Biological and chemical weapons have the potential to pose a national security threat to the U.S. that the country is not equipped to handle, a panel of lawmakers and a military leader told an audience at the Aspen Security Forum on Friday.
Why it matters: The COVID-19 pandemic underscored how globally debilitating and dangerous pathogens could be if deliberately engineered and released.
Driving the news: Biden, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, was likely infected by the highly transmissible Omicron subvariant BA.5 but has experienced mild symptoms thus far.
President Biden's coronavirus likely stemmed from the Omicron subvariant BA.5, currently the most dominant strain of the virus in the U.S., according to a letter from the White House physician on Saturday.
The big picture: BA.5 is responsible for 75%-80% of infections in the U.S., his physician Kevin O'Connor said in a letter on Saturday.
The World Health Organization declared on Saturday that monkeypox, which has spread to more than 70 countries, is a global emergency.
Why it matters: The declaration by the U.N. health agency could lead to investment in treating the disease, but it could also lead to a shortage for already-scarce vaccines, AP writes.
The U.S. has confirmed the first two cases of monkeypox in children, Centers for Disease Control Prevention and Control (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky said Friday.
Why it matters: The CDC has said children, especially those under 8 years old, are among those at "especially increased risk" for severe monkeypox disease.
Private equity owners of the country’s leading IVF treatment platforms tell us they are getting educated on state laws and preparing for the aftermath of the June 24 Dobbs ruling.
Why it matters: While Dobbs introduces a new layer of uncertainty in the near term, investors say interest in fertility remains robust with long-term industry tailwinds plentiful.
The demise of Roe v. Wade is prompting intense lobbying from IVF centers to keep the process from getting tangled up in a raft of new abortion bans and restrictions.
Why it matters: It’s another way that the elimination of a federal right to abortion is subsuming other forms of reproductive care.
Favor, the digital pharmacy formerly known as The Pill Club, reversed course when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Why it matters: The company had intended to expand beyond birth control, but it saw demand for emergency contraception spike 5,000% in the 72 hours after the Supreme Court ruling. So it pivoted back to its roots, focusing almost exclusively on birth control and emergency contraception.
