Axios

States, cities and counties across the country — led by California — are setting up "clean air centers," where residents can find respite from wildfire smoke and other airborne pollutants.

• But traveling to them could expose people to the very hazards they're escaping.

Blue Shield of California may have upended the status quo for prescription drug plans on Thursday by dropping CVS Caremark as its sole pharmacy benefit manager and shifting some business to Amazon and Mark Cuban's drug company.

Why it matters: The nonprofit insurer's move came as PBMs face more scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission and Congress over their role in rising drug prices — and sent top industry players' shares tumbling.

More than half of young adults in the U.S. see even moderate drinking — one or two drinks a day — as unhealthy, new Gallup polling found.

Why it matters: Views on alcohol and drugs are shifting rapidly, especially among millennials and Gen Z. Americans overall now see booze as more harmful than marijuana.

CVS Health shares were trading down 8% on Thursday after Blue Shield of California announced plans to cut back on its pharmacy benefit management services.

Why it matters: CVS Caremark is one of three PBM players that control roughly 80% of the industry. But there are increasing concerns about the regulatory environment as the industry comes into the crosshairs of the Federal Trade Commission and Congress.

The majority of LGBTQ+ adults feel that their safety is threatened by bans on gender-affirming care — and they're making significant life decisions as a result, new polling provided exclusively to Axios found.

Why it matters: Twenty-one states have passed laws limiting access to gender-affirming care — one of the most direct attacks on transgender and non-binary youth, per the Human Rights Campaign.

While the surge in prescriptions for ADHD drugs during the pandemic has often been attributed to expanded telehealth access, new research finds there has been little difference in prescribing rates for in-person or virtual care at large health centers since 2020.

Why it matters: There's been an ongoing debate about whether the explosion in telehealth enabled over-prescribing of ADHD medications like Adderall amid a prolonged drug shortage that's disrupted patient care.

The summertime rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations is making some Americans rethink if the pandemic is over, but it isn't persuading them to start wearing masks again or test for the virus, according to the latest Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.

The big picture: Economic and political turmoil, along with unease about developments like AI, have left many Americans numb to public health threats, though issues like the opioid crisis and shortage of cancer drugs are still registering.

If you've noticed a sudden rise in the number of people wearing masks while you're out and about lately, here's why: COVID-19 is on the upswing once again, according to closely watched metrics.

Driving the news: The late summer spread comes as a new variant, EG.5, is now the dominant form in the U.S., per CDC estimates — though it's unclear if that variant is directly responsible for the rising numbers.