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At least nine people are believed to have died as a result of the dangerous cold gripping much of the country, as a once-in-a-generation winter storm wreaks havoc on the Gulf Coast — a region wholly unaccustomed to winter weather. While the cold has proved deadly, footage from across the Gulf Coast shows snow blanketing implausible places, causing surreal wintry scenes: in New Orleans’ French Quarter, where street performers sang for passersby; on the grass at the Florida border; and on the white sand beaches of Orange Beach, Alabama. (Tsui, Shackelford, Gilbert, Mascarenhas, Lynch and Andone, 1/22)

With a powerful winter storm moving into parts of the southeastern United States on Tuesday, officials have begun warning residents unused to frigid temperatures how to stay safe. Gov. Jeff Landry of Louisiana urged residents to stay inside during the storm but cautioned that power outages were likely. He included a warning not to use gas or electric stoves or ovens to heat homes — which can create a serious danger of fire or carbon monoxide poisoning. (Gross and Robertson, 1/21)

The air quality index (AQI) in many LA regions looks good, but that doesn't mean the air is safe. The AQI in your weather app doesn't account for all pollutants caused by wildfires. AQI wasn't set up to monitor ash falling from the sky. (Mallenbaum, 1/21)

A bill co-sponsored by Orlando lawmakers would create protections for the estimated 1.8 million employees working outdoors in Florida's increasingly hot summers. Last year, ahead of the warmest summer on record, the state Legislature stripped local governments of the power to protect workers from heat. That move came as Miami-Dade County was preparing to add heat safety rules for employers. (Byrnes, 1/21)

In a recent perspective piece published in the journal Nature Reviews Neurology, a team of scientists explored the relationship between climate change and neurological health, focusing on how rising temperatures and environmental changes impact brain function, especially during sleep and in cases of stroke and epilepsy. (Sidharthan, 1/21)

Colorado is on the verge of a massive fight at the state Capitol over a multibillion-dollar federal health care program you may have never heard of. The program goes by the super-unsexy name of 340B, and it pulls together a battle royale of health care industry heavyweights: hospitals versus pharmaceutical companies versus pharmacies versus insurers. (Ingold, 1/22)

Republicans and Democrats in Kansas agree that concerns about the economy drove voters to support President Donald Trump by a 16% margin. They also know that ads from Trump and others targeting transgender rights resonated with voters. So while Kansas Republicans say property tax cuts are their top priority, they also are pushing to ban gender-affirming care for young people, including puberty blockers, hormones and, even though they are rare for minors, surgeries. They say that, too, resonates strongly with voters. (DeMillo, Hanna and Lathan, 1/22)

A positive case of legionnaires' disease has been found at the Dorsey Run Correctional Facility in Jessup, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services said Sunday. According to the DPSCS, an inmate at the facility was experiencing shortness of breath, and a persistent cough earlier this week. He was taken to a local hospital, where he tested positive for legionnaires' disease. The inmate is still hospitalized, and his condition is improving, DPSCS said. (Olaniran, 1/21)