Axios PM: For colon screening, 45 is the new 50

Plus: Blockbusters return | Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Facebook   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·May 18, 2021 Good afternoon: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 386 words, a 1.5-minute read. ⚡️ Scoop: Federal prosecutors are investigating what they say was a massive scheme to illegally back Sen. Susan Collins' 2020 re-election bid, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports. A recently unsealed search warrant shows the FBI believes that a Hawaii defense contractor executive illegally funneled $150,000 to a pro-Collins super PAC and reimbursed family members' donations to Collins' campaign. There's no indication that Collins or her team was aware of any of it.     1 big thing: For colon screening, 45 is the new 50 Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   Americans were urged today to start screening for colon and rectal cancers at 45, due to the rising rate of new colon cancer cases before age 50. Why it matters: The new U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidance means most private insurance plans will eventually offer those under-50 screenings without a co-pay. "The implication is that for many people, there'll be less of a barrier to getting screened aged 45 to 49," task force vice chair Michael Barry told CNN. The big picture: An estimated 53,000 people will die from colorectal cancers this year in the U.S. "10.5% of new colorectal cancer cases are in people younger than 50, and cases among adults between 40 and 49 years increased by almost 15% from 2000-2002 to 2014-2016," CNN notes. How often people need to get checked depends on the type of screening they choose, AP reports. Options include yearly stool-based tests or colonoscopies that may be done every 10 years.     2. Mapped: Confederate monuments over time Data: Southern Poverty Law Center. Map: Michelle McGhee/Axios Confederate monuments once formed a vast semicircle across much of the South and West. Now hundreds remain on display in the Southeast, reports Axios data visualization reporter Michelle McGhee. The gray dots show monuments that have been removed. 98 monuments have already been removed in the 2020s — the most of any decade. The red dots are still on display. Go deeper ... Interactive version: See this visualization over time.     A message from Facebook The internet has changed a lot since 1996 - internet regulations should too     It's been 25 years since comprehensive internet regulations passed. See why we support updated regulations on key issues, including: Protecting people's privacy. Enabling safe and easy data portability between platforms. Preventing election interference. Reforming Section 230.     3. Catch up quick Protesters march in Elizabeth City, N.C. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images   No charges in North Carolina: A prosecutor said the death of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man fatally shot by sheriff's deputies last month, was "tragic" but "justified." Go deeper. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will oppose the bipartisan deal announced last week that would form a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Go deeper. Scoop: The Biden administration will waive sanctions on the corporate entity and CEO overseeing the construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline into Germany, Jonathan Swan reports. Bank of America will raise its U.S. minimum hourly wage to $25 by 2025, a bump of nearly $14 per hour since 2010. Go deeper.     4. 1 smile to go: Blockbusters return Summer '21 movie posters. Photo: AP Hollywood is ready to dazzle again with a summer lineup that includes "F9" to "In the Heights" to "The Suicide Squad" and "Black Widow," AP notes. Many of the hottest releases were supposed to come out a year ago. Why it matters: The 2020 summer movie season was down 96% from 2019 thanks to the pandemic. Between the lines: It's unclear what the new benchmarks for success will be or if any movie has a chance of hitting anything close to pre-pandemic expectations. The last "Fast" movie opened to $98.8 million in 2017. So far this year, the biggest domestic opening was just over $30 million.     A message from Facebook Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations     2021 is the 25th anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the last major update to internet regulation. It's time for an update to set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges. See how we're taking action on key issues and why we support updated internet regulations.     Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: