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Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. You may have already heard the good news, but if you haven’t: Damian Garde is back at STAT. He’ll make his public debut in his new role today during a virtual pop-up event at 1 p.m. EST, where he’ll talk to reporter Jason Mast about his recent story on Moderna’s unraveling, which was published almost a decade after Damian’s own piece on the company’s secretive beginnings. In an indescribably on-brand move for both of them, the event is called “The Once and Future Moderna.” Register now. Advertisement The latest battle in the indirect costs war In February, the NIH announced a controversial plan to slash funding to academic institutions for overhead “indirect” research costs. Almost two dozen states as well as universities and academic groups allege that the “arbitrary and capricious” policy, currently blocked by a lower court ruling, violates federal law. The Trump administration has said that the lower court didn’t have jurisdiction in the case. But at an appeals court hearing yesterday, federal judges seemed skeptical of the government’s reasoning. “I’m not quite following your argument,” Judge Julie Rikelman said to the Department of Justice attorney at one point. The ongoing legal feud is one of many ways the administration, academic groups, and legislators are looking to shape indirect cost policy. Read more from STAT’s Jonathan Wosen about the questions the judges asked, what comes next, and what other proposals for reform are on the table. Advertisement Where SNAP stands, six days into November On Tuesday, President Trump threatened to defy court orders and withhold emergency funding for SNAP, or food stamps, until the end of the government shutdown. The White House press secretary quickly walked back that claim. But in many places, it’s still unclear how much aid might be coming in, and when it will arrive. On Wednesday, Nevada confirmed to the Current that $29 million in benefits was delivered to EBT cards for more than 196,000 households — about a third of what families in the state usually get from the federal government. On Tuesday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek told Oregon Public Broadcasting that it could take weeks for families to receive any payments. People in Texas who rely on SNAP also hadn’t seen any benefits as of yesterday, per the Texas Tribune. Meanwhile, restaurants seemingly everywhere are advertising discount deals or free meals during the shutdown. “Can’t believe I’m posting something about Carl’s Jr., but props are deserved here,” physical trainer and MAHA influencer Jillian Michaels posted on X about $1 meals at the fast food chain. Today: An FDA committee on chatbots and regulation An FDA advisory committee will meet today to discuss the potential regulation of therapy chatbots and other mental health devices that use generative AI. Developers of these technologies have expressed confusion about when FDA review is required, and what evidence might be necessary for approval. The agency has currently cleared fewer than 20 digital mental health devices, none of which use generative AI. The meeting also comes amid mounting concern about general purpose tools like ChatGPT, including reports that they cause people to spiral into delusions and have allegedly been involved in cases of suicide. STAT’s Mario Aguilar wrote about what you can expect from the meeting, how the Trump administration’s approach differs from Biden’s, and how the agency might delineate between support and treatment. Read more. Boom times for hair loss treatments Biotech investors don’t usually open their wallet for something like hair loss treatments. But as STAT’s Allison DeAngelis reports, that changed last month when two startups raised a combined $270 million to develop treatments for common hair loss, known as androgenetic alopecia. And they aren’t the only ones working on it — even serial biotech founder George Church has a new hair restoration project in the works. Advertisement What’s contributing to this hair-raising trend? “Health care is becoming very consumer-centric,” offered Cathy Friedman, an executive venture partner at GV who invested in one such startup. Read more from Allison, who combed through the details of how disinterested investors got enticed and whether or not this new crop of companies is here to stay. Poll: Most Americans support enhanced ACA tax credits Whether or not the government extends the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced tax subsidies, established during the Covid pandemic, is a key part of the political fight that’s led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. If they aren’t extended, many ACA insurance enrollees will face premium spikes next year. New polling from KFF shows that most Americans believe that Congress should extend the expiring tax credits, including 94% of Democrats, 76% of independents, and half of Republicans. The data comes from a survey of 1,350 people conducted online and over the phone between Oct. 27 and Nov. 2, 2025. The support is consistent with data from before the shutdown, though support among Republicans dipped from 59% in September to 50% in the latest poll. Among self-identified MAGA supporters, the proportion of people who want continued enhanced subsidies dipped from 57% to 44%. What we’re reading
