Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Little Tracking, Wide Variability Permeate the Teams Tasked With Stopping School Shootings
Several states require schools to assemble teams of law enforcement and education officials to identify students who could become mass shooters and intervene before it’s too late. But some experts say the efforts often face a lack of guidance and significant pressure, putting them at risk of maligning innocent students.
Journalists Analyze Issues of the Day: RFK Jr., Bird Flu, L.A. Fires
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Drawn-Out Overhaul of Troubled Montana Hospital Leaves Lawmakers in Limbo
Unsure how to help the troubled psychiatric facility, legislators look to shore up other parts of the state’s mental health system.
Sports Betting Is Coming to Missouri. A Fund To Help Prevent Problem Gambling Will Follow.
Can a $5 million compulsive-gambling fund help Missouri avoid the mistakes of other states that have legalized sports betting?
Montana Eyes $30M Revamp of Mental Health, Developmental Disability Facilities
The moves under consideration include relocating a residential facility for people with developmental disabilities, renovating the state’s psychiatric hospital, and opening a new unit of the hospital in Helena.
Dogs Paired With Providers at Hospitals Help Ease Staff and Patient Stress
Some hospitals are bringing in dogs to spend entire shifts with doctors and nurses. The trained canines help staffers cope with the stress of their work amid high levels of burnout.
Amid Wildfire Trauma, L.A. County Dispatches Mental Health Workers to Evacuees
Catastrophic wildfires are common in California, and mental health specialists have become a key part of local governments’ response to extreme weather events, which scientists say are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change. Los Angeles County has been modifying its approach with each disaster.
New California Laws Target Medical Debt, AI Care Decisions, Detention Centers
California has a few major changes coming to its health policy landscape in 2025. New laws that took effect Jan. 1 ban medical debt from credit reports, allow public health inspections of private immigration detention centers, and ban toxic chemicals in makeup.
Beyond Hard Hats: Mental Struggles Become the Deadliest Construction Industry Danger
The physical hazards of construction work have long been a focus of safety professionals. Yet attention on the psychosocial hazards is relatively new, with suicide and substance use soaring among male construction workers. Mitigating those risks requires more than hard hats, safety vests, and protective goggles.
Climate Change Threatens the Mental Well-Being of Youths. Here’s How To Help Them Cope.
The growing toll of climate-related disasters is a risk to the emotional well-being of young people. An Orange County, California, pediatric emergency doctor wants to add questions about climate change to standard mental health screenings conducted in pediatricians’ offices and other settings where kids seek care.
Health Care Is Newsom’s Biggest Unfinished Project. Trump Complicates That Task.
As Gov. Gavin Newsom enters the second half of his final term, health care stands out as his most ambitious but glaringly incomplete initiative for California residents. The issue will likely shape his national profile for better or worse. And now, Donald Trump brings a new wrinkle.
La salud, un proyecto inconcluso del gobernador de California
Algunas de las iniciativas emblemáticas de Newsom en materia de salud, que podrían definir su perfil en el escenario nacional, están en peligro con el regreso de Donald Trump a la Casa Blanca.
Listen: NPR and KFF Health News Explore How Racism and Violence Hurt Health
KFF Health News Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony and Emily Kwong, host of NPR’s podcast “Shortwave,” talk about Black families living in the aftermath of lynchings and police killings.
LGBTQ+ People Relive Old Traumas as They Age on Their Own
The generation that faced discrimination, ostracism, and the AIDS epidemic now faces old age. Many struggle with isolation along with a host of pressing health problems.
How Are States Spending Opioid Settlement Cash? We Built a Database of Answers
From addiction treatment to toy robot ambulances, we uncovered how billions in opioid settlement funds were used by state and local governments in 2022 and 2023. Find out where the money went.
California’s ‘Care Courts’ Are Falling Short
California’s controversial experiment to order mental illness and drug treatment for some of its sickest residents is rolling out statewide, but the latest data shows the new initiative is falling far short of early objectives. The Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act — known as Care — recently expanded from 11 pilot counties to all […]
A Centenarian Thrives Living Alone, Active and Engaged
Many older adults living alone, isolated and vulnerable, struggle with health issues. But a noteworthy slice of this growing group of seniors maintain a high degree of well-being. Meet Hilda Jaffe, age 102.
Centenaria vive sola en Nueva York, y se mantiene comprometida y activa con su comunidad
Entre las cualidades asociadas a la resiliencia en los mayores se incluyen el optimismo y la esperanza, la capacidad de adaptarse a circunstancias cambiantes, las relaciones personales relevantes, las conexiones con la comunidad y la actividad física.
California Official Comes out of Retirement To Lead Troubled Mental Health Commission
Former California social services head Will Lightbourne has come out of retirement to lead the state’s mental health accountability commission following its executive director’s resignation in the wake of conflict of interest allegations.
California Falling Short of Enrollment Goal as Mental Health Courts Roll Out Statewide
California’s goal was to help 2,000 seriously mentally ill people by the end of this year, but data shows fewer than 600 petitions have been filed. As the CARE program expands to every county, officials say it sometimes takes months to locate eligible adults and get them in treatment plans.
