Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
San Francisco's New HIV Cases Dropped 75% Over Past 20 Years, Reaching Record Low
San Francisco Chronicle: San Francisco Reports Record-Low Number Of New HIV Cases
San Francisco reported a record-low number of new HIV infections in 2025, according to the city’s annual AIDS update, but ending the decades-long epidemic remains a stubbornly distant prospect. There were 136 new infections reported last year — 12 fewer than the year before, and a 75% drop over the past 20 years. That number is remarkably low compared to the worst years of the epidemic in the 1990s, when thousands were infected every year, and a testament to the success of antiviral medications to fight the virus and drugs that are highly effective at preventing infection. (Allday, 9/24)
More news from across the U.S. —
The Washington Post: D.C. Mailer Sent To Medicaid Recipients Directed People To Adult Site
In a statement, the Department of Health Care Finance confirmed the authenticity of the mailer, which it said included an outdated URL ending in “.com” that had previously been used by the agency. The correct website uses “.gov.” The agency apologized to any resident who may have received one with the bad web address. (Bowman, 9/24)
The Washington Sun: The Trump Administration Has Made It Harder To Be Homeless In D.C.
Homelessness encampments in D.C. have largely disappeared a year after President Donald Trump pushed a crackdown. Homelessness is still, however, a major problem in the city. If anything, the combination of Trump’s pressure to push unhoused people out of the capital and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s response have made struggles worse, according to local lawmakers and advocates for D.C.’s homeless population. (Fernández, 9/24)
Wyoming Public Radio: Wyoming’s Food Pantries Face Another Year Of Increased Food Insecurity
Volunteers piled boxes of food into trunks in a warehouse in Rock River in southcentral Wyoming. The line of vehicles stretched down the street. Each person had a story, like Susan Griffin. “As soon as I lost my husband, I lost my health, and I ended up on disability. And so I've kinda had to have help since then,” Griffin said. (Edwards, 9/24)
The Florida Trib: How Hope Florida Quietly Hollowed Out The State's Medicaid, Food Safety Net
Outside Florida's Department of Children and Families office in Kendall, people stood in line for three to four hours in the South Florida heat, waiting to learn why their Medicaid or food assistance had been cut off and what they could do about it — something the letters the state mailed them often didn't say. (Venkatasubban, 9/24)
AP: Florida Authorities Arrest NC State's Ex-Head Trainer Accused Of Sex Abuse Of Wolfpack Male Athletes
N.C. State’s former director of sports medicine faces felony and misdemeanor criminal charges after being accused of sexually abusing former Wolfpack male athletes under the guise of treatment, which previously led to more than 30 athletes outlining allegations in years of civil lawsuits. Authorities in Florida arrested Robert M. Murphy Jr. on Wednesday night, and he was being held Thursday in the Marion County jail on out-of-state fugitive warrants from North Carolina. (Beard, 9/24)
People.com: Woman Paralyzed After Man Falls From Tree Onto Her During Music Festival In Kentucky
A woman is paralyzed from the waist down after a man fell from a tree and landed on top of her during a music festival. On Friday, Sept. 18, Jamie Ulshoffer was at the Louder Than Life music festival at the Kentucky Exposition Center when a man suddenly fell from a nearby tree and landed directly on top of her, according to ABC affiliate WHAS and First Coast News. The Louisville Metro Police Department tells PEOPLE that their office learned that “a tree limb broke,” causing the man to fall. (Anello, 9/21)
On reproductive and maternal healthcare in North Carolina, Texas, and Missouri —
North Carolina Health News: NC Perinatal Group’s Funding Is Restored
Dozens of hospitals statewide will be able to take part next year in research to improve maternal and newborn care as part of the revived Perinatal Quality Collaborative of North Carolina. (Fernandez, 9/25)
The 19th: Kwaneta Harris Pushes To Get Menopause Care To Women's Prisons
For most of Kwaneta Harris’ life, menopause was not something she heard people talk about. She didn’t learn about much beyond hot flashes, night sweats and irregular periods in her nursing school training, or at any point during her decade-long career in the medical field. Her mom never passed along tips about that particular stage of life — just as her grandmother never shared any menopause wisdom with her mom. (Norwood, 9/24)
KFF Health News: Abortion Is On The Ballot Again As Post-Roe Policies Continue To Evolve
After Missouri voters added abortion protections to the state constitution in 2024, Kelly McCoomb decided to keep her yard sign supporting the measure in the basement of her suburban St. Louis home. Abortion access is important to McCoomb. She wants her daughter to grow up in a state where the option is available if needed, and the sign was a keepsake from the day Missourians voted to reverse the state’s near-total ban. McCoomb also couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d need to display the sign in her yard again soon. (Sable-Smith and Orozco Rodriguez, 9/25)
