Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Thursday, Jan 29 2026 9:00 AM +++ +++ ++

Morning Briefing: Today's News Summaries Thursday, Jan 29 2026 9:00 AM Americans' Biggest Pocketbook Worry Is The Cost Of Health Care, Poll Reveals Health care ranks higher on the list of concerns than the cost of groceries and housing, and voters say the cost of health care will affect their election choices in November. Also: Affordable Care Act enrollment drops by more than a million people following the expiration of federal subsidies. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/americans-biggest-pocketbook-worry-is-the-cost-of-health-care-poll-reveals/ Autism Council Stacked With Panelists Who Question Vaccine Safety The makeup of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee has raised alarms among advocates over the imbalance of the committee, specifically the lack of scientists. Plus, the U.S. is imploring Gavi, the vaccine alliance, to stop including thimerosal in multidose shots used in other countries. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/autism-council-stacked-with-panelists-who-question-vaccine-safety/ HHS Rule Reversal Leaves Access To Abortion Drugs Up To Pharmacists Overturning the Biden-era rule means that pharmacists can now refuse to stock or dispense the medication abortion drugs mifepristone, misoprostol, and methotrexate without losing federal funding. Methotrexate is also used to treat ectopic pregnancies and autoimmune disorders https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/hhs-rule-reversal-leaves-access-to-abortion-drugs-up-to-pharmacists/ Government Shutdown Is Days Away Amid Impasse Over DHS Funding In the wake of the slaying of VA nurse Alex Pretti, Democrats want to see either Homeland Security funding separated from the larger appropriations bill or congressional measures to rein in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Republicans do not want to split the funding bill. If the measure does not pass, nonessential work at Health and Human Services would stop come Saturday. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/government-shutdown-is-days-away-amid-impasse-over-dhs-funding/ Walmart Invests In Pharmacy Workers, Raises Pay As Clinics Lose Popularity Axios reports how Walmart's approach comes at a time when its major competitors are cutting back hours and closing pharmacies across the U.S. Millions of Americans prefer to use pharmacies over clinics, with 75% of Walmart's testing-and-treatment visits happening outside normal business hours. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/walmart-invests-in-pharmacy-workers-raises-pay-as-clinics-lose-popularity/ US Life Expectancy Hits Record High Thanks To Drop In Overdose Deaths CDC data for 2024 shows the life expectancy at birth for the average American to be 79, up 0.6 years from 2023. Other public health news is on U.S. obesity, the health effects of traditional sleep-wake schedules, and more. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/us-life-expectancy-hits-record-high-thanks-to-drop-in-overdose-deaths/ Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/research-roundup-the-latest-science-discoveries-and-breakthroughs-53/ Viewpoints: When Insurance Drops Doctors, Patients Suffer; Why I Trusted ChatGPT Health With My Medical Data https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-briefing/thursday-january-29-2026/