Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
10% Of All Fentanyl Seized By Feds In 2023 Was In New York City
CBS News: Exclusive: New York City Accounted For 10% Of All Fentanyl Seized In U.S. In 2023
The battle to keep fentanyl off New York City streets continues. Federal agents seized the highest amount of fentanyl ever in the Big Apple last year. And of all the fentanyl seized in the United States last year, New York City accounted for 10% of it. CBS New York recently sat down for an exclusively interview with the Drug Enforcement Administration's Special Agent in Charge. "This has been the biggest drug threat we have ever seen in the history of DEA," Frank Tarentino said. (Bisram, 1/22)
On gun violence and mental health —
The Washington Post: Mother Of Oxford School Shooter Faces Trial Tuesday In Historic Prosecution
Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford, Mich., teen who killed four students in 2021, heads to trial Tuesday in a high-profile case that marks the first time parents of a school shooter have faced involuntary manslaughter charges related to their child’s crime. The Crumbley parents acknowledge that they bought their son a gun in the days before the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting at Oxford High School, but they are not accused of knowing about their son’s plan. Prosecutors say the parents gave their son access to a deadly weapon while ignoring his mental health struggles, including ones raised by his teachers on the day of the shooting. (Bellware, 1/22)
NPR: 'We Don't Want To Be First Place.' Wyoming Tries To Address High Gun Suicide Rates
Some patients resist getting more treatment because they're afraid their guns will be confiscated. This is the reality of suicide prevention work in a state with one of the highest gun ownership rates in the United States. For most of the last decade, Wyoming has also had one of the highest suicide rates and, specifically, high gun suicide rates. Firearms are used in roughly 75% of suicides in the Cowboy State, compared with just over 50% nationally. (Siegler, 1/23)
Modern Healthcare: Talkspace, American Federation Of Teachers Union Form Partnership
Talkspace said it is partnering with the American Federation of Teachers to offer therapy and other mental health resources to union members. The partnership between the digital behavioral health company and the union representing 1.7 million workers including teachers, nurses and retirees exemplifies a strategy priority for the company this year, said Natalie Cummins, Talkspace's chief business officer. (DeSilva, 1/22)
More health news from across the U.S. —
North Carolina Health News: Medicaid Expansion Bringing Swift Benefits
Lori Kelley was decorating her Concord home for Christmas when she pierced her finger on a shard of glass from a broken ornament. It seemed like a minor injury at first. Kelley wasn’t in pain, and the glass hadn’t cut deeply enough to draw blood. “I totally ignored it,” she said. Two days later, she was hospitalized with a “horrible” bacterial infection that required surgery. Her procedure was covered thanks to Medicaid expansion. (Baxley, 1/23)
The Boston Globe: In D.C. Speech, Cardinal Sean O’Malley Denounces Physician-Assisted Suicide
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston, condemned physician-assisted suicide at a conference concerning the value of human life over the weekend in Washington, D.C., according to a Catholic news service. O’Malley forewarned that “the next major assaults” on the value of life over the next quarter-century “are going to come from those pushing physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia,” according to OSV News. An archdiocese spokesperson confirmed the report as accurate on Monday. (McDonald, 1/22)
The Hill: Texas Petitioned At United Nations Over Laws Targeting LGBTQ Communities
At least seven laws passed by Texas legislators and signed by the governor last year target LGBTQ people in violation of federal and international human rights law, four LGBTQ advocacy groups wrote Monday in a petition to the United Nations. The groups in a joint letter of allegation submitted Monday to 17 independent experts, working groups and special rapporteurs at the U.N. wrote that Texas leaders during the state’s last legislative session intentionally targeted the LGBTQ community through hostile laws that have upended the lives of LGBTQ Texans. (Migdon, 1/22)
CBS News: Florida House Panel Backs Measure To Require ID Cards To Show Sex Assigned At Birth
A Florida House panel on Monday backed a measure that would require state-issued identification cards to reflect a person's sex assigned at birth and impose requirements for insurers who cover gender-affirming care. The Republican-controlled House Select Committee on Health Innovation approved the bill (HB 1639) along party lines, despite opposition from transgender people and their allies. (1/22)
