Marco's Morning Report — Thursday, June 25, 2026

A · Top Stories

Confirmed fresh, last 48 hours.

Mets

Lindor is back — but Soto's back and Senga's ERA muddy the picture

The Mets activated Francisco Lindor from the IL on June 24 after more than two months out with a strained left calf (Zack Short was designated to make room). The timing is bittersweet: Juan Soto left Tuesday's loss to the Cubs with a tight back and Mendoza wouldn't rule out an IL stint, and Kodai Senga — now at a 10.08 ERA after another short outing — has been moved to the bullpen. New York sits five games back of the final NL wild-card spot heading into the weekend.

Why it matters to you: the whole buyer-vs-seller question at the deadline hinges on whether a healthy Lindor can drag this lineup back to life before the front office decides which way to lean.

Talking point: if Soto lands on the IL, watch whether Stearns flips to seller mode — a healthy Lindor is the only thing keeping the buy case alive.

Puerto Rico

LUMA countersues the PR government as the grid fight turns into a courtroom brawl

LUMA Energy filed a counterclaim June 23 against Puerto Rico's government, accusing it of acting "in bad faith and with intentional malice" and of using its power "to illegally try to fulfill a campaign promise." LUMA says it would be owed billions — at least $4.5 billion in damages — if its contract is terminated. The countersuit lands six months after Gov. Jenniffer González sued to begin cancelling the contract, and with PREPA still mired in bankruptcy over $9 billion in debt.

Why it matters to you: family beat — this is the next chapter of the chronic-blackout saga, and a messy contract unwind could mean years more grid instability for relatives on the island.

Talking point for the family: González promised LUMA would be "a thing of the past" by 2026 — this lawsuit is the bill coming due on that promise.

B · The Debate

One live argument, both sides, no verdict.

Should Medicare negotiate the price of Ozempic and 14 other drugs for 2027?

Why it's live right now: CMS published its second-round Medicare drug-price negotiation list this month (proposed rule in the Federal Register June 16), naming 15 Part D drugs — including the GLP-1s Ozempic and Wegovy, plus COPD, diabetes, and cancer therapies. CMS pegs the savings at roughly $12 billion (about 44% off 2024 net prices) when the negotiated prices take effect in 2027. The drugmakers are pushing back hard.

For

Medicare finally using the buying power of its 60-plus-million enrollees is the point, not the overreach. AARP's Nancy LeaMond says the program is "saving billions and helping millions afford the medications they need to stay healthy," with beneficiaries projected to save $685 million when the 2027 prices land. Supporters note that every other wealthy country negotiates, that list prices on these drugs bear little relation to what's needed to recoup R&D, and that lower out-of-pocket costs translate directly into better adherence among exactly the elderly patients you admit. (AARP)

Against

Call it "negotiation," but with a steep excise-tax penalty for refusing, it functions as government price-setting. PhRMA argues the program siphons the revenue that funds the next generation of therapies, discourages investment in small-molecule pills in particular (the "pill penalty"), and will mean fewer cures down the line — a cost paid by future patients who never see the drug that wasn't developed. Industry also notes ongoing litigation challenging the program's constitutionality. (PhRMA)

Where it might land: negotiated prices take effect January 2027; a comment period on the June 16 proposed rule and pending court challenges are the next flashpoints.

C · On My Radar

Noteworthy, not urgent.

Medicare GLP-1 Bridge goes live July 1 — six days out: $50/month copay for Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo for enrollees with BMI ≥35 (or ≥27 plus clinical criteria), running through Dec 2027. (Medicare Rights) Worth confirming your floor's perioperative GLP-1 hold protocol as more elderly admits show up on these.

Iran ceasefire holding, but fraying at the edges — the 60-day MOU survives, yet Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed more than a dozen overnight just hours after a renewed Hezbollah ceasefire; Strait of Hormuz oil traffic has resumed. (PBS NewsHour)

Streaming worth your post-shift hour — The Bear's final season and the Earth Kingdom arc of Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender drop this stretch, with The Pitt S2 drawing strong reviews. (Rotten Tomatoes)

D · Trends to Watch

Signals building under the surface.

Ambient AI scribes hit majority adoption. UCSF Health reports ~70% of its physicians now use AI scribes day-to-day, and randomized data show burnout falling from 51.9% to 38.8% over 30 days with ~15% less time composing notes — counterbalanced by real concerns about hallucinated content and the need for diligent oversight. Watch for this moving from clinic into inpatient documentation. (Medical Economics)

Antibiotic de-escalation is becoming the default. The 2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign formalizes de-escalation and diagnostic stewardship, and a CIDRAP-covered study supports stepping down broad-spectrum coverage in selected sepsis patients without a mortality penalty. Expect more pressure to protocolize day-4 reassessment on the floor. (CIDRAP)

E · Ideas & Opportunities

Small, actionable.

If your hospital offers an ambient AI scribe pilot, ask to trial it on your admission H&Ps — the post-shift documentation tail is exactly where the time-savings data is strongest.

Queue The Bear final season or the new Avatar live-action for a wind-down after a stretch of nights.

Mets watch: track whether a healthy Lindor flips the deadline calculus back toward "buyer" before Stearns commits either way.

H · Background / Already Covered

Items carried over from recent editions — expand if you missed them

Medicare GLP-1 Bridge details (covered Jun 21) — the BALANCE Model Part D component is delayed indefinitely; the Bridge is extended through Dec 31, 2027; CBO pegs the broader coverage cost at $35.5B (2026–2034).
2026 Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (covered Jun 22) — emphasize a sepsis performance-improvement program, screening for high-risk patients, and SOPs for treatment.
Cuba economy (covered Jun 21–24) — 176 free-market reforms approved; foreign tourism down ~58% YoY; OHCHR data (infant mortality 9.9/1,000, food production −60%, medicine at ~30% of normal supply) amid the energy crisis.
Florida homestead property-tax amendment (HJR 1-F) (covered Jun 24) — passed the June special session, now on the Nov 3 ballot (60% needed); raises the homestead exemption toward eventual elimination, with a $4.6B–$8.4B local-revenue hit and no funding plan.
Golf tech (covered Jun 22) — HackMotion Sensor 4 shipping; Garmin Approach G82 adds putting metrics and a virtual caddie.
TV (covered Jun 21–24) — The Vampire Lestat, House of the Dragon, and Hacks' final season all drawing strong notices.