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Pelosi faces conflict over with her caucus over ‘Medicare for all.’ The Democratic takeover of the House leaves members facing a crossroads over how far left they will go on healthcare. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and other top Democrats have said they plan to focus on fixing Obamacare and on lowering the cost of prescription drugs, but the majority of rank-and-file House Democrats support the Medicare for All Act, a bill that would overhaul the healthcare system by rolling every person in the U.S. into Medicare. Though the bill does not have a shot at advancing through Congress, given that the Senate is under Republican control, holding hearings or even votes on the bill could help signal to the public that the party intends to seek a fully government-funded healthcare system should Democrats take the White House and Senate in 2020. Democrats making a bid for leadership slots are divided on the issue. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., is running for the No. 3 leadership spot as Democratic whip against Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., and both are co-sponsors of the bill. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., running for assistant majority leader, has signed his name to the legislation, counter to those running against him. Candidates for Democratic Caucus Chair, Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Hakeem Jeffries, D.N.Y., also are co-sponsors. But those at the highest levels have not signed on to the bill, including Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland.

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Pelosi-Trump overtures making Big Pharma sweat bullets. President Trump says Pelosi has earned another turn as speaker of the House. Does that signal the two might be able to work together on major policy issues if she’s elected? It’s the question everyone in Washington, D.C., is asking after Democrats regained control of the House on Tuesday, placing Pelosi, the House minority leader, in line for the speakership, but the answer may be the most consequential for the pharmaceutical industry. Tackling high drug prices is a centerpiece of the Democratic agenda and remains a top priority of the White House. And after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also expressed a willingness to tackle the issue, the industry is buzzing about what policy shifts are possible under the new, divided government. With any other Republican president, drugmakers might be less worried. But the Trump administration’s latest proposals to lower treatment costs have veered away from orthodox GOP tenets, and companies are increasingly concerned that ideas once unimaginable under Republican control — like allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices — could become a real possibility.

‘Ill-conceived and exceptionally dangerous:’ Vaping groups hits back at FDA over e-cigarette plans. Vaping groups slammed the Food and Drug Administration Friday over its plans to ban the sale of certain flavored e-cigarettes in convenience stores and gas stations.

The consequence of policy would be that smokers would continue with traditional cigarettes and face the negative health consequences that come with it, the groups warned. “This is an ill-conceived and exceptionally dangerous move by the FDA,” said Liz Mair, spokeswoman for the nonprofit organization Vapers United. She warned adults looking to quit smoking would continue, go cold turkey, or turn to pharmaceuticals that carry side effects. Greg Conley, president of the advocacy group the American Vaping Association, said that e-cigarette users who live in rural areas would have more trouble accessing the products under the FDA’s expected rule. As a result, he warned, they would abandon their search and turn to Marlboros or Camels, which are readily available at convenience stores and gas stations.

Trump administration set to propose menthol cigarette ban. The FDA is also reportedly planning to propose a ban on menthol cigarettes, a long-sought goal of anti-smoking advocates. The proposal, set to roll out next week according to the Wall Street Journal, will kick off a series of actions in which the FDA will seek out feedback and hold meetings for a year, and then another year is likely to pass before a ban is set. It comes at the heels of news this week that cigarette smoking has reached an all-time low of 14 percent. A report from the FDA in 2013 concluded that it was more difficult for smokers to quit menthol cigarettes than other types. Menthol, which tastes like mint, was found to be particularly powerful in getting young people to smoke. Marketing of menthol cigarettes also has targeted African Americans, who are disproportionately affected by smoking-related illnesses.

Trump’s PTSD comments raise concerns among some veteran groups. Trump on Friday pointed to Afghanistan military service and post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as possible reasons a California mass-shooter massacred 12 people in a bar earlier this week. Some veterans groups said they were concerned about linking the killings to PTSD, a common disorder among troops who have served in war zones, after years of advocacy work trying to remove stigmas and promote treatment.  “The president’s remarks were troubling. We reached out this morning to White House staff we regularly work with on veterans issues, making it clear the president’s remarks were counterproductive to what we are all trying to accomplish in mental health and veterans health care,” said Joe Chenelly, the national executive director of AMVETS. Brett Reistad, the national commander of the American Legion, called the shooting “tragic beyond words” but said it should not distract from the work to get treatment for veterans with PTSD. “The overwhelming majority of combat veterans, with or without PTSD, adjust well and continue to be responsible citizens as they transition back to civilian society,” Reistad said in a statement. “It would be extremely unfair to associate them with such an evil act.”

Michelle Obama shares experience miscarrying, undergoing IVF treatment. Former First Lady Michelle Obama revealed Friday that she had a miscarriage and underwent in vitro fertilization to conceive her two daughters, Malia and Sasha. “I felt like I failed because I didn’t know how common miscarriages were, because we don’t talk about them,” Obama said during an interview Friday with ABC’s “Good Morning America. “We sit in our own pain, thinking that somehow we’re broken. That’s one of the reasons why I think it’s important to talk to young mothers about the fact that miscarriages happen.” Obama said she wanted to share her experiences with other women who have had challenges concerning fertility and conceiving a child. “I think it’s the worst thing that we do to each other as women, not share the truth about our bodies and how they work, and how they don’t work,” she said.

U.S. updates physical activity guidelines since 2008. The Trump administration released on Monday a new edition on physical activity guidelines, the first major update in more than 10 years. The new guidelines make a series of updates on physical activity in an attempt to get more Americans fit. “The United States currently has low levels of adherence to the guidelines — only 26 percent of men, 19 percent of women, and 20 percent of adolescents meet the recommendations,” Health and Human Services said in a release. It said that adults need 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week and also do muscle strengthening activities on two days during the week. Youths ages six through 17 need 60 of moderate-to-vigorous activity each day. There are several updates to the guideline. The previous edition said that only 10-minute bouts of physical activity counted toward the requirement, but now that 10-minute bout has been removed since all activity counts, HHS said.

Large majority of Americans concerned about antibiotic resistance, poll finds. A whopping 81 percent of participants in a survey are concerned that antibiotic resistance could make more infections difficult to treat and become deadly, according to a poll commissioned by the research advocacy group Research!America and the Infectious Disease Society of America. The survey, supported in part by drug giant Pfizer, found that more education is needed about how to appropriately prescribe antibiotics. For instance, 29 percent said, wrongly, that antibiotics are effective for treating viral infections, the poll said. “Further, about a third (29%) would be dissatisfied if their doctor did not prescribe an antibiotic for their child’s viral infection,” a press release on the poll added. Antibiotic overuse has been identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a major source of antibiotic resistance. Another major source is wide use of antibiotics among livestock to make them more resistant to the disease. Such livestock can develop a resistance to antibiotics and then pass on that resistance when humans consume them. The survey is of 1,004 U.S. adults and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

RUNDOWN

New York Times Democrats won a mandate on healthcare. How will they use it?

Associated Press Democratic state gains may mean tighter gun, looser pot laws

Kaiser Health News Fish oil and vitamin D pills no guard against cancer or serious heart trouble

Reuters New drug options, risk factors added to U.S. heart health options

NPR Retailers plan to clear deadly paint removers from shelves, as EPA delays ban

STAT News Did Rep. Chris Collins sell his biotech stock without telling Congress?

Axios Pharma’s grip on the healthcare economy