Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Constitutionality Of Abortion Upheld In Pa.; Medicaid Fund Use Ban Is Lifted
AP: State Constitution Guarantees Abortion Rights, Pennsylvania Court Rules
A Pennsylvania court on Monday said that the state’s constitution guarantees a right to abortion while striking down a decades-long law banning the use of state Medicaid funds to cover abortion costs. The ruling by a divided seven-judge panel of the appellate-level Commonwealth Court is a major victory for Planned Parenthood and abortion clinic operators who first sued Pennsylvania over its Medicaid funding restrictions in 2019. (Kruesi and Levy, 4/21)
More health news from across the U.S. —
The Washington Post: KitKat, Gatorade Or Granola Bars? What’s Banned Under New SNAP Rules Is Mixed
Across the country, retailers and low-income Americans are facing complex new rules overhauling what millions of people can buy with food stamps. In Iowa, anti-hunger advocates recently sought to highlight how some cold sandwiches and granola bars may not qualify. In Idaho, legislators had attempted to clarify the state’s candy ban, since it allows KitKats and Twix because they contain flour. And in some states, food stamp recipients said they were surprised to learn sports drinks and certain flavored fizzy waters are off-limits. (Roubein, 4/20)
Concord Monitor: ‘Not Cosmetic’: NH Lawmaker Wants State To Cover GLP-1 Drugs For Weight Loss
Two years ago, Sue Prentiss got a sobering reality check at her doctor’s office. The news was blunt: She qualified for bariatric surgery, a procedure for patients whose weight poses life-threatening risks. She was aware of her weight and had tried everything from high-intensity workouts to weight loss programs and diets. Nothing seemed to help until she started taking GLP-1 medications. (Gopalakrishnan, 4/20)
St. Louis Public Radio: St. Louis County Health Chief Says Council Inaction Risks Care
The St. Louis County health director says the county council is slow-rolling a measure to allow its government-run health clinics to hire physicians. In a bill introduced nine months ago, the department asked the council to approve a three-year, $3.6 million contract that would authorize it to hire doctors from SSM Health to work at county-operated health clinics. (Fentem, 4/20)
North Carolina Health News: NC Legislators Urged To Boost Safe Sleep Funding
Every three days, a North Carolina baby dies in an unsafe sleep environment. That’s more than 100 babies every year. Less than two weeks into 2026, a Cary infant was found dead after falling asleep in a baby lounger, according to media reports. (Fernandez, 4/21)
Verite News New Orleans: Nearly One In Five New Orleanians — And One In Three Children — Are Food Insecure. What Can City Hall Do To Address This?
New Orleans is one of the hungriest cities in one of the hungriest states in the country. Approximately 70,000 New Orleanians — or almost one in five residents — are considered food insecure, meaning they lack easy access to fresh and affordable food. For children, that number increases to nearly one in three. That outpaces the national average of 13.7% and, according to local public health and food access experts, ranks New Orleans among the more food-insecure cities in the country, despite its reputation as a culinary hotspot. (Fernelius, 4/20)
KFF Health News: Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers’ Health Data
Democratic lawmakers are demanding that the Trump administration halt plans to collect sensitive medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, as well as their family members. The Office of Personnel Management has asked 65 insurance companies to provide monthly reports with detailed medical and pharmaceutical claims data of more than 8 million people enrolled in federal health plans, KFF Health News reported earlier this month. The request, which could dramatically expand the personally identifiable medical information OPM can access, alarmed health ethicists, insurance company executives, and privacy advocates. (Seitz and Rosenfeld, 4/21)
On gun violence in the U.S. and Mexico —
The New York Times: Louisiana Killer’s Threats To Himself And Others Hinted At Future Violence
Shamar Elkins and his soon-to-be-wife, Shaneiqua Pugh, were sitting on a couch three years ago in Shreveport, La., as their daughters played outside. Betty Walker — the woman who had raised Mr. Elkins as her son, though she was not his biological mother — was there, too, and could tell there was friction between the couple. Ms. Pugh said that evening that she was considering leaving Mr. Elkins and taking her children with her, Ms. Walker recalled in an interview. Mr. Elkins was furious, Ms. Walker said. He looked at Ms. Pugh and declared that if they tried to leave, “I’ll kill you, my kids and myself.” (Medina, Morales and Jimenez, 4/20)
The New York Times: Gunman Kills Canadian Tourist And Wounds Several Others, Including U.S. Nationals, At Mexican Pyramids
One Canadian tourist was shot dead and several other people were wounded, including U.S. nationals, officials said, when a man opened fire on Monday at one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, the Teotihuacán pyramids just outside Mexico City. (Mega and Diaz, 4/20)
