Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New York Cooling Towers Test Positive As Legionnaires' Cases Hit 60
CNN: Dozens Of New York Cooling Towers Test Positive For Legionnaires’ Bacteria As Outbreak Reaches 60 Cases
New York City is managing a community cluster of Legionnaires’ disease cases on the Upper East Side that officials believe is tied to bacteria found in cooling towers. Towers on 76 buildings on the Upper East Side have tested positive for the bacteria, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said Tuesday. (Christensen, 7/14)
More health news from New York City —
The New York Times: Paramedics Help Save Lives In New York. Can They Afford To Live There?
Some of New York City’s emergency medical workers make just $18 an hour. Their boss, Zohran Mamdani, has staked his mayoralty on making New York City more affordable for all. (Shapiro, 7/15)
From California —
inewsource: San Diego County Sheriff Not Answering 911 Calls Fast Enough
In 2025, 1 in 4 911 callers waited more than 15 seconds before a San Diego County Sheriff's Office dispatcher picked up the phone. (Futterman, 7/14)
Capital & Main: California Lawmakers Target Price Gouging At ICE Detention Facilities
Immigrant detainees say they pay $20 for tampons and nearly $19 for instant coffee while earning only $1 per day through a federal work program. (Davis, 7/13)
AP: Lawsuit Claims Meta's AI Unfairly Targeted Employees On Leave
A group of 26 Meta employees has sued the company, claiming it used artificial intelligence systems to select people for layoffs, disproportionately targeting those on medical, parental or family leave. They are among the 8,000 employees, or about 10% of its workforce, Meta said it would lay off in May. The lawsuit filed late Monday in federal court in Oakland, California, claims the company used internal AI systems, keystroke and activity-monitoring data, AI token-usage dashboards and algorithmically assisted performance rankings, among other methods, to determine who would be laid off. (Ortutay and Olson, 7/15)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
WFSU: Florida's Second Chance Act Now Requires EKGs For Student-Athletes
As of July 1, public high school students are required to receive electrocardiogram tests to participate in school-sanctioned sports. (Baldon, 7/14)
Cardinal News: Judge Dismisses Challenge To Reproductive Rights Amendment
A Campbell County judge on Tuesday dismissed a case that challenged Virginia’s pending reproductive rights amendment. Those who challenged the amendment said they plan to appeal. (Malinak, 7/15)
The 19th and LA Public Press: Patients Accuse Tia Health Clinic Of Undetected Pregnancies, Surprise Bills
When Areli Ramos arrived for her appointment at the women’s health clinic Tia in June 2022, she was showing signs of pregnancy. Her ankles were swollen, and she had missed several periods. At Tia Inc.’s Scottsdale, Arizona clinic, providers performed a pelvic exam and collected urine and blood samples. Ramos assumed she was being tested for pregnancy. (Yehiya and Pulmano, 7/14)
Pittsburgh’s Public Source: Report: Pa. Faces A Choice To Limit Gambling Addiction Quickly Or Preserve Revenue
Pennsylvania’s online casinos need new regulations that would transform how they are allowed to operate, according to a state report on options to address what some mental health experts are calling “an urgent and escalating public health challenge.” But at the heart of a new state report on gambling addiction is a choice that isn’t resolved: Should Pennsylvania address the problem quickly and risk denting the gambling industry’s revenue, or study it more carefully and issue targeted changes more slowly? (Morrison, 7/14)
NBC News: Idaho Mother Charged With Killing Her Twins Is ‘Not A Vaccine Case,’ Prosecutor Says
An Idaho woman charged with killing her 18-month-old twins appeared in court Tuesday, where state prosecutors referred to evidence that they say demonstrates she suffocated the children. The case has drawn attention because the woman, Andrea Shaw, has publicly blamed vaccines for the twins’ deaths. (Bendix, 7/15)
Also —
AP: Wildfire Smoke Will Engulf Swaths Of The US This Week
Heavy smoke from several large wildfires blazing in Canada and Minnesota is expected to engulf large swaths of the Midwest and Northeast U.S. this week, exposing millions of people to dangerous air pollution. Minnesota officials issued an air quality alert from Tuesday through Friday for areas including the Twin Cities metro area, Alexandria and Two Harbors, with very heavy smoke expected across the state’s northeastern corner as large wildfires spread. Air quality levels in Two Harbors, the Tribal Nation of Grand Portage and other regions in northeast Minnesota were expected to reach hazardous levels, making it unsafe for everyone. (Pineda and Ganun, 7/15)
