First Edition: February 5, 2020
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Good Rehab Is Hard To Find
Pattie Vargas saw with frightening clarity that her son Joel, 25 at the time, had a life-threatening drug problem. He came home one day in 2007 “high as a kite,” went to bed and slept four days straight, Vargas, now a 65-year-old resident of Vacaville, California, recalls. As Joel lay listless, a terrified Vargas realized her son needed help, but she didn’t quite know where to start. She searched online and dialed the number of a treatment center she found. (Wolfson, 2/5)
Kaiser Health News:
Listen: Which Is The Greater Threat — The Coronavirus Or The Flu?
Kaiser Health News reporter Liz Szabo talked to Connecticut Public Radio about the risks of the novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, compared with influenza. Although Americans are donning face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus, experts say that influenza poses a much greater risk. Influenza kills more Americans each year than any other virus. (2/4)
The New York Times:
Trump Claims End Of ‘American Decline’ While Avoiding Mention Of Impeachment In State Of The Union
President Trump claimed credit for a “great American comeback” in a speech to Congress on Tuesday night, boasting of a robust economy, contrasting his successes with the records of his predecessors and projecting optimism in the face of a monthslong Democratic effort to force him from office. Mr. Trump, who lamented what he called “American carnage” when he was inaugurated in January 2017, described a different country today, declaring in his third State of the Union address that the nation’s future was once again “blazing bright.” (Shear, 2/5)
The Washington Post:
Trump Paints Strong Economy As Vindication As He Tries To Move Past Impeachment
In his third State of the Union address — and final one before voters will cast their verdict on his presidency this fall — Trump made no mention of the impeachment battle that has consumed him for months, even as he faced down his Democratic adversaries in the House chamber where they had voted to charge him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress less than two months ago. (Nakamura, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Six Takeaways From Trump's 2020 State Of The Union Speech
Mr. Trump addressed two pieces of potential health care legislation that remain a top priority for both parties in the coming months: surprise billing and prescription drugs. He said that he had spoken with Senator Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa and the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, to urge him to pass legislation that lowers the price of prescription drugs. “Get a bill on my desk, and I will sign it into law immediately,” Mr. Trump declared, as Alex M. Azar II, the health and human services secretary, looked in the direction of Democrats in the room. (Weiland, 2/5)
Modern Healthcare:
Trump Pushes Congress To Overcome Drug Pricing Gridlock In State Of The Union
"I am calling for bipartisan legislation that achieves the goal of dramatically lowering prescription drug prices. Get a bill to my desk, and I will sign it into law without delay," Trump said. Senate Finance Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has said he wanted more vocal support from Trump for a bipartisan package to lower prescription drug costs Grassley authored with Senate Finance ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The bill has stalled so far because conservative Republicans oppose a provision that would force drugmakers to pay back the government for price hikes that outpace inflation. (Cohrs, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
Trump Touts Economy, Ignores Impeachment In State Of The Union Speech
The issue of health care presented Mr. Trump with an opening to criticize his Democratic opponents. The president echoed comments he made in his 2019 address criticizing efforts “to adopt socialism in our country.” “To those watching at home tonight, I want you to know: We will never let socialism destroy American health care,” Mr. Trump said. When Trump said there are those who want to take away people’s doctors and abolish private insurance, Democrats shouted, “Who? Who?” (Restuccia, 2/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Partisan Passions Overtake Trump's State Of The Union Speech
He panned the “Medicare for all” proposals backed by two Democratic presidential hopefuls, Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. “We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare!” he said, before pivoting to an even more controversial assertion, claiming that support for a government takeover of healthcare would lead to “free government healthcare for illegal aliens.” (Stokols and Bierman, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
Full Text Of President Trump’s 2020 State Of The Union Speech
Here is President Trump’s State of the Union address as prepared for delivery and released by the White House. (2/4)
The New York Times:
'Before I Took Office, Health Insurance Premiums Had More Than Doubled In Just 5 Years.'
This is misleading. The president’s claim is based on a White House report comparing premiums in the individual insurance market before the Affordable Care Act with those several years after its enactment. That report made several methodological choices that tended to increase the difference in prices. Health plans for a far larger group of Americans, who obtain health insurance through their jobs, have increased by smaller margins. Over all, however, health insurance prices have increased in recent years. (Sanger-Katz, 2/4)
The New York Times:
'We Will Always Protect Patients With Pre-Existing Conditions.'
This is false. The president has taken multiple steps to weaken or eliminate current protections for Americans with pre-existing health conditions. These efforts include legislation he championed, regulation his administration has finished, and a lawsuit the Justice Department is litigating that would declare the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. (Sanger-Katz, 2/4)
The New York Times:
'Many Experts Believe That Transparency, Which Will Go Into Full Effect At The Beginning Of Next Year, Will Be Even Bigger Than Health Care Reform. It Will Save Families Massive Amounts Of Money For Substantially Better Care.'
This lacks evidence. New rules that will require public disclosure of the prices negotiated between health care providers and insurance companies are a new policy, without much strong evidence about their effects. Some experts, including economists who have advised the president, think transparency could reduce health care prices. But other experts believe the policy could have a perverse effect, increasing prices. New Hampshire, a state that has introduced a similar policy on a more limited scale, has shown modest price declines for certain services, but not “massive” price reductions. (Sanger-Katz, 2/4)
The New York Times:
'We Will Always Protect Your Medicare And Your Social Security Always.'
This is misleading. Not only has President Trump failed to strengthen Medicare and Social Security, but the financial outlook for both trusts has not improved or worsened. That is at least partly the result of Mr. Trump’s tax law, which has left the Treasury Department to collect fewer taxes from Americans and, in turn, invest less money into each program. Last April, the government projected that Medicare funds would be depleted by 2026, three years earlier than estimated in 2017. The report noted that less money will flow into the fund because of low wages and lower taxes. (Qiu, 2/4)
The New York Times:
'One Hundred Thirty-Two Lawmakers In This Room Have Endorsed Legislation To Impose A Socialist Takeover Of Our Health Care System, Wiping Out The Private Health Insurance Plans Of 180 Million Americans.'
This is weighted but mostly true. Bills to create a national “Medicare for all” system have been co-sponsored by large numbers of Democratic lawmakers. The bills would eliminate private health insurance, but they would provide those people with generous government health insurance instead. Technically, this would not be a fully socialized health care system, since the bill would allow doctors, hospitals and other health care providers to remain private. (Sanger-Katz, 2/4)
The New York Times:
'Over 130 Legislators In This Chamber Have Endorsed Legislation That Would Bankrupt Our Nation By Providing Free Taxpayer-Funded Health Care To Millions Of Illegal Aliens, Forcing Taxpayers To Subsidize Free Care For Anyone In The World Who Unlawfully Crosses Our Borders.'
This is mostly true. The “Medicare for all” bills co-sponsored by many Democratic lawmakers would provide government health benefits to all “residents” of the country, a group that appears to include undocumented immigrants. The bill also specifies that coverage will not be denied to residents on the basis of “citizenship status.” Whether this aspect of the bill would bankrupt the country is more questionable. The Medicare for all bills are expected to require large increases in federal spending, but the coverage of undocumented immigrants would represent a small fraction of that spending. (Sanger-Katz, 2/4)
The Associated Press:
'For The First Time In 51 Years, The Cost Of Prescription Drugs Actually Went Down.'
THE FACTS: Prices for prescription drugs have edged down, but that is driven by declines for generics. Prices for brand-name medications are still going up, although more moderately. Nonpartisan government experts at the Department of Health and Human Services reported last year that prices for pharmacy prescriptions went down by 1% in 2018, the first such price drop in 45 years. The department said the last time retail prescription drug prices declined was in 1973, when they went down by 0.2%. (Boak, Woodward and Yen, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
'Under My Administration, 7 Million Americans Have Come Off Of Food Stamps.'
About 4.2 million people (not 7 million) have stopped receiving food stamps since February 2017, according to the latest data. But experts say the improvement in the economy may not be the only reason for the decline. Several states have rolled back recession-era waivers that allowed some adults to keep their benefits for longer periods of time without employment. Reports have also suggested immigrant families with citizen children have dropped out of the program, fearing the administration’s immigration policies. Moreover, the number of people collecting benefits has been declining since fiscal 2014. (Kessler, Rizzo and Cahlan, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Democrats Counter Trump On Health Care And Condemn His Conduct
Democrats criticized President Trump on Tuesday for seeking to repeal a landmark health care law and presiding over an economy they argue has left working people struggling, in a pair of official responses to his State of the Union address that also issued a searing indictment of his conduct and language. ... “It’s pretty simple,” Ms. Whitmer said, describing her work on health care as a Michigan state senator. “Democrats are trying to make your health care better. Republicans in Washington are trying to take it away.” “Bullying people on Twitter doesn’t fix bridges — it burns them,” Ms. Whitmer added later. “Our energy should be used to solve problems.” (Cochrane, 2/4)
Politico:
The Trump-Pelosi Feud Spirals Out Of Control
Not to be outdone, the normally restrained Pelosi put on a show herself as Trump’s speech wrapped. Standing behind the president, she meticulously ripped up page after page of the speech, while Trump and other Republicans cheered the end of an address that mostly catered to hard-core GOP partisans. “It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternative,” Pelosi told reporters as she exited the chamber. Later as she left the Capitol, she added, “It was a manifesto of mistruths.” (Caygle, Ferris and Everett, 2/5)
Politico:
Trump's Speech Packed With Dramatic Moments — Planned And Unplanned
Democrats in the chamber chided the president when he called on Congress to pass drug pricing legislation, standing up and yelling out the number of a House-passed bill to do just that as Trump tried to continue on over them. (Oprysko, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
Democrats Interrupt Trump's State Of The Union Address, Chant 'H.R.3'
Democrats chanted "H.R.3," a reference to a bill introduced by the late Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) on prescription drug prices, after President Trump's health-care remarks at his Feb. 4 State of the Union speech. (2/4)
Stat:
Dems Interrupted The State Of The Union To Chant For Their Drug Pricing Bill
President Trump’s brief remarks on drug pricing during Tuesday’s State of the Union address appeared uncontroversial: Congress, he said, should pass a bipartisan drug pricing bill. Democrats, however, came armed with a surprisingly strong response: From the back of the House chamber, dozens of lawmakers stood, held up three fingers, and unleashed a three-syllable chant: “H.R. 3.” The agitators included Democratic Reps. Donna Shalala (Fla.), Annie Kuster (N.H.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (Del.), Dan Kildee (Mich.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.), and Cheri Bustos (Ill.), the chair of House Democrats’ campaign arm. (Facher and Florko, 2/4)
The Associated Press:
Unknowns Of The New Virus Make Global Quarantines A Struggle
Health authorities are scrambling to halt the spread of a new virus that has killed hundreds in China, restricting visitors from the country and confining thousands on cruise ships for extensive screening after some passengers tested positive. But with important details about the illness and how it spreads still unknown, officials and medical personnel are struggling. Governments have rushed to get their citizens out of China, which is orchestrating history’s largest anti-viral campaign by blocking 50 million people from leaving Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, and nearby areas. (Tong-Hyung, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Even Without Symptoms, Wuhan Coronavirus May Spread, Experts Fear
Can individuals infected with the Wuhan coronavirus spread it to others even if they aren’t showing symptoms? It’s one of the most important questions confronting scientists. If even asymptomatic people can spread the virus, then it will be much, much harder to slow its spread. Doctors in China claimed asymptomatic transmission was possible, and a letter published Jan. 30 in the New England Journal of Medicine appeared to back them up. (Rabin, 2/4)
The Associated Press:
Officials Question Report Of Virus Spreading Before Symptoms
German health officials have raised questions about a report that suggested the new virus from China could be spread by people who are not yet showing symptoms. The report, published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, raised concerns that controlling the virus will be more daunting if it turns out it is spreading before people know they are sick. But officials at the Robert Koch Institute, Germany's public health agency, said Tuesday the woman who set off a cluster of cases was taking anti-fever medicine. (Johnson, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
Asymptomatic Transmission Of China Coronavirus Evidence Is Retracted
The revelation underscores how the urgency to make sweeping public health decisions about the spread of the coronavirus is clashing with the uncertainties surrounding a novel virus. The essential question public health experts are grappling with is how easily the virus spreads, particularly from people who have mild symptoms. And despite the error in the report from Germany, it’s still possible that people can spread it before they have symptoms. Public health measures that depend on isolating people who could transmit the virus could become difficult to implement if the virus spreads before people realize they have been infected. (Johnson and Sun, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Spreading Along With The Coronavirus: Confusion
As the coronavirus spreads across the world and airlines cancel flights to and from China, many travelers have been stuck in limbo. Some are trying to get refunds, while others are unsure of whether to rebook their trips for later dates or cancel them altogether. With the State Department issuing a “do not travel” advisory and a declaration by the World Health Organization of a global health emergency, the guidance to avoid mainland China is clear enough. Confusion reigns, however, for those with itineraries via China to other destinations. (Mzezewa, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Inside The Race To Contain America’s First Coronavirus Case
It started with a stubborn cough. A visit to an urgent care facility. A test being sent off to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And then a 35-year-old resident of Snohomish County, Wash., being named the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in the United States. Hollianne Bruce, the lone epidemiologist assigned to the control of communicable diseases in the county’s public health office, jumped into action. Declining to wait for a C.D.C. team to arrive from Atlanta, she dialed up the patient, who had been taken to an isolation unit at a hospital. (Harmon, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Fear And Takeout: 14 Days In Coronavirus ‘Self-Quarantine’
Claire Campbell expected to spend this semester studying in Shanghai. Instead, she is five days into a self-imposed quarantine at her parents’ house in South Carolina. She checks her temperature twice a day. She reads. And she waits for a family friend to slide takeout meals through the front door. “I am going stir crazy,” said Ms. Campbell, 20, a Clemson University student who returned from her study abroad trip months earlier than planned because of an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China, that has left hundreds dead and sickened thousands more. “Every day kind of melts together.” (Smith, Kanno-Youngs, Stockman and Swales, 2/4)
Politico:
Coronavirus Quarantine, Travel Ban Could Backfire, Experts Fear
The Trump administration’s quarantine and travel ban in response to the Wuhan coronavirus could undercut international efforts to fight the outbreak by antagonizing Chinese leaders, as well as stigmatizing people of Asian descent, according to a growing chorus of public health experts and lawmakers. The World Health Organization’s top official on Tuesday repeated concern that moves that interfere with transportation and trade could harm efforts to address the crisis, though he didn't directly name the United States. Meanwhile, unions representing flight attendants, nurses and teachers criticized the administration on Tuesday for not being forthcoming about what kind of screening and treatment individuals will undergo, and some members of Congress say they're concerned the efforts could stoke racial discrimination. (Ollstein, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
‘We’re Like Refugees’: Americans Departing Virus-Hit Wuhan Criticize U.S. Government Response
Some 530 Americans stuck in the Wuhan area were aboard two evacuation flights en route from China to the United States on Wednesday, after extended delays that appear to be linked to the political frictions between Beijing and Washington. The two planes from Kalitta Air, an American cargo carrier, arrived at Wuhan airport late Tuesday. Photos from the airport at 7 a.m. local time Wednesday showed medical staff in protective equipment carrying out health checks on passengers in masks. (Fifield, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Sets Second Evacuation Of Americans From China
The U.S. government was preparing to evacuate by air hundreds of Americans from central China on Wednesday in response to the deadly coronavirus outbreak, as Beijing criticized Washington’s overall response as unhelpful. In the second such operation in a week following the December outbreak, two jetliners landed Tuesday in Wuhan to fly roughly 530 people to the U.S. in the evacuation, a person familiar with the planning said. (Areddy and Lin, 2/4)
Stat:
Chatbots Screening For New Coronavirus — And Turning Up The Flu
As the new coronavirus spreads, health-tech startups with medical chatbots are scrambling to update their algorithms to screen feverish and coughing Americans and advise whether they should be evaluated for infection with the virus. So far, these artificial intelligence-powered chatbots are turning up lots of people with the flu. That’s unsurprising at this time of year. It speaks to the small number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. — and how hard it may ultimately be for AI systems to differentiate among the myriad pathogens that cause the same flu-like symptoms that a mild case of the new virus appears to cause. The apps don’t appear to have been involved in turning up any patients who actually have the 2019-nCoV coronavirus — there have been 11 confirmed cases in the U.S. to date — nor is it clear whether any patients flagged by the chatbots have even proceeded to undergo lab testing. (Robbins and Brodwin, 2/5)
Stat:
In Race To Develop Coronavirus Treatment, Regeneron Sees An Inside Track
One of them is that what works in lab mice often fails in actual people. But that’s where Regeneron — a $38 billion company that crafted a treatment for Ebola virus — believes it has a leg up. Decades ago, the company set out to bend the curve of drug development by genetically engineering a mouse to have a fully human immune system. That means if you inject it with a foreign agent, it’ll generate human antibodies to fight the perceived infection. One of those antibodies became Eylea, Regeneron’s blockbuster treatment for macular degeneration, and another grew into Dupixent, the company’s multibillion-dollar eczema drug.Now, Regeneron is betting its chimeric mice can come through in 2019-nCoV. (Garde, 2/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Coronavirus Fears, Rumors, Misinformation Roil Alhambra Schools
As fear about the novel coronavirus has gripped communities throughout the country, the Alhambra Unified School District has grappled with how to inform students and parents about the realities of the illness while combating misinformation and fear-based rumors. Hoaxes about the presence of the coronavirus in unaffected areas of the San Gabriel Valley have sparked further concerns within the community, prompting some students to wear protective face masks to school — something the school district has discouraged. (Shalby, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
Coronavirus Live Updates: 24,000 Infected In China
The numbers of infected people in mainland China once again rose sharply, with 65 new deaths and 3,887 cases reported on Tuesday alone, authorities said Wednesday morning. This brings the total number of confirmed cases in China to 24,324, with more than 3,000 in critical condition. The increase once again represented the biggest jump since the National Health Commission began releasing statistics and continues the trend of larger increases in cases confirmed every day of the outbreak. China has reported 490 deaths, and two others have succumbed from the illness, one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. (Mahtani, 2/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Coronavirus Cases Rise Above 24,000 As Hong Kong Reports First Death
The Chinese special territory had previously restricted only entry to the casinos by people who had been to China’s Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. In China, a member of the National Health Commission’s group to study the virus acknowledged in an interview with state broadcaster China Central television that resources in Wuhan weren’t adequate to handle the high number of cases there. Jiang Rongmen said that was part of the reason there is a higher death rate in the city. The death rate from the virus is 4.9% in the city but 2.1% nationwide, according to the health commission. (Yang, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
Coronavirus: In China's Yangtze River Heartland, Fear And Loathing On The Road To Wuhan
One hand clutching her furry bunny purse and another propping up her disabled grandmother, Shi Zhiyu hobbled down the empty highway on a one-way journey across the Yangtze River. Home never seemed so far from here. "You won't be able to come back," a police officer warned at the last checkpoint before the bridge rose and then disappeared toward Hubei — the locked-down heart of the coronavirus outbreak. (Shih, 2/5)
The New York Times:
Giving The Gift Of Mobility In A City Locked Down By Coronavirus
His days are long, 12 hours crisscrossing the city and ferrying local residents to buy groceries, get medicine and go to the hospital. And the roads he travels are mostly empty since the city was sealed off, public transportation was shut down, and private vehicles were mostly banned in an effort to contain the coronavirus. In his blue and white car, Zhang Lei is the rare sight on the streets of Wuhan. (Qin, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
China Marshals Its Surveillance Powers Against Coronavirus
In January, a person infected with the dangerous new Wuhan coronavirus used public transportation to crisscross the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, potentially exposing those along the way to the highly contagious pathogen. Using the country’s pervasive digital-surveillance apparatus, authorities were able to track—down to the minute—the sick person’s exact journey through the city’s subway system. (Lin, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
Ten Passengers Infected With Coronavirus On Diamond Princess Cruise Ship
Ten people aboard a cruise ship anchored off the coast of Yokohama, Japan, tested positive for the new coronavirus, Japanese media reported Tuesday. The news comes as the number of reported infections outside China continues to grow. The roughly 3,500 passengers and crew aboard the British-flagged ship, the Diamond Princess, have been quarantined for more than a day after a traveler from Hong Kong was diagnosed with the new coronavirus. (Hawkins, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
Cruise Passengers Quarantined On Board After Coronavirus Detected
Tests for the virus were administered to 273 people on the ship who had symptoms such as fever or who had close contact with the infected man. Initial results for 31 people showed 10 of them had the virus, officials said. The 10 were brought to hospitals on shore with help from the Japanese coast guard. Nine are passengers—two Australian, three Japanese, three from Hong Kong and one from the U.S.—and one is a Filipino crew member, ship operator Princess Cruises said in a statement. (Inada, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
United, American Airlines Suspend Hong Kong Service As Coronavirus Saps Demand
Two major U.S. airlines suspended flights to Hong Kong and 10 people on a cruise ship under quarantine in Japan tested positive for the new coronavirus, as more Chinese cities imposed restrictions on movement meant to help contain the fast-spreading pathogen that has killed nearly 500 people. United Airlines Holdings Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. said they were halting flights into and out of Hong Kong until Feb. 20, citing a lack of demand. (Li, 2/5)
Los Angeles Times:
Airlines Cut 25,000 China Flights Over Health Leader Protests
Airlines that range from the world’s largest, American Airlines, to small carriers like Turkmenistan Airlines are eliminating some or all service to mainland China, representing one of the biggest blows to international travel in many years. “The response like this to such a business travel focused nation is a big deal,” said Hayley Berg, economist for the travel site Hopper. She noted that China has in the last few years become a big source of heavy-spending international tourists and a center for business travel. (Martin, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
Here’s When To Worry About Getting Sick From Being On A Plane
It seems as inevitable as cramped overhead space or a battle for the armrest: Someone on your flight is coughing, sneezing or sniffling. Or all three. And during flu season — not to mention a time when a fast-spreading new coronavirus has halted much of the world’s air traffic to and from China — that can be disconcerting. (Sampson, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
How To Handle Air Travel During The Coronavirus Outbreak
Health experts say the best protections you can undertake are the same prescribed for avoiding flu, common cold and other viruses: washing hands frequently and using hand sanitizers. On airplanes, open the air vents and aim them at your face to breathe filtered air. Though much of the focus of the novel coronavirus outside of China has been on travelers, riding on airplanes doesn’t expose you to any greater risk than other situations where you are in close contact with possibly sick people: subways, movie theaters, lines at the grocery store. (McCartney, 2/4)
Stat:
Amid Iowa Chaos, Some With Disabilities Got An Accessible Caucus Location
For a small handful of Iowans, simply participating in Monday’s caucuses was a momentous feat in itself. For the first time this year, people with disabilities could take advantage of 87 new satellite caucus locations set up by the Iowa Democratic Party, aimed at making the complicated process of caucusing, which can involve standing to move across a room or up and down bleachers and stairs, that much easier. All of the locations offered the chance to participate outside of normal hours. And some provided language assistance and accessibility features like an elevator and gender neutral restrooms that might otherwise have been unavailable for those with disabilities. (Satter and Vercellone, 2/4)
Politico:
Imagine Dragons Frontman To Talk LGBTQ Advocacy With Democrats
Early-morning caucus meetings after the State of the Union address are not usually the best-attended of the year. But that might change this year. The House Democratic Caucus on Wednesday will host Dan Reynolds, the lead vocalist of the Grammy award-winning band Imagine Dragons, to discuss his advocacy work for LGBTQ youth in his home state of Utah, according to people familiar with the planning. (Ferris, 2/4)
Stat:
A Former Taro Pharma Executive Is Indicted In Generic Price-Fixing Probe
Aformer senior executive at Taro Pharmaceuticals USA was indicted for his role in a wide-ranging conspiracy to fix prices for generic drugs, the third time that a high-ranking drug company official has been charged since federal authorities began their investigation several years ago. Ara Aprahamian, a former vice president of sales and marketing at Taro, was indicted for working with executives at another drug maker to increase prices and allocate customers for numerous drugs, including medicines used to treat and manage arthritis, seizures, pain, various skin conditions, and blood clots, according to the indictment that was filed in federal court in Philadelphia. (Silverman, 2/4)
The New York Times:
Could A Keto Diet Be Bad For Athletes’ Bones?
A low-carbohydrate, high-fat ketogenic diet could alter bone health in athletes, according to a thought-provoking new study of elite race walkers and their skeletons. The study, one of the first to track athletes during several weeks of intense training, finds that those following a ketogenic diet developed early signs indicative of bone loss. The study adds to the considerable existing evidence that how we eat can affect how exercise affects us. It also raises concerns about possible, long-term health impacts from popular diet plans, including a high-fat, ketogenic diet. (Reynolds, 2/5)
The Associated Press:
Calorie Counts On Nutrition Labels May Not Be That Precise
Almonds used to have about 170 calories per serving. Then researchers said it was really more like 130. A little later, they said the nuts may have even less. Calorie counting can be a simple way to help maintain a healthy weight — don’t consume more than you burn. And the calorie labels on food packaging seem like an immutable guide to help you decide what to eat and drink. (2/4)
The New York Times:
The Heavier The Baby, The Fitter The Young Adult?
Higher birth weight may predict better cardiovascular fitness in adulthood, researchers report. Scientists measured fitness in 286,761 Swedish men ages 17 to 25 by having them ride a bicycle ergometer and recording the wattage they were able to generate. They used data on birth weights from the Swedish Medical Birth Registry. (Bakalar, 2/4)
The Philadelphia Inquirer:
This Addiction Treatment Medicine Is Often Sold On The Streets — And May Be Preventing Overdoses
It’s a refrain dealers chant every day up and down Philadelphia’s Kensington Avenue, the city’s largest drug marketplace: “Subs — subs — subs! ”They’re referring to Suboxone, one of the brand names for the opioid-based addiction treatment medicine buprenorphine, prescribed by physicians and shown to produce more lasting recovery from opioid addiction than abstinence-based therapy. As with so many prescription medications, there’s a robust black market for it on the avenue. But drug users, advocates, and researchers say that many people aren’t buying buprenorphine to get high. Rather, they’re using it to protect themselves from overdoses, to get through the pain of withdrawal, or even to engineer their own do-it-yourself addiction treatment. (Whelan, 2/3)
Capital News Service:
Virginia Bill Aims To Save Lives In Event Of Overdose
Cullen Hazelwood died of an overdose last year 2 miles from the hospital because his friend was scared to call for help, according to his mother Christy Farmer. Farmer wants to see legislation passed in the General Assembly that would extend immunity from prosecution to people reporting an overdose. (Smith, 2/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Philadelphia Suburbs Where Many Don’t Drink The Water
Jessica Watson has cooked with bottled water in her spacious kitchen, with its granite countertops, ever since she became afraid to drink her tap water four years ago. About 80,000 people in three townships outside Philadelphia live in an area where the groundwater has been contaminated by chemicals used for decades in firefighting foam at two nearby decommissioned military bases. The Defense Department has cited 401 bases in the U.S. with a known or suspected release of the firefighting foam containing chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. (Maher, 2/4)
The Washington Post:
Surrogate Mothers Cannot Be Forced To Abort Multiples Under Bill Approved By Virginia Senate
A surrogate mother could not be forced to abort a fetus with abnormalities or reduce the number of fetuses she is carrying under a bill that won unanimous support Tuesday in the Virginia Senate. The surrogate also could not be prohibited from terminating the pregnancy, under an amendment that was critical to winning support from Democrats, who hold a majority of seats in the chamber and were opposed to the idea when it was first proposed last year. (Vozzella, 2/4)
The Associated Press:
California May Pause Student Fitness Tests Due To Bullying
California Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to pause physical education tests for students for three years due to concerns over bullying and the test discriminating against disabled and non-binary students. The move also comes after annual test results show a growing percentage of students scoring not healthy. H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance, said the state has received complaints that the current examination’s measurement of body mass index is discriminatory to non-binary students. (Dil, 2/4)