Cause of Bronny James' Cardiac Arrest; Army Doc's Sexual Assault Case; COVID vs Flu
by Shannon Firth, Washington Correspondent, MedPage Today August 28, 2023
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A congenital heart defect is the probable cause of Bronny James' cardiac arrest, a spokesman said; the University of Southern California freshman and son of NBA star LeBron James is expected to return to the court. (ESPN)
A federal judge ruled that West Virginia can block the sale of abortion pills given the state's near-total abortion ban. (AP)
In Texas, a judge blocked the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors; the ruling has been appealed. (Reuters)
Army physician Michael Stockin, MD, is under investigation in a sexual assault case involving 23 alleged victims, including former patients. (Washington Post)
About 4,800 pilots, most still flying, are suspected of hiding health issues. (Washington Post)
Rite Aid is preparing to file for bankruptcy, a move that would halt lawsuits over its role in the opioid crisis, the Wall Street Journal is reporting.
Why Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) anecdote of a woman who survived multiple abortion attempts is dubious. (Politifact)
The Biden administration is under pressure from Democrats and advocates to make certain the millions of people dropped by Medicaid haven't been disenrolled for procedural reasons. (The Hill)
California physicians and lawmakers are facing off over a new bill that would drastically increase the fees physicians pay to help stand up the state's medical board. (KFF Health News)
ADHD medication shortages could worsen as children go back to school. (CNBC)
Mental health spending exploded during the pandemic, as telehealth options made care more accessible, a study in JAMA Health Forum found.
Omicron infections in France late last year were four times more deadly than the flu, researchers found. (Epidemiology & Infection)
Amid rising cases and hospitalizations in the U.S. related to the virus, COVID-19 emergency department visits among adolescents nearly doubled last week as well. (CBS News)
COVID closed schools during the pandemic; now scientists are looking for clean-air approaches to help keep them open. (New York Times)
President Biden said he intends to ask Congress for additional funding to develop a new COVID vaccine. (The Hill)
Add AstraZeneca to the list of pharmaceutical companies suing the federal government over its plan to negotiate the price Medicare pays for certain drugs; the company says it will hamper access and innovation, especially for rare diseases. (Fierce Pharma)
Dr. Berne's Whole Health products recalled certain lots of its methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) and organic castor oil eye drops over concerns of bacterial and fungal contamination, the FDA announced.
And possible metal contamination led to a recall of Trader Joe's multigrain crackers with sunflower and flax seeds. (ABC7)
More cities are aiming to address "shade deserts" in an effort to combat heat waves. (KFF Health News)
Here's what extreme heat can do to the human body. (The New Yorker)
Shannon Firth has been reporting on health policy as MedPage Today's Washington correspondent since 2014. She is also a member of the site's Enterprise & Investigative Reporting team. Follow