Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Sees 2 Dozen Heat Deaths As Swath Of States Endures Massive Heat Dome
Axios: US Heat Wave Death Toll Grows
Extreme heat gripping much of the U.S. has killed at least two dozen people over the past week, as about 40 million people remained under heat alerts Sunday. (Falconer, 7/5)
AP: Extreme Heat Adds To Strains On Data Centers And Tensions In Host Communities
Hot weather of the kind sweeping the eastern U.S. drives up electricity demand for data centers, adding to their strain on power grids and worsening air quality for surrounding areas. The impact on communities like the racially diverse Sacred Heart neighborhood in Lowell, Massachusetts underscores why the artificial intelligence industry is feeling so much heat over the fast-sprouting facilities. Around the country, data centers have been blamed increasingly for a host of environmental ills. Some tech industry figures say the facilities have become lightning rods for concerns over broader economic and societal changes posed by the AI boom. (O’Brien and Huamani, 7/2)
AP: Heat Wave In France Saw 2,000 More Deaths, Says Public Health Authority
Deaths surged by nearly a third in France during the hottest week of a record heat wave last month, the country’s public health authority said Friday, reporting at least 2,000 more deaths than in the previous week when temperatures were already climbing and filling emergency wards with heat victims. The new and still incomplete figures from Public Health France doubled its first preliminary estimate of at least 1,000 additional deaths that it gave last Sunday. That earlier estimate covered just three of the hottest days of extreme, deadly heat. (Leicester, 7/3)
On healthcare costs at the state level —
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Healthcare Costs Adding Up Significantly For Georgia's School Districts
The cost of healthcare for Georgia school systems has risen “astronomically” over the past 16 years, experts say — forcing educators to make tough choices about the services they’re able to provide for students. Fulton County, which approved a budget with a reported $57 million shortfall this year, budgeted $206 million for healthcare in its general fund next year. The DeKalb County School District plans to spend a total of $284 million for employee healthcare coverage. (Alexander, 7/4)
Modern Healthcare: Medica To Exit ACA Markets In Oklahoma, Iowa, Kansas
Medica is the latest health insurer to pare back its marketplace offerings. The nonprofit health insurance company said Wednesday it will no longer sell individual plans in Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma next year. The move will affect roughly 13,000 enrollees. Individual Affordable Care Act marketplace plans will still be offered in Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin. (Tong, 7/2)
The Colorado Sun: Judge Blocks Colorado Price Cap On The Prescription Drug Enbrel
federal judge has temporarily blocked Colorado’s first-in-the-nation price cap on a specific prescription drug, saying that it likely runs afoul of legal precedent and federal patent law. (Ingold, 7/2)
The latest about immigration in the U.S. —
AP: New ICE Facility Could Speed Up Family And Child Deportations
The Trump administration plans to open a 528-bed holding facility for migrant families and unaccompanied children next to an airport hub, positioning itself to speed up deportations. The location in Alexandria, Louisiana, would remove logistical headaches caused by wrangling children from foster homes and shelters across the country and not having anywhere to put them during final preparations for flight. Those obstacles were apparent last year when Guatemalan children were awoken at night and given almost no time to get to Harlingen, Texas, where they waited on an airport tarmac for hours. (Brook, 7/6)
The Texas Tribune and ProPublica: Records Reveal 'Systemic Neglect' In Immigrant's Death
Guards at an immigration detention center in El Paso, Texas, could see a detainee in his cell with one end of a bedsheet wrapped around his neck and the other tied to the door handle. If they opened the door, the sheet would tighten and strangle him. (Trevizo, 7/3)
KFF Health News: In California Governor’s Race, Voters Face Stark Choice On Immigrant Healthcare
For decades, Californians have generally said that immigrants, who make up more than a quarter of the state’s population and a third of its labor force, are beneficial to the state and its economy. But budget instability and concerns about rising costs are spilling into a debate over the controversial and expensive policy of allowing low-income immigrants without legal status to receive state-funded health coverage. (Mai-Duc, 7/6)
News from around the nation —
ProPublica: Massachusetts Set To Extend Statute Of Limitations For Rape Cases With DNA Evidence
Massachusetts’ deadline to prosecute rape cases will no longer be one of the strictest in the nation under a bill Gov. Maura Healey pledged to sign into law. State law currently bars nearly all rape prosecutions involving cases with adult victims after 15 years, making it difficult to charge someone after that deadline even in cases where new evidence is likely to lead to a conviction. The new law would ensure that if DNA is matched to a suspect after that 15-year window, prosecutors could file charges indefinitely. (Mariano, 7/2)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Measles Vaccinations Rise Slightly After Outbreak
While more than 92% of Texas kindergarteners and 7th graders were fully vaccinated in the 2025-26 school year for each vaccine required to attend school, the coverage rates remained lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic, state data released Wednesday shows. (Langford and Keemahill, 7/2)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Ohio Melanoma Rates Top The National Average. Gen Z Is Still Tanning.
Millions of Americans still tan and skip sunscreen despite decades of warnings about skin cancer. Dermatologists say misinformation spreading online – particularly among Gen Z -- is making the problem worse. (Mitchell, 7/4)
CBS News: Air Quality Alerts In And Around D.C. Warn Of 'Very Unhealthy' Pollution Levels After July 4th Fireworks
People in and around Washington, D.C., are experiencing a substantial dip in air quality on Sunday, with officials warning that any amount of exposure to the outdoors could potentially come with health consequences. Researchers connected the shift in pollution levels to massive fireworks displays held to celebrate July 4th on Saturday night. A "purple" air quality alert was issued for the nation's capital and parts of northern Virginia by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, a nonprofit organization that brings together local leaders in the region. (Czachor, 7/5)
