Stay informed on health and medicine with STAT’s free newsletter, Morning Rounds. Sign up here.
An essay today in First Opinion challenges the notion that “tastiness is not why people overeat.” I might disagree, as would a friend who recently reproached me for suggesting we order pad thai in addition to our meals.
Trump Administration Abandons Court Battle Over Indirect Costs
More than a year after the Trump administration proposed a contentious policy to significantly cut the reimbursement rate for “indirect costs” on federal grants, it seems the government is backing off. Monday was the deadline for the Department of Justice to request the Supreme Court to review a lower court ruling that blocked the plan, according to STAT’s Megan Molteni. No petition was filed.
This inaction suggests the administration is dropping this particular strategy to reduce indirect costs. However, other methods to alter the policy may still be pursued. Learn more from Megan.
C-section Rate Reaches Decade High in 2025
The percentage of cesarean deliveries increased to 32.5% last year, marking the highest annual rate in the U.S. since 2013, as per new CDC data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Incremental increases in the C-section rate have been observed since 2020. Additionally, the rate for low-risk C-sections rose to 26.9%, the highest since 2012.
Megan Thielking previously noted that high C-section rates do not necessarily equate to better birth outcomes. Over a decade later, her insights remain relevant in understanding the current situation.
Additional CDC data reveals that there were over 3.6 million births in the U.S. last year, although this figure represents a 1% decrease from 2024. Notably, the birth rate for teenagers aged 15 to 19 saw a 7% decline.
Public Health Resilience Amid War
The Pasteur Institute of Iran in central Tehran, a prominent medical research center with over 1,300 staff members, was among the Iranian sites targeted by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Despite extensive damage and no escaped pathogens, the World Health Organization states the Institute cannot continue its health services. No employees were harmed during the incident.
In a new opinion piece, researchers highlight the critical role of such laboratories and the moral and economic reasons to protect them. “For more than a century, Pasteur Institutes worldwide have weathered war, decolonization, economic upheaval, and pandemics,” the authors explain. “They endure because microbes disregard political cycles, and societies ultimately value public health as essential to prosperity.” Learn more.
Glaucoma ranks as the second leading cause of blindness, with many unaware of their condition until it becomes advanced and damage is irreversible. Though medicated eye drops offer an imperfect solution, STAT’s Annalisa Merelli reports on an innovative “theranostic device” (a combination of therapy and diagnostics) designed to enhance care.
Resembling a regular contact lens, this new device monitors eye pressure and administers drug pulses as needed to control it. While many questions remain, experts agree it’s a promising development. Discover more from Nalis on the science.
Is Tastiness Really to Blame for Overeating?
Initially skeptical, I began to consider researcher and professor David Ludwig’s argument: “We often regard tastiness as an inherent quality of food: Cheesecake is delicious, cauliflower is not,” he asserts. “Yet, our perception of tastiness is heavily shaped by conditioning and our internal metabolic state.”
Evidence suggests that intrinsic deliciousness does not necessarily lead to overeating. If not tastiness, then what drives it? Explore Ludwig’s research on this topic.
What We’re Reading
-
Trump’s personnel agency seeks federal workers’ medical records, KFF Health News
-
Prior authorizations reduced following insurer promises, Axios
- Team approach to managing high blood pressure proved effective even in challenging environments, STAT
- If GLP-1 drugs aren’t aiding weight loss, this could be a reason, Washington Post
- As a palliative care physician, concerns arise over the $100 million Medicare investment in ‘functional or lifestyle medicine,’ STAT
