Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Fungal Outbreak At Michigan Paper Mill Has Killed One Person
A person has died of a fungal infection after an outbreak at a Michigan paper mill that is likely to have infected nearly 100 people, public health officials announced. A contractor who worked at the Escanaba Billerud Paper Mill died of blastomycosis "recently," Public Health Delta & Menominee Counties said Friday. The health department began investigating an outbreak at the mill last month after sick employees, ailing from pneumonialike symptoms, tested positive for a fungal infection called blastomycosis. (Madhani, 4/17)
In other health news from across the U.S. 鈥
E-cigarette company Juul Labs Inc and its former largest investor, Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc, on Monday settled claims by the state of Minnesota that accused them of fueling teen vaping addiction. The settlement was announced by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and by Juul as a trial in the case, which had kicked off in late March, was nearing its end. (Pierson, 4/17)
In her first State of the City speech, Mayor Karen Bass announced a dramatic expansion of her signature program to move homeless people indoors, while also pledging to create 鈥渁 new L.A.鈥 (Wick, Zahniser and Smith, 4/17)
Indiana lawmakers gave a key sign of support Monday for the governor鈥檚 proposal that would broadly expand the state鈥檚 support for county-level public health programs toward improving the state鈥檚 poor national rankings in areas such as smoking, obesity and life expectancy. (Davies, 4/17)
The inaugural chief of Colorado鈥檚 new Behavioral Health Administration has lasted little more than a year in the position.聽Dr. Morgan Medlock, a public health expert who had previously been chief medical officer for the Washington, D.C., Department of Behavioral Health, was in charge of Colorado鈥檚 new administration for about 15 months.聽(Brown, 4/17)
Also 鈥
While tiny East Palestine has drawn considerable attention for the inferno and its potential health consequences, communities nationwide are regularly grappling with the health and safety implications of the surge in chemical manufacturing and transportation. (Tabuchi, 4/17)