Health Care
Major labor union rescinds endorsement of lawmaker over alleged union-busting
One of Minnesota’s largest labor unions has rescinded its endorsement of state Rep. Ruth Richardson, DFL-Mendota Heights, saying she oversaw a fierce union-busting campaign as CEO of Planned Parenthood’s affiliate in the Upper Midwest. Leaders with the Services Employees International Union (SEIU) say contrary to its progressive reputation, Planned Parenthood North Central States has acted […]
Minnesota moms less likely to die in childbirth than those in other states
The maternal death rate in Minnesota grew steeply between 1999 and 2019, according to new data published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The risk of death for Black, Asian and Hispanic mothers has roughly doubled since the turn of the millennium, according to the study. The mortality rate for white […]
Study shows sharp increases in maternal deaths over two decades
A study from the University of Washington released Monday shows maternal mortality rates more than doubled in some states between 1999 and 2019, with sharp increases for some racial and ethnic groups. Researchers touted it as the first study to provide such maternal mortality calculations for every state. Previous reports have not included rates for […]
Misinformation obscures standards guiding gender-affirming care for trans youth
Almost three weeks after Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, signed a bill making it a felony for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to transgender minors, a judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing enforcement of the law for three children whose parents are part of an ongoing lawsuit. Florida is one of at least 20 states […]
The Easter eggs: The good stuff the Legislature passed you may not have heard about
For months in 2022, a few county boards were forced to deal with unruly crowds of right-wing activists who pressured the elected officials to switch to hand-counting paper ballots. Doing so would have been an unwieldy nightmare for the counties — hand counting is more expensive and less accurate than machine counts, and the grueling process […]
Black, rural southern women at gravest risk from pregnancy miss out on maternal health aid
As maternal mortality skyrockets in the United States, a federal program created to improve rural maternity care has bypassed Black mothers, who are at the highest risk of complications and death related to pregnancy. The grant-funded initiative, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration, began rolling out four years ago and, so far, has […]
Democrats predict abortion access, reproductive rights will be key issues in 2024
WASHINGTON — Democrats on Wednesday released new campaign ads and detailed how they plan to talk about abortion access and reproductive rights leading up to the 2024 elections. Top Democratic campaign leaders said during a press call they expect the issues will be key to regaining control of the U.S. House and keeping control of […]
Minnesota ranked 5th in country for child well-being, according to pandemic-era data
Minnesota ranked fifth among states for child well-being, according to a national report released on Wednesday. Minnesota ranked 18th in education, however, meaning the state has a long way to go before it becomes the best state in which to raise a child — an ambitious goal Gov. Tim Walz and DFL lawmakers proclaimed at […]
‘My first smile came in the homeless shelter, because I was painting.’
Every usable surface in Ellie Allakhverdiyev’s one-bedroom Edina apartment is cluttered with art supplies. There’s a large easel by the window, canvases and prints tucked away under an end table and shelves upon shelves of paint jars and brushes. In the kitchen, Alice in Wonderland-inspired prints are scattered across the counter. Allkhverdiyev holds one of […]
What’s in the 2023 health and human services package
Minnesota Democrats this session passed a behemoth health and human services budget on the last day of the legislative session, arguing that the nearly $1.1 billion in new general fund spending over the next two years will give more Minnesotans access to the health care and social services they need. Democrats said the health and […]
Social media, trauma, hate speech add to youth mental health crisis, U.S. Senate panel told
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators agreed during a hearing Thursday the country’s children are going through a youth mental health crisis, though some of the committee’s members disagreed about what role Congress has to play. Senators detailed a complicated patchwork of issues that contribute to youth mental health challenges, including violence and trauma within schools and […]
Dental therapists help patients in need of care avoid the brush-off
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — All six of Michelle Ehlert’s children have Medicaid plans that should cover their dental care. But for years, she and her husband paid for dental care out-of-pocket — sometimes thousands of dollars a year. They couldn’t find a dentist near their home in Wilkin County, Minnesota, who accepted Medical Assistance, which […]