Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Syphilis Surging In Missouri
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Missouri Sees Steep Rise In Syphilis Cases, Especially Among Women And Babies
Missouri has seen a steep increase in syphilis cases, including a form that is passed to newborns, which can have devastating consequences. (Munz, 7/15)
The Boston Globe: Mass. House Approves Wide-Ranging Economic Development Bill That Offers Tax Relief, Health Care Investments, Earmarks
The bill included $100 million for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and $25 million to address food insecurity. It sets $350 million aside for “financially strained” hospitals, $165 million for nursing facilities, $15 million for reproductive health care providers, and $175 million for state parks and public recreation. An additional $300 million goes toward the state’s unemployment fund. (Gross, 7/14)
KHN: California’s Public Health Tax Is Dead For The Year
A ballot initiative that would have raised taxes on California millionaires and billionaires to fund public health programs and pandemic prevention is dead — at least for this year. The Silicon Valley tech executives who bankrolled the measure, which had been targeted for the November ballot, said they aren’t giving up on their goal of creating the strongest state public health system in the country. But they acknowledge covid-19 is no longer top of mind for most Americans. (Hart, 7/15)
AP: Kentucky Woman Sues Fertility Doctor Under New State Law
A woman is accusing a Kentucky doctor in a lawsuit of using his own sperm during her fertility treatment decades ago without her knowledge. The woman, Susan Crowder, is filing the suit under a new Kentucky law that sets criminal and civil penalties for fertility fraud. Crowder’s attorney, Amy Wheatley, said this is the first such suit under the law, which Crowder lobbied for. (7/14)
CBS News: Approximately 1 Million Fentanyl-Laced Pills Seized In Drug Bust Near Los Angeles
The Drug Enforcement Administration reported Thursday that the raid occurred on July 5 at a home in Inglewood, a city just south of Los Angeles. The pills have an estimated street value of between $15 and $20 million, officials said. The pills were "intended for retail distribution," the DEA said. (7/14)
