Hantavirus, FDA, alcohol addiction, Medicare: Morning Rounds

Theresa is the lead Morning Rounds writer, and her stories focus on gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and mental health. You can reach Theresa on Signal at theresagaff.97.

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Good morning. STAT’s Helen Branswell was recently interviewed for Columbia Journalism Review about the challenges of reporting on the hantavirus outbreak. If you need a dose of empathy for journalists — or if you’re a reporter yourself, looking for guidance from the best — check it out. And if you want to subscribe to STAT+ afterward, you can do that here. 

The Trump admin’s wish list for its next FDA leader

The Trump administration is working to identify the next FDA commissioner after Marty Makary resigned on Tuesday. The dream candidate is someone who can rebuild trust with agency staff, focus on the agency’s food policy, and continue to drive drug-approval reforms, STAT’s Daniel Payne and Lizzy Lawrence report.