First Edition: June 3, 2022
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
Why The War In Ukraine Might Make Root Canals More Difficult
Russia’s assault on Ukraine is being felt worldwide, and the U.S. health care system is not immune. Both Russia and Ukraine are powerhouses in supplying certain commodities — in this case, ammonium nitrate and natural gas. These commodities, after being refined, can produce two gases crucial for the health care system: nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, and helium. They are used in millions of procedures each day. And crimped supplies could make every root canal that much more painful and every MRI scan that much pricier. (Tahir, 6/3)
KHN:
Black Women Have Much At Stake In States Where Abortion Access May Vanish
“Adulting” was not going great for Tia Freeman. She had lost her scholarship at the University of Tennessee and enlisted in the Air Force. As she finished training to be an analyst, she got pregnant despite being on birth control. Both her parents worked, so the child care they could provide was limited. Day care would have eaten most of her paycheck. And even at age 20, Freeman knew that as a Black woman she would have more difficulty climbing the economic ladder than some other women would. So she had an abortion. (Farmer, 6/3)
KHN:
For Many Low-Income Families, Getting Formula Has Always Been A Strain
The ongoing dearth of formula has caused tremendous stress for families nationwide, especially those who rely upon WIC. The federally funded grant program, administered by nearly 90 state, territorial, and tribal governments, accounts for as much as two-thirds of all formula purchases in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs WIC. ... But the program’s massive purchasing also limits choices for families and can make it hard for mothers like Abbott to get formula that is a good fit for their infants. (Szalinski, 6/3)
KHN:
KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Washington’s Slow Churn
In the wake of three high-profile mass shootings in less than a month, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have renewed negotiations over legislation that could stem gun violence. But even those who are trying to reach an agreement on the long-divisive issue acknowledge that finding consensus remains an enormous task. (6/2)
AP:
White House: 1st Shots For Kids Under 5 Possible By June 21
The Biden administration said Thursday that children under 5 may be able to get their first COVID-19 vaccination doses as soon as June 21, if federal regulators authorize shots for the age group, as expected. White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha outlined the administration’s planning for the last remaining ineligible age group to get shots. He said the Food and Drug Administration’s outside panel of advisers will meet on June 14-15 to evaluate the Pfizer and Moderna shots for younger kids. Shipments to doctors’ offices and pediatric care facilities would begin soon after FDA authorization, with the first shots possible the following week. (Miller, 6/2)
NPR:
COVID Vaccinations For Kids Younger Than 5 Could Start In Late June
In a White House briefing on Thursday, Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House's COVID-19 response coordinator, said if the Food and Drug Administration authorizes vaccines for the youngest kids soon after a June 15 advisory meeting, shipments of the first 10 million doses could start arriving at doctors' offices as soon as the following weekend. Advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would also have to weigh in. Ultimately, the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, would have to give the go-ahead before vaccination could start. "We expect that vaccination will begin in earnest as early as June 21 and really roll on throughout that week," Jha said. (Stein, 6/2)
AP:
Go-Broke Dates Pushed Back For Social Security, Medicare
A stronger-than-expected economic recovery from the pandemic has pushed back the go-broke dates for Social Security and Medicare, but officials warn that the current economic turbulence is putting additional pressures on the bedrock retirement programs. The annual Social Security and Medicare trustees report released Thursday says Social Security’s trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2035, instead of last year’s estimate of 2034. The year before that it estimated an exhaustion date of 2035. (Hussein and Murphy, 6/2)
NBC News:
Biden Calls On Congress To Act On Gun Control, Saying 'Too Many' Schools Have Become 'Killing Fields'
President Joe Biden laid out specific actions he wants Congress to take on gun control legislation Thursday, calling Republican congressional opposition to the measures “unconscionable.” ... He said lawmakers should reinstate the ban on so-called assault weapons, like AR-15s, and ban high-capacity magazines. If those weapons aren’t banned, the age to purchase them should be raised to 21 from 18. Biden said Congress should also strengthen background checks, including requiring them at gun shows and in online sales; enact safe storage and red flag laws; and repeal the immunity that protects gun manufacturers from liability. (Pettypiece, 6/2)
Bloomberg:
Democratic Bill To Address Gun Violence Clears House Committee
A House committee approved a package of gun legislation that would raise the minimum age to purchase some semiautomatic rifles and prohibit sales of high-capacity ammunition magazines in the latest attempt by Democrats to respond to mass shootings across the nation. The Judiciary Committee voted 25-19 along party lines Thursday to move the legislation to consideration before the full House, which could come as soon as next week. But it’s not likely to get traction in the Senate because of Republican opposition to many of the provisions. A bipartisan Senate group is negotiating other measures. (Dillard and Dennis, 6/2)
The Washington Post:
Tulsa Gunman Angry Over Pain After Back Surgery, Police Say
A man who blamed his doctor for pain after back surgery last month bought guns in recent days before storming into a Tulsa medical building, killing four people and then himself, police said. Shortly before the attack at St. Francis Hospital on Wednesday, Michael Louis, 45, bought a semiautomatic rifle and drove to the medical building, specifically looking for his doctor Preston Phillips, Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin told reporters Thursday. ... Authorities say Phillips operated on Louis on May 19. Louis was released less than a week later and called several times in the following days, complaining of pain and requesting treatment. On Tuesday, a day before the shooting, Phillips saw his patient. The next day, Louis called again to express his discomfort and ask for additional aid — the exact nature of which police did not disclose. (Bella, Knowles, Bever and Kornfield, 6/2)
AP:
Pain Management: Tulsa Shooting Exposes Threats Doctors Face
The deadly mass shooting at an Oklahoma medical office by a man who blamed his surgeon for continuing pain following an operation on his back underscores the escalating threat of violence doctors have faced in recent years. Michael Louis, 45, fatally shot Dr. Preston Phillips and three other people in Tulsa on Wednesday before killing himself. Police said Louis had been calling the clinic repeatedly complaining of pain and that he specifically targeted Phillips, who performed his surgery. (DeMillo, 6/3)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospital Shootings Spur System Safety Measure Review
"These tragedies show us that no one is exempt from the violence. We have seen an uptick in our communities," said Scott Strauss, vice president of security at Northwell Health, which has 21 hospitals throughout New York. "I don't know why people are killing people at the rate they are. These are crazy times, I haven't seen anything like it before." St. Francis said in a statement that it was grieving the loss of its four community members and thanked emergency personnel for their quick response. The health system has mass shooting "training and educational modules," but executives "couldn't speak to actual drills." (Kacik and Berryman, 6/2)
Reuters:
Routing Of Emergency-911 Calls Questioned In Texas School Massacre
Emergency-911 calls from children hiding from the gunman who killed 21 people inside a Texas elementary school were not routed to the on-scene police commander who waited nearly an hour before officers moved in to end the siege, a state senator said on Thursday. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat whose constituency includes Uvalde, Texas, the town 80 miles west of San Antonio where last week's shooting occurred, said the lapse in how 911 calls were transmitted was part of a larger "system failure" that is still just coming to light. (Brooks and Gorman, 6/2)
ABC News and Medpage Today:
What Happens When Kids Experience A Traumatic Event?
Three days after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, social worker and child therapist Bonnie Rumilly arrived in Newtown, Connecticut, to help with crisis counseling. It quickly became obvious that this would become "a long-term deployment," said Rumilly, who spent 4.5 years working with children who survived the attack. While she feels a fierce loyalty to her young patients and their privacy, Rumilly said her experience with Sandy Hook revealed that pediatric trauma is highly individualized, and that children are not just little adults when it comes to the way trauma manifests. (D'ambrosio and Fiore, 6/2)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Altered Lives Of America’s School-Shooting Survivors
At 15, Brittney Thomas saw a close friend get shot to death at school. Twenty-five years later, she was in a grocery store near her Kentucky home when her phone flashed an alert about the elementary-school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Ms. Thomas started hyperventilating. A stranger asked if she needed help. Ms. Thomas sobbed that she couldn’t find the creamed corn, left her groceries behind and ran out to her car. (Elinson, Campo-Flores, McWhirter and Frosch, 6/2)
CBS News:
Firearm Suicide Among America's Youth Has Hit Its Highest Rate In 20 Years, Report Finds
As the debate over gun policy has once again moved to the forefront following a string of mass shootings, a new report by Everytown for Gun Safety is shedding light on another aspect of gun violence impacting children: suicide. The report, published on Thursday, found that the rate at which children, teens and young adults are dying by suicide by use of a firearm has increased faster than any other age group over the past decade. According to the group, firearm suicide among ages 10 to 24 is at its highest rate in more than 20 years. (Cohen, 6/2)
Stateline:
Child Suicides By Poisoning Rose During Pandemic, Studies Show
Suspected suicide attempts by young people ages 6-19 reported to U.S. poison centers increased 27% between 2015 and 2020, according to a new study from the University of Virginia. The findings are based on cases reported to the National Poison Data System as suspected suicides, which includes attempted suicides and deaths. The total number of suspected child suicides by self-poisoning rose from 75,248 in 2015 to 93,532 in 2020, with girls accounting for 78% of cases. (Vestal, 6/1)
AP:
Melatonin Poisoning Reports Are Up In Kids, Study Says
Researchers are drawing attention to a rise in poisonings in children involving the sleep aid melatonin — including a big jump during the pandemic. Last year, U.S. poison control centers received more than 52,000 calls about children consuming worrisome amounts of the dietary supplement — a six-fold increase from about a decade earlier. Most such calls are about young children who accidentally got into bottles of melatonin, some of which come in the form of gummies for kids. (Stobbe, 6/2)
CIDRAP:
CDC Reports 30 More Kids' Unexplained Hepatitis Cases
In its weekly update yesterday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that investigations are under way into 30 more unexplained hepatitis cases in children, raising the nation's total to 246. The number of affected states and jurisdictions remained the same, at 38. The CDC has said that many of the recently reported cases are retrospective, with the probe covering illnesses experienced since October 2021. (6/2)
MediaNews:
Los Angeles County Reports First Apparent Monkeypox Case
The first case of monkeypox appears to have been detected in Los Angeles County, officials said Thursday morning, June 2. The result is presumptive, pending confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An adult resident recently traveled, and came in contact with, “a known close contact to a case,” according to the L.A. County Department of Public Health. The patient is doing fine, officials said, adding that the person is not hospitalized but is isolated from others. (Carter, 6/2)
CIDRAP:
Experts Highlight Sexual Aspect Of Monkeypox Spread
Researchers today at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting spelled out the sexual transmission component of a monkeypox outbreak that has affected hundreds of people—mostly men who have sex with men—in at least 27 countries outside of Africa. ... In a presentation made to the WHO by Gianfranco Spiteri, MD, MDH, of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, he detailed the initial cases in Portugal and suggested that close skin-to-skin contact during sexual relations is the primary mode of transmission for these cases. Spiteri explained that the clinical manifestations of a genital rash were the first telltale sign that sexual activity was playing a role in transmission. (Soucheray, 6/2)
Reuters:
Test Makers Target Monkeypox Market As Cases Surge
Diagnostic companies are racing to develop tests for monkeypox, hoping to tap into a new market as governments ramp up efforts to trace the world's first major outbreak of the viral infection outside of Africa. The scramble started last month, much like early 2020 when companies rushed to make kits to help diagnose COVID-19, creating a multibillion-dollar boon for test makers. (Grover, 6/3)
Stat:
What To Make Of The Many Mutations On The Monkeypox Genome
When scientists investigate the spread of an infectious disease, one area they look at is the genetic sequences of the pathogen. But there’s a snag when it comes to the monkeypox virus, which is now causing an unprecedented outbreak of several hundred infections in some 30 countries where it’s not typically seen. DNA viruses, particularly those with relatively big genomes like poxviruses (the family that includes monkeypox), generally accrue mutations much more slowly than, say, an RNA virus like SARS-CoV-2, which causes Covid-19. That means that examining the sequences might be less fruitful in terms of tracking how the virus is spreading from person to person. There are fewer changes to the virus’ genome that might shine a light on transmission chains. (Joseph, 6/2)
PoliticoPro:
U.S. Undecided About Sharing Monkeypox Vaccines
The U.S. has not decided whether it will answer the World Health Organization’s call to pool monkeypox vaccinations as case numbers continue to rise around the world, a Department of Health and Human Services official told POLITICO. Last week, WHO officials asked countries with stockpiles of monkeypox and smallpox vaccines to distribute to countries based on their need, nodding to a 20-year-old vaccine-sharing agreement designed for a smallpox emergency. (Payne and Mahr, 6/1)
Bloomberg:
Baby Formula Shortage Worsens To 74% Out Of Stock In US
Out-of-stock rates climbed to 74% nationally for the week ending May 28, according to data on 130,000 stores followed by Datasembly. The increase comes after rates spiked to 70% for the week ending May 21 from 45% the week prior. Ten states now have out-of-stock rates at 90% or greater, including Arizona, Mississippi, California, Nevada, Tennessee, Rhode Island, Louisiana, Florida and Washington. Georgia is the hardest hit at 94%, a jump from 74% the week before. (Paris, 6/2)
Bangor Daily News:
Bangor’s 1st Breast Milk Donation Center To Open As Formula Shortage Drives Demand
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center will open the Bangor area’s first breast milk donation center in partnership with a regional milk bank as the U.S. continues to deal with a baby formula shortage. The Bangor hospital said the milk depot will open as milk banks across the country experience steep increases in demand. The formula shortage began during the pandemic, but was exacerbated by a recall and Abbott Nutrition’s closure of its Michigan infant formula production facility. Between 2020 and 2021, Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast saw a 20 percent increase in demand, according to Northern Light. (O'Brien, 6/2)
NPR:
Baby Formula Shortage Hits Some Parents Especially Hard
The frustration is being felt practically everywhere. This time last year, the average out-of-stock rate in the U.S. hovered around 6%. Store shelves were practically full all of the time. By the end of the last full week in May, not a single state was below 45%, according to Datasembly. In states such as Arizona, California, Georgia and Mississippi, the rate was creeping toward 95%. Everywhere you look, shelves are nearly bare. For some, the crisis has been particularly painful. Even though most families will give formula to an infant at some point during their first year, parents from low-income households or from communities of color often depend on it the most. (Breslow, 6/2)
The Washington Post:
Scams, Long Drives, Empty Shelves: What Parents Endure For Baby Formula
Parents desperate to find formula are driving far from home, pleading for help on social media and paying exorbitant prices. Some have been snared by online scams, with opportunists taking advantage of the crisis to make money. Many feel a sense of panic about how to get their babies the food they need. For Christopher Okenka and his husband, feeding their son has never been easy. Since they adopted him as a newborn, the now-8-month-old has had gastrointestinal problems. He turned red, screamed and vomited up every formula he tried before EleCare, a hypoallergenic, more easily digestible brand made by Abbott. (Shammas, 6/2)
Bloomberg:
More Than Two-Thirds Of People Have Covid Antibodies, WHO Says
More than two-thirds of the world’s population probably have significant levels of Covid-19 antibodies, meaning they have either been infected or were vaccinated, the World Health Organization said. So-called seroprevalence rates surged to 67% in October from 16% in February of 2021, the WHO said, in a summary of studies from around the globe. Given the emergence of the fast-spreading omicron variant, the figure is probably even higher now. (Mulier, 6/2)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Atlanta’s COVID-19 Risk Increases Following Memorial Day Weekend
The risk of COVID-19 infection is rising in metro Atlanta, and Memorial Day Weekend likely added gasoline to an already increasing flame. The latest data from state health officials shows a spike in positive COVID-19 cases after Georgians returned home from gatherings and traveling. There were more than 5,300 confirmed cases across the state Wednesday, which is more than double the average number of infections over the past few weeks. (Hansen, 6/3)
Sacramento Bee:
COVID Outbreaks Emerging Again In California State Prisons
Outbreaks are underway at several state prisons among both inmates and staff, data from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation show, amid a broader surge of COVID-19 spreading across California and nationwide. Prisons reported nearly 1,500 new inmate COVID-19 cases between May 1 and May 29, an almost 20-fold increase compared to just 75 infections reported over the preceding four weeks, according to a CDCR online data tracker. (McGough, 6/1)
Stat:
Unpacking Biden’s Moves To Improve Prisons’ Covid Response
The Biden administration is trying to finally unsnarl the federal Bureau of Prisons’ response to the coronavirus pandemic, but experts say its latest moves also underscore just how much is still broken about the government’s response to Covid-19 in prisons. As part of an executive order on reforming the criminal justice system last week, President Biden tasked the attorney general with updating the prison system’s protocols for testing, identifying alternatives to facility-wide lockdowns used to contain the spread of the virus, and expanding the data that is shared by the Bureau of Prisons regarding vaccination, testing, and deaths behind bars. The order also directs the attorney general to compile a tally of all incarcerated people who would be eligible for early release. (Florko, 6/3)
CBS News:
Why Boosted Americans Seem To Be Getting More COVID-19 Infections
As COVID-19 cases began to accelerate again this spring, federal data suggests the rate of breakthrough COVID infections in April was worse in boosted Americans compared to unboosted Americans — though rates of deaths and hospitalizations remained the lowest among the boosted. The new data do not mean booster shots are somehow increasing the risk. Ongoing studies continue to provide strong evidence of additional protection offered by booster shots against infection, severe disease, and death. Instead, the shift underscores the growing complexity of measuring vaccine effectiveness at this stage of the pandemic. (Tin, 6/2)
The Boston Globe:
CDC Has Recommended Booster Shots For Those 50 And Over. But Only 17.5 Percent Of Those Eligible In Mass. Have Gone Ahead And Done It
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that people 50 and older get a second COVID-19 booster shot, but so far Massachusetts residents have not jumped at the opportunity. Only about 471,000 people 50 and older in Massachusetts have gotten a second booster shot, or about 17.5 percent of the 2.7 million people in that age group, according to data from the state’s Department of Public Health. The data come from the state’s weekly vaccination report, which is updated every Thursday. (Finucane and Prignano, 6/2)
AP:
Novavax Hopes Its COVID Shot Wins Over FDA, Vaccine Holdouts
Americans may soon get a new COVID-19 vaccine option -- shots made with a more tried-and-true technology than today’s versions. The big question: Why should they care? After long delays, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide within weeks whether to authorize Novavax’s vaccine. It’s late in the pandemic for a new choice, with about three-quarters of U.S. adults already vaccinated. (Neergaard, 6/2)
Reuters:
Pfizer's Paxlovid Reduces COVID Risk In Seniors Regardless Of Vaccine Status -Study
Pfizer Inc's antiviral treatment Paxlovid reduces COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated patients 65 years and older, according to a new study in Israel conducted during the rise of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The treatment, however, was not found to prevent severe illness among younger adults, according to research from Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest healthcare provider. (Rabinovitch, 6/2)
CIDRAP:
COVID-19 Vaccine During Pregnancy May Protect Infants
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy protects babies from SARS-CoV-2 infection in their first 4 months of life, according to a study yesterday in JAMA Internal Medicine. In the cohort study, which included all infants born in Norway late last year and early this year, COVID-19 incidence was lower in babies born to women who received either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during the second or third trimester of pregnancy. (Wappes, 6/2)
CIDRAP:
Study Says Dogs 97% Sensitive At Detecting COVID-19 In Patients
Compared with reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, dogs can detect COVID-19 infections via scent with high sensitivity (97%)—though lower specificity (91%)—even when patients are asymptomatic, according to a study in PLOS One yesterday. (6/2)
AP:
West Virginia Scaling Back Coronavirus Testing Sites
West Virginia is scaling back its community testing events for the coronavirus, Gov. Jim Justice said. Justice said Thursday that the decision was made due to the availability and convenience of at-home test kits for COVID-19. The state has provided free community testing since the start of the pandemic in 2020. (6/3)
Modern Healthcare:
FTC Sues To Block Hospital Acquisitions In New Jersey, Utah
The Federal Trade Commission filed lawsuits to block RWJBarnabas Health's acquisition of St. Peter's HealthCare System in New Jersey and HCA Healthcare's acquisition of five Steward Health Care System hospitals in Utah, regulators announced Thursday. The proposed deal in New Jersey would give the West Orange-based not-for-profit health system a 50% market share for general acute care services in Middlesex County, according to the complaint. For-profit HCA Healthcare's acquisition of five Steward Health Care System hospitals in Utah would reduce the number of health systems offering acute services from three to two in some markets, the FTC said. (Kacik, 6/2)
Crain's New York Business:
Digital Pharmacy Capsule Reports Hack Affecting 27,000 Users
Capsule, an app-based pharmacy that delivers medications to patients, has reported a network server breach that affected more than 27,000 people. The Manhattan startup said the attack was likely an instance of “password spraying,” the term for when an attacker uses login information from other companies’ data breaches to attempt to break into users’ accounts. A third-party cybersecurity firm concluded the breach was not a result of any weaknesses in Capsule’s security or data infrastructure, a company spokeswoman said. She did not name the firm that conducted the investigation. (Kaufman, 6/2)
Bloomberg:
FDA Warns DNA Sequencing Machines Could Be Hacked
US regulators warned health-care providers about a cybersecurity risk with some Illumina Inc. DNA-sequencing machines that could compromise patient data. Several of Illumina’s next-generation machines have a software vulnerability that could allow an unauthorized user to take control of the system remotely and alter settings or data, the Food and Drug Administration said in a letter Thursday. While there have been no reports of this happening, it’s possible that a hacker could alter a patient’s clinical diagnosis or gain access to sensitive genetic information. (Brown, 6/2)
AP:
West Virginia Hospital Plans To Join Mountain Health Network
A West Virginia hospital plans to join the Mountain Health Network under an agreement that calls for $39 million in investments over the next five years, health officials announced. The agreement announced Thursday is the first step toward Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant being acquired by Cabell Huntington Hospital and allowing the 101-bed nonprofit hospital to become part of the health network that also includes St. Marys Medical Center in Huntington, Mountain Health said in a news release. (6/3)
Los Angeles Times:
After 3 Teens Overdose, L.A. Schools Warn Of Fentanyl-Laced Ecstasy Pills
The Los Angeles Unified School District is sounding an alarm about fentanyl-laced ecstasy pills after three high school students overdosed. Three teenage girls were found unconscious in a Los Angeles County home on May 25 after taking ecstasy pills that were contaminated with fentanyl, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said in a Twitter post this week. The teens reportedly crushed and snorted blue circular tablets that they had purchased from an online dealer selling ecstasy. Emergency personnel used naloxone, or Narcan, to resuscitate the teens, one of whom suffered a brain injury, said Dr. Siddarth Puri, the associate medical director of prevention with the county health department. (Alvarez, 6/2)
AP:
Oregon Botched Drug Treatment Plan Tied To Decriminalization
Efforts to get millions of dollars in funding to treatment centers and related services as part of Oregon’s pioneering drug decriminalization have been botched even as drug addictions and overdoses increase, state officials and lawmakers said on Thursday. Oregonians passed Ballot Measure 110 in 2020 decriminalizing possession of personal amounts of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and other drugs — the first in the nation to do so. A person found with drugs receives a citation, like a traffic ticket, with the maximum $100 fine waived if they call a hotline for a health assessment. (Selsky, 6/3)
AP:
Medical Pot Proposal Gets Bipartisan Support In NC Senate
Marijuana would be legalized for medical use in North Carolina with a physician’s prescription and purchased through dozens of tightly regulated dispensaries in a measure receiving initial approval Thursday in the Senate. The legislation, which received strong bipartisan support, could help people facing more than a dozen different “debilitating medical conditions” in which their doctor declares the health benefits of smoking or consuming cannabis outweigh the risks. (Robertson, 6/2)
AP:
NC Bill Seeks "Forever Chemical" Standards, Reimbursements
North Carolina state regulators would set maximum acceptable levels of “forever chemicals” — like those discharged for decades into the Cape Fear River — for drinking water in legislation considered Thursday by a state House committee. The measure also would give the state environment secretary power to order a company responsible for excessive levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, to pay for public water system improvements designed to remove the chemicals or lessen concentrations. (Robertson, 6/2)
CBS News:
Feds Warn Not To Use Adult Bed Rails Blamed For At Least 3 Deaths
Americans are being urged to stop using any of 285,000 adult portable bed rails after the deaths of at least three people who suffocated after becoming caught in one of 10 models of the product. The bed rails were manufactured and sold by Mobility Transfer Systems from 1992 to 2021 and by Metal Tubing USA in 2021 and 2022, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday. Neither company has agreed to recall the beds or offer a remedy to consumers, according to the agency. The bed rails were sold at Walmart.com, Amazon.com, MTSMedicalSupply.com, VitalityMedical.com, Alimed.com and other online retailers for roughly $30 to $170. (Gibson, 6/2)
AP:
Baseball Honors Gehrig While Raising Awareness Of ALS
Jim Poole describes the past year almost matter-of-factly, even though the effects of ALS on the former reliever are anything but. “I’m going to say a downhill spiral, but not in the negative sense. I’m not sad, or ‘woe is me.’ It’s just the way it is,” the 56-year-old said. “When I was diagnosed, I could still walk, my left arm still worked, I could speak well. In a matter of 11 months, (I’m) in a wheelchair and I adapt. That’s the main word that it’s been about, adapting and appreciating whatever I can accomplish in a given day.” Poole was at Camden Yards on Thursday night for Lou Gehrig Day, when baseball celebrates the life and legacy of the Yankees’ Hall of Famer, who died on June 2, 1941, of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. (Trister, 6/3)
AP:
Health Minister: Iran Marks First Day Without COVID Deaths
Iran’s health minister said Thursday the country has marked its first day after more than two years without a single COVID-19 death, lauding this as a significant milestone for a nation that long had the highest number of coronavirus cases in the Middle East. (6/2)
Bloomberg:
India Covid News: Biggest Jump In Cases In Almost Three Months
India reported 4,041 new Covid-19 infections on Friday -- the highest single-day jump since March 11 -- stoking fears of another wave building up in some parts of the densely-populated country that has eased almost all restrictions. The South Asian nation has recorded 43.17 million Covid infections since the start of the pandemic and 524,651 fatalities, according to health ministry data, although the World Health Organization has said the death toll is significantly higher. The daily positivity rate, or the confirmed Covid cases as a percentage of overall tests, stands at 0.95% for the country while the weekly positivity rate has begun inching up, the data show. (Chaudhary, 6/3)
The New York Times:
Israel Moves Blood Bank Underground To Safeguard It From Attacks
When the sirens warning of incoming rockets split the skies, Israel’s national blood bank moves into high alert to keep the nation’s blood supply safe. The heavy machinery for blood processing, plasma freezers and centrifuges are transferred to a basement bomb shelter, a cumbersome operation that takes 10 to 12 hours. That is about to change. By the end of the year, the blood bank will be relocated to a bright, state-of-the-art subterranean facility built to withstand chemical, biological and conventional weapons, including a direct hit from a large missile, as well as earthquakes and cyberattacks. (Kershner, 6/1)