Journalists Address HHS Under Trump, Rural PFAS Contamination, and Bird Flu
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Doctors, Nurses Press Ahead as Wildfires Strain Los Angeles’ Health Care
A primary care clinic burned, medical offices closed, and hospitals struggled with possible evacuations. The wildfires that have incinerated large swaths of Los Angeles County are stressing the region’s health care infrastructure. Still, providers continue to find ways to deliver vital care.
Los incendios que se propagan rápidamente y han transformado gran parte del condado de Los Ángeles en un infierno están poniendo a prueba a hospitales, clínicas de salud, socorristas y hogares de adultos mayores.
Listen: NPR and KFF Health News Explore How Racism and Violence Hurt Health
KFF Health News Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony and Emily Kwong, host of NPR’s podcast “Shortwave,” talk about Black families living in the aftermath of lynchings and police killings.
Stimulant Users Are Caught in Fatal ‘Fourth Wave’ of Opioid Epidemic
The migration of fentanyl into illicit stimulants such as cocaine is especially dangerous for people who are not regular opioid users. That’s because they have a low tolerance for opioids, putting them at greater risk of an overdose. They also often don’t take precautions — such as not using alone and carrying the opioid reversal medication naloxone — so they’re unprepared if they overdose.
Syringe Exchange Fears Hobble Fight Against West Virginia HIV Outbreak
Health workers and researchers say an HIV outbreak in West Virginia that three years ago was called “the most concerning” in the U.S. continues to spread after state and local officials restricted syringe service programs.
Incineradores de basura dañan de manera desproporcionada a hispanos
El dilema que se revela en el sur de Florida es indicativo de lo que algunos ven como una tendencia más amplia en la lucha nacional por la justicia ambiental.
Trash Incinerators Disproportionately Harm Black and Hispanic People
Across the country, trash incinerators disproportionately overburden majority-Black and -Hispanic communities. Though the number of incinerators has declined nationwide since the 1980s, Florida offers financial incentives to waste management companies that expand existing facilities or build new ones.
How America Lost Control of the Bird Flu, Setting the Stage for Another Pandemic
Exclusive reporting reveals how the United States lost track of a virus that could cause the next pandemic. Problems like the sluggish pace of federal action, deference to industry, and neglect for the safety of low-wage workers put the country at risk of another health emergency.
Readers Offer ‘Solo Agers’ Support and Reflect on Ancestors
KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Cómo Estados Unidos perdió el control de la gripe aviar, abriendo las puertas a otra pandemia
Casi un año después del primer brote de gripe aviar en el ganado, el virus no muestra señales de detenerse. El gobierno estadounidense no consiguió eliminar el virus de los tambos cuando estaba confinado a un puñado de estados.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': End-of-Year Chaos on Capitol Hill
Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate successfully negotiated an enormous end-of-Congress health package, including bipartisan efforts to address prescription drug prices — only to see it blown up at the last minute after Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump applied pressure. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court accepted its first abortion-related case of the term, and the attorney general of Texas sued a doctor in New York for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas patient. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call, and Victoria Knight of Axios join KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF President and CEO Drew Altman about what happened in health policy in 2024 and what to expect in 2025.
Trump’s Picks for Top Health Jobs Not Just Team of Rivals but ‘Team of Opponents’
The president-elect’s choices to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, FDA, and CDC, hold positions on issues including abortion and vaccination that are often at odds.
How Are States Spending Opioid Settlement Cash? We Built a Database of Answers
From addiction treatment to toy robot ambulances, we uncovered how billions in opioid settlement funds were used by state and local governments in 2022 and 2023. Find out where the money went.
Patients Couldn’t Pay Their Utility Bills. One Hospital Turned to Solar Power for Help.
Doctors in Boston got tired of writing letters to utility companies asking for assistance for their medically vulnerable patients who need power and heat to stay healthy. So a hospital decided to share the power its solar panels generate with patients who needed help with their electricity and gas bills.
Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ Taint Rural California Drinking Water, Far From Known Sources
Researchers found toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water wells dotting California’s rural farming regions, far from known contamination sources. The discovery complicates the state’s drinking water problem, which disproportionately affects farmworkers and communities of color.
Are States Keeping Their Promises on Opioid Settlement Transparency?
It’s been about two years since most states began receiving millions of dollars in opioid settlement payments from companies that made or distributed prescription painkillers. But whether you can track how that windfall has been spent depends largely on where you live. That’s because there is no federal standard dictating the information that must be […]
How Measles, Whooping Cough, and Worse Could Roar Back on RFK Jr.’s Watch
Inoculation campaigns that protect children and adults from dangerous diseases rely on a delicate web of state and federal laws and programs. If senior officials cast doubt on vaccine safety, the whole system might collapse, especially in red states.
Por qué el sarampión, la tos ferina y otras enfermedades graves podrían resurgir con RFK Jr.
Expertos afirman que una confluencia de factores podría causar el resurgimiento de epidemias mortales de enfermedades como el sarampión, la tos ferina y la meningitis, o incluso de polio.
Nursing Homes Fell Behind on Vaccinating Patients for Covid
Last winter, only 4 in 10 nursing home residents got an updated covid vaccine. The low uptake leaves a fragile population vulnerable. Some industry watchdogs say it could be a sign of eroding trust between nursing home residents and providers.
