Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Anti-Trans Sports Bill Vetoed By Pennsylvania Governor
Fox News: Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Vetoes Transgender Sports Bill; GOP Pledges To 'Never Stop Fighting' For 'Fairness'
Pennsylvania's Democratic governor vetoed a high-profile bill that would have barred biological male athletes who are transgender from competing in women's sports, calling it discriminatory against "marginalized youth." "I have been crystal clear during my time in office that hate has no place in Pennsylvania, especially discrimination against already marginalized youth representing less-than-half of 1 percent of Pennsylvania’s population," Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement following his veto of the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act." (Creitz, 7/11)
More news from Pennsylvania —
AP: Wolf, Nursing Homes Come To Agreement To Boost Staff
Nursing home trade associations in Pennsylvania said Monday they have agreed to boost staffing levels as part of a deal with Gov. Tom Wolf to increase aid to an industry struggling with high turnover. With Pennsylvania awash in surplus tax collections, Wolf on Monday signed legislation authorizing nearly $300 million a year, almost 20% more annually, in additional Medicaid payments to nursing homes, which were wracked by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Levy, 7/11)
In other news from across the U.S. —
Bangor Daily News: Maine's Opioid Response Held Up As A Model Despite Worsening Crisis
Maine saw a 9 percent increase in overdose deaths in the first five months of 2022 compared with the same period last year, according to the state’s monthly overdose report, which showed three-quarters of those deaths involved fentanyl. It could foreshadow a new high after Maine saw over 600 people die from overdoses last year. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show Maine was in the top 10 states for drug overdoses in 2020. (Andrews, 7/11)
Dallas Morning News: Florida Woman Sues Southwest Airlines After She Was Paralyzed In Wheelchair Accident
A Florida woman is suing Dallas-based Southwest Airlines after a wheelchair accident while boarding left her paralyzed. The suit, filed in Broward County Court in Florida, said 24-year-old Gaby Assouline was “thrown” from a wheelchair while taking herself down the jet bridge to a flight at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in February, even though she asked for help. (Arnold, 7/11)
Aurora Beacon-News: Marmion Student A Winner In Apple Contest For Developing App To Help Those Battling Anxiety
Each year, Apple Inc. sponsors a contest where kids are able to show off their technical and creative skills by creating an original app that can be used to help others. (Sharos, 7/11)
North Carolina Health News: Asheville Airport Therapy Dogs Help With Anxiety
Luna — a 60-pound (or so) goldendoodle — is busy. She often goes to work with Leah at a boutique downtown, and she volunteers as a therapy dog: at a memory care center and, more recently, at the Asheville airport. (Donnelly-DeRoven, 7/12)
KHN: As California Welcomes Ukrainian Refugees, Counties Fall Short On Interpreters
After the Russian invasion, Katie Nelha and her husband couldn’t safely return to their home in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, so they took their chances as refugees. Flying from Poland, where they were working, to Mexico in early April, they crossed into the U.S. at Tijuana, where they were granted a temporary visa for humanitarian reasons. Once in Sacramento, Nelha, 24, relied on a county translator to help her enroll in Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, to cover the cost of visiting an optometrist. “I need glasses to pass my eye test and get a driver’s license so we can start looking for work,” Nelha said through an interpreter. She plans to find a job in one of the city’s dozens of Ukrainian and Russian restaurants. (Kreidler, 7/12)
