🗞️Vaccine misinformation, school closures, detention centers and more

Good afternoon. Let’s get into the Stateline Weekly recap.

Last week, my colleagues wrote about vaccine misinformation amplified by the Trump administration, a surge of K-12 school closures, 50-50 child custody arrangements in divorce cases, health conditions at immigrant detention centers and tribal communities harmed by wildfires.

In the past two decades, there has been steady progress in developing vaccines for cancer. Just last month, pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck announced that a personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, combined with an immunotherapy drug, had succeeded in a late-stage trial for skin cancer. The news raised hopes that a wave of new cancer vaccines could be just over the horizon. But will Americans be willing to take them? Many doctors and researchers are concerned that vaccine misinformation — amplified by the Trump administration — could blunt the impact of the new vaccines.

Declining birth rates mean fewer students. And that means more districts grappling with whether to close or merge schools. Driven largely by the falling birth rates but worsened by several other factors, district and school board decisions to close and consolidate schools can draw anger and anxiety from parents and students. Many states are stopping short of forcing mergers, but taking a variety of steps to encourage them.

A growing number of states are making an equal split between parents the default child custody option in divorce cases. Supporters say a formal 50-50 custody standard makes divorce proceedings more equitable for fathers — who historically have been awarded less custody time than mothers — and encourages them to maintain an active role in their children’s lives. But critics say the standard might harm vulnerable women and children by making it more likely that children must spend time with a parent who isn’t safe. 

Concerned about conditions in federal immigrant detention facilities but often barred from entering them, some Democratic-led states are fighting to enforce their own health and safety standards at the sites. The Trump administration argues that states don’t have the authority to regulate federal facilities. But states counter that because the federal government has contracted with private companies to operate the sites, they have the right — and the responsibility — to make sure those companies follow state health and safety rules.

Tribal leaders across Washington and Oregon told Stateline that this year’s record-breaking wildfires burned timber that they rely on for income, threatened food sources and waterways, and harmed the health of their communities. Hotter, drier conditions driven by climate change have made wildfires nationwide more frequent and intense. Substandard housing and higher rates of acute and chronic underlying health conditions, including respiratory illnesses, make tribal communities more vulnerable during and after wildfires.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it’s helping manufacturers increase the supply of estrogen-based hormonal patches and acknowledged a current nationwide shortage as more women seek hormonal therapies for symptoms related to menopause.

In a release earlier this month, the FDA said it is expediting actions to increase supply, and said all six manufacturers are working to expand capacity and prioritize production of the patches.

“The FDA views increased interest in menopause treatment as an important development for women’s health and is working closely with manufacturers to help ensure that the supply of estradiol patches keeps pace with demand,” the release said.

Menopause typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, according to the National Institute on Aging, when a woman stops having menstrual periods. That hormonal change can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, bone density loss, insomnia and more. Estradiol transdermal patches worn on the skin can replace estrogen lost through menopause and reduce those symptoms for some women.