Network Report Thursday, May 19, 2022 
Movement, safe play space, and connection with nature are vital to a healthy life and should be equally accessible to all. In many urban areas however, young people of color have limited access to outdoor spaces. In addition, public spaces have been designed to intentionally keep out youth with behavior-excluding elements such as anti-skateboard metal brackets and no loitering policies. Additionally, communities often fail to take youth into consideration when designing physical space and setting zoning restrictions. Public health professionals must engage communities and policymakers to secure policies and community design that improve rather than diminish activity and socializing by youth. Read more. 
Federal Court Upholds County’s Ban on Flavored Tobacco Preserving the ability of states and local governments to regulate the sale of tobacco, especially flavored tobacco which is popular with youth, is crucial for protecting public health. In September 2019, Los Angeles County adopted an ordinance banning the sale of all flavored tobacco products, which was subsequently challenged in court by R.J. Reynolds which claimed the ordinance was preempted by the Tobacco Control Act (TCA). The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently upheld the ordinance, concluding that the TCA does not preempt state and local governments from banning the sale of flavored tobacco.
In most U.S. jurisdictions, legal protections for tenants include the right to habitable conditions, meaning that landlords are required to maintain rental properties in safe condition and in good repair. Yet habitability standards are too often not met, most often in low-cost housing occupied by tenants with insufficient means to address hazards or relocate. Conditions may ultimately deteriorate to a point where the only apparent solution seems to be condemnation—a “solution” which brings with it several other problems, especially for displaced tenants. 
WIC: Lessons Learned from COVID-19 The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (commonly known as the WIC program) is the third largest food and nutrition assistance program in the U.S. In 2020 alone, WIC served approximately 6.2 million participants a month, including almost half of all infants born in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the program to expand benefits and alter its administration in ways that have greatly improved participants' lives. This issue brief evaluates the COVID-19 changes to the WIC program and assesses the current issues with the Program highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provides policy recommendations to ensure greater participation and adequate benefits for participants.
Consumption of nutrient-poor food with high levels of sugar and saturated fats has led to an obesity epidemic among children in the U.S., contributing to increased rates of chronic disease, early mortality risk, and negative effects on learning and development, with substantial economic and societal costs. This issue brief assesses how marketing plays a significant role in children’s nutrition-related beliefs and behaviors. It also suggests that the Federal Trade Commission revisit its responsibility under the FTC Act to regulate the deceptive marketing of unhealthy food to children.
Worth Sharing To Promote Health Equity, States Must Restrict Police Intervention in Mobile Crisis Response In this article, April Shaw, senior staff attorney at the Network for Public Health Law’s Northern Region Office, and co-author Taleed El-Sabawi note how the COVID-19 pandemic and recent increases in the incidence of televised violence against Black persons by law enforcement actors and others have contributed to the worsening mental health of these subordinated and marginalized communities. They outline how the introduction of 988, a national mental health crisis hotline, offers an opportunity to positively contribute to the overall goals of decreasing police interactions with Black and Brown communities.
Job Opportunities The Center for Health Policy and Law and Institute for Health Equity and Social Justice Research at Northeastern University is accepting applications for a full-time post-doctoral Research Fellow beginning in Summer, 2022. The fellow will contribute to the Center’s ongoing work on the Salus Populi program, a project seeking to provide guidance and training to judges and lawyers on the social determinants of health. Applicants should have a Ph.D. (received or expected by July 2022) in Public Health or a related discipline, or a J.D. Candidates should also have strong evidence of a commitment to research with an interdisciplinary focus and a demonstrated interest in public health. Find the full announcement and link to apply here.
Marketing and Communications Specialist The Network seeks an individual who is passionate about health and social justice to join us as our Marketing and Communications Specialist to help us successfully raise our national profile, engage with our key constituents, expand our reach, and improve our support to communities. The Marketing and Communications Specialist must be a tech savvy self-starter with excellent verbal and written communication skills, and will be responsible for developing and implementing communication, marketing, and outreach campaigns and programs. This position is based at the Network’s National Office in Edina, Minnesota, and reports to the Associate Director, Marketing Communications. View the full description and apply here.
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