Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Special Gift: Formerly Homeless Families In N.M. Will Receive New Beds
Albuquerque Journal: Donated Beds Will Benefit Formerly Homeless
Families with kids that are transitioning out of homelessness will have one less thing to worry about purchasing because of a donation of 100 new beds. About a dozen volunteers at HopeWorks early Tuesday unloaded a trailer truck that contained a mixture of twin-, full- and queen-size beds, including box springs and metal frames. (Nathanson, 8/18)
AP: Mosquitoes Carrying West Nile Virus Found In E. Washington
State health officials say mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus are being reported in Eastern Washington’s Benton and Yakima counties. The Washington Department of Health said Tuesday that seven positive samples have been reported in Washington so far this year. No human cases have yet been reported. (8/19)
NPR: There's A Better Way To 'Dub' Movie Audio For Visually Impaired Fans
Most people never have to explain why they enjoy going to the movies. But, Denise Decker sometimes needs to do that. The retired federal worker, who lives in Washington, D.C., says some sighted people don't understand how someone who is blind can appreciate watching film. "Those of us who are vision impaired enjoy going to the movies probably as much as anyone else does and we probably go as much as some sighted people do," she says. (Strother, 8/19)
Also —
The Washington Post: ‘Monsters Were Real’: Victims Confront The Golden State Killer For First Time
Roughly four decades after Joseph James DeAngelo, 74, carried out a string of 13 murders and nearly 50 rapes across a wide swath of California, his victims described the impact of one of the nation’s worst serial predators. Tuesday marked the first of three days of testimony from dozens of victims, some of whom recalled in detail the searing experience of waking in their own beds to find the man who would later become known as the Golden State Killer standing over them. DeAngelo is expected to be sentenced Friday to life without parole. (Jouvenal, 8/18)
AP: Drug Treatment Firm Co-Founder Sentenced For Fraud Scheme
A New Jersey man who co-founded a Pennsylvania-based drug rehabilitation firm that made millions through a wide-ranging fraud scheme has been sentenced to three years in federal prison and must pay more than $9 million in restitution. Jason Gerner, 46, of Shamong, will also forfeit $444,983 and must serve three years of probation once he’s freed from prison under the sentence imposed Monday. He had pleaded guilty in August 2019 to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. (8/18)
