After Minneapolis Shooting, Feds May Ban Gun Ownership For Trans People
The discussions focus on whether to classify being transgender as a mental illness, which would disqualify individuals from the right to own guns under existing rules. More mental health news looks at LSD to reduce anxiety, a pill to heal the brain post-stroke, and more.
The Washington Post:
DOJ Discusses A Potential Ban On Transgender People Owning Firearms
Senior Justice Department officials have held multiple meetings since last week’s deadly Minneapolis Catholic school shooting to consider banning transgender people from owning firearms, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The talks — described as in the early stages by the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations — began after a 23-year-old transgender person allegedly carried out the Aug. 27 shooting that killed two children and injured 17 others during a Mass at Annunciation Catholic School. (Stein and Allison, 9/4)
AP:
Shooter Who Killed Schoolchildren In Minneapolis Seen On Video At Gun Shop
The shooter who killed two schoolchildren and injured 21 other people at a Catholic church in Minneapolis visited a suburban gun shop the weekend before the attack, but the owner of the store said Thursday that his staff saw no warning signs in their interactions. (Vancleave and Karnowski, 9/4)
Minnesota Public Radio:
Annunciation Mass Shooting Surgeons Share What It Took To Save Victims
Eight days after the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, two children are still in the hospital. Ten-year-old Weston Halsne is recovering well after surgery on Wednesday to remove a bullet fragment from his neck. A funeral for one of the two children killed, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, is planned for Sunday. Together, Children’s Minnesota and Hennepin Healthcare — both Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Centers — treated 17 patients immediately after the shooting. When a mass casualty or crisis happens, there’s a careful choreography that starts even before ambulances reach the emergency room. (Wurzer and Stockton, 9/4)
In other mental health news —
AP:
LSD Shows Promise For Reducing Anxiety In Drugmaker's Midstage Study
LSD reduced symptoms of anxiety in a midstage study published Thursday, paving the way for additional testing and possible medical approval of a psychedelic drug that has been banned in the U.S. for more than a half century. The results from drugmaker Mindmed tested several doses of LSD in patients with moderate-to-severe generalized anxiety disorder, with the benefits lasting as long as three months. The company plans to conduct follow-up studies to confirm the results and then apply for Food and Drug Administration approval. (Perrone, 9/4)
The New York Times:
A Pill to Heal the Brain Could Revolutionize Neuroscience
Neurologists are exploring medications that would help the brain recover after a stroke or traumatic injury. (Gross, 9/4)
The Guardian:
Ultrasound ‘Helmet’ Could Treat Parkinson’s Non-Invasively, Study Shows
An ultrasound “helmet” offers potential new ways for treating neurological conditions without surgery or other invasive procedures, a study has shown. The device can target brain regions 1,000 times smaller than ultrasound can, and could replace existing approaches such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) in treating Parkinson’s disease. It also holds potential for conditions such as depression, Tourette syndrome, chronic pain, Alzheimer’s and addiction. (Drobnjak O'Brien, 9/5)
