Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Orders Trump Admin To Scrap New Criteria For Homelessness Funding
AP: Judge Rules Trump Administration's Homeless Funding Changes Unlawful
A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled on Tuesday that the Trump administration’s effort to dramatically change the criteria to get tens of millions of dollars in funding to aid homeless people was unlawful. Several nonprofits filed a lawsuit last year accusing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development of changing the rules for receiving $75 million to build housing for homeless families and individuals. The plaintiffs accused the Trump administration of issuing a new Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO, for the Continuum of Care Builds program to better align with its social policies. (Casey, 4/1)
Bloomberg: In LA And SF, Urban Alchemy Offers An Unorthodox Fix For Homelessness
In May 2025, pressure at Pete’s Place hit a boiling point. For more than 15 years, the homeless shelter in Santa Fe, New Mexico, had been operated by a nonprofit group called Interfaith Community Services. But calls for police and medical service to the area around the 75-bed shelter had skyrocketed. “We saw pretty astounding levels of overdoses and drug arrests, the kind of indicators that really compelled us as a city to take action,” said Henri Hammond-Paul, then Santa Fe’s director of community health and safety. (Sisson, 3/31)
AP: 4 Charged In Corruption Probe Linked To NYC Homeless Shelter Operator
Four people connected to a company hired by New York City to operate homeless shelters for migrants were arrested Tuesday as part of a federal public corruption investigation that is also examining a City Council member and a top aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. The charges Tuesday focused on two leaders of the nonprofit, BHRAGS Home Care Corp., who are accused of stealing more than $1.3 million from the taxpayer-backed organization, and two subcontractors who the indictment says paid bribes and kickbacks to the men in exchange for contracts worth millions. (Offenhartz and Sisak, 3/31)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
North Carolina Health News: Durham Family Turns Leukemia Journey Into Mission To House Pediatric Patients’ Families
On the days she didn’t need to be hospitalized while being treated for leukemia, 8-year-old Harper Harrell was able to go home and sleep in her own bed. Duke Children’s Hospital is just 1.9 miles from her family’s home in Durham. (Fernandez, 4/1)
The Baltimore Sun: How VR Is Helping Marylanders With Autism And Down Syndrome Master Life Skills
Virtual reality headsets like the Meta Quest 3, PlayStation VR 2 and HTC Vive have long been tied to gaming, covering users’ eyes with high-resolution screens and delivering immersive, interactive worlds to explore and problem-solve. Now, a pioneering study by the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Silver Spring uses that same technology to help young people with Down syndrome and autism practice life skills and learn through experience. (Hille, 3/30)
AP: Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey Hospitalized After Minor Procedure
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey was hospitalized Tuesday after undergoing what her office described as a minor procedure to remove fluid that was pressing on her lung. The 81-year-old Republican governor will be monitored at Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery “in the coming days” out of an abundance of caution, Ivey spokeswoman Gina Maiola said in a statement. (3/31)
A national recall on grill brushes —
The New York Times: 10 Million Grill Brushes Recalled After Some People Ingested Loose Bristles
More than 10 million grill brushes have been recalled after it was determined that their wire bristles can detach and inadvertently be ingested, a federal regulatory agency said on Thursday. The grill brushes, made by Nexgrill, were sold at Home Depot and online between 2015 and 2026, the company said on its website. Nexgrill said it was voluntarily recalling 10.2 million brushes in total. Customers should immediately stop using the brushes, Nexgrill said, as the potential ingestion of bristles could lead to “serious internal injuries that could require surgery.” (Fahy, 3/28)
