What We’re Reading: 6-Week Abortion Ban; Juul to Pay $15M in DC Settlement; Malnutrition Deaths in CA

DeSantis Signs 6-Week Abortion Ban in FL

Florida lawmakers voted to ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy Thursday, a result following efforts from elected Republicans and Governor Ron DeSantis, a likely 2024 Republican presidential contender, to change the state to one of the most restrictive nationwide, reported The New York Times. The ban will force women to seek abortions elsewhere, ending its long-held role as a care destination for women seeking abortion. In the 6 months following the Supreme Court overturn of the federal right to abortion, Florida saw the greatest increase in the number of legal abortions performed each month, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Juul to Pay DC $15M in Settlement for Marketing to Teens

e-Cigarette maker Juul Labs will pay Washington, DC, over $15 million as part of a settlement over allegations that they deceptively marketed its products to teens, simultaneously downplaying their addictive properties, said DC Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb said Wednesday, according to The Washington Post. DC joined states New York, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Colorado in the $462 million settlement. At a virtual news conference, Schwalb said that the $15.2 million that DC will receive is the largest-ever litigated settlement under the city’s consumer protection law.

Accelerated Rates of Death by Malnutrition for Older Californians

Increasing numbers of California’s oldest residents, those 85 and older, are dying of malnutrition, a yearslong trend that sped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, reported KFF Health News. Deaths attributed to malnutrition went from about 650 in 2018 to about 1400 in 2022, almost doubling, according to preliminary death certificate data from the California Department of Public Health. This was a nationwide trend, with malnutrition deaths more than doubling from about 9300 deaths in 2018 to about 20,500 in 2022, according to the CDC. Malnutrition is especially common among older people and can result from not eating enough but also from poor eating habits that lead to nutritional deficiencies.