Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Thursday, Jan 15 2026 9:28 AM +++ +++ ++

Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Thursday, Jan 15 2026 9:28 AM School Cafeterias Now Allowed To Offer Whole Milk, 2%, And Nondairy Options The newly signed bill reverses an Obama-era provision aimed at reducing children's consumption of saturated fats to slow obesity and boost health. The change could take effect as soon as this fall. Other news looks at HHS' reversal of its funding cuts for mental health and addiction. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/school-cafeterias-now-allowed-to-offer-whole-milk-2-and-nondairy-options/ GOP Senators Seek FDA Review Over Telehealth Dispensing Of Mifepristone The Senate health committee convened Wednesday to discuss the safety of telehealth prescribing of the abortion pill. Also: Senate negotiations on expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies might get derailed over abortion disagreements. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/gop-senators-seek-fda-review-over-telehealth-dispensing-of-mifepristone/ Kaiser Permanente Settles Lawsuits Over Fraud, Data-Sharing Allegations Affiliates of the California-based health care provider have agreed to pay $556 million to settle claims that KP bilked Medicare by bumping up diagnoses to reap more reimbursements. Plus: The United States spent $5.28 trillion on health care in 2024, a CMS report shows. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/kaiser-permanente-settles-lawsuits-over-fraud-data-sharing-allegations/ Organ Donations Fall For First Time In Years As Health Care Mistrust Grows The vast majority of people on transplant waiting lists need a kidney, AP reported. An analysis of federal data found that 116 fewer kidney transplants were performed in 2025 than the year before. The decrease would have been even larger, experts said, were it not for an increase last year in the number of transplants from healthy, living donors. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/organ-donations-fall-for-first-time-in-years-as-health-care-mistrust-grows/ States, Congress, Industry Are Split On What To Do About Silica Dust Deaths In a push to prevent countertop cutters' deaths, California is discussing whether to ban the cutting of so-called engineered stone, quartz, which emits the lung-damaging dust when cut. But at least one manufacturer says there is a way that quartz "can be fabricated safely." Meanwhile, Republicans in Washington are discussing a bill that would ban workers from suing the makers of the slabs. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/states-congress-industry-are-split-on-what-to-do-about-silica-dust-deaths/ US Sees Roughly 21% Decline In Drug Overdose Deaths, CDC Data Reveal All but five states — Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Kansas, and North Dakota — reported fewer fatal outcomes tied to drug overdoses from August 2024 to August 2025, data indicate. Other lifestyle and wellness news looks at social media use among children, text-to-therapy tech, recalls, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/us-sees-roughly-21-decline-in-drug-overdose-deaths-cdc-data-reveal/ Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/research-roundup-the-latest-science-discoveries-and-breakthroughs-51/ Viewpoints: Insights From Inventor Of Hepatitis B Vaccine; Need For Medical AI Safety Research Is Urgent https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/viewpoints-insights-from-inventor-of-hepatitis-b-vaccine-need-for-medical-ai-safety-research-is-urgent/