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The Trump administration may move to impose new regulations on food companies that don't follow through on promises to remove artificial colorants from their products, White House adviser Calley Means said at a health industry conference on Tuesday. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy has so far focused on getting voluntary commitments from companies like Kraft Heinz and Walmart on varying timelines. (Goldman, 10/21)

A Guardian investigation finds the US soda and snack-food industries, threatened by RFK Jr’s movement to change Americans’ eating habits, have turned to a group of well-connected strategists, shadowy pollsters and ‘anti-woke’ influencers. (Voorhees, 10/19)

In the last year, several major restaurants and health food brands have pivoted away from using seed oils and are instead turning to butter and beef tallow as "natural" alternatives. This shift is largely in response to many in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, led by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., claiming that seed oils contribute to inflammation and chronic disease. MedPage Today had experts weigh in on whether this war on popular cooking oils has any seed of truth. (Robertson, 10/21)

In the seven months since Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the Food and Drug Administration would review infant formula ingredients and nutrition for the first time in nearly 30 years, hundreds have submitted public comments demanding more rigorous testing for heavy metals and contaminants and urging that any assessment be based on science. The initiative, dubbed “Operation Stork Speed,” has unleashed comments from parents who have expressed concerns about the sugar content in formula and complained about the seed oils used to deliver essential fatty acids to infants. (Malhi, 10/20)

A hearing is tentatively scheduled for the surgeon general nominee —

A Senate confirmation hearing is being planned next week for Casey Means, President Donald Trump’s nominee for surgeon general who has faced criticism over her experience and views, according to people familiar with the matter. The hearing is tentatively scheduled for Thursday but isn’t yet finalized and could change, the people said. Means plans to appear virtually due to her pregnancy, the people said. (Muller and Cohrs Zhang, 10/21)

On vaccines and mistrust of science —

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Despite The Hoopla, Vaccines Should Be In Reach This Cough-And-Cold Season
For people whose autumn agenda includes getting vaccinated against respiratory diseases — covid, flu, and, for some, RSV — this year may be surprisingly routine. Following several confusing months this summer when federal officials announced and then retreated from changes to covid vaccine recommendations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct. 6 announced updated fall immunization schedules that are not that different from last year’s. That should clear the way for most people who want shots this fall to get them, public health experts say. (Andrews, 10/22)

Two advisers to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sat on a stage in California this spring, addressing an audience at a natural products industry trade show that drew tens of thousands of people from food brands, investment banks, supplement sellers and other companies. Their message: The goals of the Make America Healthy Again movement will help your bottom lines. (Smith and Ungar, 10/21)

More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections – vaccines, milk safety and fluoride – have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year, part of an organized, politically savvy campaign to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law. An Associated Press investigation found that the wave of legislation has cropped up in most states, pushed by people with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The effort would strip away protections that have been built over a century and are integral to American lives and society. Around 30 bills have been enacted or adopted in 12 states. (Smith and Ungar, 10/21)

Months after leaving immigration detention, Camila Muñoz can still remember the ice cream scooper used to ladle food onto plastic trays and the "sour feeling" after every meal. Hunger. "You have to eat no matter what, or the night is going to get you," she told USA TODAY. "We were really hungry." In Louisiana – a major hub of the Trump administration's mass deportation effort – detainees and their representatives say people in custody are going hungry on a diet of processed foods that are barely edible, often expired and never filling. (Villagran, 10/19)

At the Northwest Ice Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, about 1,500 people in immigration detention await their day in court. Most are held for months, living not by the rising and setting sun but under the perpetual twilight of fluorescent lights. “We couldn’t tell if it was day or night,” said one former detainee who spent 10 months at the facility and whom the Guardian is not naming for fear of retaliation from US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and the Geo Group, the private company that operates the detention center. “The lights were on 24/7. We maybe saw the sun twice a week.” Windows were coated in dark paint, and people made eye masks with their socks, he recalled. (Peeples, 10/20)

Children were reportedly zip-tied during a multi-agency law enforcement raid in Wilder, Idaho, as hundreds of people were detained and police fired rubber bullets. The operation took place on October 19 at La Catedral Arena, a horse racing venue west of Boise, according to The Idaho Statesman. (Rahman, 10/21)

Ofelia Torres has spent almost every day of the past month at Lurie Children’s Hospital, where the 16-year-old Lake View High School student is fighting cancer. After a tough few weeks where the disease spread through her body and doctors inserted a drain in her abdomen to relieve fluid, the Torres family worked with her oncologist to arrange a short getaway over the weekend, where she and three of her closest friends could enjoy a Saturday of simple pleasures and normalcy before a scheduled return to the hospital and chemotherapy. (Pratt, 10/21)

More health news from the Trump administration —

The Trump administration chose a new leader for a federal health research funding organization that focuses on high-risk, high-reward programs, after firing its previous head in February. Alicia Jackson, a health technology entrepreneur who used to work for the Defense Department, was appointed director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, according to the Department of Health and Human Services, confirming an earlier Bloomberg News report. (Griffin and Swetlitz, 10/21)

The Trump administration is exploring moving the $15 billion program that supports students with disabilities to a different agency within the federal government as it works to close the Education Department altogether, a department official said Tuesday. The effort comes on the heels of the agency’s decision this month to lay off the vast majority of employees working on special-education services and months after Education Secretary Linda McMahon talked about moving the program to the Department of Health and Human Services. Her goal is to fulfill President Donald Trump’s promise to close the Education Department and move its functions to other parts of the government. (Meckler, 10/21)

As pharma companies and President Trump tout initiatives to sell branded medications directly to cash-paying consumers, some entrepreneurs have seized on a potential business opportunity — pitching a new model for employers to help their workers pay for medications without using insurance. (Chen, 10/22)

The government may be shut down but it’s no vacation for healthcare lobbyists. The standoff between the Republican congressional majority and the Democratic minority that triggered the shutdown at the start of fiscal 2026 on Oct. 1 is centered around a battle over health insurance exchange subsidies, but there’s much more on the line for the healthcare sector. (McAuliff, 10/21)

The latest on the federal shutdown —

A group of front-line House Republicans on Tuesday called on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to “immediately” address the expiring enhanced ObamaCare tax credits once the government shutdown ends. Led by Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) and Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), 13 lawmakers told Johnson that millions of their constituents would face a massive spike in health premiums without an extension of the subsidies before their expiration at the end of the year. (Weixel, 10/21)

Senate Republicans are increasingly chattering about changing the filibuster’s rules if Democrats do not end the shutdown, even though Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) says he opposes weakening a tool safeguarding the minority’s power. Initially, there was no discussion about filibuster reform when it came to the shutdown, but the idea is getting more attention in Republican circles as the stalemate drags on. (Bolton, 10/22)

Food banks from coast to coast were already seeing an uptick in visits from federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay. Now, they are preparing for an additional influx from Americans who rely on federal food benefit programs, which are set to run out of funding at the end of the month, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, and WIC, the food program for women, infants and children. (Nobles, 10/21)

As the federal government shutdown enters its third week, some Americans are worried about the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. The subsidies, or premium tax credits, help lower or eliminate the out-of-pocket cost of monthly premiums for those who purchase insurance through the health insurance marketplace. They were enhanced during the COVID-19 pandemic and are currently set to expire at the end of 2025. (Kekatos, 10/21)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: A New Car Vs. Health Insurance? Average Family Job-Based Coverage Hits $27K
With the federal shutdown entering its fourth week, spurred by a stalemate over the cost of health insurance for 22 million Americans on Affordable Care Act plans, a new report shows that over 154 million people with coverage through an employer also face steep price hikes — and that the situation is likely to get worse. Premiums for job-based health insurance rose 6% in 2025 to an average of $26,993 a year for family coverage, according to an annual survey of employers released Oct. 22 by �鶹Ů��, a health information nonprofit that includes �鶹Ů�� Health News. (Galewitz, 10/22)

The main difference is that most Americans don’t confront the full cost of their coverage. (Abelson and Sanger-Katz, 10/22)

Also —

In the latest bid to plug gaps in the federal government’s public health infrastructure, two institutions are coming together to create an alternative to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaunted Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — often called “the voice of the CDC.” (Oza, 10/21)

After months of tense negotiations, Gilead Sciences has agreed not to boost prices next year for HIV medicines that are sold to state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, an outcome that lessens the financial strains for agencies that are relied on by many low-income people. (Silverman, 10/21)

In news about antidepressants, schizophrenia, and neurology —

A new large-scale analysis found that the short-term cardiovascular and metabolic side effects of antidepressants vary widely by drug, but the ones most commonly prescribed in the United States are linked to relatively mild issues. Tens of millions of U.S. adults take antidepressants for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Like any medication, antidepressants have well-established side effects for some people. Researchers at institutions including King’s College London and the University of Oxford wanted to better understand just how much those side effects differed from drug to drug. (Shakin, 10/21)

A new study led by psychologists from UNSW Sydney has provided the strongest evidence yet that auditory verbal hallucinations—or hearing voices—in schizophrenia may stem from a disruption in the brain's ability to recognize its own inner voice. In a paper published today in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin, the researchers say the finding could also be an important step toward finding biological indicators that point to the presence of schizophrenia. This is significant, as there are currently no blood tests, brain scans, or lab-based biomarkers ... that are uniquely characteristic of schizophrenia. (10/21)

More than one in three people are living with a neurological condition, the World Health Organization (WHO) found, and countries are not prepared to deal with it. The WHO’s Global status report on neurology found 40 percent of the global population is affected by neurological issues. That amounts to more than three billion people and results in 11 million deaths globally each year. (Whiteside, 10/21)

On cancer treatment —

For years, scientists have held out hope that tests that look for the molecular fingerprints of a cancer’s presence could help clinicians determine which patients need further treatment after surgery, and which can be considered truly cured after an operation. Perhaps, the thinking goes, those in the latter category could be spared from unnecessary, expensive therapies that can carry serious side effects. (Joseph, 10/21)

When Casey DeSantis, the first lady of Florida, recently disclosed how the state would distribute $60 million for cancer research, she cited Hollywood actor Mel Gibson. The movie star had popped up on Joe Rogan’s podcast early in 2025, promoting the supposed cancer-curing powers of ivermectin, the antiparasitic drug that gained a following during the pandemic as a possible covid treatment despite research showing it is ineffective against the virus. DeSantis said a portion of Florida’s research money would now go to study the drug as a potential cancer treatment. (Weber, 10/21)

Private equity firms Blackstone and TPG will spend more than $13 billion to buy women’s health specialist Hologic. The companies said Tuesday they will pay up to $79 for each Hologic share in a deal that takes the company private. (10/21)

Health systems are rethinking how to deliver infusion therapies, as payers and patients increasingly prefer care at home over clinical settings. The changing dynamics have led some health systems to expand existing home infusion businesses, while others are partnering with vendors to deliver some or all infused drugs to patients where they live. The shift is sparking consolidation of the highly fragmented home infusion industry as private equity-backed companies expand into the space and compete for patients. (Eastabrook, 10/21)

More health industry developments —

Death rates for U.S. kidney dialysis patients are among the highest in the industrialized world. A CBS News Data Team investigation has found that one-third of the nation's dialysis clinics have failed to meet federal performance standards. In Texas, where the number of dialysis centers is higher than in any other state, the I-Team discovered that the problem is especially severe. (Allen, 10/21)

One of the Dayton, Ohio, area’s largest hospitals will soon no longer offer obstetric services. OB services at Soin Medical Center will transition to Kettering Main Campus and Kettering Health Washington Township, Kettering Health confirmed in a statement. The hospital network cited declining birth rates in the area and across the country as a factor in the decision. (10/20)

A packed crowd of community leaders gathered Tuesday to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of Maimonides Health's newly expanded pediatric emergency department. Hospital leaders said the state-of-the-art space is four times bigger than the previous facility, reflecting the growing need for specialized pediatric care. "There are 600,000 children in this borough and only one children's hospital -- let that sink in for a minute," said Dr. Jeffrey R. Avner, chairman of pediatrics at Maimonides Health. (Kliger, 10/21)

DocGo, a mobile healthcare provider and medical transportation service, acquired Monday virtual care company SteadyMD. DocGo paid $12.5 million at the close of the transaction and will pay up to $12.5 million more if specific performance conditions are met, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. (DeSilva, 10/21)

UnitedHealth Group Inc. is testing a new system to streamline how medical claims are processed, an early example of what the company says is the potential for artificial intelligence to smooth out friction in billing. The system, dubbed Optum Real, aims to distill health plans’ complex rules around what is covered into information that doctors and billing staff can use in real time to tell whether a claim is likely to be paid. (Tozzi, 10/21)

�鶹Ů�� Health News: Listen To The Latest '�鶹Ů�� Health News Minute' 
Katheryn Houghton reads the week’s news: Most states allow medical providers to force employers to send them part of a patient’s paycheck to cover unpaid medical bills, and the Trump administration’s cuts to federal funding are making flood-prone hospitals more vulnerable. (10/21)

On health care personnel —

Unionized nurses at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet never received a promised pandemic-era bonus, the Illinois Nurses Association alleges in a lawsuit filed in federal court Monday. The petition seeks to compel the hospital, its owner Prime Healthcare and former owner Ascension to go to arbitration over the matter. (Schencker, 10/21)

Medical assistants — who take measurements, draw blood and fill out documentation before a patient sees a doctor — are in high demand nationally and short supply locally. To remedy its shortage, Luminis Health, the company that runs the Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, is offering free training to employees from other areas of the business, like reception. (Rothstein, 10/22)

If you're a patient of Mass General Brigham, AI may help connect you to a new physician. With two-year waitlists for a primary care provider, the organization is using AI to bridge the gap. (Hall, 10/21)

Jon D’Angelo, chair of the North Carolina Council on Disabilities, knows the consequences of cuts to Medicaid reimbursement rates. He lives with spinal muscular atrophy and relies on Medicaid, which pays for direct support workers who care for him in his home. Without those workers, he and thousands of other medically fragile people across the state would likely be forced to live in institutions. (Baxley, Fredde and Hoban, 10/22)

When Dr. Marketta Blue bursts into an examination room, she greets her patients as long-lost friends, a whirl of energy in leopard-print Crocs: “Tell me what’s up!” Dr. Blue is a family physician at Delta Health Center, the oldest federally funded rural community health center in the United States. The center sits in the Mississippi Delta, at the entrance to Mound Bayou, which was founded in 1887 as an all-Black town. Today, more than half of the town’s children live below the federal poverty line. Last year, the health center saw just over 14,000 patients, 36 percent of whom had Medicaid. (Goldberg, 10/22)

Nearly 200,000 Minnesota senior are scrambling to find affordable options to ensure uninterrupted health care after several carriers are either dropping or cutting back on Medicare Advantage Plans. Minneapolis-based UCare made the most significant change, gutting their program entirely. (Kaplan, 10/21)

In news about environmental health —

Another fire at a Camden metal recycling yard has reignited frustration and questions about who's responsible for keeping nearby families safe. ... Residents of Camden's Waterfront South neighborhood spoke up, saying they feel their health and mental well-being have been compromised by a string of recent fires at EMR Metal Recycling. (Andersen and Jacobson, 10/21)

Hundreds of students across more than 50 California high schools are planning to participate in walkouts on Oct. 24 to voice support for legislation that would hold oil companies accountable for damage to infrastructure and costs associated with the climate crisis, The Hechinger Report reported. (Seshadri, 10/20)

Long before she joined a major legal case for asbestos victims, Joyce Walder had a bold streak, according to her sister, Judith Hemphill. On a recent Monday in October, walking through the forests of northwest Montana, Hemphill recalled how she and Walder would put their ears to the railroad tracks to check for oncoming trains. If all was quiet, they’d dart across to explore the woods that surround the town of Libby, population just shy of 3,000. She remembered the way they’d dangle their legs over the edge of the swinging bridge bouncing perilously above the charging waters of the Kootenai River. (Silvers, 10/21)

Also —

Another company has issued a recall of its frozen shrimp due to possible exposure to radiation levels. In a news release issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Seattle-based AquaStar said its shrimp may have been exposed to “very low levels” of cesium-137 (Cs-137). (Perkins, 10/21)

The Food and Drug Administration’s recent approval of a second generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone has left people on both sides of the reproductive rights fight scrambling to interpret the decision. Could this be a sign that the Trump administration isn’t interested in taking federal action to further restrict abortion access? (Lisa Jarvis, 10/21)

Back in 2007, President George W. Bush was being challenged on his opposition to the Children’s Health Insurance Program — which provides health coverage for children in families too poor to afford private insurance, yet too “wealthy” to qualify for Medicaid. His response was honest, if characteristically clumsy: “People have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.” In a way, he wasn't wrong. (Eric Snoey, 10/21)

Health care costs are surging. ACA Marketplace premiums will rise 18%  next year— even more for the millions set to lose their enhanced federal subsidies without congressional action. Meanwhile, big employers expect their premiums — already about $25,000 for family coverage — to increase 9% in 2026. Gargantuan health care profits are the flip side of those unsustainable cost increases. (Steffie Woolhandler, David U. Himmelstein, Adam W. Gaffney and Danny McCormick, 10/21)

Around 1990, a bright, young Harvard academic became interested in the possibility that a relatively unknown peptide might slow gastric emptying and reduce hunger — a potential boon to the treatment of diabetes. Although he was employed as a full-time faculty researcher and clinician at a major teaching hospital and his lab was funded by the National Institutes of Health, he chose to pursue this particular line of research privately with support from a large pharmaceutical company, which required him to keep the work secret and not publish his findings or present them at scientific meetings. (Jerry Avorn, 10/22)

After surviving three types of cancer and having to face the harsh realities of colorectal and endometrial cancer and basal cell carcinoma, I know just how crucial early detection can be in saving lives. My cancer journey has been an extensive and painful one, but it has also strengthened my resolve. It’s inspired me to become an advocate for cancer patients, to educate others about the risks of hereditary cancers and to promote tools such as genetic testing that enable individuals to take control of their health before it’s too late. (Wenora Johnson, 10/20)