With 12 Western States Burning, US Is On Highest Wildfire Alert

NBC News: Western Wildfires Rage Across 12 States, U.S. At Highest Alert Level
Emblematic of the difficulties firefighters are facing across the American West, crews scrambled Thursday to quell a rapidly growing blaze in Northern California, just 10 miles from the town of Paradise, where the collective trauma of the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in the state's history remains palpable nearly three years later. Since it began Wednesday morning, the Dixie Fire in Butte County has scorched more than 2,250 acres of brush and timber near the steep terrain of the Feather River Canyon, and was zero percent contained 24 hours later, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. (Ortiz and Murray, 7/15)

Reuters: Oregon Wildfire Displaces 2,000 Residents As Blazes Flare Across U.S. West
Hand crews backed by water-dropping helicopters struggled on Thursday to suppress a huge wildfire that displaced roughly 2,000 residents in southern Oregon, the largest among dozens of blazes raging across the drought-stricken western United States. The Bootleg fire has charred more than 227,000 acres (91,860 hectares) of desiccated timber and brush in and around the Fremont-Winema National Forest since erupting on July 6 about 250 miles (400 km) south of Portland. (Bloom, 7/15)

The New York Times: Work Injuries Tied To Heat Are Vastly Undercounted, Study Finds 
Extreme heat causes many times more workplace injuries than official records capture, and those injuries are concentrated among the poorest workers, new research suggests, the latest evidence of how climate change worsens inequality. Hotter days don’t just mean more cases of heat stroke, but also injuries from falling, being struck by vehicles or mishandling machinery, the data show, leading to an additional 20,000 workplace injuries each year in California alone. The data suggest that heat increases workplace injuries by making it harder to concentrate. (Flavelle, 7/15)

In news from Massachusetts, Minnesota, Iowa and Oregon —

USA Today: FDA Ban On Electric Shock Treatment At Massachusetts School Overturned
A Massachusetts school can continue using electric shock devices on its students with intellectual disabilities after the U.S. Court of Appeals overturned the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on the controversial practice last week. The judges ruled 2-1 in favor of the practice that is still being used at the Judge Rotenberg Education Center in Canton, Massachusetts, and said that "the FDA lacks the statutory authority to ban a medical device for a particular use." (Vargas, 7/16)

The Hill: Minnesota Governor Signs Executive Order Restricting Conversion Therapy
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Thursday signed an executive order restricting conversion therapy for minors, adding it to the growing number of states taking similar action. The order says the state will not fund the practice, and it will investigate any discriminatory actions by health care providers regarding the therapy. (Scully, 7/15)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Abortions Increased 14% In 2020 After Rising 25% In 2019
The number of abortions performed in Iowa climbed nearly 14% in 2020, after jumping 25% the previous year, new state data show. Iowa had seen years of steady declines in abortions before 2019. But that trendline has changed. The state saw 4,058 abortions performed in 2020, up from 3,566 in 2019 and 2,849 in 2018, the new numbers show. The new data were shared with legislative staff Thursday by the Iowa Department of Public Health. (Leys, 7/15)

The Oregonian: Two Arrested After Confrontation In Front Of Salem Planned Parenthood 
Police arrested two men during a Tuesday evening protest in front of Planned Parenthood in northeast Salem. The arrests followed a confrontation where people protesting against abortion and counter-demonstrators clashed and maced each other, Salem police said. (7/15)