First Edition: Sept. 29, 2021

KHN:
The Part Of The ‘Free Britney’ Saga That Could Happen To Anyone

When Britney Spears last went before a judge, in June, she bristled as she told of being forced into psychiatric care that cost her $60,000 a month. Though the pop star’s circumstances in a financial conservatorship are unusual, every year hundreds of thousands of other psychiatric patients also receive involuntary care, and many are stuck with the bill. Few have Spears’ resources to pay for it, which can have devastating consequences. To the frustration of those who study the issue, data on how many people are involuntarily hospitalized and how much they pay is sparse. (Magoon, 9/29)

KHN:
Alzheimer’s Drug Targets People With Mild Cognitive Impairment. What Does That Mean?

The approval of a controversial new drug for Alzheimer’s disease, Aduhelm, is shining a spotlight on mild cognitive impairment — problems with memory, attention, language or other cognitive tasks that exceed changes expected with normal aging. After initially indicating that Aduhelm could be prescribed to anyone with dementia, the Food and Drug Administration now specifies that the prescription drug be given to individuals with mild cognitive impairment or early-stage Alzheimer’s, the groups in which the medication was studied. (Graham, 9/29)

NPR:
Pfizer Submits Favorable Initial Data To The FDA On Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

Pfizer and BioNTech are another step closer to seeking authorization for young children to receive the COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine, submitting data to the Food and Drug Administration that shows a “robust” antibody response and “favorable” safety outcomes in kids ages 5 to 11 who received the two-dose regimen in clinical trials. The companies plan to submit a formal request for emergency-use authorization of the vaccine for that age range “in the coming weeks,” they said Tuesday. (Chappell, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal:
Pfizer’s Covid-19 Vaccine For Kids May Not Be FDA Authorized Before November 

Regulatory clearance of the Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech vaccine for young children may not come until November, according to a person familiar with the matter, after the companies said they won’t ask for the green light for a few weeks. The companies said Tuesday they provided U.S. health regulators with data from a recent study of their vaccine in children 5 to 11 years old. They said they would file an application asking the Food and Drug Administration to authorize use in the coming weeks, though they had previously targeted submitting the application as early as the end of September. (Hopkins and Armour, 9/28)

The Atlantic:
Vaccine Data for Kids Under 5 Are Coming ‘Before the End of the Year’

The vaccine timeline for young kids is looking a little more solid. This morning, Pfizer submitted data to the FDA showing that its COVID-19 vaccine is effective and safe for children ages 5 to 11. And this afternoon, the company’s CEO, Albert Bourla, said that trial results for even younger kids, aged 2 to 4, will be available in a couple months’ time. “Before the end of the year,” he confirmed in an interview with Craig Melvin, the Today news anchor and MSNBC anchor, at The Atlantic Festival. Submission to the FDA will follow soon thereafter, Bourla said. (Zhang, 9/28)

CIDRAP:
COVID Vaccine Protection Stayed Strong In Teens During Delta, Data Show

Vaccine effectiveness (VE) for the two-dose Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was up to 91.5% in Israeli teens 12 to 15 years old during the Delta (B1617.2) variant outbreak, according to a study published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases. Israel made the Pfizer vaccine available for teens starting Jun 2, and by Aug 26, 46.1% of those who were eligible were partially vaccinated and 31.2% were fully vaccinated. To estimate VE, the researchers looked at those who received their second dose between Jul 1 and Jul 24, excluding those who had a history of COVID-19 infection. (9/28)

NBC News:
‘Mutually Assured Destruction’: House Liberals Dig In On Halting Infrastructure Bill

House progressives are digging in on their resistance to passing the infrastructure bill this week, repeating their threat to block the measure despite Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s call to pass it quickly and tackle the social safety net package later. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the progressive caucus, which boasts 95 House members, told NBC News that “nothing has changed” and more than half her caucus is prepared to vote down the infrastructure bill if it comes up before the larger tax-and-spending bill has passed the Senate. (Kapur, Caldwell and Haake, 9/28)

Politico:
Biden Opposes Changing Senate Rules To Raise Debt Limit 

The White House said Tuesday that President Joe Biden opposes changing the filibuster to suspend or raise the debt ceiling, closing off a break-the-glass option to avoid financial calamity. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that Biden’s position on reforming the filibuster has not changed as Democrats search for options to deal with the approaching debt ceiling deadline amid persistent refusal from Senate Republicans to step in and help. Earlier in the day, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned congressional leaders that her department could run out of money by Oct. 18, triggering a disastrous default on the government’s debt that would cripple the entire U.S. economy. (Cadelago, 9/28)

The New York Times:
Yellen Warns Congress That Debt Limit Must By Raised By Oct. 18 

Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen warned lawmakers on Tuesday of “catastrophic” consequences if Congress failed to raise or suspend the statutory debt limit in less than three weeks, saying inaction could lead to a self-inflicted economic recession and a financial crisis. At a Senate Banking Committee hearing where she testified alongside the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome H. Powell, Ms. Yellen laid out in explicit terms what she expects to happen if Congress does not deal with the debt limit before Oct. 18, which the Treasury now believes is when the United States will actually face default. In her most public expression of alarm about the matter, she described the standoff within Congress as a self-inflicted wound of enormous proportions. (Rappeport, Cochrane and Smialek, 9/28)

The Hill:
McConnell Blocks Schumer Attempt To Bypass Filibuster On Debt Hike

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) blocked an effort by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to bypass the 60-vote legislative filibuster on a debt ceiling hike. Schumer tried to get an agreement to set up a simple-majority vote on a bill to suspend the nation’s borrowing limit, which would bypass the filibuster and let Democrats raise it without GOP support. (Carney, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal:
Havana Syndrome Attacks Widen With CIA Officer’s Evacuation From Serbia 

The CIA evacuated an intelligence officer serving in Serbia in recent weeks who suffered serious injuries consistent with the neurological attacks known as Havana Syndrome, according to current and former U.S. officials. The incident in the Balkans, which hasn’t been previously reported, is the latest in what the officials describe as a steady expansion of attacks on American spies and diplomats posted overseas by unknown assailants using what government officials and scientists suspect is some sort of directed-energy source. (Strobel, 9/28)

The Washington Post:
FDA Delays Ruling On Safety Of Sunscreen Ingredients 

If sunscreen manufacturers, environmentalists, dermatologists and consumers were expecting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to take a position on the safety of chemical filters in sunscreen products by yesterday, they were likely disappointed. On Friday, the regulatory agency said that it needs more time and data before ruling whether the filters in question, compounds designed to protect users from UVA and UVB rays, are in fact safe.  Instead, the FDA released an announcement that closely mirrored its 2019 proposed rule, in which it deemed only 2 of 16 UV filters used in sunscreens (the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide), as generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE). Two of the organic chemical compounds — aminobenzoic acid (PABA) and trolamine salicylate — are proposed as not safe and eff­ective for sunscreen use. The other 12 remain under review and are sold under the definition of “Marketed Unapproved Drugs.” The agency also opened a 45-day period for public comment. (Mandell, 9/28)

The Wall Street Journal:
Vaccine Mandate Takes Effect In New York With Healthcare Disruptions

Thousands of healthcare workers in New York lost their jobs Tuesday when a new vaccine mandate went into effect, forcing some nursing homes to stop admitting new patients and hospitals to warn of longer wait times. The state is serving as a test case of how similar requirements will play out across the U.S. Other states and the federal government are bracing for disruptions as vaccine requirements take effect in the coming weeks and months. (Vielkind, 9/28)

The New York Times:
Vaccine Mandate Leads Thousands Of New York Health Workers To Get Vaccinated

New York State’s pioneering effort to force health care workers to receive coronavirus vaccines appears to have pressured thousands of holdouts to receive last-minute shots, though hospitals and nursing homes continue to brace for potential staffing shortages should the mandate fall short, according to state and industry officials. As the vaccination mandate went into full effect on Monday, 92 percent of the state’s more than 650,000 hospital and nursing home workers had received at least one vaccine dose, state officials said. That was a significant increase from a week ago, when 82 percent of the state’s nursing home workers and at least 84 percent of hospital workers had received at least one dose. (Otterman and Goldstein, 9/28)

AP:
WA Worker Vaccination Increases Ahead Of Mandate Deadline

As a crucial deadline for Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate approaches, state data shows that vaccination numbers for Washington state workers subject to the requirement are about 20% higher than earlier this month. The Seattle Times reported that more than two-thirds of Washington workers have gotten their shots. By Oct. 4, most workers must show that they have gotten all their shots in order to be considered fully vaccinated by Oct. 18. (9/28)

The Washington Post:
United Airlines Says Nearly All Workers Met Vaccine Mandate Deadline, 593 Could Face Termination

Nearly all of United Airlines’ U.S.-based employees have been vaccinated, the company said Tuesday, touting the success of its policy after becoming the first U.S. carrier to require the vaccine among its workforce. United’s deadline for meeting the requirement was Monday, and the carrier said Tuesday it has begun the process of terminating 593 employees who declined to be vaccinated and did not apply for a health or religious exemption. The company said less than 3 percent of its roughly 67,000 workforce applied for exemptions, while 1 percent didn’t comply. (Aratani, 9/28)

AP:
Federal Utility’s Workers Have Until Nov. 22 For COVID Shots

A federal utility is requiring its workers to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 22. Tennessee Valley Authority spokesperson Jim Hopson says the nation’s largest public utility is working on developing the processes and procedures to implement the new requirement, including a secure system for employees to document their vaccination status. (9/29)

The New York Times:
Fear Of Delta Is Motivating Americans To Get Shots More Than Mandates, Survey Finds 

The Delta variant of the coronavirus was the leading reason that people decided to get vaccinated against Covid-19 this summer and why most say they will get boosters when eligible, according to the latest monthly survey on vaccine attitudes by the Kaiser Family Foundation, released on Tuesday morning. But the survey indicated that nearly three-quarters of unvaccinated Americans view boosters very differently, saying that the need for them shows that the vaccines are not working. That divide suggests that while it may be relatively easy to persuade vaccinated people to line up for an additional shot, the need for boosters may complicate public health officials’ efforts to persuade the remaining unvaccinated people to get their initial one. (Hoffman, 9/29)

USA Today:
Vaccination Rates Among Pregnant People Low Despite Risk Of Hospitalization, Death

Vaccination rates among people who are pregnant have been low, despite evidence that vaccines can prevent the “severe risk of severe disease” posed to pregnant people from COVID-19. Only 18% of pregnant people have received a dose, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. While new data shows overall racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccinations are improving, federal numbers show pregnant Black people are the least vaccinated compared to those expecting in other races. Just 15% of Black pregnant people are fully vaccinated and only 13% have received at least one dose, according to the CDC. (Santucci, 9/29)

CIDRAP:
Trump’s COVID Vaccine Endorsement This Year Appears To Have Worked

A political support video earlier this year by former President Donald Trump swayed more Trump voters to consider COVID-19 vaccination than a video by an expert, according to a study published yesterday in PLOS One. On Mar 23, 387 Trump voters experienced one of three options prior to taking an online survey regarding the COVID-19 vaccine: a video of Trump taking pride in America’s efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, a scientific expert giving facts about the vaccine, or no video at all. All respondents were either unvaccinated (87.1%) or partially vaccinated (12.9%), with most under 50 years of age (71%), college educated (59% had bachelor’s degrees or more), and White (83%). About 42% were in a household with $60,000 to $149,999 in income. (9/28)

Los Angeles Times:
400,000 Plus Americans Have COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots

At least 400,000 people in the United States have received COVID-19 booster shots since the extra injections were authorized last week, the Biden administration said Tuesday. “Our planning and preparation on boosters have propelled a strong start,” said Jeff Zients, a White House COVID-19 response coordinator, told reporters during a livestreamed news conference. Zients said most of the 400,000 injections were administered over the weekend, and nearly 1 million people have scheduled appointments to get their third shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The administration’s partnerships with states, long-term care facilities, doctors and pharmacies enabled it to “immediately” roll out boosters following last week’s approval of the shots by the federal government, Zients said. (Logan, 9/28)

AP:
COVID-Related Attacks Prompt Hospital To Issue Panic Buttons

Nurses and hundreds of other staff members will soon begin wearing panic buttons at a Missouri hospital where assaults on workers tripled after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cox Medical Center Branson is using grant money to add buttons to identification badges worn by up to 400 employees who work in the emergency room and inpatient hospital rooms. Pushing the button will immediately alert hospital security, launching a tracking system that will send help to the endangered worker. The hospital hopes to have the system operational by the end of the year. (Salter, 9/28)

AP:
Misinformation Leads To Animosity Toward Health Care Workers

A constant barrage of misinformation has Idaho health care workers facing increased animosity from some patients and community members, officials say. It’s gotten so bad in northern Idaho that some Kootenai Health employees are scared to go to the grocery store if they haven’t changed out of their scrubs, said hospital spokeswoman Caiti Bobbitt on Tuesday. Some doctors and nurses at the Coeur d’Alene hospital have been accused of killing patients by grieving family members who don’t believe COVID-19 is real, Bobbitt said. Others have been the subject of hurtful rumors spread by people angry about the pandemic. (Boone, 9/29)

AP:
Federal Judge Overturns South Carolina School Mask Ban

A federal judge Tuesday suspended South Carolina from enforcing a rule that banned school districts from requiring masks for students. Parents of disabled children, helped by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the state saying the ban discriminated against medically vulnerable students by keeping them out of public schools as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. (Collins, 9/29)

AP:
NBA Releases Protocols To Teams For Virus Safety This Season

The NBA released tentative health and safety protocols to its teams Tuesday, detailing how unvaccinated players will be tested far more often than their vaccinated colleagues and face a slew of other restrictions. Among the rules for unvaccinated players: They will not be able to eat in the same room with vaccinated teammates or staff, must have lockers as far away from vaccinated players as possible, and must stay masked and at least six feet away from all other attendees in any team meeting. (Reynolds, 9/28)

CBS News:
LeBron James Says He Got The COVID Vaccine Despite Initial Skepticism: “I Felt Like It Was Best Suited For Not Only Me But My Family” 

LeBron James on Tuesday said he received the COVID-19 vaccine despite his initial skepticism. The Los Angeles Lakers star spoke with reporters on the Lakers’ annual media day for the upcoming season, saying he and his family got the vaccine after he did his own research. “I think everyone has they own choice — to do what they feel is right for themselves and their family and things of that nature,” he said. “I know that I was very (skeptical) about it all but after doing my research. I felt like it was best suited for not only me but for my family and my friends.” (Jones, 9/28)

Reuters:
Ford Asks U.S. Salaried Employees To Disclose COVID-19 Vaccination Status

Ford Motor Co on Tuesday became the second Detroit automaker to ask U.S. salaried employees to reveal their vaccination status against COVID-19 in a bid to comply with wider federal guidelines. Ford said salaried employees were required to submit their vaccination status against COVID-19 by Oct. 8 but the process was voluntary for its hourly employees represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. (9/28)

AP:
Arkansas Governor Allows State’s COVID Emergency To End

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday said he’d allowed the state’s public health emergency for the coronavirus pandemic to end, saying he didn’t need any additional powers to respond to it. Hutchinson told reporters he didn’t seek an extension from the Legislature for the emergency, which expired on Monday. But Hutchinson cautioned that the state is still feeling the effects of COVID-19, which the Health Department on Tuesday said had claimed another 21 lives in the state. (9/28)

Stat:
FDA Tells Drug Makers To Redo Studies Run By Two Contract Research Firms

In a rare move, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified an untold number of drug makers that some of their clinical trials must be repeated due to serious data problems at a pair of companies in India that run studies for the pharmaceutical industry. The action stems from inspections at two clinical research organizations — Synchron Research Services and Panexcell Clinical Lab — that were conducted in 2019. After running its own analyses, the agency found “significant instances of misconduct and violations of federal regulations, which resulted in the submission of invalid study data to FDA,” according to a Sept. 16 statement posted by the FDA. (Silverman, 9/28)

Stat:
Biogen, Eisai Seek Fast Approval For Second Alzheimer’s Drug 

Biogen and its Japanese partner Eisai announced Monday evening the start of an application process that will seek a fast U.S. approval for an experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease — based on the same relaxed standard used last June to win a highly contested approval for Aduhelm. The two companies said a “rolling submission” to the Food and Drug Administration for the Alzheimer’s drug called lecanemab has been initiated and will likely be completed in the next several months. (Feuerstein, 9/28)

The Boston Globe:
Mass General Brigham Won’t Offer Biogen’s New Alzheimer’s Drug

Mass General Brigham, the state’s largest health care provider, said Tuesday that it will not administer Biogen’s controversial new Alzheimer’s drug to patients, dealing another setback to the Cambridge company and its expensive treatment. The network, which includes the flagships Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is the latest major US health care system to opt against offering monthly infusions of the drug, called Aduhelm, over concerns about its safety and effectiveness. The Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Health System in New York, and Providence in Renton, Wash., made similar moves in July after weighing the risks and benefits of the medicine. But Mass General Brigham’s decision holds special significance because of its proximity to Biogen. (Saltzman, 9/28)

Bloomberg:
Opioid Distributors To Pay $75 Million In Cherokee Accord

The three largest U.S. opioid distributors agreed to pay $75 million to the Cherokee Nation Native American tribe in Oklahoma to settle allegations that the companies helped fuel a public health crisis with their highly addictive painkillers. McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp. on Tuesday announced the deal, which is the first opioid settlement with a tribal government. It is separate from a $26 billion proposal by the distributors and Johnson & Johnson to resolve thousands of suits by states and local governments over the medications. That deal has yet to be finalized. (Feeley, 9/28)

Stat:
As Lawsuits Mounted, Purdue Held Conversations With Addiction Policy Group

Over several months in 2017, a top Purdue Pharma executive and the head of the Addiction Policy Forum, a controversial patient advocacy group, discussed the possibility of working together to combat opioid addiction, according to emails reviewed by STAT. One potential project concerned providing educational resources to people struggling with addiction issues, which the Addiction Policy Forum sought to launch. This occurred around the same time that the pharmaceutical industry trade group, PhRMA, was looking to its members — which included Purdue — to contribute to a multi-year, multi-million-dollar grant soon to be awarded to the advocacy group, the emails noted. (Silverman, 9/29)

Modern Healthcare:
Healthcare Leaders: ‘Government Ought To Get Out Of The Way’

Healthcare leaders are increasingly skeptical the government can do anything to solve their industry’s pervasive cost and access problems, and it’s fueling calls that they go it alone, according to those who spoke at a Modern Healthcare event Tuesday. “My belief is looking to the government to actually fix something as complex as this won’t work,” said Dan Liljenquist, chief strategy officer for Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Healthcare. “We (the audience made up of healthcare C-suite leaders) know healthcare. How do we organize for a different future?” (Bannow, 9/28)

Modern Healthcare:
Big Health Insurers Control Market In Nearly Three-Fourths Of The U.S., AMA Report Shows

Almost three-fourths of U.S. metropolitan areas lacked a competitive health insurance market in 2020, with shrinking options among payers harming patients and providers, the American Medical Association concluded in a study published Tuesday. Seventy-three percent of 384 metropolitan statistical markets were highly concentrated in 2020, up from 71% in 2014, the physicians’ society reported in its 20th annual study of health insurance markets. In many cases, competition declined in areas dominated by just a few health insurers. Fifty-four percent of markets that were designated as highly concentrated in 2014 became even less competitive by 2020, and another 26% markets also reached highly concentrated levels, the report says. (9/28)

Modern Healthcare:
Tower Health Restructures Amid Operating Losses

Tower Health plans to sell and close two of its seven acute-care hospitals as the Pennsylvania not-for-profit health system continues to lose money. The board approved a non-binding letter of intent to sell Chestnut Hill Hospital and more than a dozen urgent care centers to Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, the Reading, Pennsylvania-based system announced Tuesday. Board members also signed off on closing Jennersville Hospital by the start of next year. Tower acquired five hospitals, including Chestnut and Jennersville, from Community Health System in 2017. The health system’s operating income has waned since 2017, reporting operating losses since 2019. (Kacik, 9/28)

Modern Healthcare:
Amazon Looks To Ease Patient Communication For Hospital

Amazon Web Services will offer hospitals three new ways to make communicating with patients faster, easier and more efficient, according to a news release on Monday. Health systems will soon be able to automate outbound calls, texts and emails with patients via Amazon Connect without the need for third-party integrations with other systems. That could make it easier for health systems to send appointment reminders and market to consumers, the company said. “A large hospital healthcare network can send texts and emails to ask patients to confirm upcoming appointments, and then automatically call all patients that fail to respond,” the news release said. (Brady, 9/28)

The Hill:
Federal Judge Blocks Part Of Arizona Abortion Ban Hours Before It Takes Effect

A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a provision of Arizona’s new abortion ban hours before it was set to take effect, which would have prohibited abortions solely due to a diagnosis of a genetic abnormality or other fetal condition. In the order granting a partial preliminary injunction against the law, Judge Douglas L. Rayes for the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona wrote that because doctors are required to inform patients of this provision, those who wish “to terminate her pre-viability pregnancy because of a fetal genetic abnormality” may inevitably “conceal this information from or lie to her doctor, neither of which fosters trust or encourages open dialogue.”  (Castronuovo, 9/28)

AP:
Key Part Of Arizona Genetic-Abnormality Abortion Law Blocked

A judge has blocked a key portion of a new Arizona law that would have let prosecutors bring felony charges against doctors who knowingly terminate pregnancies solely because the fetuses have a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome. U.S. District Judge Douglas Rayes on Tuesday also threw out another provision that would have let prosecutors bring charges against anyone who helped raise money or pay for abortions done solely because of genetic abnormality. (9/29)

The Hill:
Vaccines, Abortion, Trump Dominate Final Virginia Governor’s Debate

Virginia gubernatorial candidates Terry McAuliffe (D) and Glenn Youngkin (R ) participated in a contentious final debate on Tuesday night, which was largely dominated by topics like abortion, vaccine mandates and former President Trump. McAuliffe continued his strategy of tying Youngkin to Trump, saying the Republican is “bought and paid for by the former president. (Manchester, 9/28)

Houston Chronicle:
Save Chick-Fil-A Case Has Strong Implications For Texas Abortion Ban

A case that’s before the Texas Supreme Court this fall could have strong implications for the future of the state’s newly adopted abortion ban, the most prohibitive in the nation. The suit relates to a 2019 law that, like the abortion law, was authored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola. Known as the “Save Chick-fil-A” law, it allows anyone to sue when they believe a governmental entity has taken “adverse actions” against a person or company based on its support for a religious organization, as Republican lawmakers believed the city of San Antonio did when excluding the fast-food restaurant from its airport. (Goldenstein, 9/28)

CIDRAP:
More Pregnant Women Turned To Cannabis In California Amid COVID-19 

Rates of cannabis use by women in early pregnancy shot up 25% early in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of more than 100,000 pregnancies in Northern California. The study, published yesterday in JAMA, analyzed routine urine tests for cannabis at the first (8-week) prenatal visit for 100,005 pregnancies of 95,412 women from Jan 1, 2019, to Dec 31, 2020. Positive test results were compared with those from the 15 months leading up to the pandemic. (Van Beusekom, 9/28)

The Hill:
Former NBA Star Chris Webber Opening $175M Cannabis ‘Compound’ In Detroit 

Former NBA star Chris Webber announced he’s opening a multimillion-dollar cannabis “compound” in his native city of Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reported. The Webber Wellness Compound, which officially broke ground on Tuesday, will include marijuana operations and a training facility, a cultivation facility, a dispensary and a cannabis consumption lounge. (Oshin, 9/28)

The New York Times:
Transgender Youth Face Multiple Barriers To Health Care, Study Finds 

Piper, a 17-year-old transgender girl, says she knows she is fortunate. She lives just outside Atlanta, with a supportive family and two rescued leopard geckos, Saturn and Juno. Queer Med, a private gender clinic, is a short drive away; two years ago, she started a regimen of gender-affirming hormones there, after five months of asking — a comparatively short wait. The treatments have precipitated a monumental shift in Piper’s perception of herself. “I’m just more confident in my body,” she said. (Piper’s family members asked that she be identified by only her first name to protect their privacy.)Things are not perfect. Piper still sees a regular pediatrician for her other health needs, but staff members there still occasionally use the wrong pronouns or her former name. Her family’s new insurance plan is not accepted at Queer Med, so they must pay out of pocket for every visit — about $150 not including lab fees. (Imbler, 9/28)

CNN:
A Man Died From Rabies After Waking Up To A Bat In His Room. It’s Illinois’ First Human Case Of The Virus In Nearly 70 Years 

A man in northeastern Illinois died from rabies about a month after apparently being infected by a bat he found in his room, marking the first human case of the virus in the state since 1954, health officials said Tuesday. The man, who was in his 80s, woke up last month and found a bat on his neck in his Lake County, Illinois, home. After the bat tested positive for rabies, the man declined postexposure treatment, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said in a news release. (Elamroussi, 9/29)

The New York Times:
W.H.O. Workers Abused Women On Mission In Congo, Inquiry Finds 

Doctors and other staff members working for the World Health Organization to render aid during an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo sexually abused or exploited women and girls there, a commission appointed by the head of the agency reported on Tuesday. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the agency’s director general, apologized directly to the victims — reported to number in the dozens — and promised to undertake “wholesale reform of policies and processes” to address exploitation and abuse in the organization. He said the agency was terminating the contracts of four people identified as perpetrators who were still employed with the agency and would refer allegations of rape to the authorities in Congo and in the home countries of those accused of misconduct. (Patel, 9/28)

Bloomberg:
Deaths Of Women And Children Show Wider Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic

Disruption to health systems in lower-income nations during the pandemic has caused an increase in deaths among women and children that’s more than double the toll from Covid-19, new research shows. The estimates highlight a crisis that’s threatening years of hard-fought progress in improving the health of women and children, according to the Global Financing Facility, launched in 2015 by the World Bank, United Nations and others. (Paton, 9/29)

Bloomberg:
Anti-Vaxxers Interrupt U.K. Case Calling For End To Kids Vaccine

Anti-vaccine activists interrupted a U.K. court hearing over the roll out of the coronavirus vaccine to under 18s, demanding that vaccines for kids should be stopped. Three unidentified men barged into the hearing at London’s Royal Courts of Justice shouting “there is going to be no more vaccines for kids.” One man said there was “ex-military here” and yelled that the court room would be “going to the gallows.” A woman and her children who have not been identified have asked for a judge-led review of the U.K. government’s decision to vaccinate 12-17 year-olds. The claimants are also asking for an injunction to stop the vaccination program until a ruling is handed down. (Gemmell, 9/28)

The Washington Post:
Russia Threatens To Block YouTube After German Channels Are Deleted Over Coronavirus Misinformation

Russia has threatened to block YouTube unless the Google-owned video service restores two German-language channels managed by Russia’s state media company RT that were deleted after they published what YouTube called “misinformation” about covid-19 and coronavirus vaccines. (Pannett, 9/29)

Bloomberg:
Why The Philippines Became The Worst Place To Be In Covid

The monthly snapshot — which measures where the virus is being handled the most effectively with the least social and economic upheaval — ranks 53 major economies on 12 datapoints related to virus containment, the economy and opening up. The Philippines’ drop to No. 53 reflects the challenges it’s facing from the onslaught of the delta variant, which has hit Southeast Asia particularly hard amid difficulties containing the more contagious strain and slow vaccination rollouts. The region, which recently had the worst outbreak in the world, populates the September Ranking’s lowest rungs, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam all in the bottom five. (9/29)

CIDRAP:
Report: COVID-19, Lack Of Funding Are Hampering TB Response

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hamper efforts to diagnose and treat tuberculosis (TB), and international funding for the disease remains inadequate, according to new data from a TB research and advocacy group. The data, released in a report today from the Stop TB Partnership, show that 1.2 million fewer people have been diagnosed and treated for TB in 2021 than in 2019, suggesting the pandemic’s impact on TB treatment and diagnosis has been nearly as bad as it was in 2020. And the money being provided for the global TB response is only half of what’s needed. (Dall, 9/28)

The Washington Post:
Two Transgender Women Won Seats In Germany’s Parliament — Part Of A Small But Growing Group Around World

Two transgender women were elected to Germany’s parliament on Sunday, the first openly trans candidates in the country to become national lawmakers. Both are members of the Green Party, which came in third in the election: Nyke Slawik, 27, of North Rhine-Westphalia state, and Tessa Ganserer, 44, of Nuremberg. (Westfall, 9/28)