Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Decision On Remedial Plan For Mississippi Mental Health System Near
AP: Judge Nears Decision On Future Of State Mental Health System
When Michael Hogan was appointed by a federal judge to help craft a road map for the future of Mississippi’s embattled mental health care system, he planned to tour community mental health centers in-person to see the state’s services in action. He hoped to speak to patients and employees — perspectives he said would be vital in charting the Department of Mental Health’s path forward. That was in early 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hogan, a mental health care veteran with 40 years of experience working across the country, said Monday in federal court his ability to work on the ground has been severely limited in the past year and half. “I don’t know anything about the situation on the ground, which troubles me some,” he said. (Willingham, 7/13)
North Carolina Health News: Medical Marijuana Legislation Could Put NC In The Green
A bipartisan bill in the North Carolina Senate would make medical marijuana legal for people with a set group of diseases. But for Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, it’s a race against time to beat the state in joining the budding industry. The bill is set to face its next hurdle before becoming law in a Senate Committee on Finance meeting Tuesday, July 20, one of several committees it needs to pass before going to the Senate floor. (Thompson, 7/13)
AP: What Are California's New Virus Rules For Public Schools?
The California Department of Public Health has updated its coronavirus rules for public schools. The new rules apply recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with some modifications. All teachers and students must wear masks while indoors. But they don’t have to stay at least 3 feet (0.9 meters) away from each other. The rules’ stated goal is to make sure as many students can attend full-time, in-person instruction as possible. State officials worried some schools would have had trouble accommodating all of their students with the physical distancing rule. So they got rid of it, in exchange for everyone wearing a mask. (7/13)
AP: California's Mask Rule For Schools Prompts Controversy
California announced new coronavirus rules for public schools on Monday that let students and teachers sit as close to each other as they want while making sure no one will miss class time even if they are exposed to someone with the virus. But those changes from the last school year were overshadowed by news the state would continue to require all students and staff to wear masks while indoors, reigniting criticism of Gov. Gavin Newsom as he faces a recall election in September. (Beam, 7/13)
Los Angeles Times: California School Districts To Handle Mask Rule Enforcement
The complications of managing COVID-era education took a dramatic turn Monday, when state officials issued a rule barring unmasked students from campuses, and then, hours later, rescinded that rule — while keeping in place a mask mandate for all at K-12 schools. Instead, the latest revision allows local school officials to decide how to deal with students who refuse to wear masks, a spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday night. (Blume and Gomez, 7/12)
WGCU: Two New Mosquito Species Found In Collier County
Two new mosquito species - one capable of transmitting yellow fever and Venezeuelan equine encephalitis - have been found in Collier County, officials said. The Aedes scapularis, an invasive species, and Aedes tortili bring the total known species in Collier to 48. The aggressive Aedes scapularis is capable of transmitting yellow fever and Venezuelan equine encephalitis. It is native to South America and the Caribbean and was most recently detected last year in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. (Panne, 7/12)
KHN: California Takes A Nibble At Offering Food Stamps To Undocumented Immigrants
One week the food pantry had frozen crabmeat; other weeks, deli meat or plant-based “meat.” The week before the Fourth of July, there was no meat at all, and a reminder that the pantry would be closed the next two weeks. Even though she never knows exactly what she’ll get, Lesli Pastrana is grateful for the Mercado El Sol food pantry. She has frequented it ever since she lost her job in January. On a recent Friday, she walked away with produce, eggs and staples like ramen noodles, pasta and oats. (Almendrala, 7/13)
AP: Judge OKs $73M Payout To Alleged UCLA Doctor Sex Victims
A federal judge on Monday gave final approval to a $73 million settlement of a lawsuit that alleged some 6,000 women were sexually abused by a former University of California, Los Angeles gynecologist. The 2019 class-action suit involved allegations that from 1983 to 2018, Dr. James Heaps groped women, simulated intercourse with an ultrasound probe or made inappropriate comments during examinations at the UCLA student health center, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center or his on-campus office. (Jablon, 7/13)
AP: Pesticide Caused Kids' Brain Damage, California Lawsuits Say
Lawsuits filed Monday in California seek potential class-action damages from Dow Chemical and its successor company over a widely used bug killer linked to brain damage in children. Chlorpyrifos is approved for use on more than 80 crops, including oranges, berries, grapes, soybeans, almonds and walnuts, though California banned sales of the pesticide last year and spraying of it this year. Some other states, including New York, have moved to ban it. (Thompson, 7/12)
