Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Florida Senate Votes To Restore Access To AIDS Drug Assistance Program
WUSF: Florida Senate Passes A Fix For Cuts To AIDS Drug Program
A plan to prevent cuts to a program that provides drugs to AIDS patients passed through the Florida Senate on Tuesday, but it’s unclear whether the House will agree to it. (3/11)
News Service of Florida: Senate Confirms DCF, AHCA Chiefs Despite Hope Florida Scandal
The leaders of Florida’s health care and child welfare agencies will stay in their jobs after the Senate voted Tuesday to confirm them. Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris and Department of Children and Families Secretary Taylor Hatch were appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. But they weren’t confirmed last year as a scandal involving the transfer of Medicaid settlement money to a political committee swirled, were approved over the objections of a smattering of Democrats. (Rohrer, 3/11)
More health news from across the U.S. —
St. Louis Public Radio: Missouri Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing Pregnant Women To Divorce
Pregnant women in Missouri will have an easier time getting a divorce under a bill passed by the state legislature. The Missouri Senate voted 29-0 Tuesday to pass the bill. Because it has already passed the House and because the Senate did not change it, it now goes to Gov. Mike Kehoe, who is expected to sign it into law. (Kellogg, 3/10)
Minnesota Public Radio: Uninsured Rate In Minnesota Climbs To Highest Level In 6 Years
The Minnesota Department of Health released initial findings from a report Tuesday indicating that the state’s uninsured rate has climbed from an all-time low to the highest level in six years, raising concerns about potential future declines in health insurance coverage. (Zurek, 3/10)
North Carolina Health News: Early Progress Reported In Medicaid Plan For Foster Children
North Carolina’s new Medicaid plan for children in the foster care system has enrolled more than 32,000 young people, and state and health plan officials told lawmakers Tuesday they’ve cut the average time to arrange a child’s placement from 45 days to 16. (Baxley, 3/11)
Verite News: Abortion-Rights Discussed At Annual Conference In New Orleans
Hundreds of reproductive rights advocates, including dozens from Louisiana, gathered in New Orleans this past weekend (March 6-8) for the second annual Storyteller Convening hosted by the nonprofit advocacy organization Abortion in America. Abortion in America was co-founded in 2024 by the late former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, political strategist Lauren Peterson and Kaitlyn Joshua, a southeast Louisiana native who rose to national prominence for sharing her story of being denied miscarriage care due to tightened anti-abortion laws following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. (Yehiya, 3/10)
The Hill: Ohio Residents Seek To Change Train Derailment Lawsuit
After a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023, the federal government sued the company and agreed on a deal to cover cleanup costs and provide health monitoring. But now, a federal judge has said not so fast. The judge just allowed East Palestine residents to intervene in the lawsuit after independent tests revealed dangerous contamination persists in the area. (McHugh, 3/10)
CNN: California’s Produce Helps Feed The Nation. Nearly 40% May Contain Toxic ‘Forever’ Pesticides
Nearly 40% of nonorganic fruits and vegetables grown in California contain traces of pesticides that are also PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” according to a new investigation. California supplies nearly half of the vegetables and more than three-quarters of the fruits and nuts eaten in the United States. (LaMotte, 3/11)
Inside Climate News: State Bills On Environmental Regulations Raise Burden Of Proof
A series of Republican state legislatures are advancing, or have already passed, laws severely limiting the ability of state agencies to set environmental regulations, despite warnings from the scientific community that such measures could increase risk of serious health problems, including cancers. Versions of a “Sound Science” bill, proffered by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and supported by other business trade groups, have been signed into law in Alabama and Tennessee, and nearly identical bills are moving through state legislatures in Utah and Kentucky. (Pillion, 3/11)
