Democratic Congressman Dies; Hospital Accused of Losing Patient; Pumpkins and Health

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Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.) died at age 87 after being hospitalized since mid-July. (Politico)

Cases of whooping cough are on the rise and back to prepandemic levels. (New York Times)

One-third of Americans see COVID-19 as a threat to their health, comparable to their worries about the flu, according to an Axios/Ipsos poll.

Speaking of COVID, Novavax said it will continue to work with the FDA to get its updated non-mRNA vaccine authorized for the 2024-2025 season.

As part of a settlement brought by a consumer watchdog, EpicGenetics agreed to stop selling a blood test it claimed could diagnose fibromyalgia and another for a disease it apparently made up. (STAT)

A lawsuit alleges that a California hospital told a woman’s family she had been discharged when she actually had died and was being kept in cold storage; it allegedly took a year to find the woman’s body. (NBC News)

The world’s oldest person is now a Japanese woman who loves bananas. (AP)

Wall Street thinks semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) may become a target of Medicare drug-price negotiations. (Reuters)

Can psychedelic drugs offer a glimpse of near-death experiences? (New York Times)

A viral video claiming a long line of people in Omaha, Nebraska was for mpox testing was really just a line for a rally with Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D). (USA Today)

Meanwhile, Singapore will start mpox airport screening for passengers arriving from areas with outbreaks. (Reuters)

Experts say a quick surgical procedure that can permanently change the color of people’s eyes is not without risks. (CNN)

The Atlantic examines the catch-22 that is ketamine.

Four central Massachusetts towns are restricting outdoor activities after a local case of eastern equine encephalitis. (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)

In Arkansas, the Supreme Court upheld the state’s rejection of signature petitions to put an abortion rights initiative on the November ballot. (AP)

After two fatal New Jersey police shootings of people in mental health crises, a state policy will change how officers respond to mental health calls. (CBS News)

Steward Health will close two hospitals in Ohio; a hospital in Pennsylvania is also at risk. (Reuters)

The FDA turned down an appeal by Intarcia to reverse its rejection of the company’s implant that delivers a GLP-1 agonist for diabetes, a product that agency advisors unanimously rejected in the fall. (Endpoints News)

Researchers from Washington state reported the first known case of tularemia acquired through contact with a marine mammal, a deceased but infected seal. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

Does HPV in men affect fertility? (NBC News)

Pumpkin season is approaching — what do those products mean for your health? (CBS News)

TV travel guide Rick Steves disclosed he has prostate cancer. (People)