Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Supreme Court Rejects South Carolina's Plea To Enforce Trans Bathroom Ban
The Washington Post: Supreme Court Won’t Block Transgender Student’s Use Of School Bathroom
The Supreme Court on Wednesday left standing a lower court order allowing a 14-year-old transgender student to use a school bathroom that aligns with his gender identity, turning aside an emergency appeal from South Carolina to lift the ruling. The majority said the state had not met the bar to seek an emergency reversal of a preliminary injunction by a federal judge, who had permitted the teen to use the boys’ restroom while he sues over the state’s bathroom restrictions for transgender students. (Jouvenal, 9/10)
AP: Georgia County's Gender-Affirming Surgery Case Sees Federal Court Reversal
A federal appeals court has reversed previous court rulings that found a Georgia county illegally discriminated against a sheriff’s deputy by failing to pay for her gender-affirming surgery. In its ruling Tuesday, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found in an 8-5 decision that Houston County’s policy of denying coverage did not violate the civil rights of sheriff’s Sgt. Anna Lange. (Amy, 9/10)
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer: Cuyahoga County First In Ohio To Ban Conversion Therapy Targeting Gender Identity And Sexual Orientation
Cuyahoga County, on Tuesday, became the first county in Ohio to ban the use of conversion therapy on minors and vulnerable adults. (Durbin, 9/10)
AP: Texas Drops Lawsuit Against Doctor Accused Of Violating Transgender Care Ban
One of the nation’s first doctors accused of illegally providing care to transgender youth under GOP-led bans was found to have not violated the law, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office says, nearly a year after the state sued the physician. Dr. Hector Granados, a pediatric endocrinologist in El Paso, was called a “scofflaw” last year by Paxton’s office in a lawsuit that accused him of falsifying medical records and violating a Texas ban that took effect in 2023. (Stengle, 9/11)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
AP: Federal Agents Seize 600,000 Illegal Vapes In Nationwide Raids
Federal agents seized hundreds of thousands of illegal vaping products in raids across the country on Wednesday as the Trump administration moved to crack down on devices that are regularly used by teens in the U.S. after being smuggled in from China. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other top federal officials traveled to Illinois to tout the seizures, which included more than 600,000 illegal products taken from a distributor outside of Chicago, officials said. (Durkin Richer, 9/10)
The Hill: Abbott Issues Order To Ban THC Sales To Minors
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) issued an executive order on Wednesday directing state agencies to ban the sale of THC products to minors, after state lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on restrictions this year. “Texas will not wait when it comes to protecting children and families,” Abbott said in a statement. (Crisp, 9/10)
NPR: California Considers Allowing Doctors To Prescribe Abortion Drugs Anonymously
A California bill that would allow health care providers to anonymously mail abortion drugs could soon become law, marking the latest effort by a blue state to safeguard access to medication abortion. The two-drug regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol is used in more than 60% of abortions in the U.S., and roughly a quarter of abortions are now done via telehealth, according to the Society of Family Planning. (Adams, 9/10)
KFF Health News: Affirmative Action Critics Refuse To Back Down In Fight Over Medical Bias Training
Critics of affirmative action have launched a long-shot appeal aimed at stopping California from requiring training on unconscious bias in every continuing medical education class. A July ruling by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California’s right to mandate that every course doctors take to remain licensed must address how bias contributes to poorer health outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities. (Cohen, 9/11)
The CT Mirror: CT Approves Double Digit Rate Hikes For 2026 Health Plans
Officials with the Connecticut Insurance Department announced Wednesday they have signed off on an average rate hike of 16.8% for 2026 state-regulated individual health plans. They also approved an average increase of 11% on small group policies. (Carlesso, 9/10)
CIDRAP: Utah Reports High School–Related Measles Outbreak; US Total Reaches 1,454
Utah's health department is reporting a measles outbreak linked to a high school cycling event held on August 16. The department didn't say how many illnesses have been identified in the outbreak, only that event attendance was 2,000. (Soucheray, 9/10)
