Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite New Texas Law, Abortion Pill Providers Refuse To Obey In Advance
The Guardian: Abortion Pill Providers Targeted By New Texas Law Refuse ‘Anticipatory Obedience’
Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas, on Wednesday signed into law a bill that lets people sue anyone suspected of manufacturing, distributing or mailing abortion pills to or from Texas. The first-of-its-kind law is almost certain to dramatically escalate the state-by-state showdown over abortion laws in the post Roe v Wade United States – especially as some out-of-state abortion providers have already vowed that they will continue shipping pills to Texans. “Our mantra as a practice is: ‘No anticipatory obedience’,” said Dr Angel Foster, co-founder of the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project (Map), a Boston-area based group that uses telemedicine to ship abortion pills to patients across the United States. (Sherman, 9/18)
WUSF: Florida Seeks To Join Lawsuit Challenging Mifepristone
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier cites health risks and potential conflicts with state abortion laws as the states ask to intervene in the high-profile FDA challenge. Florida and Texas have filed a petition to join a federal lawsuit challenging federal approval and expanded access to the abortion pill mifepristone. (Mayer, 9/18)
In other reproductive health news —
Newsweek: Largest Ever Pregnancy Nausea Study Raises 'Very Serious' Concerns
The largest study ever conducted on pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting has revealed links between severe morning sickness and long-term mental health risks, raising what researchers call "very serious" concerns. The study—led by King's College London and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust—examined the records of 476,857 pregnant women diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a condition marked by extreme and persistent nausea and vomiting. (Gray, 9/18)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Fierce Healthcare: Northeast States, NYC Band Together On Public Health
Seven Northeastern states and New York City have announced a regional coalition aimed at strengthening public health capabilities and reinforcing evidence-based health guidance. Called the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, it follows an informal meeting in August and other talks between the members’ public health authorities that began earlier this year. (Muoio, 9/18)
ProPublica: Local Officials Waver On Water Fluoridation In Michigan, Where It Started
Just 15 months after receiving an award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for excellence in community water fluoridation, the city of Grayling, Michigan, changed course. With little notice or fanfare, council members voted unanimously in May to end Grayling’s decadeslong treatment program. The city shut down the equipment used to deliver the drinking water additive less than two weeks later. (Clark, 9/18)
Military.com: Restaurant Fined $25K For Kicking Out Disabled Veteran, Service Dog
A Lexington, Kentucky, restaurant has been fined $25,000 by the Lexington Human Rights Commission for discriminating against a patron over her service dog. The woman, a disabled Navy veteran, was denied service and told to leave the Oasis Mediterranean Restaurant in Chevy Chase in March 2023 because of her service dog. According to the hearing officer’s report, the restaurant "refused to accommodate her request to use the restaurant’s restroom and presumably the use of its buffet table.” (Patton, 9/18)
CIDRAP: Minnesota Reports First H5N1 Detection In Poultry Since April
Minnesota has reported its first H5N1 detection in poultry since April, which involves a commercial turkey farm in Redwood County. The detection comes on the heels of similar outbreaks in South Dakota and North Dakota earlier this month. (Soucheray, 9/18)
Also —
Colorado Sun: Denver Doctor In Gaza, “The Most Dangerous Place On Earth" For Kids
Dr. Mohamed Kuziez, 35, is bragging about one of his favorite patients. “She is fierce,” the Denver pediatrician says, fishing out his phone like a proud dad. He volunteered in Gaza for three weeks earlier this year, which is why his phone also contains images of decaying corpses in the wreckage of a building, a lineup of torched Palestinian ambulances, and human organs, red and incongruous on surgical sheeting, outside of the bodies they once served. (Moore, 9/18)
