THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION (+++++) (+++++)

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Fierce Healthcare: HHS Awards Nearly $250M In Addiction Treatment, Overdose Prevention Grants The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded nearly $250 million in grants Friday aimed at expanding access to mental health services and addiction treatment across the nation. The $247.9 million in funds were distributed through HHS’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The projects receiving the highest amount of grant money are Medication-Assisted Treatment – Prescription Drug and Opioid Addiction ($69.4 million); Project AWARE ($54.9 million) National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative – Category III Community Treatment and Service Centers ($41.8 million) and First Responders - Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act ($34.6 million). (Gleeson, 10/1) https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/hhs-awards-nearly-250m-addiction-treatment-overdose-prevention-grants?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_yclzMzdfOzAzOwoVtLyroXFWwXFoKFoa-7vAK8el0SdQ-hPMsU72Kq_RvfoFqLr4zP1Nk44cB8gHkME9DbZjE2krY-A&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email Healthcare Dive: HRSA Discloses Manufacturers Approved For Revised 340B Rebate Pilot The Trump administration has released a highly anticipated list of 10 drugmakers that it will allow to shift discounts on drugs from upfront savings to back-end rebates in a controversial federal program. Starting Jan. 1, major pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Merck and Pfizer will only have to pay savings to providers participating in the 340B drug discount program after they verify the transaction qualifies, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration, the HHS subagency that oversees 340B. (Parduhn, 10/1) https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/340b-rebate-program-approved-drugs-hrsa/831913/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--cQ0b4zxmM-AiCkVXhBTlMz1xkXRYLrDkjR5UsYvZpOvnAUJKZymGhUWljb3KJTNRmm5HosrDb_-YEF3Vki2z_x5Y4ww&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email Stat: As CDC Redesigns Annual Health Survey, It Removes Questions About Disabilities A proposed redesign of the federal government’s annual health survey would result in significant undercounting of Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, according to advocates for the vulnerable population. (Broderick, 10/1) https://www.statnews.com/2026/10/01/cdc-health-survey-redesign-removes-questions-about-disabilities/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8ZFqcL7YfZgMpLsxLVZul2HCIBm9zeGIbthV_5XOjV0XIvtZuEZ-rJ0KW8mSThnL8b3GDZ2gOnr6dooEIikYqSU3nCAA&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email The New York Times: Housing Official, Who Targeted Trump Foes, Cuts Watchdog Office Bill Pulte, President Trump’s director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, moved this week to slash the inspector general’s office that scrutinizes his actions, prompting calls from congressional Democrats for his resignation. It was the second time that Trump administration officials have taken steps to limit scrutiny of the federal regulatory agency run by Mr. Pulte, who has become one of the administration's most contentious figures because he prides himself on carrying out investigations into Mr. Trump’s rivals. (Broadwater, 10/1) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/us/politics/bill-pulte-trump-inspector-general.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9Ge0vvwbsShj80Cl4AWS3wZo6N8dK2pFxrhomjkELgQ-3IAI8fv9_6cE2BBFlE8tTboX_hyarimnCNE1i_KaIpNzjj-w&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email The Washington Post: TSA Officers Must Now Stand Up On The Job The agency announced this week that it is removing chairs at this position in airports throughout the country, requiring staff members to stand for their shift. In a statement, TSA explained the reason as twofold: to ensure its employees meet its fitness standards and to create an amiable environment for travelers. In a Facebook post, the American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council 100, the union that represents the officers, expressed concern over the agency’s “consequential decision.” The ergonomic chairs, the union argued, provide safety and support for officers who stand and walk on hard surfaces for extended periods. (Sachs, 10/1) https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2026/10/01/tsa-officers-must-now-stand-up-job/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_-kyuWkq5xWtF3sZmEx3RHjmabjKl9tPb3lFak8R6CfDdfSK2IN2p2M4Ui2zsSNYOG6WwL_QtytLfuYW0du58NWNL-gw&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email ON CAPITOL HILL The New York Times: Congress Leaves With A Whimper, As The G.O.P. Braces For Midterm Pain Republicans lined up a series of doomed votes in their final hours, hoping to portray Democrats as obstructionists. But some conceded that their party was more likely to be punished. (Gold and Hulse, 10/1) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/us/politics/republicans-congress-midterm-elections-trump-affordability.html?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-90uB8nMUDsgmpv3dx1c45hPp9BCcMpz9XErIgsREwIiDd4hO4p4xk0irBlQ71t9zPAqHrl3pPuXNuTJO9a9ZU4b-xvlA&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email Roll Call: Bill Easing Seniors’ Wheelchair Upgrade Costs Clears Senate Legislation reversing a decade of Medicare payment policy that made it too expensive for many seniors to buy ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk after the Senate quietly cleared it late Wednesday night. (Cohn, 10/1) https://rollcall.com/2026/10/01/bill-easing-seniors-wheelchair-upgrade-costs-clears-senate/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_Gr6m9S2qBgF6OwIbWFQZ7EK5QhKu51Y6UO9EpAJUtmk81ca2hEdGa4UI0p2Xt2v4bWpnTp4MbFUuOu1Ew2D3wtgTYQg&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email Roll Call: Lame-Duck Effort Brewing To Protect NIH Grantmaking ​Senate appropriators from both parties are workshopping language that could be added to a spending bill to prevent the White House from exerting political influence on medical research grants. The provision would go into the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill that lawmakers hope to pass before stopgap funding expires Dec. 11. (Cohen, 10/1) https://rollcall.com/2026/10/01/lame-duck-effort-brewing-to-protect-nih-grantmaking/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-839zlfPwJQWf7_cVcvYCnKSwdTSgnm5ZeFhl_8cd2vwVBdE7qbhI3r8SuBUBTArcuT8yK3XldF6Vf92rPv7mOAs9X8hQ&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email The Hill: GOP Senators Call For DOJ Probe Into Chinese Role In Illegal Hemp, Cannabis Networks Four GOP senators who opposed the delay of a ban on intoxicating hemp products are calling on the Justice Department to investigate the role of Chinese criminal networks in America’s cannabis and intoxicating hemp markets. In a Wednesday letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche, the senators said Chinese criminal networks “are exploiting vulnerabilities in federal law to operate expansive illicit drug enterprises that threaten our communities and national security.” (Weixel, 10/1) https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/6124215-gop-senators-probe-chinese-cannabis-markets/?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--3h62wzAYsD6K-ZvRMwKE9aZmumXd5XUNhaPczOcMrk_PsoVGLSXjGERT7w9un2DPi2zAVn_tHVZHeJaE9FGig4pTKpQ&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email NBC News: Abdul El-Sayed Tries To Woo MAHA Voters As Democrats Seek Inroads With RFK’s Supporters A Democrat in one of the most competitive Senate races is making a play for the MAHA vote as some in the party seek to win over supporters of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s movement in the run-up to November’s elections. (Smith, Bendix and Tsirkin, 10/1) https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/abdul-el-sayed-woo-maha-voters-democrats-rfk-rcna600508?utm_campaign=KHN%3A%20First%20Edition&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8w0iriV-xzTIPDrtUFYK8c4xRLGME-vqmTpDKG1A_j2ejCyCkFsg1L1jINJdR4cFIdHWS17-cKOjHhMVvMvyjKVx9o7w&_hsmi=442215183&utm_content=442215183&utm_source=hs_email