POLITICO's Pulse Check

National institute on Drug Abuse Deputy Director Dr. Wilson Compton sat down with POLITICO’s Natalie Fertig recently to chat about the known health effects of cannabis, and the limitations on cannabis research. Natalie talks with host Megan Messerly about why Compton argued that he and other researchers need access to cannabis products being sold in state-legal dispensaries.

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The Department of Defense is funding a $3 million project to find the best human decision-making attributes artificial intelligence can imitate. Erin Schumaker talks with host Carmen Paun about the value of training AI to make the most difficult medical decisions people face.

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President Joe Biden wants to ban TikTok, or force its sale, for fear that the Chinese government is using it to collect data about Americans. While members of the House Energy and Commerce were interested in national security threats, they expressed equal concern about what they see as the site’s corrupting influence on young people. Ruth Reader talks with host Katherine Ellen Foley about TikTok CEO Shou Chew's grilling on Capitol Hill.

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Flaws in CDC data led it to overstate how many people received Covid shots, according to a new report by the Covid States Project, a collaboration of researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Rutgers and Northwestern universities. Krista Mahr talks with host Ruth Reader about the data.

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Sen. Bernie Sanders’ decadeslong campaign against what he calls the “greed” of the pharmaceutical industry will take center stage today when Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel defends his company’s plan to sharply raise the price of its Covid-19 vaccine when broad government purchases stop. David Lim talks with host Megan Messerly about what to expect during the hearing.

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After years of anticipation, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state would contract with Civica, a Utah-based generic pharmaceutical company, to start producing California-branded insulin, available for $30 for a 10 mL vial. Once the Food and Drug Administration approves the new insulin, Civica can begin manufacturing. Reporter Rachel Bluth talks with host Ben Leonard about about the deal.

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GOP lawmakers are making a play to head off abortion ballot measures. While the bills vary in wording, they would have the same impact: making it harder for voters to undo the abortion restrictions that lawmakers were finally allowed to put in place after 50 years under Roe v. Wade. Megan Messerly talks with host Katherine Ellen Foley about the states she's tracking.

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Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said Wednesday that the VA should renegotiate its contract with Oracle Cerner, the vendor managing a mistake-ridden electronic health records system at VA medical centers. Ben Leonard talks with host Alice Miranda Ollstein about fixing the VA's electronic health records.

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The number of maternal deaths shot up nearly 40 percent in the U.S. in 2021, according to CDC data released Thursday, cementing America’s status as one of the most dangerous wealthy nations to be pregnant and give birth. Krista Mahr talks with host Ben Leonard about the stark rise.

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 The Veterans Health Administration announced earlier this week that it will cover Leqembi, a new Alzheimer’s drug that appears to slow the disease’s progression. Host Megan Messerly talks with Katherine Ellen Foley about why the VHA’s decision differs from other federal agencies.

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