Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California To Wind Down Use Of Paraquat Weedkiller Amid Health Concerns
Los Angeles Times: California To Phase Out Paraquat, A Weedkiller Associated With Serious Health Issues
California will begin phasing out paraquat, a powerful weedkiller associated with birth defects, thyroid issues and other serious health problems. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation said this week all manufacturers of pesticide products containing the active ingredient have voluntarily agreed to withdraw the product from the market. Paraquat is banned in more than 60 countries due to its toxicity but is still allowed in the U.S., and no state uses more of it than California. (Smith, 8/11)
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WFSU: DeSantis Touts $188 Million From Federal Grant To Help Expand Healthcare In Florida's Rural Areas
Gov. Ron DeSantis is touting $188 million in funding to help expand healthcare access throughout Florida's rural communities. In a Tuesday announcement, DeSantis said the funds will be spent across 31 rural counties. (Vuxta, 8/11)
The Texas Tribune: Texas Fights Ruling On Quicker Access To State Psychiatric Beds
Tracy McClain remembers clearly the first time her son was arrested and charged with a crime because she was the one who placed the 911 call. She told dispatchers that her son JohnRobert Holmes III, 21 at the time, was at risk of hurting himself, hoping that he would get the help he needed — a pathway to a bed at a state psychiatric hospital. (Ma, 8/11)
The CT Mirror: CT Is Installing Free Sunscreen Dispensers. Here's Where To Find One
Melanoma is one of Connecticut’s most common types of cancer, ranking among the top 10 diagnoses every year. So, Connecticut health officials have partnered with CT Cancer Partnership and American Cancer Society to place free sunscreen dispensers in some beaches, parks and public spaces in the state and provide sun safety outreach. (Ramkumar, 8/10)
The New York Times: University Of Michigan Will Ease Up On Grades For Student Mental Health
The University of Michigan will replace traditional letter grades for some first-semester freshmen with a pass/fail-style grade, to more gently ease new students into academic life. The plan will go into effect in the fall of 2027 at the university’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts. It is intended to relieve pressure on freshmen and help them “start strong and curb the mental health crisis unfolding among college-aged individuals,” the university said in a statement. (Arsenault, 8/11)
AP: Focus Turns To Medications Prescribed To Lindsay Clancy Before Murders
Lindsay Clancy messaged one of her caregivers less than two months before she killed her three young children in 2023 to say she was having “intrusive thoughts I never had before,” “feeling completely hopeless” and worried about becoming addicted to some medications. Rebecca Jollotta, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at South Shore Health Perinatal Behavior Health Program, testified at the trial Tuesday she exchanged messages with Clancy regularly on a patient portal throughout in late November and December 2022. (Casey, 8/11)
Also —
AP: 3 Executions Planned In One Day As Handful Of States Drive Execution Numbers
Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma plan to execute inmates Thursday in what would be the first time in nearly 16 years that three people are put to death on the same day in the United States. The executions come as a small number of states, including the three with scheduled lethal injections Thursday, drive execution numbers in the United States. (Chandler, Loller and Stengle, 8/11)
ABC News: 16 Taken To Hospital After Lightning Strike At Ohio Correctional Facility
A lightning strike at Grafton Correctional Institution sent 16 incarcerated people to hospital for treatment Wednesday evening, according to a statement from the facility. The lightning strike at the correctional institution, which is located approximately 30 miles southwest of Cleveland, occurred while incarcerated individuals were returning from their evening meal, according to the update. One person was airlifted to a hospital, officials said, but there have been no reported deaths in the incident. (Haworth, 8/12)
