David Ovalle
@davidovalle.bsky.social
Florida man covering opioids, addiction and more for The Washington Post’s Health and Science team. Email david.ovalle@washpost.com
The paper, published in JAMA Health Forum, highlights Hollywood’s outsize cultural influence and the common use of benzodiazepines, a class of anxiety-relieving medications that can cause physical dependence and agonizing withdrawal symptoms.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
‘The White Lotus’ sparked online interest in risky anxiety pills, study says
Google searches for lorazepam surged after anxiety pills played a significant role in Season 3 of “The White Lotus.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 14, 2025 at 6:03 PM
The paper, published in JAMA Health Forum, highlights Hollywood’s outsize cultural influence and the common use of benzodiazepines, a class of anxiety-relieving medications that can cause physical dependence and agonizing withdrawal symptoms.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Children born to mothers infected with covid-19 during pregnancy faced a higher risk of autism, along with other neurological differences such as delays in speech and motor development, according to a study published Thursday.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Covid in pregnancy tied to autism, developmental issues, study says
A study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology analyzed more than 18,100 births in Massachusetts of children born to women who contracted the virus starting in the early months of the pand...
www.washingtonpost.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Children born to mothers infected with covid-19 during pregnancy faced a higher risk of autism, along with other neurological differences such as delays in speech and motor development, according to a study published Thursday.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by David Ovalle
An HIV outbreak in Indiana a decade ago showed the urgency of clean syringe exchanges.
@davidovalle.bsky.social went to that community to report on the stakes of Trump's crackdown on these programs. Powerful photography from Maxine Wallace too www.washingtonpost.com/health/inter...
@davidovalle.bsky.social went to that community to report on the stakes of Trump's crackdown on these programs. Powerful photography from Maxine Wallace too www.washingtonpost.com/health/inter...
These drug-safety programs have saved lives, but they could disappear
A decade after a historic HIV outbreak in Indiana, syringe programs that helped contain the crisis are at risk of disappearing due to federal funding restrictions and local opposition.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 19, 2025 at 2:33 PM
An HIV outbreak in Indiana a decade ago showed the urgency of clean syringe exchanges.
@davidovalle.bsky.social went to that community to report on the stakes of Trump's crackdown on these programs. Powerful photography from Maxine Wallace too www.washingtonpost.com/health/inter...
@davidovalle.bsky.social went to that community to report on the stakes of Trump's crackdown on these programs. Powerful photography from Maxine Wallace too www.washingtonpost.com/health/inter...
Trump’s travel ban is devastating Cuban American families by cutting off the already slow visa pipeline that allows relatives to reunite after years apart. It's also amplified tensions within Florida’s Cuban American community over Trump's immigration policies www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Travel ban separates Cuban families, divides community loyal to Trump
Cuban Americans trying to bring relatives from the island to the U.S. are being rejected. The denials have underscored tensions in Florida over immigration.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 19, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Trump’s travel ban is devastating Cuban American families by cutting off the already slow visa pipeline that allows relatives to reunite after years apart. It's also amplified tensions within Florida’s Cuban American community over Trump's immigration policies www.washingtonpost.com/immigration/...
Trump's post jolted the cannabis industry, sending stocks soaring Monday and raising hopes that the president will take a permissive approach to marijuana. It also drew concerns from researchers who say that CBD’s much hyped health benefits remain unproven www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Trump posts video endorsing CBD for seniors. Researchers urge caution.
The video sent cannabis stocks soaring Monday, raising hopes that President Donald Trump will take a permissive approach to marijuana.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 30, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Trump's post jolted the cannabis industry, sending stocks soaring Monday and raising hopes that the president will take a permissive approach to marijuana. It also drew concerns from researchers who say that CBD’s much hyped health benefits remain unproven www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by David Ovalle
NEW: GOP lawmakers cite Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage as a national model for federal Medicaid work requirements that are set to take effect in 2027.
A new report shows the program has spent twice as much on administrative costs as on health care.
By @savmargaret.bsky.social
A new report shows the program has spent twice as much on administrative costs as on health care.
By @savmargaret.bsky.social
Georgia’s Medicaid Work Requirement Program Spent Twice as Much on Administrative Costs as on Health Care, GAO Says
Republican lawmakers cite Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage as a national model for federal Medicaid work requirements that are set to take effect in 2027. A new report shows the program has spent at lea...
www.propublica.org
September 24, 2025 at 1:15 PM
NEW: GOP lawmakers cite Georgia’s Pathways to Coverage as a national model for federal Medicaid work requirements that are set to take effect in 2027.
A new report shows the program has spent twice as much on administrative costs as on health care.
By @savmargaret.bsky.social
A new report shows the program has spent twice as much on administrative costs as on health care.
By @savmargaret.bsky.social
NEW: Trump officials to link covid shots to child deaths, alarming career scientists www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... via @rachelroubein.bsky.social @ddiamond.bsky.social @lenasun.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com
September 12, 2025 at 4:20 PM
NEW: Trump officials to link covid shots to child deaths, alarming career scientists www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... via @rachelroubein.bsky.social @ddiamond.bsky.social @lenasun.bsky.social
Confusion is rippling through the health care system as pharmacies and doctors try to adjust to providing a vaccine that is no longer broadly recommended.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
RFK Jr. says anyone who wants a covid shot can get one. Not these Americans.
Pharmacies and doctors are struggling to adjust to a new regulatory environment for updated coronavirus vaccines that are no longer broadly recommended.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Confusion is rippling through the health care system as pharmacies and doctors try to adjust to providing a vaccine that is no longer broadly recommended.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
BREAKING: Florida moves to end all school vaccine mandates, first in nation to do so
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Florida moves to end all school vaccine mandates, first in nation to do so
Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo criticized school vaccine mandates, which every state has, and likened them to slavery.
www.washingtonpost.com
September 3, 2025 at 4:08 PM
BREAKING: Florida moves to end all school vaccine mandates, first in nation to do so
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by David Ovalle
NEW: The CDC has been in crisis for months. After the firing of its director, resignations of senior leaders, staff + experts are bracing for what could be death knell for public health credibility. Me + @laurenweberhp.bsky.social + @davidovalle.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
The CDC is falling deeper into crisis. What it means for the nation’s health.
Months of upheaval at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have undercut the agency’s work, employees said, and put the future of vaccines into doubt.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 30, 2025 at 12:17 PM
NEW: The CDC has been in crisis for months. After the firing of its director, resignations of senior leaders, staff + experts are bracing for what could be death knell for public health credibility. Me + @laurenweberhp.bsky.social + @davidovalle.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Budget cuts could affect peer support workers, adding further pressure on a profession already struggling because of workers’ concerns about low wages, uneven training and uncertainty about these employees’ roles within the addiction care system.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
They beat addiction to help drug users recover. Their work is in jeopardy.
The opioid epidemic has highlighted the importance of peer recovery coaches, but their jobs are now at risk due to proposed budget cuts and funding changes.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 21, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Budget cuts could affect peer support workers, adding further pressure on a profession already struggling because of workers’ concerns about low wages, uneven training and uncertainty about these employees’ roles within the addiction care system.
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Harm reduction groups worry Trump’s order signals broader moves to sideline their work — and that states will slash funding to follow his lead. Some fear simply being labeled harm reduction might imperil funding, even if their services are not controversial. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Why Trump is targeting these programs that help keep drug users alive
The Trump administration has barred certain federal grants from funding some harm reduction programs, sparking concerns among health advocates.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 6, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Harm reduction groups worry Trump’s order signals broader moves to sideline their work — and that states will slash funding to follow his lead. Some fear simply being labeled harm reduction might imperil funding, even if their services are not controversial. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by David Ovalle
Trump directed federal agencies to make it easier to forcibly hospitalize homeless people with mental illness.
Critics warn this can return us to a darker era when people were often unjustly locked away, @davidovalle.bsky.social reports www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Critics warn this can return us to a darker era when people were often unjustly locked away, @davidovalle.bsky.social reports www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Trump order pushes forcible hospitalization of homeless people
Trump executive order would increase hospitalization of homeless individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. The order said shifting homeless people into long-term institutional settin...
www.washingtonpost.com
July 24, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Trump directed federal agencies to make it easier to forcibly hospitalize homeless people with mental illness.
Critics warn this can return us to a darker era when people were often unjustly locked away, @davidovalle.bsky.social reports www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Critics warn this can return us to a darker era when people were often unjustly locked away, @davidovalle.bsky.social reports www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
NEW: Authorities in Miami-Dade County are seeking to arrest former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown on a charge of attempted murder stemming from a shooting at a celebrity boxing event in May, according to a warrant reviewed by The Washington Post.
Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown sought on attempted murder charge
The charge stems from an incident outside a boxing event in Miami last month.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 12, 2025 at 11:53 PM
NEW: Authorities in Miami-Dade County are seeking to arrest former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown on a charge of attempted murder stemming from a shooting at a celebrity boxing event in May, according to a warrant reviewed by The Washington Post.
The Texas program — billed by supporters as the largest public investment in psychedelics research — is being closely watched in Washington, where top health officials under President Donald Trump have expressed interest in accelerating research.
Why Texas is spending millions to research an illegal psychedelic
Ibogaine is illegal in the United States, but Texas is on the verge of spending up to $50 million to jumpstart clinical trials.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 9, 2025 at 3:05 PM
The Texas program — billed by supporters as the largest public investment in psychedelics research — is being closely watched in Washington, where top health officials under President Donald Trump have expressed interest in accelerating research.
Not quite back from parental leave but popped my head up to report this news - NEW: U.S. drug deaths plunged in 2024. Trump cuts may reverse that, experts warn. wapo.st/3YGzUGz
U.S. drug deaths plunged in 2024. Trump cuts may reverse that, experts warn.
The opioid crisis in the U.S. shows signs of improvement, with a significant drop in fentanyl overdose deaths in 2024.
wapo.st
May 14, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Not quite back from parental leave but popped my head up to report this news - NEW: U.S. drug deaths plunged in 2024. Trump cuts may reverse that, experts warn. wapo.st/3YGzUGz
The story of Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, is the story of much of America at the start of 2025. Deaths from drug overdoses have fallen sharply, offering hope the crisis will further ease. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Drug deaths are down in one Ohio county and much of the U.S. Why is complex.
The story of Hamilton County is the story of much of America in 2025. Overdose deaths have fallen sharply, offering hope the crisis will further ease.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 3, 2025 at 4:24 PM
The story of Hamilton County, which includes Cincinnati, is the story of much of America at the start of 2025. Deaths from drug overdoses have fallen sharply, offering hope the crisis will further ease. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...
Reposted by David Ovalle
The story of Hamilton County is the story of much of America in 2025. Overdose deaths have fallen sharply, offering hope the crisis will further ease. But the 'why' is complex, by @davidovalle.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... via @washingtonpost.com #ToxicDrugCrisis
Drug deaths are down in one Ohio county and much of the U.S. Why is complex.
The story of Hamilton County is the story of much of America in 2025. Overdose deaths have fallen sharply, offering hope the crisis will further ease.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 3, 2025 at 1:05 PM
The story of Hamilton County is the story of much of America in 2025. Overdose deaths have fallen sharply, offering hope the crisis will further ease. But the 'why' is complex, by @davidovalle.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... via @washingtonpost.com #ToxicDrugCrisis
Reposted by David Ovalle
Latest with @davidovalle.bsky.social:
RFK Jr as HHS secretary would be a boon to the wellness/alternative therapies industries, as he has talked often about vitamins and supplements among other alt treatments and claimed the FDA has “aggressively”suppressed these remedies.
wapo.st/3CmpKCV
RFK Jr as HHS secretary would be a boon to the wellness/alternative therapies industries, as he has talked often about vitamins and supplements among other alt treatments and claimed the FDA has “aggressively”suppressed these remedies.
wapo.st/3CmpKCV
Alternative medicine fans see RFK Jr. as a hero. The field’s skeptics worry.
Kennedy’s potential ascent as HHS secretary brings promise for backers of alternative-health approaches, while skeptics say those treatments are often unproven.
wapo.st
January 22, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Latest with @davidovalle.bsky.social:
RFK Jr as HHS secretary would be a boon to the wellness/alternative therapies industries, as he has talked often about vitamins and supplements among other alt treatments and claimed the FDA has “aggressively”suppressed these remedies.
wapo.st/3CmpKCV
RFK Jr as HHS secretary would be a boon to the wellness/alternative therapies industries, as he has talked often about vitamins and supplements among other alt treatments and claimed the FDA has “aggressively”suppressed these remedies.
wapo.st/3CmpKCV
Researchers determined that slashing cigarette nicotine levels should essentially be all or nothing — reducing nicotine moderately would only spur smokers to light up more, exposing them to increased toxic smoke. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... w/ @rachelroubein.bsky.social
The war on smoking turns to cigarettes with ultralow nicotine
The Biden White House is expected to formally propose a plan ordering cigarette nicotine levels to be reduced dramatically.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Researchers determined that slashing cigarette nicotine levels should essentially be all or nothing — reducing nicotine moderately would only spur smokers to light up more, exposing them to increased toxic smoke. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... w/ @rachelroubein.bsky.social
Questions remain about whether the non-opioid painkiller developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals could be effective for chronic pain. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... w @ByDanielGilbert
Billed as nonaddictive, new pain pill could soon win FDA approval
A non-opioid painkiller from Vertex Pharmaceuticals could become a blockbuster, but questions remain on whether it will prove safe and effective for chronic pain.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 13, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Questions remain about whether the non-opioid painkiller developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals could be effective for chronic pain. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/... w @ByDanielGilbert
Reposted by David Ovalle
Some companies are flouting a ban on shipping vapes through the U.S. Postal Services. But enforcement is complicated by a patchwork of regulations at the federal, state and local levels.
with @davidovalle.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/...
with @davidovalle.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/...
Laws restrict U.S. shipping of vape products. Many companies do it anyway.
They come in flavors including mango, cherry and lemonade-flavored vapes and are sometimes delivered by mail carriers. It’s illegal.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 26, 2024 at 5:24 PM
Some companies are flouting a ban on shipping vapes through the U.S. Postal Services. But enforcement is complicated by a patchwork of regulations at the federal, state and local levels.
with @davidovalle.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/...
with @davidovalle.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/...
Vapes arrive regularly on the doorsteps of homes across the nation as companies flout laws regulating online sales of the products, including a ban on shipping e-cigarettes through the U.S. Postal Service. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/... w/ @rachelroubein.bsky.social
Laws restrict U.S. shipping of vape products. Many companies do it anyway.
They come in flavors including mango, cherry and lemonade-flavored vapes and are sometimes delivered by mail carriers. It’s illegal.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 26, 2024 at 2:35 PM
Vapes arrive regularly on the doorsteps of homes across the nation as companies flout laws regulating online sales of the products, including a ban on shipping e-cigarettes through the U.S. Postal Service. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/... w/ @rachelroubein.bsky.social
Reposted by David Ovalle
We spent weeks reviewing Dave Weldon, Trump’s CDC pick, and his congressional papers, interviews and public appearances — including with anti-vaccine activists.
This is a portrait of a politician who wouldn’t let go of the false theory vaccines cause autism wapo.st/4iACoi0
This is a portrait of a politician who wouldn’t let go of the false theory vaccines cause autism wapo.st/4iACoi0
Trump’s CDC pick wouldn’t let go of false theory vaccines cause autism
Dave Weldon’s long record of promoting the disproven link between vaccines and autism raises concerns among some public health experts about his ability to run the CDC.
wapo.st
December 15, 2024 at 3:12 PM
We spent weeks reviewing Dave Weldon, Trump’s CDC pick, and his congressional papers, interviews and public appearances — including with anti-vaccine activists.
This is a portrait of a politician who wouldn’t let go of the false theory vaccines cause autism wapo.st/4iACoi0
This is a portrait of a politician who wouldn’t let go of the false theory vaccines cause autism wapo.st/4iACoi0
The investigation stems from the company’s work advising Purdue Pharma on how to “turbocharge” sales of the blockbuster opioid OxyContin, officials said.
Consulting firm McKinsey to pay $650 million to end opioid criminal probe
The investigation stems from the company’s work advising Purdue Pharma on how to “turbocharge” sales of the blockbuster opioid OxyContin, officials said.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 13, 2024 at 8:29 PM
The investigation stems from the company’s work advising Purdue Pharma on how to “turbocharge” sales of the blockbuster opioid OxyContin, officials said.