Democrats had a big night in Tuesday's elections, but in Congress all they could end up getting on health care is a vote on extending Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Why it matters: A guaranteed vote, but no actual agreement that can be signed into law, would be a tough pill for many Democrats to swallow.
Novo Nordisk and Pfizer's multibillion-dollar fight over who gets to buy an anti-obesity biotech has morphed into a narrative argument over which acquisition would be most America First — a framing with clear political implications.
Why it matters: It's a sign of the new world order for the pharmaceutical industry, in which manufacturers hope dealmaking and political overtures made directly to President Trump translate into favorable treatment from the administration.
Nearly 227,000 people nationwide will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, per the American Lung Association's 2025 State of Lung Cancer report.
Why it matters: Lung cancer is still the leading cause of cancer deaths — but the five-year survival rate has increased to almost 30%, the group finds, up from 18% about a decade ago.
The White House is warning that unemployment benefits are in jeopardy in some states if the shutdown drags on, though the risks are far less dire than for food assistance or SNAP.
Why it matters: About 1.6 million Americans are unemployed and rely on unemployment insurance to get by — including about 20,000 former federal workers.
The Trump administration is closing in on a deal to allow Medicare coverage of weight loss drugs by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in some cases, according to multiplereports.
Why it matters: A deal could significantly expand seniors' access to popular weight loss drugs while drastically decreasing the estimated cost of that coverage.
Pfizer and Novo Nordisk on Tuesday both sweetened their bids for weight-loss drugmaker Metsera, to a maximum of $8.1 billion and $10 billion, respectively.
Why it matters: This reflects how biotech is seeking to corner the next generation of anti-obesity medicines, following the blockbuster success of Novo's Wegovy and Ozempic.
President Trump said food benefits will only get paid once the shutdown ends, in a post on Truth Social Tuesday morning.
Why it matters: The post appears to defy two federal courts that ruled last week the White House must pay at least partial Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits even in a shutdown.
Walgreens is unveiling an expanded tracker of flu and COVID-19 to monitor where they're spreading across the country this winter, the company shared first with Axios.
Why it matters: Commercial and academic tools are becoming more important for identifying respiratory virus hotspots this year as federal data becomes less available.
The weekend's chaos at the Food and Drug Administration is prompting questions around how much more the agency can take before its functionality is seriously impaired.
Why it matters: An agency is only as good as its workforce, and after months of high-profile departures and open hostility from top health officials, some argue the FDA's performance is already deteriorating.
