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Good morning. Much like Athena guiding Telemachus in “The Odyssey,” I’m hoping a divine force is aligning a “Survivor” season 50 victory for Cirie Fields. She deserves it, though a little celestial help wouldn’t hurt.
Top Fauci adviser indicted re: Covid origins
David Morens, once a senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, faces indictment for allegedly hiding records from Freedom of Information Act requests. According to legal documents, Trump administration officials accuse Morens of concealing and altering documents to disrupt discussions on the origins of the Covid-19 virus, with claims that he received kickbacks for these actions.
This indictment follows extensive congressional probes into the Department of Health and Human Services’ pandemic response, particularly concerning the virus’s origins. Further details from STAT’s Washington team provide more context on the indictment.
Autism advisory committee finally meets again
STAT’s O. Rose Broderick attended the first meeting in 19 months of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee in Maryland. Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. reassembled this federal advisory board with 21 new members as of January.
The meeting’s key discussions centered on defining profound autism, which makes up about 25% of the autism spectrum and involves individuals with distinct behaviors and needs, often requiring continuous care and having higher rates of self-harm. These individuals are frequently omitted from existing scientific research. Rose notes that the meeting was largely cordial until a certain point. More information is available in Rose’s report.
Food safety experts warn of USDA brain drain
The USDA announced a move to relocate approximately 200 positions from its Food Safety and Inspection Service from Washington, D.C., to Iowa, Georgia, and Colorado. Experts warn this could lead to a loss of experienced personnel unwilling to relocate.
Nutrition expert Marion Nestle offers insights into the decline in productivity following a similar move under the first Trump administration. She notes the relocation could severely damage the agency’s effectiveness for years. The Consumer Federation of America cautions that further depletion of expertise at FSIS could delay necessary reforms on issues like Salmonella. — Sarah Todd
‘Oh my gosh, it’s about to get so much worse’
Political scientist Miranda Yaver reacted with concern to a Commonwealth Fund report on health care disparities across five racial and ethnic groups. The report, which spans 2022 to 2024, shows encouraging trends in reducing disparities. However, recent upheavals and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have experts worried these improvements might not last. STAT’s Anil Oza provides further analysis.
Who is prescribing antipsychotics to people with dementia?
In older adults, medications like antipsychotics increase the risk of delirium or falls. Nonetheless, prescriptions for cognition-affecting drugs are rising among seniors. A study in JAMA Network Open analyzed data from 2008 to 2021 to pinpoint where this is occurring. It found that seniors, particularly those with dementia, frequently receive these prescriptions in emergency and inpatient settings, despite these visits accounting for a smaller portion of total clinical encounters.
Researchers assumed the prescription location based on the patient’s latest clinical visit. The data also revealed that over half of those prescribed antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, nonbenzodiazepine hypnotics, or anticholinergics continued them a year later. The findings suggest that efforts to reduce prescriptions should target acute and post-acute settings.
Supreme Court hears case on ‘skinny labeling’
The Supreme Court will hear arguments on “skinny labeling,” a complex issue related to generic drug companies seeking approval to market drugs for specific uses while excluding other patented uses. STAT’s Ed Silverman describes how without skinny labeling, patients could potentially face higher drug costs for extended periods, impacting health outcomes. Ed offers more details on what to expect from today’s proceedings.
What we’re reading
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The Trump administration aims to penalize disabled adults who live with their families, ProPublica
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Facebook has a health scam problem, New York Times
- Opinion: Why alternative medicine can feel so much better than mainstream health care, STAT
- An urgent care treated her allergic reaction. An ER monitored her — for $6,700, KFF Health News
- AIDS group sues Trump administration over undisclosed agreement with Gilead, STAT
