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The health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., says he wants to understand what causes autism. It’s a perfectly laudable goal and one that scientists have been pursuing for decades. But after announcing a large new federal study on the topic, he made a shocking choice by bringing in the vaccine critic David Geier as a researcher. In the scientific community, Mr. Geier is infamous for the deeply flawed studies he conducted with his father, Mark Geier, claiming that vaccines cause autism. Researchers have long called attention to the serious methodological and ethical defects in their work. (Jessica Steier, 8/19)

Republicans’ “Big, Beautiful Bill” might not have passed absent an 11th-hour provision. Worried that cutting almost $1 trillion from Medicaid might hurt rural hospitals, some lawmakers demanded a special subsidy to keep them afloat. (8/19)

In January, one of the deadliest wildfires in U.S. history ravaged several neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, including Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The immediate toll was staggering: at least 30 lives lost, more than 200,000 people evacuated, and more than 18,000 homes and structures destroyed. Moreover, a recent study estimated the fires were linked to more than 440 excess deaths in the region. Yet even these numbers don’t capture the full extent of the damage. The disaster’s effects on our brains are only beginning to emerge. (Burcin Ikiz and Clayton Page Aldern, 8/19)

The New York Times recently covered a new study, Baby’s First Years, which found that monthly cash transfers given to families in poverty did little to improve the children’s well-being. The study — and coverage of it — is highly misleading. And at a time when the federal government is clawing back aid intended to help kids, it’s irresponsible. (Joan Luby and Deanna Barch, 8/19)

The rapid rise of agentic artificial intelligence, systems capable of independent and complex decision-making, has the potential to usher in a new era for health systems, payers and life sciences companies. From automating claims processing to optimizing clinical workflows to speeding up target molecule discovery, agentic AI has the ability to deliver impressive gains in efficiency and scale. (Keith Figlioli, 8/19)

Increasingly, people with mental health conditions are using large language models for support, even though researchers find A.I. chatbots can encourage delusional thinking or give shockingly bad advice. (Laura Reiley, 8/19)