Childcare Policy: North Dakota’s Working Parents Child Care Relief Program, launched in 2023 with federal COVID funds, is set to end in September, meaning hundreds of families will lose employer-matched childcare support. Public Health & Safety: Lawmakers are moving to restrict kratom and synthetic products in a special session, after Gov. Kelly Armstrong linked unregulated use to overdoses and deaths; the session also follows earlier ND action banning kratom sales and possession. Access to Care: A Fargo-area startup, Bison Imaging, is bringing mobile X-ray services to patients in Fargo, West Fargo, Horace and nearby communities to reduce travel barriers and avoid some ER trips for imaging. Rural Health: A KFF analysis warns that more rural hospital obstetrics closures could mean much longer drives for Medicaid patients seeking inpatient maternity care. Local Health Milestone: Altru named Nicole Samson, MD, as Medical Director of Altru Devils Lake, expanding leadership for family medicine with obstetric services. Community Health: HIA Heather’s House marked its one-year anniversary, nearing 400 patients served at North Dakota’s standalone hospice house. Health-Related Justice: A North Dakota mom faces manslaughter charges after police say she ignored her 7-year-old daughter’s meningitis symptoms until she died.