Axios

President Biden signed into law Tuesday the Democrats' $740 billion reconciliation bill.

Why it matters: The package, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, includes provisions that increase taxes on large corporations, address climate change and lower prescription drug costs. Biden has emphasized that the bill will help lower the deficit and drive down inflation, though economic models suggest it will affect overall inflation only a little.

The Biden administration appears headed toward extending the COVID-19 public health emergency for another three months, allowing special powers and programs to continue past the midterm election.

Driving the news: HHS had extended the emergency declaration through Oct. 13 and pledged it would give states and health providers 60 days' notice before it ends.

A Florida appellate court on Monday blocked a 16-year-old teenager from getting an abortion, saying that she is not "sufficiently mature" to choose to end her pregnancy.

Driving the news: The teenager, who court documents say is "parentless," had sought court approval to bypass a Florida law that requires that a minor get parental consent in order to get an abortion.

People with hearing loss could soon buy hearing aids without needing to have an exam, prescription or special fitting first.

Driving the news: In a move years in the making, the FDA on Tuesday issued a final rule allowing over-the-counter sales of hearing aids to adults with mild or moderate hearing loss. They could become available as soon as October when the rule takes effect.

The Biden administration is facing increasing criticism from frustrated state health officials over a troubled system for distributing monkeypox vaccines that's slowing their ability to quickly reach patients.

Why it matters: Every delay intensifies concern that the government is fumbling the early response to another emerging health threat that could lead to uncontrolled disease spread in the general population.

Led by an A-list of C-suite executives, a new nonprofit is developing a playbook to guide companies in supporting employees' mental health, plus a free online clearinghouse for anyone seeking help.

Why it matters: Recognizing that burnout from the pandemic has even reached the corner office, Project Healthy Minds is trying to reduce the stigma of mental illness by getting CEOs to talk openly about their struggles — and to enact meaningful policies.

Americans aren't taking steps to avoid COVID-19 before going on vacation and have no bandwidth for another health crisis like monkeypox, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Why it matters: Our perception of personal risk has fallen to a point where travelers' most common precaution is just to wash or sanitize their hands more frequently — and fewer than half even do that.

The CDC updated its monkeypox guidance on pets after a new study reported that a dog tested positive for the virus in France.

Why it matters: Monkeypox infection among domesticated animals, such as dogs and cats, had never previously been reported, note researchers from Sorbonne University in the study, published in The Lancet medical journal.

We all want to succeed in our pursuits, but we can grow and learn a great deal when we do things we're bad at — just for the joy of it.

The big picture: The last two years gave many of us time to experiment. 59% of Americans say they picked up a new hobby during the pandemic, The Atlantic reports.

Novavax is seeking emergency authorization of its COVID-19 booster shot from the Food and Drug Administration, the company announced on Monday.

The big picture: The booster shot would be available to people who got two doses of the Novavax vaccines, as well as to those who got another vaccine.

Less than a third of the 63 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in the U.S. are fully complying with federal price transparency rules, according to an analysis in JAMA Surgery.

Why it matters: Cancer treatment can be particularly costly, leading some patients to face crippling debt and even bankruptcy in their bid to find a cure.

Regulators in the United Kingdom on Monday approved a COVID-19 booster for adults that targets both the original virus and the Omicron variant.

Why it matters: Monday's approval makes the United Kingdom the first in the world to authorize the bivalent COVID-19 booster, the updated version of Moderna’s vaccine.

After Twitter began offering further monkeypox information to users, GLAAD is putting out a call for other social media platforms to follow suit.

Why it matters: As monkeypox has spread in the U.S., so has online misinformation about how it is contracted and who is at risk.

Democrats are on the cusp of their most significant health policy victory since passage of the Affordable Care Act, but the legislative wrangling it took to get here came at a steep cost: The prescription drug pricing reforms included in the health, tax and climate package are limited to Medicare and exclude the millions of Americans with private insurance.

Why it matters: At best, this sets up a two-tiered pricing system for certain drugs, in which employers and enrollees in the commercial market will pay a significantly higher rate than the government in the years to come. And at worst, some employers and experts warn, it could cause drug prices to actually rise in the private market.