Sleep, Exercise, and Death; Pope Improving, Eats Pizza; Obesity Med Strategies

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Higher levels of physical activity may diminish the mortality risk associated with poor sleep, according to findings from the U.K. Biobank. (European Journal of Preventive Cardiology)

Despite saying he strongly opposes it, President Biden has no plans to veto a Republican-led measure to end the national COVID-19 emergency; however, the public health emergency (PHE) set to expire in May would still remain in place. (The Hill)

The end of the PHE, and the subsequent changes in telehealth rules, may jeopardize access to gender-affirming care for transgender people. (STAT)

TikTok can be particularly addictive for girls with depression, according to a new report from Common Sense.

The FDA said it’s looking into safety concerns involving fixed palatal expanders for adults used to treat conditions like obstructive sleep apnea and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

Only 23% of at-risk people in the U.S. have been vaccinated against mpox, according to a new CDC report. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

GSK made a licensing deal with three companies to make generic copies of its long-acting HIV preventative cabotegravir (Vocabria) for use in low-income countries. (Reuters)

Even for those using fentanyl, buprenorphine can safely be administered in the emergency department without risk of triggering withdrawal. (JAMA Network Open)

Pope Francis’ bronchitis is improving after being given intravenous antibiotics; he had pizza for dinner and is expected to leave the hospital Saturday. (ABC News)

Seattle is the first city to pass a law offering paid sick leave for most gig workers. (ABC News)

West Virginia becomes the latest state to join the bandwagon of those banning gender-affirming care for minors. (AP)

Meanwhile, Kentucky’s legislature just overrode the governor’s veto of a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors. (CNN)

Speaking of which, Kentucky’s Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said he plans to sign a bill legalizing access to medical cannabis in the state. (WLKY)

In Maryland, lawmakers passed legislation that expands gender-affirming procedures covered under the state’s Medicaid program; the governor is expected to sign the bill. (AP)

And voters in Maryland will get to decide if the right to an abortion will be added to the state’s Constitution in 2024. (Washington Post)

The Biden Administration urged the Supreme Court to hear the “skinny labels” patent appeal case involving Teva Pharmaceuticals and GSK’s beta blocker carvedilol (Coreg). (Reuters)

After being granted accelerated approval in 2017, the FDA gave full approval to the anti-PD-1 therapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for certain unresectable or metastatic solid tumors, Merck announced.

The nonprofit Lupus Research Alliance announced that it’s joining forces with the FDA to bolster therapeutic development for the disease. (STAT)

The Navy is deploying more chaplains to help with suicide prevention. (AP)

How should clinicians be prescribing new obesity treatments to patients? (Reuters)

Now a quadriplegic, a San Diego man was awarded $46 million in a settlement after a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor crushed his cervical vertebrae during a lesson. (San Diego Union-Tribune)

English Olympic champion swimmer Adam Peaty said he’s pulling out of next week’s British swimming championships to focus on his mental health. (ESPN)

A mother with bipolar disorder described how her therapist told her not to have more kids. (Insider)