Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mental Health Grants For Schools Must Be Restored, Judge Rules
AP: Trump's Education Dept. Must Restore Mental Health Grants, Judge Rules
The Trump administration must release millions of dollars in grants meant to address the shortage of mental health workers in schools, a federal judge ruled Monday. Congress funded the mental health program after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The grants were intended to help schools hire more counselors, psychologists and social workers, with a focus on rural and underserved areas of the country. But President Donald Trump’s administration opposed diversity considerations used to award the grants and told recipients they wouldn’t receive funding past December 2025. (10/28)
In related news about mental health —
The Guardian: More Than A Million People Every Week Show Suicidal Intent When Chatting With ChatGPT, OpenAI Estimates
The finding, part of an update on how the chatbot handles sensitive conversations, is one of the most direct statements from the artificial intelligence giant on the scale of how AI can exacerbate mental health issues. (Robins-Early, 10/27)
More health news from the Trump administration —
CNN: Trump Administration Delays Release Of New Dietary Guidelines Amid Shutdown
The Trump administration is delaying the release of new national dietary guidelines after the government shutdown disrupted efforts to finalize the overhaul by the end of October, officials said. (Cancryn and Owermohle, 10/27)
Axios: Pepsi, Kraft Team With Strategists To Fight Kennedy's Food Dye Plan
Big food companies are working with conservative strategists to build support for national standards that would preempt the state bans on dyes and additives that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting. (Goldman, 10/28)
KFF Health News: Many Fear Federal Loan Caps Will Deter Aspiring Doctors And Worsen MD Shortage
Medical educators and health professionals warn that new federal student loan caps in President Donald Trump’s tax cut law could make it more expensive for many people to become doctors and could exacerbate physician shortages nationwide. And, they warn, the economic burden will steer many medical students to lucrative specialties in more affluent, urban areas rather than lower-paying primary care jobs in underserved and rural communities, where doctors are in shortest supply. (Wolfson, 10/28)
On the immigration crisis —
Politico: Another Shutdown Consequence: Democrats Can’t Visit ICE Detention Facilities
Federal immigration authorities say they no longer have to provide on-demand access to detention facilities for members of Congress. The reason? The government shutdown. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, who have been fighting a lawsuit brought by Democratic lawmakers over prior denied visit attempts, have informed lawmakers that they simply don’t have the staff or funding to support those visits. Lawmakers have previously been legally allowed to demand them as part of their oversight duties, which includes monitoring conditions and communicating with detainees facing deportation. (Cheney and Ward, 10/27)
The New York Times: Tear Gas Can Be Dangerous. The Rules On How To Use It Vary.
The repeated use of tear gas by federal immigration officers in Chicago has renewed a debate about how chemical irritants should be used by law enforcement personnel. (Smith, 10/28)
Also —
Politico: House Republicans Urge Caution As HUD Proceeds With Homeless Housing Program Cuts
Congressional Republicans are pushing the Trump administration to renew grants for a program the White House has targeted for dramatic cuts that helps provide permanent housing to people experiencing homelessness, according to a draft letter obtained by POLITICO. The lawmakers warn that the substantive changes to the Department of Housing and Urban Development program “should be implemented carefully to avoid destabilizing programs that serve individuals with severe disabilities related to mental illness, chronic health conditions, or substance use disorders, as well as seniors with disabilities.” (Hapgood, 10/27)
The Washington Post: House Biden Autopen Report Released, Finds Biden Actions ‘Illegitimate’
The House Oversight Committee released a report on Tuesday that questions the legitimacy of former president Joe Biden’s executive actions, and calls on the Department of Justice to open a new investigation into the Biden administration. The report is the result of a five-month-long investigation into accusations made by President Donald Trump and his allies, that aides covered up a decline in Biden’s cognitive ability, and that the Biden administration misused the presidential autopen to issue executive actions without Biden’s direct involvement. (Goba and Abutaleb, 10/28)
