Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California Ends Use Of 'Sell By' Dates, Aiming To Reduce Food Waste
California is making food labels less confusing by banning "sell by" dates. The new law starting Wednesday requires manufacturers to use just two labels: "Best if Used By" for peak quality and "Use By" for safety. (Rodriguez, 7/1)
Ńîąóĺú´«Ă˝Ň•îl Health News: Newsom Vowed To Transform Kids’ Mental Health. Many California Schools Are Still Waiting
When Taletha Washburn and the staff at Plumas Charter School first heard that California wanted to help schools treat more kids struggling with mental health, it felt like a well-timed remedy for a rural community where families struggle to find care. Getting the program funding up and running, however, has proved difficult. Employees spent two years “spinning our wheels,” attending state-led webinars, filling out countless forms, and researching electronic health record systems to prepare, said Washburn, the school’s executive director. When they reached out for assistance, she said, they waited months for a state response. (Mai-Duc, 7/1)
More health news from across the U.S. —
New survey data show rural adults are falling behind urban and suburban adults in medical screenings. Only 48% of rural Americans have had a routine medical visit or cancer screening in the past year, as opposed to 56% of urban and suburban adults, revealing a widening care gap, according to Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 2026 Early Detection Survey. (Meyers, 6/30)
Ńîąóĺú´«Ă˝Ň•îl Health News: Affordable Healthcare Emerges As A Voter Priority In Purple Nevada
One issue will decide Steven Cohen’s vote for Nevada governor this fall: Which candidate can best protect him from getting kicked off Medicaid? Cohen is a 38-year-old Las Vegas resident with autism and has dual enrollment in Medicaid and Medicare. He said he’s very concerned that he could lose his Medicaid coverage once work requirements and more frequent eligibility checks take effect in January, under congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. “When you’re going to some providers, notably mental health, once a month, or in the case of one provider, a couple of times a week, those copays quickly add up,” Cohen said. (Rodriguez, 7/1)
Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday he’s working to get Chicago Police Department terminals back to the city’s mental health crisis teams, which have struggled to find psychiatric emergencies they can help defuse since police took the equipment away. (Yin, 6/30)
Mackenzie Wesley sports a big grin and bright blue Lilo & Stitch swim gear as she runs into her weekly swim lessons. It's fitting, because the 5-year-old has something in common with movie character Lilo: She adores water. "Whether it's the pool or beach, she enjoys it fully," says her dad Steven Wesley. (Mehta and Lee, 7/1)
A 6-year-old girl is recovering after being bitten by a rabid bat outside her Wisconsin home — before her brother killed the animal with a homemade “Braveheart”-inspired sword, her family and health officials said Tuesday. Cecilia “Cece” Kale was playing on a tree in front of the family’s home in Tigerton, about 60 miles west of Green Bay, last week when the winged mammal attacked her left thigh. (Li and Deverson, 6/30)
More recalls have been announced tied to a deadly listeria outbreak that has been traced back to a Maryland-based cheese producer. La Ceiba Foods Latin Market Inc. is recalling products marketed under the La Colonia and Selectos Latinos brands. It includes Requesón Salvadoreño (Salvadoran Cottage Cheese) and Requesón Mexicano (Mexican Cottage Cheese). The products were distributed to markets and restaurants in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. (Sitz, 6/30)
Nature’s oven was on high Tuesday for millions of people in the Midwest and Great Lakes states as intense heat and humidity baked the regions with no immediate relief before the misery shifts to the eastern U.S. The National Weather Service was blunt: Conditions were “dangerous” as the heat index, a combination of air temperature and humidity, exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) in some areas. It warned about a risk for heat-related illnesses, especially among people without air conditioning. (White, 6/30)
