Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Can't Restrict Federal Healthcare Funding For Those Not Meeting His Conditions, Court Rules
San Francisco Chronicle: Trump Can't Cut Funds To Cities With Policies He Opposes, Court Rules
The Trump administration has no legal authority to cut off billions of dollars in federal health care and housing funds to local governments, including San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties, unless they cooperate with his policies on immigration, abortion and “gender ideology,” a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. While engaged in separate court battles to cut off funding for abortions and medical care for transgender youths, President Donald Trump has also sought to withhold aid to cities and counties that use any funds, including their own, for abortions or transgender care, and fail to check the immigration status of everyone receiving aid. (Egelko, 8/25)
In related news about Medicaid cuts —
Cardinal News: Virginia Won't Be Able To Cover Federal SNAP, Medicaid Funding Cuts, Governor Warns
Virginia will not be able to cover the full cost to fund cuts to social programs laid out in last year’s federal spending bill, Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Tuesday. Her administration estimated $2 billion to $6 billion in lost revenue to the state annually starting in 2028 due to the loss of administrative funds, reductions in reimbursement for providers dependent on Medicaid and loss of enrollees in public programs. (Beyer, 8/26)
On the immigration crisis —
Fox News: Trump Admin Pauses Visa Appointments Worldwide Amid Heightened Screening For Applicants
The Trump administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to postpone immigrant visa interviews while consular officers complete training on new public-charge guidance, temporarily stalling applications that have reached the interview stage. ... The scheduling changes have sparked uncertainty among immigrant visa applicants who received emails informing them that their interviews had been canceled without instructions for immediately rescheduling them. (Mion, 8/26)
The Marshall Project: 600K People Put In Immigration Detention During Trump’s Second Term
More than 45,000 people were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month, the highest number since Donald Trump retook office, according to data the Deportation Data Project released Monday. In total, since Trump’s inauguration last year, ICE has detained over 610,000 people — more than the population of Atlanta, Baltimore, Milwaukee or the entire state of Wyoming. (Schwartzapfel and Flagg, 8/25)
More health news about the Trump administration —
The Hill: Senators Press RFK Jr. Over Promised Divestment In Gardasil Lawsuit
Several Senate Democrats are questioning whether Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. truly divested his financial interests in a lawsuit he helped spearhead challenging the HPV vaccine Gardasil. Before he was confirmed as HHS secretary, Kennedy was part of a lawsuit led by the firm Wisner Baum against the pharmaceutical company Merck, alleging that its HPV vaccine Gardasil caused neurological and autoimmune injuries. (Choi, 8/25)
KFF Health News: Trump Puts Autistic Kids In The Spotlight And Cuts Agencies Built To Protect Them
At Chain of Lakes Elementary School in Winter Haven, Florida, Josette Smith’s 9-year-old son, Ethan, gets to do what he loves most: crafts, math, and science. That is, when he isn’t being pulled out of class. Ethan has autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. He was diagnosed with autism in kindergarten after displaying behavior that concerned his relatives: He paced, flapped his arms, and became consumed with highly specific interests, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and dachshunds. (Sibonney, 8/26)
