Latest Morning Briefing Stories
As Broad Shutdowns Return, Weary Californians Ask ‘Is This the Best We Can Do?’
California’s ping-ponging approach to managing the pandemic — twice reopening large portions of the service sector economy only to shut them again — has residents and business owners on edge. But experts say the push and pull on businesses may be what success looks like in much of the U.S. for months to come, given COVID-19’s pervasive spread.
Anger After North Dakota Governor Asks COVID-Positive Health Staff to Stay on Job
Doctors and nurses say order puts lives in danger, amid a COVID surge and a statewide shortage of health care workers.
Public Health Programs See Surge in Students Amid Pandemic
Catalyzed by the paltry response to the pandemic and the inequities it is causing, people are flocking to graduate programs in public health to become the next front-line workers.
Patients Struggle to Find Prescription Opioids After NY Tax Drives Out Suppliers
The tax was touted as a way to generate funding for treatment programs across the state. But to avoid paying, scores of manufacturers and wholesalers stopped selling opioids in New York.
Homeless Shelters Grapple With COVID Safety as Cold Creeps In
During the pandemic, shelters are having to change the way they do things to prevent the virus from spreading among the vulnerable homeless population. Now, as winter weather moves in, there’s less room at the shelters for those in need — threatening to leave many, literally, out in the cold.
Black Hair Matters: How Going Natural Made Me Visible
How do we as Black people protect ourselves from racism? In our household, my decision to let my hair go natural forced my father and me to have a conversation about personal safety, the police and my desire to feel free. He viewed my permed hair and weave as a protective shield that increased my chances of making it home safely. But, in reality, my haircut — long or short — can’t protect me from racism.
Workers Who Lost Jobs Due to COVID May Need Help Getting Coverage This Fall
Millions of people have lost their jobs and health insurance since March, and experts say many of those looking for a plan on the ACA marketplace may not be able to get the assistance they need.
Nursing Homes Still See Dangerously Long Waits for COVID Test Results
The Trump administration hailed rapid tests as the way to halt COVID’s spread in nursing homes. A KHN analysis of federal data shows they’re not being used, as questions linger about accuracy and best practices.
When False Information Goes Viral, COVID-19 Patient Groups Fight Back
Fear and uncertainty about the coronavirus have made online patient support groups fertile ground for the spread of misinformation. But some in these groups make fact-checking a part of the mission to support fellow COVID sufferers.
Crooked Media and KHN’s ‘No Mercy’ Dissect Fallout After Rural Hospital Shuts
Crooked Media’s “America Dissected” explores the rural health crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Podcast guest KHN Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth Rosenthal said: “I expect we’ll see a lot more rural hospital failures.”
California Stands to Lose Big if US Supreme Court Cancels Obamacare
California has more at stake than any other state should the U.S. Supreme Court strike down the Affordable Care Act. Millions of people could lose their health coverage and the state could lose billions in federal money each year.
Fiscal general de California: los jueces deben ver que ACA es “indispensable”
Respaldado por más de 20 estados, Xavier Becerra defiende la ley contra el desafío presentado hace dos años por una coalición de funcionarios estatales republicanos.
‘No Mercy’ Chapter 7: After a Rural Town Loses Hospital, Is a Health Clinic Enough?
In Fort Scott, Kansas, the Community Health Center’s big green-and-white sign replaced Mercy Hospital’s name on the front of the town’s massive medical building. In the final chapter of Season One: “No Mercy,” we have an appointment to see what’s inside.
Orange County Struggles With Health Equity — And Battles State Restrictions
Disneyland can’t reopen until Orange County’s coronavirus infection rates improve — especially among its poorest and most vulnerable residents. Local officials are protesting the requirements, saying the economy will suffer, and residents’ health along with it.
Justices Bound to See ACA as ‘Indispensable,’ Says Californian Leading Defense
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a case that could overturn the Affordable Care Act. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who is defending the law with the backing of more than 20 other states, told California Healthline that he predicts the justices will uphold it.
Search for a Snakebite Drug Might Lead to a COVID Treatment, Too
Human clinical trials are scheduled for a drug that could prevent some of the 100,000-plus deaths from snakebites worldwide each year. The same drug may also help people suffering from COVID-related acute respiratory distress.
Biden Wins, but His Health Agenda Dims With GOP Likely to Hold Senate
Democrats had hoped not only to defeat President Donald Trump but also to capture the Senate so they could make major policy changes, such as bolstering the Affordable Care Act and reducing the number of uninsured.
How Escalating COVID Cases Forced One State to Change Its Masking Strategy
Montana is seeking penalties against some businesses that violated its mask and social distancing directives, after months of reluctance to enforce COVID restrictions. Meanwhile, cities, counties and tribal nations still struggle to get people to mask up and avoid crowds.
Longtime Health Advocate Donna Shalala Loses House Reelection Race
In a notable loss for Democrats, Shalala, who represented a Miami district, was defeated by Maria Elvira Salazar — a Republican former TV journalist who compared Democratic policy proposals to leftist oppression in countries like Cuba.
Poor and Minority Children With Food Allergies Overlooked and in Danger
Having a child with a food allergy is terrifying for any parent, but for low-income families such allergies can be especially deadly. Food assistance programs and food pantries rarely take allergies into account. And access to specialists, support groups and lifesaving epinephrine can be hard to attain. This especially hurts low-income Black children, who have higher incidences of allergies to corn, wheat and soy than white kids.
