Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here.
Good morning and happy Friday. Hope you have exciting plans for the extended weekend. Before you head off, take a moment to catch up on the latest from a Senate hearing on the NIH, a Supreme Court ruling on a death penalty case, and some insights on confusion surrounding STIs.
Bhattacharya faces tough questions at Senate hearing
When NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya attended the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting yesterday, the agenda was meant to address the agency’s upcoming fiscal budget. However, senators first directed their attention to pressing issues.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) began by revealing the resignation of the acting director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. With ongoing hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks, this leadership void raised alarms. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) questioned, “With reduced funding, fewer personnel, and paused research, can you honestly say we are more equipped for public health threats than we were a year ago?”
To delve deeper into the NIAID acting director’s exit and other urgent matters from the hearing, check out STAT’s reports by Helen Branswell and Anil Oza.
Supreme Court halts death penalty case for intellectually disabled individuals
The Supreme Court halted an Alabama death penalty case yesterday, saving Joseph Smith, sentenced to death in 1998. In a separate 2002 ruling, the Court had declared it unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment to execute intellectually disabled individuals. Smith has contested his pending execution ever since, gaining support from lower courts against the state.
By the time the case reached the Supreme Court, the key issue was how states determine intellectual disability for those on death row—a question not fully resolved by the 2002 decision. The dismissal indicates the court’s decision to refrain from reviewing the case further. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, suggesting that the 2002 ruling diminishes the dignity of intellectually disabled people and should be overturned.
This decision doesn’t imply an overarching trend favoring death row inmates with disabilities. Recently, the Supreme Court lifted a stay on Edward Busby Jr.’s execution, marking the 600th execution in Texas since 1976, despite concerns over potential intellectual disability.
Eli Lilly’s new weight loss drug shows promising results
In a recent trial, Eli Lilly’s new obesity medication demonstrated weight loss results nearing those achieved through bariatric surgery, as reported by the company yesterday. However, high side effect rates led to about 11% of participants discontinuing the treatment, raising questions on its attractiveness.
For detailed insights, refer to STAT’s Elaine Chen. If approved, this drug could become the leading weight loss medication, but as previously reported, some trial participants felt they lost excessive weight.
Understanding the seed oil controversy
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has labeled canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed, and grapeseed oils as the most harmful elements of the American diet. The latest dietary guidelines have further supported concerns about seed oils. In a new opinion piece, dietitian Cole Hanson examines the evidence.
Hanson notes, “Some concerns about seed oils aren’t unfounded but are misdirected.” He acknowledges that his slower, more nuanced argument lacks the appeal of quick online content. Explore more about the science behind this issue.
Public knowledge on STI transmission
Mostly? A survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania reveals that while most Americans grasp the basics of STI transmission, there’s limited awareness of less common pathways and vaccinations.
Over two weeks in April, more than 1,600 participants were surveyed. Most knew that infections like gonorrhea, genital herpes, syphilis, chlamydia, and HPV are transmitted sexually, but fewer were aware that mpox and Zika can spread this way too.
Although the majority understood how these infections spread, misconceptions persisted. For instance, 20% believed STIs could be contracted from toilet seats (they can’t), and only 33% knew HIV can be transmitted via breastfeeding (it can).
Confusion was most pronounced regarding vaccination. While most were aware of the HPV vaccine, only 42% knew about the mpox vaccine. Many were uncertain or mistaken about the existence of vaccines for genital herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV, which currently have no vaccines.
What fuels this confusion? The next section provides related insights.
Political tensions entangle CDC’s mpox page
HHS has once again instructed the CDC to modify its website, conflicting with the agency’s scientific advice. Earlier this week, the CDC was directed to remove a page detailing how individuals with multiple sexual partners can minimize mpox risk. (The archived page is accessible here.) An HHS representative explained it “was not medically accurate” and didn’t “align with Administration priorities.”
Demetre Daskalakis, a previous CDC scientist involved in the mpox response, challenged claims of inaccuracies, stating, “Providing actionable health advice is crucial, and we did just that. The document passed CDC’s scientific review.”
Last fall, HHS instructed the CDC to revert to the term monkeypox instead of mpox, despite WHO’s guidance against it. Additionally, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine critic, ordered the CDC to modify a webpage on vaccines and autism to claim the absence of a link isn’t evidence-based. — Helen Branswell
Additional reading
-
The term ‘Black’ has been removed from legislation targeting Black maternal health, The 19th
-
Family mourns man who died in a troubled psychiatric facility, Public Health Watch
- Lab Dish: Challenging times ahead at the FDA, STAT
- 2 Minnesota autism therapy providers face charges in $46 million Medicaid fraud, New York Times
- Opinion: AI can enhance check-in and intake processes in healthcare, STAT
