Latest Morning Briefing Stories
Not Yesterday’s Cocaine: Death Toll Rising From Tainted Drug
While the U.S. continues to focus mainly on the opioid crisis, cocaine is quietly making a comeback and has become one of the biggest overdose killers of African Americans when tainted with fentanyl.
Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes
Newsletter editor Brianna Labuskes wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don’t have to.
Drug Deals And Food Gone Bad Plague Corner Stores. How Neighbors Are Fighting Back.
Corner stores that provide groceries for those using the federal food stamp program have become magnets for violence just outside St. Louis. Gunshots ring out under the cover of darkness, windows are postered over, and the quality of food doesn’t make a trip to the corner store worth the risk. Now local residents are putting their feet down.
This Story Contains A Warning That Might Cause Alarm — Or Apathy
Proposition 65 requires California businesses to label products and buildings with warnings about substances the state deems as toxic, ranging from aloe vera to asbestos. A state panel plans to debate whether to add acetaminophen, the active ingredient of common over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, to the toxics list, raising questions about the value of these ubiquitous warnings.
Listen: Neighbors Take On Corner Stores Plagued By Violence, Spoiled Food
KHN Midwest correspondent Cara Anthony appeared on St. Louis Public Radio’s news magazine “St. Louis on the Air” to discuss how people in low-income neighborhoods are fighting back against crime and spoiled food at their local corner stores.
Efforts To Move The Needle On Flu Shot Rates Get Stuck
In the past decade, federal and state governments have removed cost and access obstacles, but immunization rates remained flat. That worries public health officials.
Para bebés con problemas de audición, nuevas pruebas abren un mundo de sonidos
Al 98% de los bebés en el país se les hace la prueba de audición en los primeros días después del nacimiento. Los que necesitan ayuda son referidos de un inmediato a un especialista.
Vacuna “gratuita” contra la gripe tiene un costo sorprendentemente alto
En una pequeña muestra de una aseguradora, Kaiser Health News encontró diferencias dramáticas entre los costos para sus propios empleados.
New California Law May Expand Use Of HIV Prevention Drugs, With Caveats
Legislation that takes effect next July will let people buy the medications without a prescription for a limited period. Medical professionals say it’s a step in the right direction but will not significantly increase the use of the medicine without additional efforts.
For Newborns With Hearing Loss, Screening Opens Window To A World Of Sound
Most infants in the United States have a hearing screening in their first few days of life. Twenty years ago, before universal newborn screening, many kids missed out on early intervention services that help children with hearing loss access sound and develop spoken language.