U.S. Briefs: New Mexico officials eye raw milk in baby’s death

A newborn’s death from a listeria infection was likely tied to the mother’s raw milk consumption during pregnancy, state health officials said Feb. 3. While investigators could not identify the exact cause, the New Mexico Department of Health stated the death “underscores the serious risks raw dairy poses” to at-risk populations, including pregnant women and children. Raw milk is not pasteurized, the process of heating milk to destroy harmful germs. Proponents believe pasteurization eliminates the dairy product’s health benefits. Weekly sales of raw cow’s milk increased 21% between 2023 and 2024, according to a PBS report, driven in part by high-profile supporters such as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But consuming food or beverages made from raw milk can expose people to various disease-causing germs, including listeria, one of the leading causes of death from foodborne illnesses in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Federal law bans interstate sale and distribution of raw milk but permits states to set their own regulations. In New Mexico, retail sales of unpasteurized dairy products are legal but require a permit. —Mary Jackson

West Virginia

The Mountain State spends about $62 million a year on out-of-state treatment for foster care children. Gov. Patrick Morrisey hopes to allocate $6 million to bring some of the children back to West Virginia. The state currently sends almost 400 children to foster facilities across the nation because there aren’t enough treatment beds in-state for children who need high levels of care. In Morrisey’s January State of the State address, he proposed a “Bring Them Home Fund” to provide more in-state beds for foster children with acute mental and behavioral needs. But during a late January budget meeting, Democratic Del. John Williams asked whether $6 million was enough. “That’s less than 10% of what we’re paying now out of state,” Williams said. “Is $6 million going to bring 10% of our kids home?” —Bekah Bernhardt

Arizona

Flagstaff police arrested three 20-year-old executive board members of the fraternity Delta Tau Delta at Northern Arizona University for hazing in connection with the death of an 18-year-old following a rush party. Police said the party took place at an off-campus house affiliated with the fraternity the man was pledging, but they have not released the cause of death or the victim’s identity. The death is likely one of more than 100 hazing deaths since 2000, and the tragedy is fueling calls for more aggressive prosecution of those who engage in the practice. Jack’s Law, which Arizona passed in 2022, made hazing a misdemeanor or a felony. But David Bianchi, a top fraternity hazing lawyer, said nothing will change if prosecutors don’t seek criminal charges. —Addie Offereins

Tennessee

Tennessee’s highest appeals court ruled unanimously on Feb. 4 that records related to the 2023 Covenant School shooting must be released, overturning a lower-court order that had blocked access for nearly two years. The court said attorneys for the Metro Nashville Police Depart­ment acknowledged the investigation is complete, weakening claims that the records should remain sealed because the case was still active. The ruling allows a public records lawsuit, filed by several organizations under the Tennessee Public Records Act, to move forward in Davidson County court. The decision does not require the immediate release of the records, including the shooter’s journals. Instead, the case returns to the trial court to determine which documents can be disclosed and what information, if any, should be redacted. The appeals court emphasized that records cannot be withheld in their entirety simply because they contain some exempt material. Former student Audrey Hale killed three 9-year-old children and three adults in the Nashville school rampage. Police later revealed Hale spent years researching and planning the attack. —Kim Henderson

Florida

In two days, Floridians rounded up roughly 2,000 cold-stunned green iguanas, one of the state’s most destructive invasive species. Freezing temperatures can cause the reptiles to go into a coma-like state known as torpor. Because of the recent cold snap, they littered lawns and fell out of trees, in some cases injuring unsuspecting humans, since male green iguanas can weigh up to 17 pounds. On Jan. 30, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued an executive order temporarily allowing residents to round up the reptiles without a permit and deliver them to designated locations. Authorities planned to humanely kill the reptiles or transfer them to permitted wildlife sellers. The office warned the public not to bring the iguanas into their homes or cars since the creatures can warm up “more quickly than you might expect” and become aggressive. During the weekend roundup, volunteer trappers carried hundreds of the lifeless-looking iguanas to the drop-off sites. —Bekah Bernhardt

New York

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the state plans to deploy legal observers, who will act as “neutral witnesses,” to areas of reported immigration enforcement activity around the state. James said the monitors, garbed in purple safety vests, will collect information that “may inform future legal action” but will not interfere with law enforcement action. She also said recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minnesota demonstrated how “quickly and tragically federal operations can escalate in the absence of transparency and accountability.” Protests engulfed Minneapolis after bystanders ­captured on video the shootings of two U.S. citizens by ICE agents. James urged New Yorkers to film and submit videos of ICE actions for her office to review. Gov. Kathy Hochul is pushing for legislation that would bar local law enforcement from conducting immigration enforcement actions at the behest of ICE. Her proposals would allow individuals to bring state-level civil actions against federal officers who violate New Yorkers’ constitutional rights. —Addie Offereins