Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dangerous Heat Incoming: Multiple States Under Temperature Warning
Bloomberg: Temperatures Will Top 100 Degrees In Multiple US States This Week
A massive heat wave will build in the southern US and expand into the Pacific Northwest this week, with temperatures in the Southwest rising to as much as 120F (49C) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (Sullivan, 7/10)
WMFE: Heat Advisories Continue In Florida. Hospitals Treat Related Illnesses, With Visitors Feeling Brunt
The University of Central Florida's Lake Nona Hospital has seen an increase in patients with symptoms associated with heat-related illness, said Michelle Wallen, the emergency room medical director. Although the increases she's seen are not Floridians. “More of the heat-related injuries are probably more from the visitors that are not acclimated with the weather down here,” she said. "And there are a lot more people coming down and visiting now at this time. I think more so surprisingly during this summer than previous years." (Pedersen, 7/10)
AP: How Extreme Heat Takes A Toll On The Mind And Body, According To Experts
From heavy sweating and dizziness to muscle spasms and even vomiting, experts say heat exhaustion and heat stroke are likely to become more common. In coming decades, the U.S. is expected to experience higher temperatures and more intense heat waves. Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness and happens when the body loses its ability to sweat. (Bryan, 7/10)
San Francisco Chronicle: Sierra Heat Spurs Mosquito Boom, Bringing Misery To Tourists
The high temperatures hitting the Sierra Nevada have led to an unexpected surge in the mosquito population just in time for the peak summer tourist season. The area has witnessed an explosion of snowmelt mosquitoes, an assortment of half a dozen highly aggressive species that hibernate beneath the ice and emerge to feed as it melts. However, this year’s boom is happening later than usual due to the record-breaking snowfall in the spring and the late start to the snow melt. (Vaziri, 7/10)
On transgender health —
AP: Kansas Must Stop Changing Trans People's Sex Listing On Driver's Licenses, Judge Says
Kansas must stop allowing transgender people to change the sex listed on their driver’s licenses, a state-court judge ordered Monday as part of a lawsuit filed by the state’s Republican attorney general. (Hanna, 7/10)
AP: Wisconsin School District Can't Restrict Bathrooms For Transgender Student, Federal Judge Says
A federal judge has blocked a Wisconsin school district from requiring transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that match the sex they were assigned at birth while a lawsuit plays out against the school. (7/10)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Detroit Free Press: Mich. Insurers Seek Premium Hikes As Demand For Weight-Loss Drugs Soar
A report from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, which reviews and approves insurers' rates, shows that health insurance companies are seeking increases that would average 7.1% for their 2024 small group policies — those for businesses and organizations with fewer than 51 employees. There are currently 428,328 Michiganders enrolled in such plans. (Reindl, 7/10)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: ‘We Deserve Better’: Residents Demand Action To Extend Radiation Exposure Compensation
Sheron Carter’s brother and grandfather died from cancer after working at the Nevada Test Site. Three years ago, the 66-year-old Las Vegas native was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now, she’s demanding lawmakers take action to compensate herself and her family for the fallout from years of nuclear testing. “It has destroyed families,” Carter said. (Wilson, 7/10)
