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Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Supreme Court appears likely to uphold Obamacare’s preventive care coverage mandate
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely to uphold a key preventive-care provision of the Affordable Care Act in a case heard Monday. Conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, along with the court’s three liberals, appeared skeptical of arguments that Obamacare’s process for deciding which services must be...
Federal cuts threaten to close Allegheny County lab that certifies N95s and other respirators in June
Most Americans learned what an N95 mask was during the covid-19 pandemic. But what many still don’t know is that every one of them was certified by a single, government-run lab in Bruceton, in Pittsburgh’s South Hills. It’s called the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory. The name N95 actually comes...
U.S. has 800 measles cases and outbreaks in several states. Here’s what you should know
The U.S. has 800 cases of measles nationwide as of Friday, and two more states identified outbreaks this week. Texas is driving the high numbers, with an outbreak centered in West Texas that started nearly three months ago and is up to 597 cases. Two unvaccinated elementary school-aged children died...
UnitedHealthcare killing suspect Luigi Mangione indicted on death penalty-eligible charges
NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione was indicted Thursday on a federal murder charge in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a necessary step for prosecutors to seek the death penalty. The indictment returned by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court also charges Mangione with two counts of stalking...
Heritage Valley CEO: Sewickley hospital here to stay, even as system consolidates
The head of Heritage Valley Health System says the network’s Sewickley hospital isn’t going anywhere, despite the upcoming closure of its Kennedy counterpart. “Clearly, there is a need for a hospital in that Sewickley community,” Heritage Valley President and CEO Norm Mitry told TribLive. “We don’t foresee any negative impact...
Experts make new recommendations on RSV and meningitis vaccines, but it’s unclear what happens next
ATLANTA — A federal panel of experts on Wednesday recommended an expansion of RSV vaccinations for adults and a new combination shot as another option to protect teens against meningitis. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted to recommend a shot to protect travelers from a mosquito-borne illness called...
Measles cases in Pa. remain low amid national outbreak, but vaccine hesitancy lays groundwork for spread
This story first appeared in How We Care, a weekly newsletter by Spotlight PA featuring original reporting and perspectives on how we care for one another at all stages of life. This year marked the first death from measles in the United States since 2015 — and the second and...
Pfizer ends development of potential pill obesity treatment
Pfizer is ending the development of its potential once-daily pill treatment for obesity after venturing into the biggest and most expensive level of clinical testing. The drugmaker said Tuesday that it would stop studying danuglipron after a participant in one of its trials experienced a possible drug-induced liver injury that...
UPMC receives grant for AI based breast cancer research
The PA Breast Cancer Coalition awarded a $100,000 research grant to two Pittsburgh-based researchers on Thursday morning to support a focus on AI in breast cancer research and breast cancer recurrence. Through this grant, Dr. Shandong Wu, professor of radiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, will be...
Why ‘The Pitt’ hits home: Show resonates as fictional measles episode mirrors real life
Locals watching “The Pitt” already have reason to think the Max television series hits close to home with its portrayal of an emergency room in Pittsburgh. A recent episode also fits in with current events, although tariffs weren’t mentioned. The subject was measles, and whether an ER physician would recognize...
Independence Health cuts 151 workers, locations not specified
Independence Health System is laying off 151 employees as it looks to cut costs. Kelly Skoloda, chief marketing and communications officer for the financially challenged regional health care provider, confirmed the staff cuts Wednesday in a statement mirroring a message sent to employees by the system’s president and CEO, Ken...
Fetterman writes column on importance of weight loss drugs
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman says there is a drug on the market that has changed his life: Mounjaro. The drug, generally prescribed for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, has also been touted for its heart health benefits. Fetterman suffered a stroke in May 2022. In a New York Times...
U.S. boosts Medicare payments to insurers by over $25 billion
The U.S. government will pay private Medicare Advantage plans more money next year than it originally proposed in January, a major win for insurance companies that have faced increasing scrutiny in Washington. The shares of insurers surged on the decision. UnitedHealth Group Inc. stock rose as much as 6.2%, CVS...
Ex-official says he was forced out of FDA after trying to protect vaccine safety data from RFK Jr.
WASHINGTON — Shortly before he was forced to resign, the nation’s top vaccine regulator says he refused to grant Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s team unrestricted access to a tightly held vaccine safety database, fearing that the information might be manipulated or even deleted. In an interview with The...
RFK Jr. visits epicenter of Texas measles outbreak after death of 2nd child who was infected
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the epicenter of Texas’ still-growing measles outbreak on Sunday, the same day a funeral was held for a second young child who was not vaccinated and died from a measles-related illness. Kennedy said in a social media post that...
New study finds microplastics in chewing gum
Chewing gum fiends might want to think twice before popping in another piece of gum. A pilot study found that chewing gum can shed microplastics into saliva. Specifically, gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics per piece, which can potentially be ingested, according to the American Chemical Society. Microplastics...
Aldi shredded cheese recalled for metal contamination
If you’ve purchased shredded cheese from Aldi recently, you might want to double check the brand. The Happy Farms by ALDI Colby Jack (a blend of Colby & Monterey Jack finely shredded cheeses) that has best-buy dates listed as July 13 and 14 have been recalled by the U.S. Food...
Westmoreland agency on aging celebrates uptick in staffing, performance rates
Carrie Nelson is proud to help prevent and address abuse, neglect and exploitation of elderly Westmoreland County residents. But when the county Area Agency on Aging lost 75% of its protective services care managers in the summer of 2022, Nelson, as executive director, was put in a difficult position. “We...
Senate confirms Mehmet Oz to take lead of Medicare and Medicaid agency
WASHINGTON — Former heart surgeon and TV pitchman Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed Thursday to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz became the agency’s administrator in a party line 53-45 vote. The 64-year-old will manage health insurance programs for roughly half the country, with oversight of Medicare,...
Shingles is awful, but here’s another reason to get vaccinated: It may fight dementia
WASHINGTON — A vaccine to fight dementia? It turns out there may already be one — shots that prevent painful shingles also appear to protect aging brains. A new study found shingles vaccination cut older adults’ risk of developing dementia over the next seven years by 20%. The research, published...
Mass firing of federal health workers includes Pittsburgh region
More than 200 federal employees who work at the Bruceton Research Center, a research facility south of Pittsburgh, will lose their jobs by June 30, they were told this week. They work at the Pittsburgh Mining Research Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the...
There’s a new push to put whole milk back in school meals. Here’s what you should know
More than a dozen years after higher-fat milk was stripped from school meals to slow obesity in American kids and boost their health, momentum is growing to put it back. Federal lawmakers have revived bills that would allow whole and 2% milk to be served again in schools, in addition...
FDA’s top tobacco official is removed from post in latest blow to health agency’s leadership
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration’s chief tobacco regulator has been removed from his post as part of sweeping cuts to the federal health workforce on Tuesday, the latest in a series of actions that have cleared out many of the nation’s top experts overseeing food, drugs, vaccines and...
Mass layoffs underway at the nation’s public health agencies
Employees across the massive U.S. Health and Human Services Department received notices Tuesday that their jobs were being eliminated, part of a sweeping overhaul designed to vastly shrink the agencies responsible for protecting and promoting Americans’ health. The cuts include researchers, scientists, doctors, support staff and senior leaders, leaving the...
Pa. measles cases prompt CVS to push vaccine statewide
Following the confirmation of at least five measles cases in Pennsylvania, CVS Health reminded patients of its services that offer the measles vaccine to unvaccinated commonwealth residents. Pennsylvania’s first measles case of the year was reported in Montgomery County outside of Philadelphia on March 2, and the second was reported...


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