RFK Jr. Helping Trump Pick CDC Chief; Excess COVID Death Lingers; Turmoil at 23andMe
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How might Robert F. Kennedy Jr. influence public health under another Trump administration? The known vaccine skeptic says he’s helping pick the leaders for the CDC and FDA. (New York Times, The Hill)
The U.S. health system is failing and ranks last among 10 industrialized nations, according to a report from the Commonwealth Fund.
Winners of the 2024 Lasker Awards include researchers who discovered and developed GLP-1 agonists, infectious disease specialists working on HIV transmission and prevention, and a scientist who discovered the cGAS enzyme, “which senses the DNA of invading organisms or damaged cells and triggers the body to make a rapid immune response.”
The pager attack in Lebanon begs the question, who still uses the devices? Healthcare workers for starters. (Reuters)
The House passed 14 bipartisan health bills. Here’s a rundown on the legislation from the office of Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.).
A pressurization issue on a domestic Delta flight left passengers with bloody noses and ears. (NBC News)
The cloud of excess mortality from the COVID-19 pandemic is not expected to lift until at least 2028 under optimistic scenarios, according to a report from the Swiss Re Institute.
The FDA cleared Vivos Therapeutics’ oral DNA appliance for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and snoring in children ages 6 to 17 years, the company announced. (BioSpace)
In somewhat related news, the FDA warned about use of the unapproved SnoreStop Nasal Spray over concerns of microbial contamination.
And the agency declined to approve tradipitant for gastroparesis, citing the need for additional studies, drugmaker Vanda Pharmaceuticals announced.
The Health Resources and Services Administration told Johnson & Johnson to “immediately” drop its proposal to issue rebates after the fact for certain 340B discounted drugs, threatening fines and loss of access to Medicaid and Medicare. (Fierce Healthcare)
A man who allegedly claimed he was going to kill staff at a VA hospital in Alabama was subsequently arrested at home. (WSFA)
Video analysis flagged signs of concussion among “Power Slap” fighters. (JAMA Surgery)
A nurse described her 2022 encounter with “volatile” Ryan Wesley Routh, who is suspected of an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at his West Palm Beach golf course. (WPTV)
Flavonoid-rich foods were linked with a lower risk for dementia in a cohort study, especially for people with hypertension, depressive symptoms, and high genetic risk. (JAMA Network Open)
An investigational thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist for metabolic-dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) met its primary endpoint of reducing liver fat in a phase IIa trial, Aligos Therapeutics announced.
Every independent board member at 23andMe resigned in a dispute with the company’s CEO. (The Guardian)
The first 50 face transplants in the world suggest encouraging survival numbers. (JAMA Surgery)
A magnetic phone charger exploded and left a Massachusetts teenager with burn injuries. (USA Today)
In North Ireland, foreign nurses subject to racist intimidation fled their homes and sought housing in a disused part of the local hospital. (BBC News)
A third Palestinian doctor has reportedly died after being abducted by Israeli forces from Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital. (Middle East Eye)
