First Edition: May 14, 2021 – Kaiser Health News

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.

KHN:Latinos Are The Most Eager To Get Vaccinated, Survey Shows But Face ObstaclesHispanics who have yet to receive a covid shot are about twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites or Blacks to say theyd like to get vaccinated as soon as possible, according to a survey released Thursday. The findings hint at fixable, though difficult, vaccine access problems for the population. One-third of unvaccinated Hispanics say they want the shots, compared with 17% of Blacks and 16% of whites, according to the survey released Thursday by KFF. (KHN is an editorially independent program of KFF.) (Almendrala, 5/13)

KHN:KHNs What The Health?: Drug Price Effort Hits A SnagThe high cost of prescription drugs is a top health issue for the public and politicians, but concerns raised by a group of moderate Democrats threaten to derail a bill being pushed by House Democratic leaders. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration has authorized the use of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine for everyone age 12 and up, and Pfizer is applying for full licensure of that vaccine. It is currently being distributed under emergency authorization. Full approval could open the door to vaccine requirements in some workplaces, schools or other gathering spots, which will likely touch off more controversy. (5/14)

KHN:Listen: Pandemics, Patents And ProfitsPresident Joe Biden has thrown his support to an international effort to waive drugmakers patent rights on the covid vaccines, but the pharmaceutical industry vows to fight back. Julie Rovner, KHNs chief Washington correspondent, joins The Atlantics Social Distance podcast, hosted by Dr. James Hamblin and Maeve Higgins, to talk about the current patent controversy and how the drug industry has protected itself over the years with vibrant campaigns about the needs for high profits to support drug development. (5/14)

The Wall Street Journal:Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Face Masks And End Physical Distancing In Most Settings, CDC SaysFully vaccinated people dont need to wear a mask or physically distance during outdoor or indoor activities, large or small, federal health officials said, the broadest easing of pandemic recommendations so far. The fully vaccinated should continue to wear a mask while traveling by plane, bus or train, and the guidance doesnt apply to certain places such as hospitals, nursing homes and prisons, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. (Abbott, 5/13)

The New York Times:Vaccinated Americans May Go Without Masks In Most Places, Federal Officials SayThe new recommendations caught state officials and businesses by surprise and raised a host of difficult questions about how the guidelines would be carried out. But the advice came as welcome news to many Americans who were weary of restrictions and traumatized by the past year. We have all longed for this moment, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a White House news conference on Thursday. If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic. (Rabin, Mandavilli and Weiland, 5/13)

Politico:CDC: Vaccinated People Can Now Remove Masks In Most Group SettingsThe announcement by the CDC Thursday marked a massive shift in the Biden administrations thinking about Covid-19. Six weeks ago, senior health officials warned of rising Covid-19 infection rates and pleaded with all Americans to continue to adhere to the strictest of public health measures. [CDC Director Rochelle] Walensky went as far as saying she was scared about the rising case counts. (Banco and Lim, 5/13)

The Washington Post:Better Days Are Ahead: Maskless Biden Marks Milestone In Virus BattlePresident Biden on Thursday afternoon strolled out of the White House with a triumphant demeanor notably without wearing a mask and declared the country on the precipice of defeating a pandemic that has killed more than 580,000 Americans, damaged the economy and been the single-most dominant issue of his young presidency. The occasion was the surprise announcement by federal health officials that Americans who are fully vaccinated can go without masks or physical distancing in most cases marking a crucial milestone in the nations battle against the pandemic. (Viser and Linskey, 5/13)

NBC News:Heres The Science That Convinced The CDC To Lift Mask MandatesIn announcing the agency's updated guidelines, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said there are "numerous reports in the literature" to demonstrate the safety and real-world effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines. (Chow, 5/13)

The New York Times:Hundreds Of Epidemiologists Expected Mask-Wearing In Public For At Least A YearWhen federal health officials said on Thursday that fully vaccinated Americans no longer needed to wear masks in most places, it came as a surprise to many people in public health. It also was a stark contrast with the views of a large majority of epidemiologists surveyed in the last two weeks by The New York Times. In the informal survey, 80 percent said they thought Americans would need to wear masks in public indoor places for at least another year. Just 5 percent said people would no longer need to wear masks indoors by this summer. (Miller, Quealy and Sanger-Katz, 5/13)

CNN:Wait, Does This Mean The Pandemic Is Over For Vaccinated People?Though he wouldn't go so far as to say the pandemic is over, for those who are fully vaccinated, the guideline change means a return to something very close to normalcy, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN after the announcement."Being able to go around without a mask, indoors as well as outdoors, is really a big step in that direction," Fauci said. "I wouldn't want to declare victory prematurely, but I'm saying this is clearly a step in the direction that we want to go." (Waldrop, 5/13)

The New York Times:What Does the New Mask Guidance Really Mean?Does this mean masks are no longer recommended anywhere? Not quite. The federal guidance is expansive: Fully vaccinated people those who have received their final Covid-19 vaccination at least two weeks ago no longer need to wear masks outdoors or in most indoor settings. But there are limits. (Smith, Mervosh and Bosmna, 5/13)

The Washington Post:Masks Required On Airlines, Trains And Buses In New CDC GuidanceFully vaccinated people traveling in buses, trains and airplanes must continue to wear a mask, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, even as it said they could go without one in most other indoor settings. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said the agency is continuing to review its travel policies, but she did not explain the reasoning during a briefing Thursday on the new recommendations. (Duncan, 5/13)

CNN:America's Unmasking Brings Liberation But Also Trepidation As Huge Questions LoomAmericans stripped off their masks Thursday as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made the sudden announcement that vaccinated people no longer need to wear them indoors or outdoors. It was a great moment of liberation after a year of intense stress and fear, but also one of trepidation for many as the policy created a whole new set of complex questions for parents, employers, business owners and the millions of Americans who are still hesitant to get shots. (Reston and Collinson, 5/14)

The Washington Post:Is It Now Reasonable To Discuss The End Of The Pandemic? Yes, But With Caveats.For more than a year, everyone has wondered when this dreadful pandemic will end. The answer has always been not for a long time. That answer, however, has been overtaken by events at least in the United States. The end of the pandemic may not be near, exactly, but its no longer rash, impolitic or scientifically dubious to broach the topic. (Achenbach, 5/13)

The New York Times:C.D.C. Guidance Prompts Caution In Some StatesAs federal health officials on Thursday cleared the way for Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to drop mask wearing in most situations, some states lifted mask mandates, while others took a more cautious approach. ... Most of the state officials who responded to the shift were Democrats. Half of the countrys governors most of them Republicans had already lifted mask mandates in some form. (Tumin, Rabin, Mandavilli and Weiland, 5/14)

AP:Gov.: Mask Requirement Lifted For Fully Vaccinated In OregonOregon Gov. Kate Brown has announced that the state will immediately follow guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which ease indoor mask-wearing and social distancing for fully vaccinated people. Brown said in a video statement Thursday that the new CDC guidance means Oregonians who are fully-vaccinated no longer need to wear masks or social distance in most public spaces. (5/14)

Philadelphia Inquirer:Pa. Says Fully Vaccinated People Can Stop Wearing Masks After Surprise CDC Announcement; N.J. Holds Off On New GuidancePennsylvania health officials immediately updated their guidance to align with the CDCs, while New Jersey officials said they were reviewing the new advice. Todays guidance from the CDC affects only people who are fully vaccinated, said Pennsylvania acting Health Secretary Alison Beam. This is another incentive to get the vaccine that is now easily and conveniently available. Once 70% of Pennsylvanians over 18 are fully vaccinated, we can completely lift the masking order. (McCullough, Silverman and Whelan, 5/13)

The Boston Globe:Mass., Boston To Maintain Mask Requirements For Now In Wake Of New CDC GuidanceThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Thursday that those fully vaccinated for COVID-19 can stop wearing masks in most indoor and outdoor settings, though Massachusetts and some other states said they would keep their local restrictions in place for now. President Biden and federal officials lauded the announcement as a major turning point in the countrys fight against the virus, even as some medical experts questioned its timing and cautioned that masks will remain a part of daily life for some time to come. (Platoff, Fox and Mui, 5/13)

AP:California Counties Await Mask, Social Distancing GuidanceIt wasnt clear heading into Friday when and whether California would adopt new health guidelines after the federal government said fully vaccinated people can quit wearing face coverings and social distancing in most situations outside or inside. Counties across California are waiting for word from the state on potential new guidance following Thursdays announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings, such as buses, planes, hospitals and prisons, and says residents should follow local rules. Californias Department of Public Health did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (Weber and Har, 5/14)

CNN:Stores Like CVS, Walgreens And Macy's Review Mask Policies After New CDC GuidanceCVS, Walgreens and Macy's said they are reviewing their requirements for facial coverings following new CDC guidance easing mask wearing for people vaccinated against Covid-19. The CDC said Thursday that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks or practice social distancing indoors or outdoors, except under certain circumstances such as in healthcare settings, on public transportation, or in areas where governments require masks. The CDC also said people will still need to follow workplace and local businesses' mask guidance. (Meyersohn and Wiener-Bronner, 5/13)

NPR:Shopping Without A Mask Depends On Where You Live, Despite New CDC Guidelines"Now is the moment" to relax the guidance for vaccinated Americans, said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said on Thursday. She credited a drop in infections, effective vaccines and availability of the shots to nearly everyone who wants one. But local and state leaders in some places are still telling people to adhere to existing face-covering and social distancing guidelines, and businesses generally need to stick with the restrictions. It's no surprise then that the sweeping reversal is causing some confusion about how people should behave out in the world specifically in grocery stores. (Romo, 5/13)

Bloomberg:CDCs U-Turn Puts Business In Damned If You Do (Or Dont) BindCompanies are rushing to assess their mask policies after a sudden announcement by U.S. officials put newly relaxed federal guidelines in conflict with the rules at many businesses. Home Depot Inc. and TJX Cos. said they dont immediately plan to change their policies advising face coverings be worn inside their stores, while Macys Inc., Levi Strauss & Co. and Gap Inc. said theyre reviewing the new guidance. The National Restaurant Association is also looking at the recommendations and is evaluating its Covid-19 operating guidance and best practices for restaurants, while some banks are indicating theyll continue to require face coverings -- at least for now. (Clough, Boyle and Court, 5/13)

The Hill:Masks Shed At White House; McConnell: 'Free At Last'On Capitol Hill, Republicans rejoiced at the updated guidance. Free at last, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters as he walked out of the chamber without a mask. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) removed their masks and yelled "freedom" in celebration of the news. (Samuels, 5/13)

The Hill:Jill Biden, Jennifer Garner Go Mask-Free On Vaccine-Promoting West Virginia TripJill Biden added a shot of star power in her push to encourage vaccines among young teens, teaming up Thursday with actress Jennifer Garner for a trip to a West Virginia school's vaccination clinic. "Things are getting better every day," said Biden in what are believed to be her first mask-less public remarks at an in-person event since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. (Kurtz, 5/13)

Politico:Eye-Popping Lawsuit Portrays GOP Lawmakers Office As A Covid-19 Petri DishWell, I dont care about you guys getting it. Thats what Rep. Doug Lamborn (RColo.) allegedly told a staffer in October 2020, right after discovering that his Capitol Hill office was turning into a hotbed of Covid-19 infections. Its one of the many eye-popping accusations in a new lawsuit filed Thursday afternoon in the District Court for the District of Columbia by Brandon Pope, a former Lamborn staffer who says he vocally pushed back on what he called the congressmans reckless and dangerous approach to the pandemic and was fired for it. (Bade, 5/13)

CBS News:Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Says He'll Pardon Residents Charged With Breaking COVID-19 ProtocolsFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday that he'll pardon anyone in the state who has been charged for violating COVID-19 safety measures like masking and social distancing. DeSantis made the announcement onFox Newswhile discussing the case of two gym owners who faced criminal penalties for refusing to enforce social distancing and mask mandates in their establishment.(Powell, 5/13)

The Hill:Fauci Says School Should Be Open 'Full Blast' Five Days A Week In The FallAnthony Fauci, President Bidens chief medical adviser, said Thursday that schools in the fall should be open full blast five days a week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19resume life without masks or other restrictions. When asked by host Jake Tapper on CNNs The Lead with Jake Tapper ifhe agreed with CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and the president of the American Federation of Teachers that schools in the fall should be 100 percent open and in-person five days a week, Fauci said he did. (Schnell, 5/13)

CBS News:Fauci Says "We Should Be Encouraging" Kids To Get Vaccinated, But Requiring It Is "Debatable"Dr. Anthony Fauci is urging parents to get their kids vaccinated against COVID-19 but stopped short of saying they should be a requirement for goingback to school. "Whenever you're talking about requiring something, that's always a charged issue. So I'm not so sure we should be requiring children at all," President Biden's chief medical adviser said on "CBS This Morning" Thursday. "We should be encouraging them." (Elkind, 5/13)

The New York Times:I Just Got My Vaccine: U.S. Rollout Expands to Children Ages 12 to 15Eduardo Torres, 53, was up early in Chicago on Thursday when he heard the news on the television: younger adolescents, including his 14-year-old daughter, Raquel, were now eligible for the coronavirus vaccine. It was a moment his family had been waiting for. I told my wife, Ive got to take her to get vaccinated, immediately, said Mr. Torres, who pulled his daughter out of school and hurried her to a vaccination site near Wrigley Field, where Raquel became among the first children in her age group in the country to get vaccinated. (Mervosh, 5/13)

The Washington Post:Johnson & Johnson Coronavirus Vaccine Allocation For States Dwindles To ZeroThe Biden administration will stop shipping doses of Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to states next week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as a contamination incident two months ago at a Baltimore subcontractor continues to disrupt domestic production. No new shipments for the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine were included Thursday in the CDCs weekly update on expected vaccine shipments. Shipments of the first and second doses of the two-shot Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines will continue next week uninterrupted, according to the CDC shipment schedules. (Rowland and Stanley-Becker, 5/13)

Detroit Free Press:Michigan House, Senate GOP Take Steps To Ban Vaccine PassportsMichigan Republican lawmakers took additional steps Thursday to ban the government from mandating COVID-19 vaccinations, despite having noindicationthat any state or local agency is pursuing such a requirement.The House Oversight Committee approved an overhauled version of a measure prohibiting a governmental entity from producing or distributingavaccine passport. The measure also disallows a governmental entity from fining someone for not getting a COVID-19 vaccine.(Boucher, 5/13)

Fox News:Pennsylvania Attorney General Investigating Massive Coronavirus Contact Tracing Data BreachThe Pennsylvania attorney general said Wednesday his office launched investigations into a data breach stemming from coronavirus contact tracing efforts that potentially exposed the personal information of over 72,000 people. "Any allegations of sensitive personal information being mismanaged or leaked is a serious matter. My office has opened investigations into this data breach on multiple fronts and as such we will have no further comment at this time," Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a written statement shared with Fox News. (Rivas, 5/13)

NPR:Just 12 People Are Behind Most Vaccine Hoaxes On Social Media, Research ShowsResearchers have found just 12 people are responsible for the bulk of the misleading claims and outright lies about COVID-19 vaccines that proliferate on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. "The 'Disinformation Dozen' produce 65% of the shares of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms," said Imran Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, which identified the accounts. (Bond, 5/13)

CBS News:The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID Vaccine Is A Top Target Of Conspiracy TheoriesThe Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine became a target of conspiracy theories and disinformation campaigns as soon as it was announced, reaching millions of people on sites like Twitter, Reddit and 4chan, according to a recent analysis from a cyber defense firm. COVID-19 conspiracy narratives, like the false belief that the vaccine was delayed for political reasons, flourished on social networks in the fall and early winter, according to the New York tech security firm Blackbird. The firm created an algorithm to analyze posts in real-time by hunting for signals of what CEO Wasim Khaled calls "synthetic amplification," which indicate activity by botnets and anti-vaccination influencers. (Patterson, 5/13)

Stat:Uncertain Protection From Covid Vaccines Leaves Cancer Patients In LimboAfter 14 long months of near-isolation, Michele Nadeem-Baker was ready for her Covid-19 vaccination. Diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2012, she knew her cancer made her more vulnerable to severe illness should she become infected with Covid-19. She would leave her home in Charlestown, Mass., only to walk her chocolate lab, Gabby, with her husband, dreaming of a day when she would no longer need to keep her distance from other family and friends. Shes fully vaccinated now, but Nadeem-Baker feels left behind by the vaccine euphoria sweeping the country as it resumes something like normal life. (Cooney, 5/14)

The Wall Street Journal:Newly Reported U.S. Infections Edge UpNewly reported coronavirus cases in the U.S. edged up, as federal health officials revised their recommendations for fully vaccinated people. The U.S. reported more than 38,000 new cases for Thursday, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University that was published early Friday. The data may update later. Thursdays figure was slightly higher than the 35,878 new cases reported on Wednesday but marked the sixth consecutive day that the daily total was below 40,000. (Hall, 5/14)

Fox News:Erectile Dysfunction Linked To Prior Coronavirus Infection In Small StudyResearchers say penile tissue samples collected from two men who had recovered from coronavirus months prior suggest that the impact of the illness may contribute to erectile dysfunction. The study, which only involved four men, was conducted by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine researchers who said its the latest evidence suggesting a link between the two."Our research shows that COVID-19 can cause widespread endothelial dysfunction in organ systems beyond the lungs and kidneys," Ranjith Ramasamy, M.D., associated professor and director of the Miller Schools Reproductive Urology Program, said in a news release posted on EurekAlert.org. "In our pilot study, we found that men who previously did not complain of erectile dysfunction developed pretty severe erectile dysfunction on after the onset of COVID-19 infection." (Hein, 5/13)

CIDRAP:Most Long-Haul COVID-19 Patients Younger, Healthier, Mayo Clinic SaysThe inaugural cohort of Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 Activity Rehabilitation Program (CARP) for postCOVID-19 syndrome (PCS) were mostly women, younger, had few pre-existing comorbidities, and experienced milder forms of COVID-19, but only a third were able to return to full-time work. The descriptive study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, involved 100 CARP participants from June to December 2020 and found the most common ailments to be fatigue (80%), neurologic complaints like headaches (59%), and respiratory complaints like breathlessness (59%). Other symptoms included cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, and mental health symptoms. A little over a third of patients (34%) said they had difficulties performing basic daily activities, and only one in three who had been employed had fully returned to unrestricted work by the time they were evaluated. (5/13)

The Washington Post:Scientists Call For Proper Investigation Into Virus OriginsAmericans received welcome news on Thursday that the federal government was significantly relaxing its recommendations on mask use for vaccinated individuals, signaling the end of the pandemic is in sight. But a group of 18 scientists from leading international research institutions is now calling for a proper investigation into the origins of the pandemic and the possibility of a laboratory incident triggering the global health crisis. In a letter published in the latest edition of the journal Science, the researchers say the findings of a joint investigation by the World Health Organization and China released in March are not sufficiently conclusive. That study, based on data collected by Chinese researchers, found that it was extremely unlikely that the virus leaked from a lab. But the 18 scientists say that the possibility must be taken seriously. (Ang and Hassan, 5/14)

Reuters:COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory Cannot Be Ruled Out, Leading Scientists SayThe origin of the novel coronavirus is still unclear and the theory that it was caused by a laboratory leak needs to be taken seriously until there is a rigorous data-led investigation that proves it wrong, a group of leading scientists said. COVID-19, which emerged in China in late 2019, has killed 3.34 million people, cost the world trillions of dollars in lost income and upended normal life for billions of people. (Faulconbridge, 5/14)

The Washington Post:Biden Announces $7.4 Billion To Hire More Public Health Workers Amid PandemicThe White House announced Thursday that it is investing $7.4 billion to hire more public health workers to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and future health crises. The money will come from the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, which Congress passed in March. The funds could give a much-needed boost to Americas crumbling public health infrastructure. After decades of chronic underfunding, U.S. public health departments last year showed how ill-equipped they are to carry out basic functions, let alone serve as the last line of defense against the most acute threat to the nations health in generations. (Wan, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:CMS Guides States On Securing Funding For Home- And Community-Based ServicesCMS on Thursday issued guidance to states on how they can get additional federal funding to increase access to home and community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries. Congress temporarily increased states' federal matching funds for such benefits by 10% in March's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, also known as the American Rescue Plan. The funds should help Medicaid beneficiaries maintain access to long-term services and support in their home and other nearby care settings. (Brady, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:Bill Would Revamp Medicare Advantage Prior AuthorizationCongress is eying changes to Medicare Advantage that would crack down on prior authorization tactics insurers use to rein in healthcare costs but can affect how providers care for patients. Rep. Susan DelBene (D-Wash.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.) and Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) reintroduced a bill Thursday that aims to quicken the prior authorization process and require more transparency about how often plans deny providers' requests. Healthcare lobbyists believe the proposal could see movement this year. (Hellmann and Tepper, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:Cedar Pays $425 Million To Buy Insurance Fintech PlatformHealthcare fintech provider Cedar paid $425 million to acquire insurance fintech OODA Health on Thursday, in another example of single-point technology startups coming together to expand their reach. The New York City-based Cedar provides a direct-to-consumer platform that providers can use to translate to consumers how much they will be billed after a visit, and create custom payment plans based on individuals' credit history. OODA Health, meanwhile, offers the same service to insurer members. The combined company will use insights gained from both providers' and payers' perspective to build additional products to help insured patients the financial responsibility related to their benefits, navigate "administrative resolution" processes, automate prior authorization and more going forward, Cedar CEO Florian Otto said. (Tepper, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare:Piedmont Healthcare Grabs Market Share In Back-To-Back Hospital DealsHCA Healthcare and University Health didn't see a way to meaningfully expand their market share in the competitive Atlanta market, leading to a string of recent hospital deals that are poised to benefit Piedmont Healthcare, merger and acquisition experts said. Piedmont will add seven hospitals to its current 11-hospital footprint via back-to-back transactions, courtesy of HCA and University Health. HCA sold its last Atlanta-area hospital to AdventHealth Thursday. (Kacik, 5/14)

Stat:Charles River Loses A Battle Over Harvesting Horseshoe Crabs For TestingIn a setback to Charles River Laboratories (CRL), a federal judge temporarily blocked its contractors from commercially harvesting horseshoe crabs whose blood is used for reagents from a national wildlife refuge because the federal government did not properly authorize the work. The preliminary injunction was issued in a lawsuit filed by an environmental group that claimed the harvesting harms the crabs and threatens migratory birds that depend on crab eggs. (Silverman, 5/13)

NBC News:Ohio, Georgia Join Growing List Of GOP-Led States Opting Out Of Federal Unemployment BenefitsThe Republican governors of Ohio and Georgia announced on Thursday their respective states will opt out of receiving federal enhanced unemployment benefits, joining a growing list of GOP-led states dropping the pandemic-related benefit. (Clark, 5/13)

Bloomberg:McDonalds, Amazon Accelerate Push Toward Higher Minimum WageAs the U.S. economy rebounds from the ravages of Covid-19, the countrys biggest corporations find themselves in need of workers, putting upward pressure on pay. Retail giants, fast-food chains, and ride-hailing companies are offering higher wages and cash payments. Referral and signing bonuses, rarely needed before to fill entry-level, low-wage jobs, are now commonplace. These incentives represent a slow but steady march toward a goal that lawmakers and labor activists have pursued for years, with limited success: a higher minimum wage, approaching $15 an hour. (Sasso, 5/14)

CNN:NY Yankees Covid-19: How Vaccinated Members Tested Positive For CoronavirusEight members of the New York Yankees have tested positive for coronavirus this week despite being inoculated with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the baseball team said Thursday. The eight infected Yankees include coaches, staff members and a player. Seven do not have symptoms, said Jason Zillo, the team's vice president of communications. The Yankees said the eight infected members received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two weeks ago. (Yan, De La Fuente and Close, 5/14)

The Hill:Accused Murderer Robert Durst Diagnosed With Bladder Cancer, Lawyers Ask For Indefinite Postponement Of TrialRobert Durst, the subject of the HBO crime documentary The Jinx who is on trial for murder, has been diagnosed with bladder cancer that is not being treated, CNN reported on Thursday, citing Dursts attorneys. Dursts legal team is now asking that his trial, which is set to resume on Monday, be postponed indefinitely due to a myriad of life-threatening health issues, CNN reported. (Schnell, 5/13)

NBC News:Two Boys, 11 And 17, Arrested In Connection With Violent Robbery Of Elderly Asian ManTwo boys, including an 11-year-old caught driving a stolen car, were arrested Wednesday after a violent robbery of an elderly Asian man in Northern California, officials said. The 80-year-old victim was strolling near the 14200 block of Acapulco Road in San Leandro, about 12 miles south of downtown Oakland, Saturday afternoon when two people in hoodies jumped him and swiped his Fitbit in an attack captured on a home security camera. (Li, 5/13)

Deadline:Real Time With Bill Maher Cancels This Weeks Show After HBO Host Tests Positive For Covid-19HBO has scrapped this weeks episode of Real Time with Bill Maher after the comedian tested positive for Covid-19. Maher, who is vaccinated and asymptomatic, tested positive during the premium cable networks weekly PCR testing ahead of the show. ... After the story broke, Maher posted on social media that he was upset about ending his streak, going back to 1993, to have never missed an episode of Politically Incorrect or Real Time. (White and Pedersen, 5/13)

CNN:How Processed Food Drives Diet-Related DiseasesAs a nutritionist, I have been privy to lot of debate in the nutrition world about which foods keep us healthy and which foods actually cause disease. Different foods offer different nutrient benefits for overall health. And even packaged foods can be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. "The food industry works diligently to deliver a consumer marketplace full of healthy, accessible, nutrient-dense food and beverage choices," said Krystal Register, registered dietition and director of health and well-being at FMI -- The Food Industry Association, in a statement to CNN. But I know the unhealthy eating habits I see are often related to eating too many ultraprocessed foods rich in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats. (Drayer, 5/13)

The New York Times:How Exercise May Help Us FlourishOur exercise habits may influence our sense of purpose in life and our sense of purpose may affect how much we exercise, according to an interesting new study of the reciprocal effects of feeling your life has meaning and being often in motion. The study, which involved more than 18,000 middle-aged and older men and women, found that those with the most stalwart sense of purpose at the start were the most likely to become active over time, and vice versa. The findings underscore how braided the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being can be, and how the effects often run both ways. (Reynolds, 5/12)

The Wall Street Journal:New York City Begins Burial Plans For Bodies In Covid-19 MortuaryNew York City officials say they will soon begin interment plans for hundreds of bodies of people who died during the Covid-19 pandemic and have been stored for monthsand in some cases a yearin freezer units in a temporary mortuary. Earlier this week, a team of 10 forensic investigators in the citys Office of Chief Medical Examiner began a final push to contact next of kin for the deceased, the officials said. (Berger, 5/13)

AP:Connecticut Nursing Home Workers Postpone Planned StrikesUnionized nursing home workers agreed to postpone strikes planned for Friday at 26 facilities across Connecticut after Gov. Ned Lamonts administration reached an agreement with union leaders and nursing homes operators that includes $267 million in state funds to help pay for historic wage increases. The workers including nurses, nurses aides, housekeeping staff and laundry workers have threatened to walk out over what they call poverty-level wages and dangerously low staffing levels. (Haigh, 5/14)

Houston Chronicle:Texas Legislature Passes 'Heartbeat' Anti-Abortion BillState lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to sweeping new legislation that would ban abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy and allow anyone to sue providers and others who violate the guidelines. The bill, a priority in the Republican-controlled Legislature, now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott for an expected signature as early as Friday. It would take effect in early September. (Blackman and Goldenstein, 5/13)

NPR:Missouri Will Not Expand Medicaid Despite Voters' Wishes, Governor SaysThe battle over Medicaid expansion in Missouri reached a new boiling point Thursday as Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, announced that the state will not implement expansion, in defiance of a ballot measure passed by voters last year. The decision stems from Republican state lawmakers' refusal to appropriate funds for the expansion to the state's Medicaid program, called MO HealthNet, in the state budget bill passed last week. (Sullivan, 5/13)

Stateline:As Feds Push Menthol Cigarette Ban States Weigh Broader MeasuresAt least eight states are considering legislation this year that would ban sales of all flavored tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, vaping products and smokeless tobacco such as snuff or chew. But critics say the proposed bans on menthol cigarettes could prompt police to target Black adults, who disproportionately use menthol tobacco products. The state measures also have hit turbulence after the federal Food and Drug Administration announced in April that the agency would move within a year to ban the sale of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. While backers of the state legislation say the federal move boosts the momentum for bans, opponents from the tobacco industry now argue that since the FDA is set to take action, states dont have to. (Povich, 5/13)

CNN:Philadelphia Health Commissioner Resigns After Mayor Learns He Cremated And Disposed Of 1985 MOVE Bombing Victims' RemainsPhiladelphia's city health commissioner is resigning after news he cremated and disposed of some of the remains of the 1985 MOVE bombing victims, the mayor announced Thursday. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Dr. Thomas Farley resigned effective Wednesday. He made the announcement on the 36th anniversary of the bombing, which the city carried out against members of the Black liberation group MOVE. (Snyder, 5/14)

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First Edition: May 14, 2021 - Kaiser Health News