Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Alabama Cannot Execute Man By Nitrogen Gas, Federal Judge Rules
The Guardian: US Federal Judge Blocks Alabama From Executing Man By Nitrogen Gas
A federal judge on Tuesday permanently blocked Alabama from executing a man with nitrogen gas after declaring the method violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Alabama became the first state in the nation to use the execution method in January 2024, but has faced repeated legal challenges to its use. Emily C Marks, a US district judge, permanently enjoined the state from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas. Lee was scheduled to be executed Thursday at an Alabama prison. (Nowell, 6/9)
Other health news from Illinois, Maryland, Florida, and Arizona —
Healthcare Dive: Illinois Awards New Medicaid Contracts
The state said it intends to divvy out new contracts, which represent tens of billions of dollars in revenue for each awardee, to six insurers. Winners are mostly incumbents, except for Humana. (6/9)
Maryland Matters: Report Shows Suicides Up In Md. While Dropping Nationally
A new report says states are finally seeing reductions in fatal drug overdoses, alcohol-induced deaths and suicides after two decades of increases across the nation, leaving some hopeful of a potential “turning point” in those types of deaths. While the 2026 edition of “Pain in the Nation: The Epidemics of Alcohol, Drug, and Suicide Deaths” released this week said deaths by suicide fell 3% nationwide from 2023 to 2024, Maryland actually saw a 4% increase, one of more than a dozen states to see a rise that year. (Brown, 6/10)
CIDRAP: Study Finds Resistant Bacteria In Maryland Homes With Sewage Backup
The research, conducted by scientists from the University of Maryland (UMD), found that Enterococcus bacteria were present in nearly half (46%) of 86 Maryland homes that had sewage backups from clogged, broken, or overwhelmed pipes from October 2023 to June 2025. Analysis of sewage water samples found that multidrug-resistant (MDR) enterococci were present in 12% of the homes with backups. (Dall, 6/9)
WUSF: Temple Terrace Looks Into Fixing Levels Of 'Forever Chemicals' In Water System
Too many "forever chemicals" are in Temple Terrace's water supply, so the city is trying to figure out a plan. A report shows nearly five times the recommended level of PFAS in city water. And the city could spend more than $70 million to reequip its water treatment system. (Newborn, 6/9)
The New York Times: 18-Year-Old Dies at Grand Canyon National Park Hiking in Extreme Heat
An 18-year-old man on a daylong hike at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona died after experiencing “heat-related symptoms” as temperatures spiked beyond 100 degrees in some parts of the canyon, the National Park Service said on Saturday. The authorities received reports on Wednesday afternoon of a man in need of help on a popular hike, the Bright Angel Trail, the service said in a news release. (Desai, 6/8)
