For First Time In A Decade, LA County Sees Drop In Homeless Mortality Rate
The county saw a 10% decrease in the rate of homeless deaths from all causes in 2024, driven by a sharp decrease in overdose deaths. Public health officials credit the wide availability of naloxone but worry that a decrease in funding over the past year may reverse the positive trends.
Los Angeles Times:
Homeless Mortality Is Down In L.A. County For The First Time In A Decade.
Health and homeless service officials hope the trend can continue as homeless programs face significant funding cuts. (Smith, 3/10)
More health news from across the U.S. —
AP:
New Iowa Law Prohibits Local Gender Identity Protections
A new Iowa law bans local nondiscrimination protections on the basis of gender identity after the state became the first in the U.S. to rollback its civil rights code last year. The preemption law took effect Tuesday, as soon as Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed it. It prevents cities and counties from having civil rights protections that go beyond the categories identified in state code. (Fingerhut, 3/11)
Central Florida Public Media:
Florida Legislature Approves Two Alzheimer's Disease-Related Bills
Two bills designed to protect and support many of the estimated 580,000 Florida seniors with Alzheimer's disease made it all the way through the Legislature this week. Both bills were approved without opposition in the House and Senate and now need the governor's signature. (Byrnes, 3/11)
WFSU:
Tallahassee City Commission Gives Final Approval To Transfer Hospital Assets To FSU
The Tallahassee City Commission gave final approval to transfer Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare's assets to Florida State University on Wednesday. The agreement includes an FSU investment of $1.7 billion in the hospital. Under the deal, Tallahassee Memorial will lease the facility from FSU Health and run it as an academic hospital. Both will continue collaborating on education, research and clinical care. (Wood, 3/11)
AP:
Man Shot By Police In Bridgeport Dies After Ambulance Delay
A man who was shot by police and later died had to wait 10 extra minutes for an ambulance after an officer having a “mild anxiety attack” took the first one that arrived at the scene, according to a newly released state investigation. Dyshan Best, 39, was shot in the back last year as he fled from officers in Bridgeport, Connecticut. A report released Tuesday by the state’s inspector general found that the shooting was justified because Best had a gun in his hand and the officer pursuing him had reasons to fear for his own safety. (Collins, 3/11)
The Washington Post:
High Bacteria Levels Found In Nearby Stream After Potomac Sewage Spill
An environmental group is raising concerns about high levels of bacteria recently found in a Montgomery County stream nearly two months after a major wastewater pipeline collapse caused more than 200 million gallons of raw human sewage to spew into the Potomac River. (Hedgpeth, 3/11)
