Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Bans Corporal Punishment In Private Schools
The New York Times: Corporal Punishment In Private Schools Is Outlawed In New York
New York has banned the use of corporal punishment in all private schools, making it one of just a handful of states in the nation to bar teachers in all types of schools from hitting students. The law, which was signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday after being unanimously approved by the State Legislature in June, was proposed in response to a New York Times investigation that revealed the use of corporal punishment in many schools in the Hasidic Jewish community. The ban will apply to all private schools. (Rosenthal and Shapiro, 10/26)
CBS News: Florida Drug Importation Decision Faces Delay
Florida likely will have to wait a little longer to find out if it will be able to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had been expected to issue a decision by the end of October about the proposed program, which the state has been pursuing since 2019 and has spawned two lawsuits. But a court document filed this week said a back-and-forth between state and federal officials about details of the proposal will prevent a decision this month. (10/26)
Politico: Massachusetts Cannabis Businesses Challenge Constitutionality Of Federal Drug Laws
A group of Massachusetts weed businesses have filed a lawsuit seeking to bar the government from enforcing federal drug laws against state-regulated cannabis companies. They’re represented by the powerhouse law firm of David Boies, best known for high-profile litigation seeking the breakup of Microsoft, representing former Vice President Al Gore in the contested 2000 presidential election and defending disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. (Zhang, 10/26)
Roll Call: Answering The Call: Montana Volunteers Try To Fill Rural EMT Gap
One day in July, Robert Littlejohn received a page from the county Sheriff’s Office about a disoriented senior citizen. A wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service in Montana and an EMT with the Philipsburg volunteer fire department, Littlejohn waited for Granite County’s private ground ambulance company, Eagle Ambulance Service, to respond. But Eagle had flown the coop. Philipsburg is one of many rural areas struggling to sustain an ambulance service amid low call volume, increasing rural hospital closures and fallout from the pandemic. (Clason, 10/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Anchorage Scrambles To Get Growing Homeless Population Indoors Before Winter
Every year around this time, Alaska’s biggest city prepares for the freezing-cold winter by getting snowplows and deicing equipment ready. It also has to get hundreds of homeless people off the streets. The number of Anchorage residents without homes grew nearly 60% between 2019 and 2023 to an estimated 1,760. That is more than bigger cities including Indianapolis; Louisville, Ky.; Baltimore, and Oklahoma City, based on point-in-time counts conducted once each year. (Carlton, 10/25)
KFF Health News: Watch: California And Feds Invest In Health Care For Homeless People
KFF Health News senior correspondent Angela Hart appeared on Spectrum News 1’s “Los Angeles Times Today” on Oct. 24 to discuss her coverage of state and federal efforts to expand street medicine — a growing field that focuses on treating homeless people wherever they are, whether indoors or on the streets. Street medicine is getting a jolt in California, which was the first state to standardize payment for street medicine providers through its Medicaid program, allowing them to be paid more consistently. There are at least 50 street medicine teams in the state, with more in the pipeline as cities grapple with growing homelessness — and the widespread drug use and mental illness that often accompany it. (10/27)
Connecticut Public: Can $500 A Month Improve The Health Of Recently Incarcerated CT Residents?
A pilot program in New Haven is testing whether providing formerly incarcerated people direct cash assistance results in better health outcomes. Researchers say it’s one of the first interventions for this demographic in the U.S. looking into health impacts. (Srinivasan, 10/26)
The Washington Post: Murder Suspect Who Escaped GWU Hospital Is Taken Back Into Custody
A murder suspect who escaped from D.C. police custody at George Washington University Hospital last month was captured Thursday in Prince George’s County, ending a seven-week search across portions of the metropolitan area, police and U.S. Marshals Service officials said. No one was injured in the apprehension. (Hermann, Jackman and Davies, 10/26)
