A previous sighting was of a dead insect, but this new confirmed sighting was a living example. In other news, Texas abortion clinics are ready to close; ACLU is suing DC police for use of chemical irritants; one death from Jamestown Canyon virus in New Hampshire; and more.
NBC News: Washington State has the first live viewing of Murder Hornet in 2021
For the second time this year, a “murder hornet” was sighted in Washington state, officials said on Thursday. However, it is the first confirmed report of a live Asian giant hornet in the state in 2021, the state’s Department of Agriculture said. The sighting in Whatcom County was reported on Wednesday. A dead insect was found north of Seattle earlier this summer. (Helsel, August 13th)
In other news from the USA –
Houston Chronicle: Texas Abortion Clinics Prepare for Near Closure When New Law Is Passed: “We Must Obey”
The National Abortion Federation has told doctors in Texas that they will stop referring patients and send money to clinics that offer abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy. In North Texas, the Texas Equal Action Fund is likely to “pause” its ridesharing program that helps women get abortion appointments. Dr. Bhavik Kumar, an abortion provider for Planned Parenthood, has cut its schedule to accommodate as many patients as possible by the end of the month. (Schwarzmann, 8/12)
The Washington Post: ACLU is suing DC officials for using chemical irritants and stun grenades in protests against racial justice
DC’s ACLU is suing the district and eight unnamed DC police officers for spraying chemical irritants and firing stun grenades at racial justice protesters and two photojournalists near Black Lives Matter Plaza last summer. The federal lawsuit, filed Thursday in the US District Court in Washington on behalf of Oyoma Asinor and Bryan Dozier, two independent photojournalists, seeks jury trial and redress for their injuries. (Silbermann, 8/12)
Charleston Gazette-Mail: Proponents urge Congress and MSHA to do more for black lung miners and protect themselves against the disease
Members of the National Black Lung Association, the Appalachian Voices environmental group, and the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, a Kentucky-based not-for-profit law firm that represents miners on black lung and mine safety issues, urged Congress to permanently extend and reduce 25% to increase. an excise tax that coal producers must pay when the coal they produce is first sold or used. Excise tax is the primary source of income for the Federal Black Lung Program and the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund, which pays miners disabled by the disease and their entitled survivors and dependents when no responsible coal operator is identified or when the liable operator does not pay. (Tony, 8/12)
CIDRAP: New Hampshire reports deadly Jamestown Canyon virus case
New Hampshire health officials recently reported the state’s first Jamestown Canyon virus (JCV) case of the season, an adult who died from the infection. The patient is from Dublin in the east-central part of the state, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS) said in a statement. The patient was hospitalized with worsening neurological symptoms and died with JCV as the cause. * 8/12)
KHN: Veterans are pushing medical marijuana in the conservative south
Every time Chayse Roth drives home to North Carolina, he notices the highway welcome signs that read, “The Nation’s Most Military State.” “That’s a strong claim,” said Roth, a former Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who served on multiple assignments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now he is calling on the state to live up to these words. Roth, a Wilmington resident, is campaigning for lawmakers to pass legislation that legalizes medical marijuana and allows veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other debilitating conditions to use it for treatment. (Pattani, Aug 13)
KHN: How a hospital and school district partnered to help children through emotional crisis
In 2019, the Rockville Center school district in Long Island, New York was rocked by a series of student deaths, including the suicides of a recent graduate and a current high school student. “If you get these losses one at a time, it’s almost impossible to get back to normal,” said Noreen Leahy, assistant principal for the school district. For Leahy, the student suicides exposed a child’s mental crisis that has been brewing for years. She had seen worrying increases in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in students. Her school district had a team of psychiatrists, but Leahy said they couldn’t provide the kind of long-term care that many students needed. (Chatterjee and Herman, Aug 13)
This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a round-up of health coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.