February 25 News: America's mental health crisis behind bars, cannabis use among older adults is on the rise, vaping battle heats up as FDA deadline looms

Associated Press – Trump defends $2.5B coronavirus request; Dems says it’s low

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the urgent $2.5 billion plan for coronavirus he sent to lawmakers will prepare the nation in case of an outbreak in the U.S. and help other nations unprepared to handle the threat.

NPR – America’s mental health crisis hidden behind bars

New inmates with a mental illness arrive daily in the Los Angeles County jail system. It now holds more than 5,000 inmates with a mental illness who've had run-ins with the law.

STAT - Cannabis use among older adults is on the rise, study says

The legalization of cannabis in many states for medical and recreational purposes has led to a surge in interest in using it to treat a variety of long-term health conditions and symptoms. Among the new users: older adults. The proportion of adults 65 years and older who reported using marijuana use increased from 2.4% in 2015 to 4.2% in 2018, according to a study published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

STAT – Most adults don’t need booster vaccinations for tetanus and diphtheria, new study concludes

Researchers conclude in a new study that found no difference in disease rates between countries that recommend adult revaccination every 10 years and countries that say completing childhood vaccinations is enough.

The Hill – Federal appeals court sides with Trump administration in family planning case

A federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration on Monday in declining to block a rule that restricts what federally funded family planning providers can tell patients about abortion. 

The Washington Post – Vaping battle heats up as FDA deadline looms

Advocates for and against vaping are gearing up for a rerun of last fall’s fight over a proposed federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes. The vape shops and their e-liquid suppliers largely won that one. But the new dispute over how forcefully the FDA will enforcethe May 12 deadline carries even higher stakes: It could determine the U.S. market for e-cigarettes, the credibility of the agency and whether vaping re-emerges as a political issue during this presidential election year.

The Guardian - 'Unprecedented' globally: more than 20% of Australia's forests burnt in bushfires

More than 20% of Australia’s forests burned during the summer’s bushfire catastrophe, a proportion that scientists believe is unprecedented globally, according to new research.