Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Federal Judge To Texas: Air Condition All State Prisons Before 2030
The Texas Tribune: Texas Ordered To Air Condition All Prisons By The End Of 2029
A federal judge has ordered Texas to air condition all of the state’s lockups, which the prison agency said could cost $1.5 billion, by the end of 2029. (Nguyen, 9/22)
The New York Times: Camp Mystic Owners Face Criminal Inquiry Over Deadly Flood, Warrants Show
Investigators in Texas executed search warrants last week against the family that runs Camp Mystic as part of a criminal inquiry into the 28 deaths there during last year’s flooding, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. The documents outlined why Texas state police investigators believe the camp may be criminally liable for the actions of its leadership, including for manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and child abandonment. (Goodman and Rasekh, 9/22)
Roll Call: Settlement Of Camp Lejeune Case Shows Dilemma Facing Many Victims
Among the thousands of victims of contaminated drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune was a woman with the ironic name of Mary Freshwater, who was raising her family at the North Carolina base in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when toxins in the water were at their peak. (Magner, 9/22)
AP: Illinois EPA Releases Plan To Reach ‘Net Zero’ Emissions
A new report says Illinois has made significant strides in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants such as Illinois has made substantial progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in recent years, but it is not yet on track to meet its goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. That’s the conclusion of a new Comprehensive Climate Action Plan released this month by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. (Hancock, 9/22)
Bloomberg: MTA Seeks Higher Health Insurance Contributions From NYC Transit Workers
New York City’s transit system wants its subway and bus workers to pay a greater share of health insurance costs, as the parties negotiate a new wage agreement. The contract between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the city’s subway, buses and commuter rails, and the Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing about 40,000 MTA transit employees, expired in May. The MTA is seeking to limit increases in labor expenses as the nation’s largest transit system already faces an estimated $900 million budget deficit by 2030. (Kaske, 9/22)
AP: Foster Kids Now Have An Alternative To Staying In State Offices
Foster children without placements are no longer sleeping in government offices or hotels thanks in part to a new residential program launched by the Department of Human Services last month to help temporarily house and rehabilitate the most difficult-to-place youth. The issue of kids sleeping in offices and hotels has plagued the department for years and even sparked the creation last year of an internal task force aimed at finding alternative solutions after Civil Beat wrote about it for a second time. (Valera, 9/22)
On substance abuse and treatment —
The New York Times: Hayden Panettiere Died From Toxic Effects of Fentanyl and Other Drugs
The actress Hayden Panettiere died from a toxic mixture of the powerful opioid fentanyl, antipsychotic and anti-anxiety drugs and muscle relaxants, the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said on Tuesday, adding that her death was ruled an accident. An autopsy showed no signs of trauma that would have contributed to the death, the coroner’s statement said. According to Dr. Kevin Simon, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the drugs found in Ms. Panettiere’s system represented a potentially “deadly combination.” (Taylor, 9/22)
NBC News: Sober Home Where Presley Gerber Died Is Not Required To Be Licensed Like Rehab Facilities
The Southern California facility where the 27-year-old son of supermodel Cindy Crawford died Sunday following a suspected overdose appeared to operate as a sober living home and was not required to be licensed by the state agency that regulates substance-use treatment centers. (Burke, Deverson and Madani, 9/22)
NBC News: Kratom Found At Locations Where Two Ole Miss Students Were Discovered Dead
Two University of Mississippi students died this week and packaged kratom was found during the separate death investigations, law enforcement officials said Tuesday. Authorities said they have not confirmed that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor in either death. (Helsel, Arcodia and Solis, 9/22)
Stat: Kratom Withdrawal A Growing Problem For Addiction Clinics
Addiction clinics around the country are seeing a growing number of cases related to gas station products made from the kratom leaf and its derivatives. At the telehealth addiction clinic Boulder Care, for example, people who report using kratom products constituted 3% of all new patients in September 2025. By July 2026, that number was 8%, and in August, it jumped to 14%. (Gaffney, 9/21)
Cardinal News: Psychedelics As Treatment For Cocaine Addiction? A Roanoke Doctor Won A Federal Grant To Study The Possibilities.
Could there be magic in some mushrooms? Carilion Clinic researchers are studying whether psilocybin — the psychoactive ingredient in “magic mushrooms” — could help people with addiction. (Schabacker, 9/23)
MPR News: Minneapolis' Mobile Medical Unit Is On The Move
For the past year, a mobile medical unit has been delivering healthcare and substance use treatment directly to Minneapolis residents in underserved communities, reaching people who often face some of the greatest barriers to care. The Minneapolis Mobile Medical Unit, funded by over $1 million in opioid settlement dollars, operates from a specially equipped RV that contains two exam rooms and is staffed by three nurses. (Zurek, 9/22)
