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Louisiana has among the highest rate of death for pregnant women in the U.S. One of the reasons, according to new research, is the lack of maternal care in many areas of the state, which forces women to travel long distances for routine checkups, emergency visits and deliveries. (Woodruff, 10/20)

Pamlico County, wedged between its namesake sound and the mouth of the Neuse River, is surrounded by water on three sides and is a target for hurricanes that sweep up the North Carolina coast. In 2011, Hurricane Irene made landfall near Cape Lookout and dropped more than 17 inches of rain over part of Pamlico County. Flood waters inundated Pamlico County homes, including those in Vantisha Williams’ old neighborhood. When the floodwaters receded, mold growth followed. And that, Williams believes, triggered her daughter Nazri’s asthma. Nazri was then 3 years old. (Bonner, 10/20)

Attorneys with a Baltimore public-interest law center allege that Maryland’s occupational safety program has failed to properly investigate workplace hazards, leaving workers in danger during the coronavirus pandemic. The Public Justice Center filed a complaint with the federal agency charged with protecting workers, seeking a “full investigation” on its claims that Maryland Occupational Safety and Health has not followed its own procedures on when to conduct workplace inspections. (Knezevich, 10/21)

San Francisco has made “significant progress” in helping those struggling with mental illness and drug use since the city began an effort last year to fix the system that serves them, the Department of Public Health said Monday .But that doesn’t exactly match the reality on the streets. Those with extreme mental illness are still cycling from the hospital to the sidewalk. More people are dying of overdoses than ever — and more are being saved from them — as the powerful opioid fentanyl continues to devastate the city. Meanwhile, case managers and social workers say the pandemic has made it even harder for the city’s most vulnerable to get the help they need. (Thadani, 10/20)

The Oakland City Council unanimously approved a controversial policy Tuesday that restricts homeless people living in encampments from sleeping in parks and near homes, businesses and schools but allows them to set up camp elsewhere. Under the policy, city staff will not cite or arrest anyone for camping and will instead help with making sure people follow the rules. (Ravani, 10/20)

Local and national suicide prevention advocates are praising a new federal law that designates 9-8-8 the national phone number for mental health emergencies, saying it will provide a critical resource that could help save lives. The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, introduced by Representative Seth Moulton, a Salem Democrat, calls for the three-digit number to be implemented nationwide by July 2022. (Sweeney and Fox, 10/20)

Some health care providers across Georgia and the rest of the country already are running low on the high-dose flu vaccine recommended for older Americans as many in the public heed warnings about the dangers of contracting the flu and COVID-19 at the same time. Public health officials have said it’s more important than ever to get the flu shot this year, with the pandemic still raging, because contracting both viruses could pose a grave risk to a person’s health. Also, officials worry that a “twindemc” could overwhelm the health care system. (Oliviero, 10/2)