Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Connecticut Refugees Struggle To Afford Food After SNAP Benefits Were Cut
The CT Mirror: After Losing SNAP, Some CT Refugees Struggling To Afford Food
Syrian natives Karam and Noor have spent long days this summer sitting in the respite of their small New Haven apartment, listening to the gentle buzz of the air conditioner and the hum of Karam’s dialysis machine. Weakened by kidney failure, Karam is unable to work and is tethered 12 hours a day to the machine that cleans the toxins from his blood. (Tillman, 7/31)
The 19th: This Nurse Says ICE Agents Assaulted Her. ACLU Is Filing A Claim On Her Behalf
Norma Bowe looked at the scene unfolding before her: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, dressed in their camo-colored tactical vests and black face coverings, pushing people with batons and yanking them into the street. (Norwood, 7/30)
Looking toward midterm elections —
Roll Call: Proposals To Lower Health Costs Get Broad Support In Battlegrounds
Voters in battleground states and congressional districts tend to voice support for proposals in Congress that would expand access to health care or lower drug costs — often irrespective of their party affiliation — according to new polling from the University of Maryland. (DeGroot, 7/30)
NPR: Republican Candidates Say They Are Healthcare Champions Despite Cuts
Republicans campaigning in swing districts are running ads about healthcare after facing criticism of the cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Many of these ads target voters over 35 years old and focus on three topics: Medicaid fraud, rural hospitals and affordability. An NPR analysis looked at video ads on YouTube that ran this midterm cycle, many of which mirror ads on other digital platforms and on television. The analysis includes advertising for candidates in races that are toss-ups or leaning toward one party or the other, as rated by the Cook Political Report. (Mukherjee, 7/31)
KFF Health News: They Worked To Protect Public Health. Now They Want The Public’s Votes
A handful of former public health officials are campaigning for top statewide offices across the country, testing whether their experience with covid and other hot-button health issues will appeal to voters in November. The officials, all Democrats, are running at a time when the Trump administration is reducing government funding for scientific research, restricting access to some vaccines, and making it more difficult for some Americans to obtain health insurance. (Galewitz, Mai-Duc and Seitz, 7/31)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Bottoms Wants To Expand Medicaid In Georgia, But Can She?
Medicaid expansion is one of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms’ top priorities and a central campaign message. But in conversations with rural healthcare providers this week, she struck a more realistic tone about the bipartisan consensus it would take to make it happen. (Bunch, 7/30)
More news from around the nation —
North Carolina Health News: State Budget Eliminates NC’s Office Of Health Equity
More than 30 years after North Carolina became one of the first states to establish an Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, state lawmakers have eliminated the standalone office dedicated to reducing gaps in health outcomes. (Crumpler, 7/31)
The New Bedford Light: Half Of All Nursing Homes In Massachusetts Are Understaffed
It felt like someone was hammering an ice pick into Lynette Couture’s leg. The 55-year-old was recovering in Plymouth Harborside Healthcare’s rehab unit last fall after a horrific car crash shattered her left leg. Doctors had drilled a metal device into her bones to reconnect them. ... Five years ago, state health officials set minimum staffing levels to help improve care for nursing home residents. But staffing levels in Massachusetts nursing homes are, in some ways, worse now, a New Bedford Light analysis of federal data has found. (Ferguson, 7/30)
Stat: How NIH Constraints And Drug Shortage Complicate Syphilis Response
She first came to Park Boulevard for the money and the snacks. A friend told her there was a place they could go with free fruit gummies, granola bars, and rice crispy treats — and she could make $20 if she answered some survey questions. It sounded like a dream. (Boodman, 7/31)
The Texas Tribune: ACLU Launches National Legal Action Against Immigrant Detention
A 55-year-old legal permanent resident from Trinidad and Tobago who was deported last year is seeking $10 million from the Trump administration, claiming that he experienced medical neglect and mistreatment while he was detained at a South Texas immigration detention center. (Garcia and Nguyen, 7/30)
The Texas Tribune: What Is Still Legal Under Texas’ Latest THC Ban
Texans’ access to a variety of hemp-derived THC products will significantly narrow on Friday. Texas will ban several hemp-derived THC cannabis products, including those containing delta-8 and delta-10 THC variants, punishing people in possession of them with jail time and fines. However, delta-9 THC, the most commonly sold THC product in Texas, will remain legal. (Ma, 7/30)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Sues Kratom Manufacturers, Alleging Deceptive Marketing
Baltimore officials are suing kratom manufacturers, alleging the companies falsely marketed their products as health and wellness supplements while failing to disclose potential risks. (Pryce, 7/30)
Wyoming Public Radio: A Native-Led Program Brings New Food Pantries To The Wind River Reservation
In the coming weeks, a new food program on the Wind River Reservation is opening four brick-and-mortar food pantries. The area’s only food pantry recently shuttered. (Edwards, 7/30)
Wyoming Public Radio: Casper Police Department Seeks Grant To Improve Mental Health Programs Within The Department
Mental health is becoming more and more of a priority, especially for the officers at the Casper Police Department (CPD). "What can we do to support our officers to keep them in the profession and be healthy at the same time?" asked CPD's Public Information Officer, Rebekah Ladd. (Habershaw, 7/30)
