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Bill Barr after Sussmann acquittal: Durham 'did an exceptionally able job'

Former Attorney General Bill Barr defended special counsel John Durham after a federal jury acquitted prominent Democratic attorney Michael Sussman, saying that despite the failure of his flagship prosecution Durham “did an exceptionally able job.”

Fox News host Jesse Watters asked Barr in an interview on Wednesday if he was disappointed in Durham or if he felt “any way responsible for how this Durham situation’s unfolding,” as he appointed the special prosecutor.

“No, I’m very proud of John Durham, and I do take responsibility for his appointment, and I think he and his team did an exceptionally able job, both digging out very important facts and presenting a compelling case to the jury,” Barr responded. 

“And the fact that he – while he did not succeed in getting a conviction from the D.C. jury, I think he accomplished something far more important, which is he brought out the truth in two important areas,” he continued. 

Barr said he believed Durham “crystallized the central role” that Clinton’s presidential campaign played in espousing a narrative that former President Trump’s campaign was colluding with Russia.

He said that Durham also “exposed really dreadful behavior by the supervisors in the FBI, the senior ranks in the FBI, who knowingly use this information to start an investigation of Trump and then dupe their own agents by lying to them and refusing to tell them what the real source of that information was.”

Barr picked Durham look into the FBI’s probe of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in early 2019, later being given the status of special counsel in late 2020 so Durham could finish his work even after Trump left office. 

Sussman, a key figure in the Durham probe, stood accused of not being forthcoming in an October 2016 meeting with the then-FBI’s general counsel regarding on who he had represented.

He had reportedly been meeting with FBI official James Baker to present evidence of supposed questionable traffic online between Russian financial institution Alfa Bank and the Trump Organization. 

A federal jury acquitted Sussman on Monday on one count of lying to the Bureau, a decision that was slammed by Trump.

“Our Legal System is CORRUPT, our Judges (and Justices!) are highly partisan, compromised or just plain scared, our Borders are OPEN, our Elections are Rigged, Inflation is RAMPANT, gas prices and food costs are ‘through the roof,’ our Military ‘Leadership’ is Woke, our Country is going to HELL, and Michael Sussmann is not guilty,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, the social networking site he founded.

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Police on Tulsa shooting: Officers arrived within 4 minutes, shooter killed himself

Police said the mass shooter who opened fire at a hospital building in Tulsa, Okla., on Wednesday afternoon killed four people before committing suicide, in an incident that lasted about five minutes.

Eric Dalgleish, the deputy chief of the Tulsa Police Department, said at a news briefing Wednesday evening that police were alerted to an active shooter armed with a rifle inside the upper floor of the Natalie Building at St. Francis Hospital around 4:52 p.m.

Officers arrived within four minutes and heard shots from the second floor, where they found four victims dead from gunshot wounds. Police identified a fifth body as the gunman, who they believe killed himself.

The whole incident lasted about four or five minutes, according to Dalgleish, who said the victims are likely a combination of visitors and employees.

The suspected gunman, a Black male around the age of 40, carried a rifle and a handgun into the hospital building, according to Dalgleish. He fired both of the weapons during the shooting, which took place in part at an orthopedic center on the upper floor of the building.

The incident quickly drew the attention of President Biden, with the White House on Wednesday evening saying he was “closely monitoring the situation” and had “reached out to state and local officials to offer support.”

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum (R) said during the news briefing the campus at St. Francis Hospital was “sacred ground for our community” where “heroes have come to work to save the lives of people in our community.”

“I know there are so many people out there right now who want to know what you can do to support the people of St. Francis health system in the midst of this tragedy,” he said. “I don’t have one thing for you right now. I would ask for you to think about what the St. Francis Health System and what the people that work there mean to our community and what they mean to you and your family and your neighbors.”

The mass shooting comes about a week after a gunman opened fire at a Texas elementary school, killing 19 children and two adults in one of the deadliest school shootings in the nation’s history.

The police response to the Texas tragedy was criticized after it was revealed that officers entered the classroom the shooter was in an hour after the rampage began.

Bynum thanked the police and first responders who he said “did not hesitate” to respond to the shooting, acting quickly and even navigated a crowded and difficult hospital parking lot to get to the shooter.

“I was very happy with what we know so far regarding the response from our officers,” he said. “The citizens of Tulsa should be proud.”

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Murphy says 'growing momentum' on gun violence legislation after latest meeting of bipartisan group

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said on Wednesday there is “growing momentum” on gun violence legislation after another bipartisan senators meeting on the matter was held earlier that day.

“Today a group of eight bipartisan Senators met to continue negotiations on a gun violence bill that can get a broad, bipartisan vote in the Senate. This follows a similar meeting yesterday,” he tweeted. “There is growing momentum to get something done and we agreed on a plan to keep working.”

Murphy’s office did not immediately respond to a request for information on which lawmakers attended. Sen. John Cornyn’s office said the Texas Republican was not there.

Murphy’s comments come as lawmakers reignite calls for gun-related legislation following two deadly shootings in recent weeks in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas. 

Following the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas, Murphy made an emotional plea to lawmakers to act on gun control.

“I’m here on this floor to beg — to literally get down on my hands and knees and beg my colleagues — find a path forward here. Work with us to find a way to pass laws that make this less likely,” he said the day of the shooting. 

Last week, a group of bipartisan senators discussed “red flag” laws and background checks during a meeting in a Capitol basement office.

Among the attendees of that meeting were Murphy, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), in addition to Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who called in.

Source: TEST FEED1

Nobel-winning Russia journalist to auction off prize to support Ukrainian children

Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov has announced that he plans to auction off the money he won from his Nobel Peace Prize in an effort to support displaced Ukrainian children amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of the country. 

Muratov, who was the editor of the now-suspended news publication Novaya Gazeta, said that the $500,000 prize money will be used to support various charitable foundations, The New York Times reported. 

Muratov’s Nobel Peace model will be auctioned off by Heritage Auctions in New York on June 20. One hundred percent of the auction’s proceeds will be donated to the United Nations agency UNICEF.

June 20 is also World Refugee Day, according to Heritage Auctions.

“One successful bidder will walk away from this auction with a gold medal representing Mr. Muratov’s life’s work and sacrifice. Still, it is his wish that EVERYONE participates by donating what they can to UNICEF,” the auction website said. “The goal is to use this event to foster awareness of refugee crises and for the giving to continue long after the auction on June 20th.” 

In an interview last month, Muratov said he’s conducting the auction to help support Ukrainians who were displaced due to the conflict, calling the situation a “tragedy,” according to the Times. 

“If we look at the number of refugees, we basically have World War III, not a local conflict,” Muratov told the Times. “This has been a mistake, and we need to end it.”

This comes after Muratov initially announced his plans to auction off his Nobel Prize medal in March, a month into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Muratov won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize award along with fellow journalist Maria Ressa of the Philippines, both recognized for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

“Novaya Gazeta and I have decided to donate the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Medal to the Ukrainian Refugee Fund,” Muratov told the Times. 

“There are already over 10 million refugees,” Muratov added. “I ask the auction houses to respond and put up for auction this world-famous award.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has killed thousands on both sides and led about 6.8 million Ukrainian refugees to flee the country to escape ongoing fighting.

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Texas state senator says Abbott ‘has tried to bamboozle’ community after Uvalde shooting

A Texas state senator accused Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday of trying to “bamboozle” Texans “into thinking that we’re actually going to do something” following a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, last month that left 21 people dead.

During an interview on CNN, anchor Wolf Blitzer asked Texas state Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D) to respond to Abbott’s announcement earlier in the day that he had requested the lieutenant governor and Texas House Speaker to convene special legislative committees focusing on school safety, mental health, social media, police training and firearm safety.

Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, said the call for committees, like similar actions after previous mass shootings in the state, would not bring about meaningful reform, adding that there was no process to convene special committees unless the governor called a special session.

“He … has tried to bamboozle, I think, this community into thinking that we’re actually going to do something,” the state senator said of Abbott. “He did this — this is the same deal that he did after Santa Fe and El Paso and Sutherland Springs, roundtables, recommendations, and nothing led to any meaningful legislation.”

“The only thing that can get us into that building is a special session called for a date certain that only he can call,” he added.

Gutierrez’s remarks come roughly one week after the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde left 19 children and two adults dead. 

The shooting has reignited calls to pass gun reform legislation, and Texas Democrats and some Republicans have urged for a special session in the wake of the shooting, which would allow for the state legislature to change, eliminate or add new laws, according to KSAT 12. 

Abbott is the only official who can call a special session, since the state legislature only works during a five-month period once every other year, the ABC affiliate noted. 

The Hill has reached out to Abbott’s office for comment.

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Defense & National Security —US doubles down on support for Ukraine

President Biden is once again ramping up U.S. support for Ukraine, vowing to send more advanced weapons to Kyiv with the express goal of helping the Ukrainians defeat the Russians. 

We’ll detail what that help entails and what it doesn’t, plus the latest Congressional resolution to end U.S. military involvement in Yemen’s civil war and a first for U.S. Cyber Command.  

This is Defense & National Security, your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m Ellen Mitchell. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Subscribe here.

Biden’s support for Ukraine shows limits  

Despite President Biden’s vow this week to send more advanced weapons to Kyiv, the commander-in-chief is still exercising caution, reinforcing that his administration is not seeking a hot-war with Moscow or trying to depose Russian President Vladimir Putin, and issuing dire warnings against the prospect of a nuclear confrontation.  

Significantly, the new $700 million package the U.S. is readying for Ukraine for the first time contains High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, but says they are configured to limit their range to strike only Russian forces in Ukraine and not inside Russia. 

A risk: Biden made the decision to send Ukraine advanced rocket systems despite the risk that such a move would further amplify tensions with Moscow.  

Experts say that the new systems, which can reach targets up to 50 miles away, will be significant in assisting the Ukrainians push back on the Russian offensive as long as they are delivered quickly. 

Reassurances: Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview Tuesday that “we’re not planning to attack Russia,” but called for the delivery of rocket systems “with the effective range of fire of over 100 kilometers [62 miles].” 

“I know some of the people in the United States are saying, or people in the White House are saying, we might be using them to attack Russia: Look, we’re not planning to attack Russia,” he said in an interview with Newsmax. 

Russia’s response: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. is “deliberately pouring oil on the fire” in response to the weapons-delivery announcement. 

Biden’s thinking: Biden laid out his Ukraine strategy in a New York Times op-ed published Tuesday evening, which doubled down on U.S. support for Kyiv while also underscoring the limits to U.S. involvement in the conflict. 

Biden reiterated that the U.S. would not put troops on the ground in Ukraine – something the American public does not support – and said the U.S. is not trying “to prolong the war just to inflict pain on Russia.” 

He also addressed concern over a nuclear war with Russia.  

“We currently see no indication that Russia has intent to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, though Russia’s occasional rhetoric to rattle the nuclear saber is itself dangerous and extremely irresponsible,” he wrote. “Let me be clear: Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences.” 

Read the full story here 

US mindful of ‘escalation risk’  

The Pentagon’s top policy official on Wednesday said the United States is “mindful of the escalation risk” in providing Ukraine with advanced, long-range rocket systems, a move that has drawn the ire of Russia.   

The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it would send four high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine, part of a $700 million arms and equipment drawdown package for the war-torn country.   

Administration officials have stressed that the systems would be used to repel Russian systems and not for strikes aimed for inside Kremlin territory, an assurance that has been given “at multiple levels of the Ukrainian government,” Defense Department Undersecretary for policy Colin Kahl told reporters at the Pentagon. 

Being mindful: He added that the U.S. is “mindful of the escalation risks in everything we’re doing associated with this.”  

“President Biden has made clear we have no intention of coming into direct conflict with Russia,” he said. “We don’t have an interest in the conflict in Ukraine widening to a broader conflict or evolving into World War III. … But at the same time, Russia doesn’t get a veto over what we send to the Ukrainians.” 

Read more here 

Lawmakers propose ending involvement in Yemen 

Nearly 50 House lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a bipartisan resolution to attempt to completely end U.S. military involvement in Yemen’s civil war.   

The Yemen War Powers Resolution, backed by 48 co-sponsors, would end all U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen.   

Who is leading this?: The bill, led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), will mark the third time lawmakers have invoked their war powers during the conflict. 

Meanwhile, in the Senate: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is expected to introduce a companion version in the Senate when the body reconvenes next week.   

The resolution would require approval by a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate.   

Some background: Yemen’s civil war has been raging since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took over the capital of Sana’a, sparking military conflict between the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition backing the Yemeni government.  

President Biden in his first month in office ended U.S. support for Saudi-led offensive operations in Yemen, but a small number of American forces are still involved in airstrikes and counterterrorism operations against al-Qaeda and affiliated groups in the country.   

Critics, however, have accused the administration of continuing U.S. support of the conflict through providing aircraft maintenance and intelligence sharing, which they say still enables offensive operations that have killed thousands of civilians.   

What it would do: The new resolution seeks to block that by putting an end to U.S. intelligence sharing that enables offensive Saudi-led strikes and stopping logistical support such as providing maintenance and spare parts to coalition members engaged in the anti-Houthi bombings. 

It would also prohibit American personnel “from being assigned to command, coordinate, participate in the movement of, or accompany Saudi-led coalition forces engaged in hostilities without prior specific statutory authorization by Congress,” according to a statement on the resolution.   

Read the full story here 

Chief confirms US took part in offensive operations 

U.S. Cyber Command Director Gen. Paul Nakasone confirmed for the first time that the U.S. had conducted offensive cyber operations in support of Ukraine. 

“We’ve conducted a series of operations across the full spectrum: offensive, defensive, [and] information operations,” Nakasone said in an interview Wednesday with Sky News, a British television news channel. 

Limited details: Although the general did not provide specifics, he said the operations were lawful and conducted with civilian oversight of the military. 

“My job is to provide a series of options to the secretary of Defense and the president, and so that’s what I do,” he told Sky News. 

The general, who was speaking in Tallinn, Estonia, said that the “hunt forward” operations have enabled the U.S. to look for foreign hackers and identify their strategies before they target the United States. 

In the interview, Nakasone also said the U.S. is conducting operations to dismantle Russian propaganda, particularly disinformation campaigns that may influence elections. 

Earlier: Nakasone previously said his agency deployed a “hunt forward” team in December to help Ukraine shore up its cyber defenses and networks against active threats. But his latest remarks appear to be the first time that a U.S. official said publicly that the U.S. has been involved in offensive cyber operations in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

Read more here 

ON TAP TOMORROW

• The Association of the U.S. Army will hold a discussion with Gen. Paul Funk, commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command, at 7:15 a.m.  
• Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro will speak at the Potomac Officers Club 2022 Navy Summit on “critical modernization and fleet readiness initiatives,” at 8 a.m.   
• The Center for a New American Security will hold a virtual talk on “Revitalizing the U.S.-Philippines Alliance,” with former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea retired Adm. Harry Harris, at 9 a.m. 
• The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies will host a virtual discussion on “How the Space Force is planning to address the threats of today and tomorrow,” with Space Force Lt. Gen. William Liquori, deputy chief of space operations, strategy, plans, programs, requirements, and analysis, at 9 a.m.  
• National Cyber Director Chris Inglis will speak on strengthening U.S. cyber resiliency at a Foundation for Defense of Democracies event at 2 p.m. 
• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hold an honor cordon to welcome NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to the Pentagon at 2:30 p.m. 
• U.S. Southern Command head Gen. Laura Richardson will speak at the virtual Pacific Climate Forum of the Americas, at 3 p.m. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Ukraine assured US it will not strike within Russia 
• NATO secretary general to meet with top US officials 
• Zelensky: Russian strikes near chemical plants ‘just madness’ 
• Kremlin rips Biden administration decision to send rockets to Ukraine 
• Ukrainian official: People proposing area concessions have ‘no political future’ 
• The Hill: Opinion: 36 experts agree: Stay the course in Ukraine 
• The Hill: Opinion: Crucial Crimea: Why the illegally occupied territory must be returned to Ukraine 

That’s it for today. Check out The Hill’s Defense and National Security pages for the latest coverage. See you tomorrow!

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Three victims, suspect dead following active shooter situation in Tulsa: police

TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) – Four people are dead, including the suspect, after an active shooting situation at a medical building near a Tulsa hospital Wednesday afternoon, police have confirmed.

Officers were initially called to the Natalie Building near St. Francis Hospital for a man armed with a rifle, Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin confirmed on Twitter.

“This turned into an active shooter situation,” a Tulsa police spokesperson said in a released statement.

Tulsa Police have confirmed four people are dead, including the suspected shooter. It’s unclear how many people were injured.

How the shooter died and what prompted the deadly assault have not been released.

Officers are now checking every room in the Natalie Building for additional threats.

Aerial footage from a TV helicopter appeared to show first responders wheeling someone on a stretcher away from the hospital building.

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also at the scene, a spokesperson said.

The Natalie Building houses an outpatient surgery center and a breast health center.

This is a developing situation. Nexstar’s KFOR has a crew on the way to Tulsa.

Wednesday’s shooting comes days after one person was killed and seven others injured at an outdoor festival in Taft, Oklahoma, about 45 miles southeast of Tulsa. A 26-year-old man has been taken into custody for that Sunday morning shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Energy & Environment — US plummets in climate progress ranking 

Researchers find the U.S. fell further behind other nations on climate progress during the Trump presidency; Vice President Harris premieres the Biden administration’s new national security plan for water; and reducing nitrogen oxides could improve crops.

This is Overnight Energy & Environment, your source for the latest news focused on energy, the environment and beyond. For The Hill, we’re Rachel Frazin and Zack Budryk. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. 

Rollbacks left US behind in climate fight: report 

The U.S. plummeted in international rankings of action on climate change, due predominantly to rollbacks under the Trump administration, according to a report issued Wednesday from Yale and Columbia University researchers.  

For the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), researchers traced countries’ progress toward net-zero emissions, a goal nearly every nation has established. From 2010 to 2019, the U.S. ranked 20th out of 22 western democracies and 43rd overall on its trajectory toward net-zero, according to the EPI.  

How we got here: “This relatively low ranking reflects the rollback of environmental protections during the Trump Administration,” the report says. “In particular, its withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and weakened methane emissions rules meant the United States lost precious time to mitigate climate change while many of its peers in the developed world enacted policies to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.” 

How do other countries stack up? Britain and Denmark are the only countries on track to achieve net-zero by 2050, according to the report. Meanwhile, Namibia and Botswana would achieve the goal based on current progress but are not considered on track because projected growth in their economies is predicted to knock them off course, according to the EPI.  

However, the report also found that countries high on the ranking have managed to “decouple” their emissions from economic expansion rather than having to make a choice between increased emissions or economic contraction.    

Read more about the report here. 

Harris unveils plan to elevate water security

Vice President Harris on Wednesday announced a plan that aims to elevate water security as a national security issue.  

She said that the plan would involve “fully committing” the U.S. to helping provide access to safe water and sanitation services around the world by sharing “world-leading” water data to help manage and preserve water resources and using diplomatic resources to “elevate water security” as an international priority. 

“This action plan will help our country prevent conflict and advance cooperation among nations, increase equity and economic growth and make our world more inclusive and resilient,” she said. 

What’s involved? A copy of the plan said that it would also involve “identifying and supporting” investment funds to connect communities with resources to help them pay for water and sanitation and using government agencies to provide loans and political risk insurance to support private sector investment in water, sanitation and hygiene.  

It will also involve developing new climate-friendly technology for water desalination and recovering water resources and working on initiatives with the Group of Seven, the Group of 20 and the United Nations.  

Harris has been vocal about water and other infrastructure issues and has sought to promote the administration’s efforts on these issues. 

In her speech, Harris noted that water insecurity can drive migration and also result in armed conflict amid disputes between countries or communities over water resources. 

Read more about the plan here. 

Minimizing pollutant may lead to better crop yields 

Eliminating one common air pollutant from the atmosphere could lead to considerable gains in agricultural production, a new study has found. 

Nitrogen oxides — gases found in car exhaust and industrial emissions — pose a significant threat to global crop yields, according to a report in Science Advances, published on Wednesday. 

These findings, uncovered through satellite imagery, could have significant implications for boosting agricultural output and determining climate change mitigation costs, the authors wrote. 

“Nitrogen oxides are invisible to humans, but new satellites have been able to map them with incredibly high precision,” study lead author David Lobell, of Stanford University’s Center on Food Security and the Environment, said in a statement. 

“Since we can also measure crop production from space, this opened up the chance to rapidly improve our knowledge of how these gases affect agriculture in different regions,” Lobell added. 

While scientists have long recognized the potential of nitrogen oxides to be damaging, little was understood about their actual effects on crop yields, the authors wrote. 

Nitrogen oxides can both directly damage crop cells and indirectly impact them through their role as precursors to the generation of ozone, according to the study. Ozone is an airborne toxin known to hamper crop success.   

Read more here from The Hill’s Sharon Udasin. 

HAALAND TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID  

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the Interior Department. 

A department statement said she tested positive after experiencing “mild symptoms.” She last tested negative on Monday during a White House visit and was not in close contact with President Biden. 

Haaland is fully vaccinated and was boosted twice. She is isolating and the department said she’s confident she will make a “swift recovery.” 

The official canceled her planned travel to the West Coast and is working remotely. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Nevada’s conservation plan amidst drought (CBS News) 
• UN chief worries Ukraine war overshadowing climate fight (The Associated Press) 
• In reversal, EPA deems Pruitt’s phone booth ‘a violation’ (E&E News) 
• Miracle Fuel Hydrogen Can Actually Make Climate Change Worse (Bloomberg) 

And on a lighter note: EPA raises LGBT+ flag for the first time, Happy Pride.

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Energy & Environment page for the latest news and coverage. We’ll see you tomorrow.  

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Health Care — Biden not immediately aware of baby formula crisis

In another example of how janitors aren’t paid enough, this custodian in California was able to trap a mountain lion that had gotten into a high school. 

President Biden said he wasn’t aware of just how big an impact the shutdown of Abbott Nutrition’s infant formula plant and subsequent recall would have on formula availability.

Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.

Biden didn’t know extent of formula crisis until April 

President Biden on Wednesday said he was not personally aware of the severity of the infant formula shortage until early April, months into the shutdown of a manufacturing plant operated by Abbott Nutrition and subsequent recall of its products. 

“I became aware of this problem sometime in early April, about how intense it was. We did everything in our power from that point on,” Biden said during a White House roundtable with formula manufacturers.  

“I don’t think anyone anticipated the impact of the shutdown of one facility,” Biden added. 

Biden’s comments stand in contrast to administration officials, who have said repeatedly that the White House has been working around the clock since February to address the issue. 

The president’s admission came minutes after executives from some of the leading manufacturers said they knew the shutdown would have a significant impact on formula availability. 

When asked about the discrepancy, Biden noted: “They did, but I didn’t.” 

The administration has been scrambling to respond to the formula shortage, which has frustrated parents across the country and seemed to catch officials by surprise.  

Read more here. 

Senators push for more mental health clinics 

Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) are calling on lawmakers to expand Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHC) nationwide. 

“This is an important moment to come together and finally treat health care above the neck the same as health care below the neck,” the senators wrote in a USA Today op-ed. 

CCBHCs, which operate as nonprofit organizations or part of a local government, provide a range of mental health and substance use disorder services and are particularly aimed at helping vulnerable individuals.  

Blunt and Stabenow helped establish an eight-state Medicaid demonstration program in 2014 to provide the centers with enhanced reimbursement rates to cover increased costs. 

The centers are required to provide nine types of services to be designated as the special provider type in Medicaid, including 24-hour crisis care and integrations with physical health services. 

“This approach is already changing people’s lives – and saving communities money – in the states where mental health and addiction treatment are funded the same way as other health care,” Blunt and Stabenow wrote. 

Read more here. 

FLORIDA HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS CHALLENGE 15-WEEK ABORTION BAN

A group of Florida health care providers filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging the state’s new abortion law, which will go into effect next month. 

The legislation, signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in April, will go into effect on July 1. 

The law will ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy and doesn’t include exemptions for rape, incest or human trafficking. However, the law does stipulate several exceptions, including cases in which a fatal abnormality is found or an abortion is needed to save the life or prevent serious injury to the pregnant person. 

The lawsuit alleges that the bill — H.B. 5 — “radically curtails the ability of Floridians to make decisions about whether or not to continue a pregnancy and have a child,” which the petitioners say is in violation of their rights under the Florida Constitution. 

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Florida, Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the law firm Jenner & Block said they filed this lawsuit on behalf of a number of health care providers. 

Read more here.

SMALL AMOUNTS OF SOME DRUGS DECRIMINALIZED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 

Small amounts of certain drugs like heroin, cocaine and meth will be decriminalized in British Columbia starting next year as the province grapples with rising opioid deaths.  

Beginning Jan. 23, 2023, and going through Jan. 23, 2026, residents in British Columbia who have up to 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine or MDMA, also known as ecstasy, will not be arrested or face charges of possession of those drugs, according to the Canadian government. 

The exemption is only applicable for British Columbia residents at least 18 years old. Possession of those drugs in certain areas, such as licensed child care facilities and airports, are not covered by the exemption. 

Criminal charges are still applicable to those who carry higher amounts of the drugs. 

The British Columbia government said in their own press release that police will offer assistance such as referrals for treatment for those who ask for it and provide additional information about social and health support resources. 

Officials are hoping the policy change will direct more of those affected by the opioid crisis to get help. The province declared opioid addiction as a public health emergency in 2016. 

Read more here.

Industry middlemen driving up prices of generic drugs

U.S. consumers are overpaying by billions of dollars for generic drugs due to the cost being driven up by middlemen in the pharmaceutical industry, according to a report from the University of Southern California (USC). 

According to the white paper from USC’s Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, business practices carried out by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have “inflated” the cost of generic medications. 

The report cited the rise of generic medications as an American success story, as they allowed more people to access medicines and also enabled the U.S. health care system to save money. According to the most recent estimates cited by USC, generic medications are dispensed 97 percent of the time when they are available. 

However, as insurance companies began covering more medicines, sellers began raising the prices, as most consumers did not know the actual cost of their prescriptions, only what they paid at the counter, the report said. 

The role that PBMs play in the rising cost of medications has been noted for some time. One way in which PBMs profit off of prescriptions is through a practice called “spread pricing,” which is when they reimburse a pharmacy for one price while also charging health insurance providers a higher price and keeping the difference, or the “spread.” 

“Commercial tactics such as spread pricing, copay clawbacks and formularies that advantage branded drugs over less expensive generics have funneled the savings from low-cost generics into intermediaries’ pockets, rather than the pockets of patients,” the report said. 

Read more here. 

WHAT WE’RE READING

• Costly Alzheimer’s treatment is spreading around the world, with virtually no science to back it up (Stat) 
• Wray: FBI blocked planned cyberattack on children’s hospital (Associated Press) 
• Vaccine injury compensation programs overwhelmed as congressional reform languishes (Politico) 

STATE BY STATE

• Justice Department says sweeping lab test fraud in Texas involved dozens of doctors and front companies (Stat) 
• ‘Desperate situation’: states are housing high-needs foster kids in offices and hotels (Kaiser Health News) 
• Tribal leaders sound the alarm after fentanyl overdoses spike at Blackfeet Nation (NPR) 

That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow.

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Source: TEST FEED1