Louisiana Schools Told To Disregard Title IX Rules For Trans Students

The Hill: Louisiana Education Chief Tells Schools To Ignore New Title IX Rules For Transgender Students 
Louisiana’s top education official on Monday instructed schools to ignore new Title IX rules unveiled by the Biden administration, warning that extending the civil rights law’s protections to transgender students may violate existing state and federal law. The Education Department last week issued a final set of sweeping changes to Title IX — which prohibits sex-based discrimination at federally funded schools — including an expanded definition of sex discrimination that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. In a letter sent Monday to school system leaders and board members, Cade Brumley, Louisiana’s superintendent of education, said the new Title IX rules likely conflict with Louisiana law, and schools “should not alter policies or procedures at this time.” (Migdon, 4/22)

WLRN 91.3 FM: A Florida Health Provider Says Better Building Design Can Help Patients Heal 
Medical facilities are increasingly turning to the expertise of health care architects, patients and their families, physicians, and nurses. UHealth has a growing volunteer group helping with design. (Zaragovia, 4/22)

St. Louis Public Radio: Pritzker Touts Health Insurance Reform In Belleville Visit 
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and local lawmakers kicked off a weeklong statewide tour in Belleville on Monday to promote a key legislative initiative that will end some health insurance practices they say hurt patients. The legislation, which passed the Illinois House last week and now awaits a vote in the Illinois Senate, is designed to curb insurance tactics used to control the amount and cost of care patients receive. (Bauer, 4/22)

The Wall Street Journal: They Hoped Opioid Settlement Money Would Heal Their Community. It’s Just Not Enough.
A detox center. Aid for an overflowing jail. An extra detective’s salary. These are a few of the things people in Whitley County, Ky., would like to fund with their small share of billions of dollars in settlement money from companies accused of fueling the opioid crisis. But county leaders are confronting a dispiriting reality: The funds cover a fraction of their wish list. Some of their projects likely aren’t even eligible because of confusion over restrictions on how the money can be used. As a result, Whitley County’s funds are sitting unspent. (Campo-Flores and Kamp, 4/22)

The Colorado Sun: Rural Colorado’s “Cowboy Up” Culture Has Led To High Suicide Rates
San Luis Valley cattle rancher George Whitten was halfway through a mental health workshop when he let himself tally up a figure he had never wanted to know — the number of people in his life who had died by suicide. It was eight. (Brown, 4/22)

Minnesota Public Radio: $15 For A Pack Of Cigarettes? Supporters, Opponents Speak Out Ahead Of Minneapolis City Council Meeting
Outside A to Z Tobacco in Minneapolis on Sunday, Julio Lopez Ocotoxtle hit a fresh pack of cigarettes against his palm, loosening them up. He lit one up. If the Minneapolis City Council passes a measure set to be considered later this week, the price of those cigarettes could increase significantly — to a minimum price of $15 a pack. That’s up from $11.35 to $13.50 a pack for some brands being sold at the store earlier this week. (Spencer, 4/23)

KFF Health News: California Legislators Debate Froot Loops And Free Condoms
California state lawmakers this year are continuing their progressive tilt on health policy with dozens of proposals including a ban on a Froot Loops ingredient and free condoms for high schoolers. As states increasingly fracture along partisan lines, California Democrats are stamping their supermajority on legislation that they will consider until they adjourn at the end of August. But the cost of these proposals will be a major factor given the enormity of the state’s deficit, currently estimated at between $38 billion and $73 billion. (Thompson, 4/23)