Billy Joel’s ‘Concussion’ Condition; RFK Jr.’s RSV Conspiracy Theory; Salmon Recall

Note that some links may require registration or subscription.

Billy Joel’s doctors advised him to stop performing after he was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, which makes every show “like getting a concussion.” (USA Today)

Annals of Internal Medicine retracted a study on long COVID treatments because of missing metformin dosing information, then republished a revised version. (Retraction Watch)

CMS chief Mehmet Oz, MD, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared beside Russell Brand last month at the 2026 Make America Healthy Again Summit, just weeks before the comedian’s sexual assault trial in London. (Politico)

The chairman of the NIH Clinical Center’s board accused Kennedy of politicizing the hospital’s work after the health secretary opened a vaccine injury clinic at the center. (New York Times)

Meanwhile, Kennedy continues to cast doubt about the safety of hepatitis B vaccination and to falsely suggest that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) started in a lab. (New Hampshire Public Radio, The Atlantic)

U.S. measles cases this year have grown to over 4,400, according to the CDC.

A Washington state resident was infected with avian influenza (H5N1) after exposure to an infected dairy cow, state health authorities announced.

The U.S. struck a 1-year, $25 million deal with some of the world’s poorest countries to supply free medicines to moms and babies, though the total’s a fraction of earlier Trump administration aid cuts. (Reuters via AOL)

A woman who used CPR to revive her boyfriend (now husband) twice after he was struck by lightning on a hike said, “I brought him back from death, so he’s kind of stuck with me.” (People)

Illinois’ medical debt relief program has erased more than $1.4 billion in medical debt for nearly 700,000 state residents. (AP)

Deaths in gene therapy trials are drawing scrutiny to the adeno-associated virus vector. (The Atlantic)

FDA notices warned of recalls for Family Farmstead raw cheddar cheese over potential Escherichia coli contamination and Starfish Seafood cold smoked salmon over possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The American Thoracic Society and American College of Chest Physicians filed a brief supporting a lawsuit against recent FDA guidance that critics contend will allow the sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.

And in other agency news, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research set up a new board to oversee drug and biologics exclusivity decisions. (Reuters via AOL)

Average monthly premiums for Obamacare health insurance plans will rise by double digits in 2027, and the number of insurers will drop by 14%. (Washington Sun)

Commercial kitchen staff cooking with gas face high levels of air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide levels that exceed limits in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) indoor-air guidelines. (The Guardian)

More than $700 million of donor money for Ebola response is unaccounted for in Congo, though it’s too soon to say it was embezzled, the Africa CDC said. (Reuters via AOL)

The Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached an eighth province in the country’s north; so far, at least 9,400 confirmed cases have been tallied, including over 4,500 deaths. (AP)

In Kenya, Ebola cases grew to eight, but there’s currently no evidence of community transmission. (AP)

The WHO says Saudi Arabia has reported eight cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 2026, including one death.