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American baby formula is safe, according to FDA test results
The FDA announced yesterday that new contamination test results on 312 samples from 16 brands confirm the safety of infant formula in the United States. Tests looked for contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides and “forever chemicals” known as PFAS.
The safety review began under the Biden administration, but last year the Trump administration announced a broader effort called “Operation Stoke Speed” aimed at examining and improving the supply of infant formula in the United States. Read more updates from STAT’s Sarah Todd.
Will Medicaid work requirements work this time?
Tomorrow, all eyes will be on Nebraska, which first implemented the Medicaid work requirement outlined in last year’s Republican tax bill.
STAT has talked at length about work requirements, but here’s a quick refresher: The tax bill, passed without Democratic support, would ultimately require most Medicaid enrollees to regularly certify that they are employed or enrolled in school. Experts say up to 25,000 Nebraskans could lose Medicaid coverage starting Friday, with the extra red tape potentially leaving people without coverage.
But there’s still a lot of confusion about how things will change. An analyst told The Associated Press that the state just released a 295-page document last week listing which medical conditions are exempt from the requirement.
Whether this grand conservative experiment succeeds or fails — so far it has largely failed — lawmakers and health policy experts are watching closely to see how the Cornhuskers fare. This development provides a valid test case for eight months from now, when the federal deadline actually begins.
If you’re curious about how most states implement these policies, KFF just released a survey of state medical directors’ plans. Or read STAT’s John Wilkerson’s Tuesday article about the big questions looming over these work requirements. — O. Rose Broderick
These days, obesity drugs are often prescribed based solely on an individual’s BMI, which is a flawed metric by most standards. But a study published today in Nature Medicine provides evidence for a new tool to better define who is at risk for 18 obesity-related complications, based not only on BMI but also on measures such as family history, diet, current illnesses, and socio-economic factors extracted from medical records.
Outside experts praised the researchers’ ambition to predict serious complications, but were divided on how useful the new tool would be. Read more science from STAT’s Elizabeth Cooney.
Researchers face narrowing prospects for NIH funding
When the second Trump administration took office last year, many researchers faced delays or termination of NIH grants, hiring freezes, and layoffs. By 2026, the turmoil has not subsided, and in many ways the situation is even more dire, as STAT’s Anil Oza writes. Success rates for researchers seeking NIH grants have fallen to historic lows, forcing scholars to spend more time writing grant proposals, seeking other funding sources, or stepping away from science altogether.
When asked in a recent STAT survey about “the impact that decreased federal funding has had on your lab,” one in five researchers expressed fear, anxiety, low morale, or stress. “I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve done good science, and my colleagues have recognized that. I’m proud of the work I’ve done,” said Erin Ingvarsson, who studies speech perception. “The end may come, but it’s not my fault.” Learn more about our current salary situation.
Data shows smog from wildfires is becoming more harmful
Most research on the harmful health effects of exposure to wildfire smoke has focused on its particulate matter. Ground-level ozone is generally considered to have a low mortality risk. But a new study published yesterday in Science Advances suggests that the number of deaths from wildfire smoke ozone has increased over the past 20 years. (Simply explained, ozone is a gas produced by the reaction of sunlight with other pollutants, while particulate matter, as the name suggests, is small particles emitted directly from combustion or chemical reactions.)
Researchers determined that between 2006 and 2023, there were an estimated 2,045 annual excess deaths attributable to smoke-borne ozone. On average, about 6% of ozone-related deaths are caused by ozone from wildfires, with the majority coming from other exposures such as cars and power plants. But the numbers are on the rise, with ozone from wildfires accounting for 16% of deaths in 2021 and 26% in 2023.
Typically, people are not exposed to ozone from wildfires in the same place or at the same time as they breathe in particulate matter. During the study period, annual ozone-related deaths from wildfires averaged about 16% of deaths from smoke particulate matter. But by 2023, the number of deaths has jumped by about two-thirds. The study authors called for more comprehensive risk assessment and warning systems as fire pollution continues to occur.
FACT CHECK: Do expats steal slots from Americans?
Last month, graduating medical students participated in the largest resident matching program in 74 years. In the aftermath, online commenters and political commentators have amplified claims that U.S. graduates are losing training spots to foreign graduates. In a new first-opinion essay, three medical training program leaders did the math and found no evidence to support that claim.
According to the American Medical Association, the match rate for U.S. medical students has remained stable between 92% and 95% for more than 40 years. This year, about 56% of students do not have U.S. citizenship or residency. Despite the significant increase in international applications over the past four years, the number was lower than previous years. Read more about what’s really going on.
what we are reading
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These tests claim to be able to tell you your “biological age.” Why Science Doesn’t Exist Yet, The Washington Post
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The push for raw milk intensifies across the U.S. despite disease outbreaks and scientists’ warnings, Associated Press
- First opinion: Congress must hold RFK Jr. accountable after hearing, STAT
- Trump campaign quietly eliminates U.S. support for contraception overseas, NPR
- How AI can help fight antibiotic resistance, Wired
