employers buying drugs directly from drugmakers, just like the administration is encouraging individual consumers to do through its pending website TrumpRx. The PBM reforms are…
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Plastic surgeons society recommends delaying gender-affirming procedures until age 19
Plastic surgeons society recommends delaying gender-affirming procedures until age 19 WASHINGTON — The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recommends that gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until a patient is at least 19 years old, the group announced in a statement Tuesday. The statement, made by the group’s board of directors, represents a break from major…
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To fix ‘spiritual malaise’ behind addiction, Kennedy announces efforts on homelessness and recovery
To fix ‘spiritual malaise’ behind addiction, Kennedy announces efforts on homelessness and recovery Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday lamented a nationwide “spiritual malaise” as he unveiled new plans to tackle the nation’s addiction and substance use epidemic, casting the initiative as a game-changing effort to align government and recovery organizations. The announcement…
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STAT+: Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against academic publishers over unpaid peer review
STAT+: Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against academic publishers over unpaid peer review A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by researchers alleging that major publishers of academic research conspired to create a set of illegal and anticompetitive business practices that exploit the scientific workforce. Scientists claimed that publishers had violated the Sherman Act, a…
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Do mornings make cancer immunotherapy more effective? Study: Maybe
Do mornings make cancer immunotherapy more effective? Study: Maybe Over the last few years, researchers have noticed that cancer patients who get immunotherapy infusions in the morning seem to do significantly better than those who get treated later. Many scientists, even some who had published such observations, were doubtful that time of day could truly…
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STAT+: States are the next vaccine battleground
STAT+: States are the next vaccine battleground You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’d call it a xeet-down, but I can’t tell who won this heated exchange on X between…
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Genes influence human lifespan far more than thought, new study suggests
Genes influence human lifespan far more than thought, new study suggests For researchers studying aging — and thinking about how to extend our lives — a key question has been how much our genes shape our lifespans. Past studies have arrived at a range of answers. Many researchers had coalesced around an estimate that roughly…
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Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs
Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs WASHINGTON — The government proposed new rules for the nation’s transplant system Wednesday that aim to increase use of less-than-perfect organs and set additional safety standards for donor groups. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the proposal would strengthen its oversight of organ procurement…
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HHS appoints 21 new members to federal autism advisory committee
HHS appoints 21 new members to federal autism advisory committee The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday announced the appointment of 21 new members to a federal committee that advises health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on autism. Many of the new members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee share a common trait:…
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South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas’ 2025 total, with little sign of slowing
South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas’ 2025 total, with little sign of slowing The South Carolina measles outbreak has surpassed the recorded case count in Texas’ 2025 outbreak, as health officials have logged almost 600 new cases in just over a month. The outbreak centered in northwestern Spartanburg County is showing little sign of slowing down, with…
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STAT+: HHS spending bill caught up in ICE debate
STAT+: HHS spending bill caught up in ICE debate You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To those in the path of this winter storm: Are you rethinking dry January yet?…
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Flu updates to start the week
Flu updates to start the week Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. If you’re on the East Coast, I hope you’ve been keeping warm and cozy through this winter storm. Send tips and cheap flights to warm locales: [email protected] Read the…
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Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’
Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’ MINNEAPOLIS — On Sunday afternoon, as the sun shone clear and bright through another subzero day here, mourners gathered around a patch of snow on Nicollet Avenue to pay their respects to Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot on that…
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Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89
Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89 William (Bill) Foege, credited by many for shepherding the smallpox eradication effort to completion, died Saturday at the age of 89. A towering figure, both literally — he was 6’ 7” — and figuratively, Foege epitomized all that was positive about an era…
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Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show
Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show Powdered whole milk used to make ByHeart infant formula could be a source of contamination that led to an outbreak of botulism that has sickened dozens of babies, U.S. health officials indicated Friday. Testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the type of bacteria…
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STAT+: Former executives of device maker Zynex Medical indicted for fraud
STAT+: Former executives of device maker Zynex Medical indicted for fraud A federal grand jury in Rhode Island indicted two former executives of pain management device company Zynex Medical with multiple counts of health care fraud this week. The indictment alleges that from 2017 through 2025, former Chief Executive Officer Thomas Sandgaard and Chief Operating…
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Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine agenda, researchers and advocates fear
Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine agenda, researchers and advocates fear An influential federal committee that advises the health secretary on all things autism and shapes federally funded autism research and support services held an orientation Thursday for new nonfederal members, according to two sources familiar with the meeting. It was…
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As U.S. prepares to exit WHO, it is stiffing the agency on a large bill
As U.S. prepares to exit WHO, it is stiffing the agency on a large bill When the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization goes into effect Thursday, the world’s largest economy will be leaving the global health agency with a hefty unpaid bill. The U.S. has not made good on its assessed contributions…
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STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding
STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding WASHINGTON — Congress has reached a deal on several health care policies, including a crackdown on drug-industry middlemen, transparency measures for hospital billing, pediatric cancer research measures, and Medicare coverage of multi-cancer screening tests. Those measures are part of a bill to…
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Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’
Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’ With measles transmission in the United States at levels that haven’t been seen in decades, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that he would not view the loss of the country’s…
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STAT+: How accurate is HBO’s ‘The Pitt’? Mass. ER doctors and nurses describe the reality of their jobs
STAT+: How accurate is HBO’s ‘The Pitt’? Mass. ER doctors and nurses describe the reality of their jobs Emergency room staff cut the clothes off an unresponsive homeless man, and several rats leap from his body onto the floor. Doctors examine a child who won’t wake up and discover he ate one of his father’s cannabis…
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Bariatric surgery beats GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes across income levels, study says
Bariatric surgery beats GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes across income levels, study says When endocrinologist Mary Elizabeth Patti looks at a patient with type 2 diabetes who could benefit from weight loss, she sees more than body mass index and blood glucose levels. She also recognizes the challenges of social vulnerability, understanding how low income,…
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Tylenol use during pregnancy not linked to autism, new study says
Tylenol use during pregnancy not linked to autism, new study says Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is not likely to raise the risk of having a child with autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability, according to a new study published Friday. Researchers across Europe reexamined evidence from multiple studies investigating the link between these conditions and the…
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STAT+: Behind new dietary guidelines: Industry-funded studies, opaque science, crushing deadline pressure
STAT+: Behind new dietary guidelines: Industry-funded studies, opaque science, crushing deadline pressure WASHINGTON — In early May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had good news for the President: updated dietary guidelines, which were due at the end of 2025, would be delivered ahead of schedule. “We are working very, very fast…
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Measles cases jump again in South Carolina, rising to more than 550
Measles cases jump again in South Carolina, rising to more than 550 Reported measles cases in South Carolina surged by almost 30% in the last few days, state health officials said Friday. The South Carolina health department reported 124 new cases since Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 558 in a wave of infections centered…
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STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability
STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday released a hodgepodge of health care policies that would create new price-control power over pharmaceutical companies, but that otherwise wouldn’t fundamentally overhaul America’s existing system, as he faces mounting pressure to address the cost of insurance and care. The…
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STAT+: Negotiations over ACA subsidy bill drag on
STAT+: Negotiations over ACA subsidy bill drag on You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Inspirational scribbles from baristas have never inspired me, but HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill was moved…
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U.S. overdose deaths fell through most of 2025, federal data reveals
U.S. overdose deaths fell through most of 2025, federal data reveals NEW YORK — U.S. overdose deaths fell through most of last year, suggesting a lasting improvement in an epidemic that had been worsening for decades. Federal data released Wednesday showed that overdose deaths have been falling for more than two years — the longest drop in…
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Trump administration cuts up to $1.9 billion from mental health and addiction treatment programs
Trump administration cuts up to $1.9 billion from mental health and addiction treatment programs The federal agency that oversees mental health and addiction treatment on Tuesday made major cuts to programs across the behavioral health field, according to eight sources with knowledge of the decisions. While the exact funding cuts enacted by the Substance Abuse…
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Kennedy adds two OB-GYNs to vaccine advisory panel amid review of shots for pregnant women
Kennedy adds two OB-GYNs to vaccine advisory panel amid review of shots for pregnant women WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed two new members to the main federal vaccine advisory board, his latest change to a group that has made a series of controversial recommendations and upended the usual processes for vaccine…
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STAT+: HHS dismisses member of vaccine injury advisory panel
STAT+: HHS dismisses member of vaccine injury advisory panel WASHINGTON — At least one member of a committee that advises the federal government on its vaccine injury compensation program has had her term prematurely ended, potentially foreshadowing further changes to the federal apparatus that reviews vaccine injuries and compensates patients. Veronica McNally, an attorney who…
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STAT+: Key scientist from Baby KJ team launches startup to scale personalized CRISPR medicines
STAT+: Key scientist from Baby KJ team launches startup to scale personalized CRISPR medicines In between bites of thin, crispy slices of pizza at Berkeley’s Pizzeria da Laura, gene editing researcher Fyodor Urnov and venture capitalist Johnny Hu began hatching a plan for a different kind of CRISPR company. It was spring 2024 and Urnov,…
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STAT+: Confused by the new food pyramid? So are nutrition experts
STAT+: Confused by the new food pyramid? So are nutrition experts Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Greetings from sunny San Diego, where winter is an abstract concept. This is Jonathan Wosen, West Coast biotech & life sciences reporter, filling in for Rose.…
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Decrease in drug deaths stems from ‘shock’ to fentanyl supply, new research suggests
Decrease in drug deaths stems from ‘shock’ to fentanyl supply, new research suggests The significant, recent decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths was driven in large part by a sudden shift in North America’s illicit drug supply in 2023, according to a new academic analysis. The drop in deaths likely stems from a decrease in…
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How saturated fats lost, and won, on new food pyramid
How saturated fats lost, and won, on new food pyramid For months, nutrition experts have been anxiously waiting to see whether the new U.S. dietary guidelines would follow through on health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s pledge to end the war on saturated fat. The guidelines’ longstanding recommendation to cap saturated fat consumption at 10%…
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STAT’s Helen Branswell on the ‘startling’ new U.S. vaccine schedule
STAT’s Helen Branswell on the ‘startling’ new U.S. vaccine schedule It was, in a word, unprecedented. As Helen Branswell, STAT’s infectious diseases correspondent, explains in this video, Monday’s move by the Department of Health and Human Services — political appointees of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — to unilaterally rewrite the list of vaccines…
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Dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, encourage more protein and dairy
Dietary guidelines declare war on processed foods and sugar, encourage more protein and dairy The Trump administration on Wednesday issued a long-promised revamp of national dietary guidelines, urging Americans to eat more protein and less added sugar and, for the first time, discouraging consumption of highly processed foods. The guidelines, despite widespread expectations, do not…
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STAT+: Panel behind new dietary guidelines had financial ties to beef, dairy industries
STAT+: Panel behind new dietary guidelines had financial ties to beef, dairy industries A group of researchers that formed the scientific basis of new dietary guidelines included people with financial ties to the beef and dairy industries, as well as food companies and other groups. Meat and dairy products received prime placement in new dietary…
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New vaccine schedule adds near- and long-term risks for children, experts warn
New vaccine schedule adds near- and long-term risks for children, experts warn WASHINGTON — When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assumed the role of health secretary almost one year ago, he said he had one overriding goal: to improve children’s health. But Kennedy’s sudden, unilateral, and sweeping change to the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule, announced Monday,…
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STAT+: HHS slashes vaccine recommendations
STAT+: HHS slashes vaccine recommendations You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’re almost healthy again, according to RFK Jr., though I’m certainly not in top form after my holiday break.…
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Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive
Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are unilaterally reducing the number of recommended pediatric immunizations in response to an order from President Trump, the most significant reshaping of the vaccine schedule since Trump took office and empowered health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic…
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Missed first vaccines make babies far more likely to miss measles shot, study finds
Missed first vaccines make babies far more likely to miss measles shot, study finds Babies who don’t get their first round of vaccines on time at 2 months of age are much less likely to get vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella by age 2, according to a new study that suggests pediatricians may have…
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Debates around life, death, and access worry those with disabilities. 3 trends to watch in 2026
Debates around life, death, and access worry those with disabilities. 3 trends to watch in 2026 After a tumultuous year for people with disabilities, advocates are pushing to expand access to primary and emergency care — and add nuance to the emerging conversations around genetic engineering and end-of-life care. As STAT predicted this time last…
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The top medical advances of 2025
The top medical advances of 2025 It has been a tough year for medicine. The U.S. research enterprise has been scrambled by a series of political decisions with long-reaching consequences. But make no mistake: Science didn’t stop, and medicine has had its share of major advances. As I have written for years, this is biology’s…
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STAT+: A new drug allowed them to go in the sun for the first time. They’re terrified they may have to give it up
STAT+: A new drug allowed them to go in the sun for the first time. They’re terrified they may have to give it up It was particularly cold and windy for a November day, but that didn’t matter to Ginger Gonsalves and Becky Kelliher. The sun was out, and no one counted the seconds in…
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STAT+: CMS divvies up first payments from $50B rural health fund, with an eye toward MAHA goals
STAT+: CMS divvies up first payments from $50B rural health fund, with an eye toward MAHA goals WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Monday announced the distribution of the first payments from a new $50 billion rural health fund — but not all states are getting equal payouts. The administration is giving larger awards to…
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In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch
In 2026, Kennedy’s MAHA vision gets put to the test. Here are 3 issues to watch In many ways, it’s been a banner year for chronic disease. America’s enduring ailments became a central theme of the Trump administration, with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wielding his influence over the president. Trump created a commission…
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3 issues to watch in public health in 2026
3 issues to watch in public health in 2026 We warned you late last year that 2025 was likely to be pretty rock ’n roll. Confession time: We had no idea it would be as cuckoo bananas as it turned out to be. That the administration would summarily terminate most global health aid by shuttering…
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Best of STAT 2025
Best of STAT 2025 What a year! Yes, it was our 10th anniversary, but it also brought an unprecedented blizzard of news, and while we weren’t added to a Signal chat on war plans, we did have a giant health insurer email us internal strategy documents by mistake. Our coverage featured everything from a piece…
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Nineteen states, D.C. sue HHS over gender-affirming care crackdown
Nineteen states, D.C. sue HHS over gender-affirming care crackdown WASHINGTON — A coalition of Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia has sued the federal health department, calling a declaration that rejected gender-affirming care signed by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. an overreach of his authority. The lawsuit, filed by 19 states and D.C.,…
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STAT+: The 3 biggest issues to watch in vaccine policy in 2026
STAT+: The 3 biggest issues to watch in vaccine policy in 2026 WASHINGTON — Vaccine policy has become a key issue for the Trump administration, especially under the leadership of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who himself once led an anti-vaccine group. In less than a year, Kennedy has bulldozed vaccine policy precedent and…
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3 drug policy questions to watch in 2026
3 drug policy questions to watch in 2026 Drug policy was largely a backburner issue in 2025. Despite the ambitions of some moderate or right-leaning activists, and an apparent passion for the issue from health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., substance use and addiction issues have made few headlines in the past year. Read the…
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Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling
Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling WASHINGTON — A possible Trump administration effort to change the childhood vaccine schedule has left hospital leaders, health policymakers, and pediatricians scrambling to navigate what could be the most significant changes to the American vaccine program in decades. The administration had planned to announce…
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An advocate who offered a window on the experience of living with brain cancer dies at 43
An advocate who offered a window on the experience of living with brain cancer dies at 43 In 2018, I wrote a profile of a patient advocate named Adam Hayden. A few years earlier, at the age of 34, soon after he and his wife had had their third child, Adam was diagnosed with terminal…
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STAT+: Mass General Brigham bolstered its bottom line. Other Mass. hospital groups reported multimillion losses
STAT+: Mass General Brigham bolstered its bottom line. Other Mass. hospital groups reported multimillion losses Despite uncertainty and concern buffeting Massachusetts hospitals, the state’s largest health system saw its finances improve last year, turning a small operating surplus and receiving a boon from investment income. Mass General Brigham on Friday reported a $59.2 million operating gain…
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Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access
Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance, marking a major milestone in American drug policy and choosing sides in the debate between advocates for more research and drug policy hawks. Under the new classification,…
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Facing federal hostility, supervised consumption site points to 1,900 overdose reversals
Facing federal hostility, supervised consumption site points to 1,900 overdose reversals OnPoint NYC, the nonprofit that was the first in the nation to openly offer supervised drug consumption services, celebrated its fourth anniversary Thursday by trumpeting its positive community impact, making its case triumphantly and with a touch of defiance following nearly a year of…
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In major effort to end gender-affirming care, Trump administration takes aim at hospitals
In major effort to end gender-affirming care, Trump administration takes aim at hospitals The Trump administration is making its most forceful attempt yet at restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youth in the U.S. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed on Thursday two rules to withhold federal funds in connection with gender-affirming care for…
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STAT+: House set to vote on bills to ban gender-affirming care for young people
STAT+: House set to vote on bills to ban gender-affirming care for young people Republicans in Congress are making a renewed push before the end of the year to pass major federal restrictions to gender-affirming care for trans minors. The House is set to consider two bills this week, before lawmakers depart for their holiday…
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CDC’s controversial new hep B vaccine guidance: everything you need to know
CDC’s controversial new hep B vaccine guidance: everything you need to know The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just rolled back decades-old guidance that newborns should be offered the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. The agency adopted the recommendation of its vaccine advisory panel known as ACIP, which voted on the policy change at…
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STAT+: House juggles options for extending ACA subsidies
STAT+: House juggles options for extending ACA subsidies You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Since the election, Cheryl Hines hasn’t spoken to Larry David, her on-screen husband of 24 years…
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Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate
Free pass or failing grade for saturated fats? Review sets off scientific and political debate Saturated fats are having a moment, one that has ensnared researchers in a political debate they never intended to enter. A new systematic review of 17 randomized clinical trials found that reducing intake of saturated fats reduced the chance of serious cardiovascular…
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Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction
Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction There is no doubt that, in the wrong circumstances, fentanyl can be an agent of mass destruction. In the last decade, the ultra-potent synthetic opioid has caused hundreds of thousands of Americans to die by overdose, shattering families, shortening life expectancy, and destabilizing the…
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Transhumanism Branded a ‘Death Cult’ as Thinkers Clash Over Humanity’s Future
Transhumanism Branded a ‘Death Cult’ as Thinkers Clash Over Humanity’s Future A public debate exposed deep divides over whether using technology to defeat aging and death would save humanity or erase it. Jason Nelson Go to decrypt.co
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FDA approves first new kind of drug to target gonorrhea in decades
FDA approves first new kind of drug to target gonorrhea in decades A new kind of oral antibiotic to treat gonorrhea has secured Food and Drug Administration approval, the second time in two days that a new drug for the common sexually transmitted infection has come through licensure. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea,…
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STAT+: Acting head of beleaguered mental health agency to depart this week
STAT+: Acting head of beleaguered mental health agency to depart this week Art Kleinschmidt, the official serving as the de facto head of the federal agency overseeing mental health and addiction treatment, is leaving his post on Friday, according to an email reviewed by STAT. Kleinschmidt has led the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services…
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FDA approves first new gonorrhea drug in decades
FDA approves first new gonorrhea drug in decades The bacterium that causes gonorrhea has been steamrolling its way through all the antibiotics available to treat it, with a single drug, ceftriaxone, left struggling to quell infections. On Thursday, help arrived. Read the rest… Helen Branswell Go to statnews
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Myocarditis is a rare but real Covid vaccine side effect. A new study sheds light on what might cause it
Myocarditis is a rare but real Covid vaccine side effect. A new study sheds light on what might cause it While extensive studies have found Covid-19 vaccines to be safe, effective, and to have saved millions of lives during the pandemic, these shots come with a rare but real risk of inflamed heart muscle, or…