First Edition: January 7, 2019
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
After Bitter Closure, Rural Texas Hospital Defies The Norm And Reopens
Five months ago, the 6,500 residents of Crockett, Texas, witnessed a bit of a resurrection — at least in rural hospital terms. A little more than a year after the local hospital shut its doors, the 25-bed facility reopened its emergency department, inpatient beds and some related services, albeit on a smaller scale. (Huff, 1/7)
Kaiser Health News:
Medicaid Plans Cover Doctors’ Visits, Hospital Care — And Now Your GED
Emilia Ford became pregnant at 15 and, after her daughter was born, dropped out of high school. As she held down different jobs during the past decade — including housekeeping and working in a relative’s retail store — she always thought about going for her GED to show she met high school academic skills. But the Brookhaven, Pa., woman needed assistance finding tutors and paying for the set of four tests, which cost $20 each. (Galewitz, 1/7)
Kaiser Health News:
Democrats Fight Back Against Lawsuit Threatening Health Law
They approved language authorizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “to intervene, otherwise appear, or take any other steps in any other cases involving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” better known as the ACA. House Democrats also filed a motion to intervene in the defense of the ACA against the GOP-led lawsuit. Republicans on the House floor were not impressed. “That effort does not preserve preexisting conditions,” Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), now the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said on the floor. Walden, who helped lead the GOP’s unsuccessful “repeal-and-replace” effort in the last Congress, suggested that lawmakers should instead pass a law reaffirming the preexisting condition protections. (Rovner, 1/4)
The Associated Press:
Dem-Led House Moves To Join Health Care Law Case
The new Democratic-controlled House has moved toward defending former President Barack Obama's health care law against a federal court ruling that the statute is unconstitutional, part of the party's effort to use the issue to embarrass Republicans. The House has filed papers seeking to intervene in the case, Democrats announced Friday, which by itself is unlikely to have a substantial impact on the litigation. The House action's greatest impact is likely to be political. (Fram, 1/4)
The Associated Press:
California Attorney General Leads Trump Resistance Into 2019
Xavier Becerra became perhaps the nation’s most influential attorney general when he was named California’s top lawyer two years ago, and he has since used his post atop what some call the “Resistance State” to pummel President Donald Trump’s administration with dozens of legal actions. Heading into 2019, he may turn up the heat even more, buoyed by his overwhelming endorsement from voters, a Democratic U.S. House and a more aggressive governor who takes office Monday. Becerra kicked off the new year on Thursday by leading a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general in appealing a recent ruling by a conservative federal judge in Texas that declared the Obama-era Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. (Thompson, 1/4)
The New York Times:
Why A ‘Passive’ Health Approach Can Produce The Most Action
A $100 billion dollar health care package was proposed by congressional Republicans this past summer, and afterward endorsed by some Democrats. It aims to save money by encouraging you to make big life changes. But the package will probably fail to achieve its goals for a simple reason: scarcity. Chances are you don’t have the time, money or bandwidth to follow through. The legislation is expected to be reintroduced in the first quarter this year, and it has laudable goals. It encourages exercise by treating gym memberships as tax-deductible medical expenses. It would help cover out-of-pocket costs for high-deductible health plans by allowing people to deposit more money in tax-shielded health savings accounts. (Frakt and Benavidez, 1/7)
The New York Times:
Toll On Science And Research Mounts As Government Shutdown Continues
One of the first sessions of the American Meteorological Society’s annual conference in Phoenix this weekend seemed like just the sort to attract plenty of government scientists: “Building Resilience to Extreme Political Weather: Advice for Unpredictable Times.” But the conference, where more than 700 federal employees had been expected, will have few federal scientists in attendance. Many are barred from participating during the partial government shutdown, just one of the numerous consequences for the science community during the capital’s latest spending standoff. (Blinder, 1/5)
The Washington Post:
As Shutdown Drags On, Trump Officials Make New Offer, Seek Novel Ways To Cope With Its Impacts
Trump administration officials began taking extraordinary steps to contain the fallout from the partial federal government shutdown Sunday, as the budget impasse between the president and congressional Democrats showed no signs of nearing a breakthrough. As agencies sought to deal with cascading problems across the federal bureaucracy, acting White House budget director Russell T. Vought sent congressional leaders a letter detailing the administration’s latest offer to end the shutdown. (Costa, Eilperin, Paletta and Miroff, 1/6)
The Washington Post:
U.S. Towns With Federal Workers Brace For Impact As The Shutdown Continues
The snowy streets of Ogden are quiet these days. Parking lots are half-empty. Restaurant sales have dropped. Without federal workers to serve, Bickering Sisters cafe has cut the hours of its lunch service. More than 4,000 federal employees who work for the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Forest Service have been furloughed from their jobs in this outdoorsy haven north of Salt Lake City as part of the partial government shutdown. (May, Gowen and Achenbach, 1/6)
The New York Times:
Inquiry Into Migrant Shelters Poses Dilemma: What Happens To The Children?
A difficult situation for migrant children in government custody could grow more challenging if the largest provider in the overburdened shelter system were to lose its grants. The provider, Southwest Key Programs, faces mounting pressure after a video of staff members abusing children surfaced last month and the Justice Department opened an investigation into its finances. State and federal officials have cracked down on suspected malfeasance at shelters in the past year, closing multiple facilities, including two run by Southwest Key, and moving children elsewhere. (Barker and Kulish, 1/5)
The New York Times:
The Price Of Trump’s Migrant Deterrence Strategy: New Chaos On The Border
At a migrant shelter near the Mexican border, three girls from Guatemala — sisters aged 10, 9 and 6 — coughed and sniffled. One of them clung to both a teddy bear and a large bottle of Pedialyte, to soothe her dehydration and flu. The girls’ mother, Nelcy, 28, said her daughters got sick not during their long journey to the border in the back of a pickup truck, but during the 12 days they spent at two crowded government detention facilities before arriving at the privately run shelter in Texas. “It was very cold, especially for the children,” said Nelcy, who would only be identified by her first name. “My children got sick. They gave us aluminum blankets, but it wasn’t enough.” (Fernandez, Dickerson and Villegas, 1/4)
Politico Pulse Check:
Inside HHS: A Former Official Defends Crisis Response
Thousands of migrant families were separated at the border by the Trump administration last year. One of the HHS officials involved in putting them back together: Chris Meekins — a Trump appointee who normally helped oversee emergency preparedness, but was tapped as part of HHS' broader response. (1/7)
Reuters:
U.S. Court Rules For Trump On Transgender Military Limits
A U.S. court on Friday ruled in favor of a Trump administration policy barring certain transgender people from serving in the U.S. armed forces, handing the president his first legal victory on the issue after several defeats. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned a decision by a federal judge in Washington, D.C., that blocked the policy, saying it likely violates the constitutional rights of transgender recruits and service members. (1/4)
The New York Times:
F.D.A. Accuses Juul And Altria Of Backing Off Plan To Stop Youth Vaping
The Food and Drug Administration is accusing Juul and Altria of reneging on promises they made to the government to keep e-cigarettes away from minors. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the agency’s commissioner, is drafting letters to both companies that will criticize them for publicly pledging to remove nicotine flavor pods from store shelves, while secretly negotiating a financial partnership that seems to do the opposite. He plans to summon top executives of the companies to F.D.A. headquarters to explain how they will stick to their agreements given their new arrangement. (Kaplan, 1/4)
Stateline:
Some Drug Users In Western U.S. Seek Out Deadly Fentanyl. Here’s Why.
More than half of drug users here purposely seek fentanyl, despite its dangers, according to harm reduction workers who talk to hundreds of drug users every day. Fifty times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, the synthetic opioid was rarely detected in U.S. illicit drug markets or in the bodies of fatal overdose victims just a decade ago. Now it has become the biggest killer in the nation’s raging drug overdose epidemic. (Vestal, 1/7)
The Associated Press:
Drugmakers Seek Sanctions Over '60 Minutes' Comments
Several drug manufacturers targeted in lawsuits over the opioid epidemic have asked a federal judge in Cleveland to sanction the man who is Ohio's attorney general and governor-elect, along with two other lawyers, for statements they made in recent television interviews. Friday's motion said statements by Republican Attorney General and Gov.-elect Mike DeWine and the others on an episode of CBS' "60 Minutes" were calculated to taint potential jury pools, Cleveland.com reported. (1/6)
Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Police Try New Approach To Stem Drug Addiction Epidemic
Courtney Nunnally scrolled on her phone in the back of the Richmond police SUV. The fluorescent lights from the strip centers, gas stations and cheap motels lining Midlothian Turnpike shined through the tinted window, barely cutting the darkness that had already descended by 5:30 p.m. on the Wednesday before Christmas. Officer Ben Frazer scanned the illuminated parking lots as he drove, looking for familiar faces. (Balch, 1/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
Blood Pressure, Baby’s Pulse, Sperm Potency: Home Health Devices Are Tracking More Than Ever
Companies are planning to get personal—very personal—at the 2019 CES technology show this week in Las Vegas. The annual event for showcasing the latest in consumer technology will feature self-driving shuttle buses, 5G wireless hubs, artificially intelligent ovens and more, but exhibitors will also be displaying their ability to intuit deeper health data directly from users, often with cheap, even wearable, devices. (Bindley, 1/6)
The Wall Street Journal:
Health Startups Take Down Data Silos That Block AI Adoption
The medical field’s lofty dreams of unleashing the power of artificial intelligence have set off a race to rework the way health-care specialists make use of their data. Although technology exists to make AI a potent tool, there is a snag. Data relevant to answering specific questions often reside in various locations, from hospitals to diagnostic labs to pharmaceutical companies. These information silos are typical in the health-care field, leaving scientists and other medical professionals at a disadvantage to harness the full predictive power of AI. (Gormley, 1/6)
Stat:
A Year After 'The Michaels,' More Women Will Take The JPM Stage
A year after STAT found more men named Michael than female CEOs giving corporate presentations at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, the tables have turned: At next week’s confab, there will be 33 female CEOs presenting corporate updates, compared to 19 men named Michael. And yet women will still be massively outnumbered on one of biotech’s biggest stages: Men represent 90 percent of the 553 executives who will give corporate presentations at JPM. That’s down from 94 percent last year. (Robbins, 1/5)
Stat:
At Glitzy Tech Show, Chronic-Disease Gadgets To Take Center Stage
An exploding array of digital health companies will converge on Las Vegas this week to showcase the latest advances in using data and algorithms to try to solve the world’s toughest health problems. The annual Consumer Electronics Show — a sort of Sundance Film Festival of must-have gadgets — has become an increasingly popular venue for health technology firms looking to make a splash in the $7 trillion global medical industry. And this year’s event will be no different, bringing a particular focus on chronic disease, an area where purveyors of new software and wearables see breakthrough potential. (Ross, 1/7)
The New York Times:
Jazmine Barnes Case Shows How Trauma Can Affect Memory
Imagine being held up at gunpoint. Do you trust you could remember the perpetrator’s face? The gun? Or would you have a better recollection of how loud the birds were chirping at that moment? “The memory does not operate like a videotape machine faithfully recording every single detail,” said Richard J. McNally, a professor of psychology at Harvard University and the author of “Remembering Trauma.” “The thing that is happening is that you’re focusing on the most dangerous thing,” he said. “That is the function of fear: to alert you to imminent threats.” (Garcia, 1/6)
Politico:
Health Advocates Say Schizophrenia Should Be Reclassified As A Brain Disease
Mental health advocates are lobbying Congress to help them get schizophrenia classified as a brain disease like Parkinson’s or Alzheimers, instead of as a mental illness, a move that could reduce stigma and lead to more dollars for a cure. Federal health officials, scientists and doctors say conditions that cause psychosis, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are poorly understood and, in the public mind, often associated with violent behavior. Patients are more likely to be homeless, incarcerated, commit suicide and die younger than those with any other neurological diseases. (Ehley, 1/5)
The New York Times:
Dementia May Never Improve, But Many Patients Still Can Learn
He was a retired factory worker, living with his wife outside a small town in Wales, in the United Kingdom. Once outgoing and sociable, engaged in local activities including a community choir, he’d been jolted by a diagnosis of early dementia. A few months later, at 70, he wouldn’t leave the house alone, fearful that if he needed help, he couldn’t manage to use a cellphone to call his wife. He avoided household chores he’d previously undertaken, such as doing laundry. When his frustrated wife tried to show him how to use the washer, he couldn’t remember her instructions. (Span, 1/4)
The Washington Post:
Blast From The Past Broadcasts About Health — And Communist Brainwashing
In the 1950s, the health interventions we may consider routine were still revolutionary. Antibiotics had only recently become available, and chemotherapy was still new. Even the ideas that children had distinct personalities and that child development was worth studying were novel. And in those days of the Cold War, midcentury Americans had to wonder: was it possible for the communist world to brainwash them? (Blakemore, 1/5)
The New York Times:
One In 10 Adults Have A Food Allergy. Many More Say They Have One.
Many more Americans say they have a food allergy than actually have one. Researchers surveyed 40,000 adults about food allergies, carefully eliciting details about which foods produced the allergies and what specific symptoms they had. (Bakalar, 1/4)
The Washington Post:
African American Men Are More Likely Than White Men To Develop And Die Of Prostate Cancer.
Like any plumber, James Lyles, 73, wanted to know what was going on beneath the surface. Two years ago, not long after he had a heart attack, his primary-care physician asked him whether he wanted to take a PSA test — a blood test for a “prostate-specific antigen” that helps physicians diagnose prostate cancer in its early stages. Not seeing a downside, Lyles agreed — and the test showed he did have cancer. Now, in the middle of radiation treatments, he says he is feeling okay. In his view, a $25 blood test helped keep him alive. (Moyer, 1/5)
The Washington Post:
10 Important Questions To Ask If You’re Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer often presents unique challenges to patients and physicians alike. It can be indolent and nonaggressive — or life-threatening and everything in between. Unlike most cancers that have a dedicated road map for treatment, prostate cancer revolves around opinions and biases. To help patients navigate the land mine of the disease, here are 10 basic questions to ask your doctor when diagnosed with it. (Rahman, 1/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Five Top Ideas About Aging From The Experts In 2018
In 2018, the WSJ Experts wrote about some of the ways people can age in better health and with more financial security than ever before. Below are five of the most-popular Experts blog posts about aging well from 2018. And you can read what they had to say throughout the year here. (1/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
A Medical-Screening Checklist For Older Adults
A good topic to start the New Year. Figuring out just what illnesses you should be poked and prodded for, and when, is one of the most important ways you can take care of yourself. Unfortunately, many of us probably know more about the tests and shots our pets need than the ones we need. Example: Men and women who are at average risk for colon cancer should first be screened at age 45, according to the American Cancer Society. But only 58% of Americans age 50 to 64 have been tested. (Ruffenach, 1/6)
The Washington Post:
A New And Safe Blood Test Is Transforming Prenatal Care, Doctors Say.
During Carrie Wells’s first OB/GYN visit after learning she was pregnant this summer, the 30-year-old was surprised when her doctor suggested a blood test that could detect her baby’s risk of Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities as early as 10 weeks. At her age, she hadn’t been worried about conceiving a child with a genetic disorder. Wells’s obstetrician/gynecologist explained that the test, called a “cell-free DNA” screen, analyzes the fetal genetic information that travels from the mother’s placenta and poses no risk to the baby. The doctor had been routinely prescribing it for her patients who were older and higher risk, now she was prescribing it to younger women, as well. (Richards, 1/5)
NPR:
Is It The Flu Or Just A Nasty Cold?
It's that time of year again. You wake up with a scratchy throat, stuffy nose, a little achy — maybe a fever. Is it a classic head cold, or do you need to be more concerned? Could it be the flu? "There's lots of confusion out there, because both are viral respiratory illnesses," says Dr. Yul Ejnes, an internal medicine specialist in private practice in Rhode Island and spokesperson for the American College of Physicians. "No one likes to get a cold, but people are more fearful of the flu." (Neighmond, 1/6)
Los Angeles Times:
At The Peak Of The Holocaust, Nazis Murdered More Than 14,000 Jews A Day, Scholar Says
In the ledger of evils perpetrated by humans, Operation Reinhard holds a distinct place. Over 21 months starting in March 1942, Nazi forces and their collaborators rounded up 1.7 million Jews from 393 Polish towns and ghettos and dispatched them in tightly packed rail cars to three camps in German-occupied Poland — Sobibor, Treblinka and Belzec. At these three killing centers, members of Poland’s once-thriving Jewish community were murdered with such efficiency and ruthlessness that, of roughly 1.5 million Jews who passed through their gates, a mere 102 would survive to bear witness. By November 1943, when Operation Reinhard ended, essentially no Polish Jews were left for the Germans to kill. (Healy, 1/5)
NPR:
Laws Intended To Protect Firefighters Who Get Cancer Often Lack Teeth
Doctors told Steve Dillman the throat cancer he was diagnosed with in 2008 came from smoking. He knew it didn't. "I thought it had to be job-related because I've never smoked a day in my life. I don't chew. I don't drink excessively ... and that's the three main criterias," he says. But Dillman did spend 38 years as an Indianapolis firefighter — and that included running into burning buildings. (Bavis, 1/4)
The New York Times:
The Mavericks’ Key To Keeping Players Fresh? Blood Samples
Whether they are trying to keep their 34-year-old playmaker Jose Juan Barea spry or aiming to help their 19-year-old phenom Luka Doncic dodge the infamous rookie wall, the Dallas Mavericks turn to the same resource: A blood test. It is not just any blood test. The Mavericks import frequent testing from the Irish company Orreco, which is in its third season making personalized recommendations for Mavericks players regarding athletic workloads and diets, largely through the study of blood analysis. (Stein, 1/7)
The Washington Post:
Typing And Keyboard Injuries Are Best Treated By Prevention
After a busy stretch of work this fall, I found myself with both a sense of accomplishment and an unexpected problem: pain in my hand that made me wince every time I typed an ‘O’ or ‘L.’ I’m a veteran of muscle soreness and joint damage from a lifetime of sports. But an injury from sitting at my computer? It seemed so boring. (Sohn, 1/6)
The New York Times:
Police Investigate Sexual Assault Allegations After Woman In Vegetative State Gives Birth
A spokeswoman at the Arizona Department of Health Services said that the agency was aware of the allegations and had sent inspectors to check on patients at the institution, which is about seven miles south of downtown Phoenix. The facility is part of Hacienda HealthCare, which its website describes as an organization for some Phoenix-based health care programs and services. “During this time, the agency has required heightened safety measures be implemented at the facility, including increased staff presence during patient interactions; increased monitoring of the patient care areas; and increased security measures with respect to visitors at the facility,” the spokeswoman, Melissa Blasius-Nuanez, said on Friday. (Haag, 1/4)
The Associated Press:
Woman In Vegetative State For Decade Reportedly Gives Birth
According to some reports, the woman was a victim of a near-drowning more than 10 years ago. Her identity hasn't been reported, and it's not known if she has family or a guardian. Sources quoted in the reports said the woman was heard to be moaning and that the baby's head was starting to emerge when a nurse came in. (1/5)
The Washington Post:
Hacienda HealthCare Assault: Woman In Vegetative State Gives Birth
The birth — and the sexual assault of a vulnerable individual that must have preceded it — has cast a harsh glare on conditions at a nonprofit organization that bills itself as a leading provider of health care for Phoenix’s medically fragile. (Wootson, 1/6)
The New York Times:
Donors Of Rare Blood Type Sought To Save A Miami Toddler
Zainab Mughal, a 2-year-old girl from Miami, needs blood transfusions for her cancer treatment but she has a blood type so rare that so far only four donors worldwide have been identified. In August, doctors determined Zainab had neuroblastoma, a cancer that develops from immature nerve cells and most commonly occurs in young children. Frequent blood transfusions are required for Zainab’s treatment, but finding enough blood has been a challenge because she is missing the Indian-B antigen, a molecule found on the surface of most people’s red blood cells. (Caron, 1/6)
The New York Times:
2 Mental Health Patients Drowned In A Sheriff’s Van During Florence. Now The Deputies Face Charges.
Two former sheriff’s deputies in South Carolina were charged on Friday in the deaths of two mental health patients who became trapped in a van and drowned during Hurricane Florence. The deputy who was driving the van, Stephen Flood, 66, was charged with two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of involuntary manslaughter after the authorities said he disregarded travel instructions and drove into floodwaters. (Mervosh, 1/4)
The Washington Post:
Sensing An Opening, Virginia Governor Revives Push For Gun Control
Gov. Ralph Northam (D) is making an aggressive push to revive gun-control proposals that GOP lawmakers killed in last year’s General Assembly session, seizing what he senses to be Democratic momentum as the legislature convenes next week. Flanked by fellow Democrats from the House of Delegates and state Senate, Northam rolled out a package of bills Friday that would require universal background checks for firearms purchases, ban assault weapons and resurrect individuals’ purchase limits to one handgun per month, among other proposals. (Schneider and Vozzella, 1/4)
The Wall Street Journal:
In Age Of Mass Shootings, Boy Scout Projects Hope To Keep Schools Safe
Boy Scouts’ projects to earn the coveted Eagle Scout rank have long been wholesome efforts to clean up parks, build bike racks and give blankets to the needy. But in an age of fear of school shootings, some have a new focus: preparing for armed killers. Andrew Leccese, a 17-year-old senior at Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey, wants his small suburban school district to be ready for such an attack and other emergencies. He raised money to give its four schools bleeding-control kits this month so that in a crisis staff could try to keep gunshot victims from bleeding to death while waiting for professional rescue teams. (Brody, 1/6)
The Washington Post:
New Hearts Forge New Friendship For Transplant Recipients
A suburban Detroit woman and South Side Chicago man are recovering in a Chicago hospital following rare triple transplant surgeries that gave them the healthy heart, liver and kidney each needed — and a new friendship they never expected. University of Chicago Medicine doctors announced Friday that they successfully completed the triple organ transplants on Sarah McPharlin, a 29-year-old woman of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, and Daru Smith, a 29-year-old father from Chicago’s South Side, within 30 hours of one another. (Seitz, 1/4)
The New York Times:
11-Year-Old Boy’s Death In Brooklyn May Have Been Caused By Airborne Fish Proteins
An 11-year-old boy who died on New Year’s Day after visiting family members in Brooklyn may have had a fatal reaction to fish proteins released into the air while his relatives cooked. The sixth grader, Cameron Jean-Pierre, had asthma and was allergic to fish and peanuts, his father, Steven Jean-Pierre, said on Thursday in an interview with WABC. (Caron, 1/5)
The Associated Press:
Some Fear Groundwater Near Georgia Military Bases Is Toxic
Groundwater near Georgia military bases remains contaminated from a toxic firefighting foam used for decades by the U.S. Air Force, prompting fears among residents about their exposure to the chemicals. Recent tests at Georgia's three air bases show extensive environmental contamination of groundwater, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. (1/5)