Deadly Pickleball Match; Malone Exits ACIP: ‘Last Straw’; Novel Parkinson’s Therapy?

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Jeff Webb, 76, an entrepreneur who started a cheerleading business and also was a mentor to the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, died from a head injury caused by a fall that occurred while he was playing pickleball. (People)

Catholics are permitted to receive transplants of organs from other animals to treat medical problems, the Vatican announced. (The Independent)

“That was the last straw.” — Robert Malone, MD, an ally of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is stepping down from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, saying he was trashed in the press by an HHS spokesperson. (Roll Call)

Meanwhile, a leading anti-vaccine activist and Kennedy ally filed a petition seeking to add 300 conditions to the table that determines whether patients can file vaccine injury claims. (Axios)

A week has gone by with no new measles cases in South Carolina, the state’s health department said; the total in the outbreak stands at 997.

Could U.S. strikes in Iran release a dangerous biological weapon? (STAT)

One-third of people have used a chatbot for health advice in the past year, a KFF poll found.

Facebook’s parent company Meta hurt children’s mental health and hid its knowledge of child exploitation on its social media platforms, a New Mexico jury found. (AP)

CVS Health’s Caremark reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in a lawsuit over the pharmacy benefit manager’s insulin pricing. (Fierce Healthcare)

A Georgia judge granted a bond of just $1 for a murder charge faced by a woman accused by police of taking pills to induce an illegal abortion. (AP)

The FDA needs to be more transparent about its process for determining financial conflicts of interest for advisory committee members, a Government Accountability Office report found.

In other FDA news, LiviWell announced that the agency cleared its single-use Livi device, which is designed to absorb semen and other vaginal fluids post-intercourse.

Spinach, strawberries, and grapes had some of the highest pesticide levels among this year’s “Dirty Dozen” list of pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables, the Environmental Working Group found.

Parkinson’s disease patients in Buenos Aires are benefitting from a new type of therapy: dancing the tango. (New York Times)

Trump administration health officials announced the launch of a pilot program for children with complex medical needs. (STAT)

For patients with long COVID, pregnancy comes with many unknowns. (The Sick Times)

The Trump administration says rural healthcare can greatly benefit through the use of drones, artificial intelligence, and robots. But experts say it’s not that simple. (Washington Post)

The psychedelic drug MDMA is showing promise — without serious adverse events — in Australian trials to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, but concerns remain over potential long-term side effects. (New York Times)

What’s the best way to dispel medical misinformation? The answer does not involve presenting scientists as ultimate authorities, says a health communicator who grew up attending an end-times church. (STAT)

Tuberculosis incidence is on the rise in the U.S., public health experts say. (Vox via Yahoo! News)

Cuba has long been sending doctors on medical missions in the Southern Hemisphere, but the Trump administration is trying to put a stop to it. (NPR)