President Joe Biden plans to use tonight's State of the Union address to try to rally Democrats and Republicans around efforts to "end cancer as we know it."
Why it matters: This unity agenda comes weeks after the announcement of a relaunch of Biden's cancer moonshot initiative, during which he called for a "whole of government approach" aimed at decreasing the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years.
Lawyers for two doctors convicted of illegal opioid prescribing will argue their cases today before the U.S. Supreme Court, with potentially big implications for the medical profession, the NYT reports.
Why it matters: The opioid crisis, which originated with prescription drug abuse, has led to a crackdown on excessive prescribing. But it's also made it harder for patients with chronic pain to get access to the medication they need, advocates say, in part because doctors are afraid of the legal risks.
Abbott Nutrition is expanding its recall of baby formulas to include one lot of Similac PM 60/40 powder, the company announced Tuesday.
Driving the news: The recall comes after the death of an infant who tested positive for Cronobacter sakazakii, a dangerous bacterial infection, after consuming Similac PM 60/40 produced at Abbott's Sturgis, Michigan, facility.
Getting care from higher-priced hospitals in an emergency doesn't necessarily result in better outcomes — at least in markets that have little competition, according to new findings from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Why it matters: Hospital prices vary considerably across regions, and persistent mergers in recent decades have been blamed for driving up the cost of privately insured patients' care.
Two years into the pandemic, the idea of "following the science" has oversimplified what's actually a complex array of factors that policymakers must weigh in formulating a response.
Why it matters: Science has been weaponized time and again to justify or defend positions held by both policymakers and public health experts. Even when data is irrefutable, people can disagree on the application of that data and how much value to give other factors.
Americans are abandoning COVID-19 fears and precautions, a sea change in the past few weeks as severe illnesses fell, states dropped mandates and the CDC relaxed guidelines, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.
Why it matters: As President Biden gives his State of the Union address tonight, more people feel the worst is behind them — but they aren't giving him credit. That's a devastating miss for a leader who won election on his promises to move the nation beyond the pandemic.
The White House will lift its mask mandate for fully vaccinated people starting Tuesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing Monday.
Why it matters: The move comes ahead of President Biden's first State of the Union address, which is set for Tuesday at 9pm ET, and follows the Capitol physician's guidance that masks are no longer required in the Capitol complex.
Venture capitalists are amping up their bets in sleep and movement tracking, according to a new PitchBook report.
Why it matters: Startups and tech giants have been working on fitness and sleep devices for roughly the past decade, and today, affluent consumers have their pick of Oura rings, Whoop bands, Apple Watches and Google Nests.
Public health experts are trying to make the case for keeping masks on even though the CDC no longer recommends them in many public places.
Why it matters: In the push to return to normal, there are lingering concerns about the consequences of letting our guard down, particularly when millions of immunocompromised Americans remain vulnerable to COVID and kids under 5 still don't qualify for vaccinations.
