Transgender Veterans Sue to Have Gender-Affirming Surgery Covered by VA
A group of transgender veterans filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to begin providing and paying for gender-affirming surgeries. The lawsuit from the Transgender American Veterans Association seeks to compel the VA to codify in its regulations verbal assurances the department has made that it would begin providing those […]
Biden Administration Announces Moves to Cut Drug Prices
The Biden administration announced several actions Thursday aimed at lowering prescription drug costs, including decreasing some drug copays for Medicare beneficiaries and getting pricing concessions for COVID treatments developed in part with federal funding. “I have no problem with companies making reasonable profits, but not on the backs of seniors and working people,” President Biden […]
Probiotics for Preterm Infants Could Pose Serious Danger, FDA Warns
The FDA warned the public Thursday that certain probiotic products given to preterm infants in hospital settings are potentially dangerous. The agency also sent warning letters to Abbott Nutrition and Infinant Health, two makers of probiotic products that the FDA said violate federal laws. “Preterm infants who are administered a probiotic product are at risk […]
Sotorasib’s Confirmatory Data in NSCLC Unreliable, Says FDA Panel
An FDA advisory committee on Thursday said the confirmatory trial data for the KRAS inhibitor sotorasib (Lumakras) in previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cannot be reliably interpreted in the CodeBreaK 200 study. Most members of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) agreed with FDA staff that multiple sources of systemic bias during the […]
Rapper Desiigner To Register As Sex Offender After Pleading Guilty To Masturbating On Plane
Rapper Desiigner has been ordered to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty Thursday to a count of misdemeanor indecent exposure, multiple outlets have reported. The 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Sidney Royel Selby III, was reportedly questioned by police but not charged after exposing himself on an April 17 flight from Tokyo […]
I Kept My Schizophrenia A Secret For 20 Years. Everything Changed When I Told A Friend.
The author today. Photo Courtesy of Rebecca Chamaa On a Thursday this past July, my husband and I drove to our county’s police academy training facility. A uniformed officer let us in. We were escorted through several hallways and into a conference room, where I was scheduled to speak representing our local National Alliance on […]
CDC Issues Sepsis Care Guidance for Hospitals
The CDC issued new guidance to hospitals Thursday for managing sepsis and called on hospitals to do better at treating it. “Every hospital, regardless of size, location, and resources can strengthen the quality of care delivered to these patients and ensure their survival,” CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, said at a press conference. “That’s […]
House Lawmakers Clash Over Gender-Affirming Care in Youth
Lawmakers clashed over the safety of gender-affirming care in minors on Thursday, during a hearing of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government. Republicans condemned the practice, which they characterized as “mutilation,” while Democrats argued such care is safe and effective, citing the support of multiple medical groups. Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike […]
ACLU Sues DC For Police Response To Mental Health Crises
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on Thursday on behalf of a Washington, D.C., nonprofit alleging that the city’s reliance on police response in mental health emergencies is a violation of federal disability law. According to the lawsuit, the Washington police department routinely dispatches armed officers to respond to 911 calls involving mental […]
ACIP Endorses 20-Valent Pneumococcal Vaccine for Kids
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) agreed unanimously on Thursday to include the 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV20; Prevnar) as an option for U.S. children. All 14 members voted in favor of the following four proposals: Routine use in children ages 2-23 months: ACIP recommended either the 15-valent PCV (PCV15; Vaxneuvance) or PCV20, […]