Homeless are 27 times more likely to visit emergency room for heat illness, study shows
Last summer, Taylor Weckstein was driving around rural New Mexico in a van delivering medical care to the homeless in the sweltering heat.
The Harvard Medical School graduate came across people with severe dehydration, kidney disease, and third-degree burns from being seared by the pavement, she recalled.
'Honestly, it was pretty horrific,' she said.
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Bloomberg
39 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
RFK Jr. Removes All Members of CDC Panel Advising on Vaccines
The Department of Health and Human Services is retiring the 17 members of a committee of government vaccine advisers, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Monday. 'A clean sweep is needed to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science,' Kennedy said in an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Minnesota budget deal cuts health care for adults who entered the US illegally
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Adults living in the U.S. illegally will be excluded from a state-run health care program under an overall budget deal that the closely divided Minnesota Legislature convened to pass in a special session Monday. Repealing a 2023 state law that made those immigrants eligible for the MinnesotaCare program for the working poor was a priority for Republicans in the negotiations that produced the budget agreement. The Legislature is split 101-100, with the House tied and Democrats holding just a one-seat majority in the Senate, and the health care compromise was a bitter pill for Democrats to accept. The change is expected to affect about 17,000 residents. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who insisted on maintaining eligibility for children who aren't in the country legally, has promised to sign all 14 bills scheduled for action in the special session, to complete a $66 billion, two-year budget that will take effect July 1. After an emotional near four-hour debate, the House voted 68-65 to send the bill to the Senate, where Majority Leader Erin Murphy, of St. Paul, had already said she would supply the necessary Democratic vote to pass it. Under the agreement, the top House Democratic leader, Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park, was the only member of her caucus to vote yes. 'This is 100% about the GOP campaign against immigrants,' said House Democratic Floor Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, who voted no. 'From Trump's renewed travel ban announced this week, to his effort to expel those with protected status, to harassing students here to study, to disproportionate military and law enforcement responses that we've seen from Minneapolis to L.A., this all comes back to attacking immigrants and the name of dividing us.' But GOP Rep. Jeff Backer, of Browns Valley, the lead author of the bill, said taxpayers shouldn't have to subsidize health care for people who aren't in the country legally. Backer said California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, has proposed freezing enrollment for immigrants without legal status in a similar state-funded program and that Illinois' Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, has proposed cutting a similar program. He said residents can still buy health insurance on the private market regardless of their immigration status. 'This is about being fiscally responsible,' Backer said. Enrollment by people who entered the country illegally in MinnesotaCare has run triple the initial projections, which Republicans said could have pushed the costs over $600 million over the next four years. Critics said the change won't save any money because those affected will forego preventive care and need much more expensive care later. 'People don't suddenly stop getting sick when they don't have insurance, but they do put off seeking care until a condition gets bad enough to require a visit to the emergency room, increasing overall health care costs for everyone,' Bernie Burnham, president of the Minnesota AFL-CIO, told reporters at a news conference organized by the critics. Walz and legislative leaders agreed on the broad framework for the budget over four weeks ago, contrasting the bipartisan cooperation that produced it with the deep divisions at the federal level in Washington. But with the tie in the House and the razor-thin Senate Democratic majority, few major policy initiatives got off the ground before the regular session ended May 19. Leaders announced Friday that the details were settled and that they had enough votes to pass everything in the budget package.
CBS News
an hour ago
- CBS News
Baltimore marks decline in gun violence with distribution of gun locks at awareness event
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and several of the city's leading hospital systems came together on Monday to celebrate a historic reduction in gun violence, while strategizing crime prevention efforts. Joined by partners from the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE), Johns Hopkins Health System, the University of Maryland Medical Center, LifeBridge Health, and several community violence intervention groups, Scott led a resource fair and free gun lock giveaway at Mondawmin Mall in West Baltimore. "We have the lowest amount of homicides this far into the year on record, in recorded history," Scott said. City officials say additional events and resources are planned throughout June in honor of Gun Violence Awareness Month. A yearly drop in Baltimore gun violence Baltimore City officials say the drop in gun violence follows a multi-year trend. In 2023, homicides fell by 20%. That figure declined by another 23% in early 2024, and non-fatal shootings were down by 34%. So far in 2025, homicides are down 22% compared to the same time last year, with 17 fewer people killed and 39 fewer non-deadly shootings, according to city data. A focus on gun safety The citywide gun lock giveaway aimed to expand access to secure firearm storage. Dozens of residents picked up free cable-style gun locks while receiving educational materials and wraparound services. "The leading cause of death for children in this country has now become gun violence. That is an unacceptable statement," said Kevin W. Sowers, president of Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine. The event also featured remarks from Dr. Bert W. O'Malley, president and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical Center; Dr. Redonda Miller, president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital; and Adam Rosenberg, executive director of the Center for Hope and vice president of violence intervention and prevention at LifeBridge Health. Identifying public safety as a public health issue Through efforts led by MONSE and community-based programs like Safe Streets, city leaders say they are working to reimagine public safety through a public health lens. They believe Monday's collaboration exemplifies that approach. "It will feel like unbelievable success — an incredible accomplishment — if all of us come together, could end gun violence," O'Malley said. "That would be a great day, and I look forward to being a part of making that great day happen." Stefanie Mavronis, director of MONSE, also joined the event, helping connect residents with intervention resources, mental health support, and information on safe firearm practices.
