Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Older Americans On Fixed Incomes Struggle To Buy Food As Prices Soar
Midwest Newsroom and Harvest Public Media: High Food Costs Exacerbating Hunger For Elderly Americans
Since completing treatment for breast cancer, Toni Keller tries to stick to a healthy diet — she consumes lots of fruits and vegetables and no red meat. Keller, 65, moved into Storm Lake Senior Housing in May, a low-income community in the northwest Iowa city of Storm Lake. She spent some of her adult life out of the workforce, which substantially reduced the retirement benefits she now receives. (Grundmeier, 8/24)
More health news from across the U.S. —
The Washington Post: Nevada Sues Over Federally Mandated Reduction In Colorado River Water Use
Nevada sued the Trump administration Monday over a plan requiring it and two other states to cut Colorado River water use, the first legal challenge to the federal government’s attempt to rescue the waterway, which is on the brink of collapse. The state in its challenge filed in U.S. district court said the Interior Department’s long-awaited drought management plan would cause “devastating environmental, socioeconomic, and health and human safety impacts to southern Nevada and its citizens.” (Kaplan, 8/24)
The New York Times: NYC’s 911 System Had An Outage. Officials Kept Quiet About It.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged on Monday that the city did not inform New Yorkers about a partial breakdown of the 911 system last week that prevented hundreds of callers from reaching operators for nearly seven hours. (Marcius and Goldenberg, 8/24)
Modern Healthcare: Medicaid Work Requirements Spur State Outreach Campaigns
With time running out until Medicaid work requirements kick in, state and federal authorities are hustling to get the word out. States, which must implement Medicaid work requirements under President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax law, are deploying an arsenal of communications tools to educate beneficiaries, providers and other Medicaid stakeholders. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has plans of its own. (Early, 8/24)
Phys.org: Natural Gas Drilling Could Raise Salt Levels, In Turn Boosting Radium In Water
Pennsylvania ranks second in U.S. natural gas production, accounting for about one-fifth of U.S. output in 2024, and has one of the most extensive histories of energy extraction in the country. A team of researchers from Penn State is trying to better understand the environmental impacts of these sites—specifically, whether fracking is increasing radium content in local drinking water. According to a new study recently published in Environmental Science & Technology, the answer is not a simple yes or no. (Tkacik, 8/24)
Chicago Tribune: Food Influencer Keith Lee Brings Aid To Gary
On Monday, widely popular food influencer and philanthropist Keith Lee partnered with the Salvation Army and the city of Gary for a large-scale relief effort in northwest Indiana, where residents have been without power for two grueling weeks following historic weather. (Syed, 8/24)
MPR News: Bravo Zulu Sober House Introduces Canine Therapy For Veterans With PTSD
Since opening its doors a little over a year ago, Bravo Zulu House in rural Winnebago built a community specifically for military veterans struggling with PTSD and recovering from alcohol and/or drug addiction. Now the sober living home is adding canine therapy to help support the veterans it serves, and in the process, they’re saving the dogs, too. (Yang, 8/25)
KFF Health News: Where Florida’s Gun Violence Exacts Its Biggest Toll On Black And Latino Children
Just west of the St. Johns River, which divides this sprawling city racially and economically, 2-year-old A’mahri Robinson was murdered in his mother’s arms.This story also ran on The Trace. Ladonna Johnson was rocking A’mahri to sleep in March when he was shot in the head with a gun she kept for protection. A’mahri loved going outdoors and taking rides in his pull-along wagon. His mother called the toddler “sweet” and “affectionate.” When he was around, she said, “you just felt love.” (Chang, Clasen-Kelly, Pierce, Gavino and Jones, 8/25)
The Washington Post: Woman And Her 2-Year-Old Daughter Killed By Lightning In Florida
Two people were killed by lightning Sunday afternoon in Margate, Florida. The victims, a 31-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter, were struck while on a neighborhood sidewalk, according to local police. (Cappucci, 8/24)
