Drug Shortage Leads to Firing Squads; FTC Non-compete Backlash; Illegal Laughing Gas

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Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) signed a bill that will allow for executions to be carried out by firing squads, as the nationwide shortage of lethal-injection drugs continues. (AP)

President Joe Biden renewed his push to ban assault weapons in the wake of a deadly shooting at an elementary school in Nashville on Monday. (Politico)

But Senate Republicans cast doubt on the possibility of legislative action on firearms in response to the school shooting. (The Hill)

One in four Colorado adolescents said they could access a loaded gun in 24 hours or less. (JAMA Pediatrics)

A proposed rule from the Federal Trade Commission to prohibit non-compete clauses in employment contracts led to significant pushback from hospitals and private equity-backed medical groups. (KHN)

Philadelphia officials are providing updates on the city’s water supply after a chemical spill upstream in the Delaware River has left residents concerned about contamination. (CNN)

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed a Medicaid expansion bill into law. (AP)

Ohio Attorney General David Yost filed suit against Express Scripts and Prime Therapeutics, alleging the companies conspired to illegally increase drug prices. (Fierce Healthcare)

The U.K. will make possession of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) a criminal offense as part of a crackdown on anti-social behavior. (BBC)

A medical billing dispute over an insulin pump for a 12-year-old boy has left one family paying an $872 monthly bill. (USA Today)

Newly available test strips can help individual drug users and others detect lethal xylazine, a sedative also known as tranq. (STAT)

The Kansas Supreme Court indicated it may still consider access to abortion a fundamental right under the state constitution during oral arguments for two lawsuits related to abortion rights. (AP)

Over a half century after the development of fluoxetine (Prozac), a new generation of depression drugs may be more effective and quicker than their predecessor. (STAT)

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about the revival of a patent for Amgen’s cholesterol-lowering drug evolocumab (Repatha), with rival drugmaker Sanofi saying it would stifle competition. (Reuters)

Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) introduced a bill to give CMS the authority to deactivate National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) linked with anyone convicted of waste, fraud, or abuse and whose name appears on the HHS Office of Inspector General exclusions list. (KHN)