California Governor Signs Executive Order To Boost Men’s Mental Health
The order is aimed at improving the mental health struggles of men and boys ranging from loneliness to suicide rates. Other states making news: New Hampshire, Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Illinois, North Carolina, West Virginia, and New York.
AP:
California Governor Signs Men's Mental Health Executive Order
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at supporting men and boys and improving their mental health outcomes, in an effort to lower suicide rates among young men and help them feel less isolated. The order directs the state Health and Human Services Agency to recommend ways to address suicide rates among young men and help them seek services to improve their mental health and well-being. It also requires the state to connect them with education and career opportunities. (Austin, 7/31)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Concord Monitor:
State Budget Mandates Sale Of Mental Health Housing In Concord By 2027
In another perceived setback to New Hampshire’s mental health system, the state budget calls for the sale of the Philbrook Adult Transitional Housing Facility in Concord within two years. The 16-bed step-down residence located less than half a mile from New Hampshire Hospital, the state’s inpatient psychiatric facility, plays a crucial role in helping individuals reintegrate into the community after an involuntary emergency admission due to a mental health crisis. (Gopalakrishnan, 7/30)
The Texas Tribune:
Texas Senate Advances Bill To Ban THC
The Texas Senate on Wednesday preliminarily approved its second attempt to ban hemp-derived THC, setting up a showdown with the House, where hemp industry members say they’ll be getting more support. (Simpson, 7/30)
ProPublica:
Trump DOJ Halted Major Civil Rights Lawsuits In Louisiana, South Carolina
The Trump administration has halted litigation aimed at stopping civil rights abuses of prisoners in Louisiana and mentally ill people living in South Carolina group homes. The Biden administration filed lawsuits against the two states in December after Department of Justice investigations concluded that they had failed to fix violations despite years of warnings. (Johnson, 7/31)
WBEZ Chicago:
Chicago Hospitals Are Scaling Back Trans Care For Youth. A Rapid Response Team Is Stepping In.
As more hospitals in Chicago cut back care for trans youth, advocates have launched a rapid response team to connect families with other doctors and cover the cost of everything from appointments to medication. The response team has built a network of at least 30 doctors and nurse practitioners in private practice throughout Illinois who provide hormone therapy or blockers to delay puberty. It also includes roughly 10 physicians who will perform surgeries, said Asher McMaher, executive director of Trans Up Front Illinois, an advocacy organization that put out the call to providers for help. (Schorsch, 7/29)
North Carolina Health News:
Federal Funding Cuts, Delays Undermine NC's HIV Response
The first domino fell when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t renew North Carolina’s $13.8 million HIV Prevention and Surveillance grant before it ran out on May 31. The second blow came when the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services passed that nonrenewal along to 13 nonprofits across the state that had been using the money for HIV and syphilis testing. (Fernandez, 7/31)
AP:
Cool Ranch Doritos And Foods With Synthetic Dyes Are Off West Virginia School Menus
When school starts in West Virginia next month, 240,000 students in districts large and small will notice something missing from their cafeteria trays. Gone will be red Jell-O fruit cups, yogurt topped with brightly hued sprinkles and Cool Ranch Doritos — all foods made with synthetic dyes. In their place will be foods that contain colors made only from natural sources — such as vegetables, spices and seeds — after West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed a sweeping new law in March banning seven artificial dyes from school meals. (Aleccia, 7/30)
On the gun violence epidemic —
The New York Times:
Park Avenue Killer Bought Rifle For $1,400 From His Casino Boss
The gunman who killed a police officer and three other people at a Midtown Manhattan office building on Monday bought his AR-15-style rifle for $1,400 from the man who supervised him at his job at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, New York police officials said on Wednesday. The police did not say during their briefing whether the sale of the weapon to the gunman, Shane Devon Tamura, 27, was illegal, but said the seller had been cooperating with investigators and was not being charged in New York. (Cramer and Marcius, 7/30)
