EPA Warns on ‘Cancer Alley’; COVID Emergency Extended; Supermarkets and Superbugs

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The Environmental Protection Agency warned Louisiana officials that Black residents living in “cancer alley,” the 85-mile Mississippi River Chemical Corridor, face an especially elevated cancer risk due to air pollution. (AP)

Anticipating a winter surge, the Biden administration extended the COVID-19 public health emergency through Jan. 11, 2023. (ABC News)

Another 3.3 million Americans received their booster jab over the past week, bringing the total number of boosted to 14.8 million, according to CDC data. (Reuters)

A sign of the times: an AP explainer on how iodine pills stop some nuclear radiation.

GSK announced that its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine candidate led to a 94.1% reduction in severe RSV in a pivotal phase III trial of older adults, and had an overall vaccine efficacy of 82.6%.

Pricey surgeries may be the first thing cut from employers looking to cut healthcare insurance costs ahead of open enrollment. (Bloomberg Law)

The FDA approved the Senza HFX iQ spinal cord stimulation system for chronic pain, developer Nevro announced.

Is everything we know about water and hydration actually true? (NPR)

CVS is cutting the costs of its brand of tampons, menstrual pads, liners, and cups by 25%, and will pay the so-called pink tax in certain states. (CNN)

More reports of non-pregnant women being denied certain medications over fears they’re trying to circumvent anti-abortion laws. (USA Today)

In alignment with World Vasectomy Day, and amid surging demand, a physician with a mobile clinic will offer a limited number of free vasectomies in Iowa and Missouri over several days in November. (AP)

President Biden signed an executive order this morning instructing HHS to look for new ways to lower prescription drug costs, according to a White House statement.

Generic versions of Novartis’ multiple sclerosis drug fingolimod (Gilenya) are good to go, the Supreme Court ruled, after the drugmaker asked them to suspend a lower court’s ruling that lifted a ban on generic competition. (Reuters)

Eight of the 12 largest supermarket chains in the U.S. — including Walmart, Kroger, and Trader Joe’s — earned a failing grade when it came to antibiotic usage in their meat and poultry products, according to a new report from Superbugs in Stock.

Speaking of supermarkets, high-sugar warnings on beverages, and limits on front-of-package claims and imagery, may change parents’ purchasing behavior for their kids. (JAMA Network Open)

Washington, D.C. is suing Velsicol, alleging that the company dumped chemicals into the water system and harmed the health of minority neighborhoods. (The Hill)

The FDA’s vaping prevention campaign may have helped reduced teens’ susceptibility to vaping, and even cigarette smoking. (JAMA Network Open)

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology took a comprehensive look at drug interactions between nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (Paxlovid) and commonly prescribed heart medications, and advised on what to do about them.

Lawmakers in Mississippi are close to passing legislation looking to outlaw kratom, an herbal product touted as a treatment for everything from pain relief to drug withdrawal. (AP)

Hundreds of high school students in San Diego have fallen ill after a suspected flu outbreak. (NBC7 San Diego)

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, a hospital in Seattle, confirmed it was hit by a ransomware attack leading to disruptions for over a week; its patient portal is still down as well. (Seattle Times)

Child malnutrition is soaring in central Somalia. (Reuters)