Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion Scandal Worsens For Walker, But Many Ga. Evangelicals Don't Care
The New York Times: Woman Who Said Herschel Walker Paid For Abortion Is Also Mother Of His Child, Report Says
The woman who told The Daily Beast on Monday that Herschel Walker had paid for her abortion in 2009 told the outlet on Wednesday that she was the mother of one of his children, undercutting his defense that he did not know her identity. Mr. Walker, the Republican nominee for Senate in Georgia, had swiftly denounced the original Daily Beast article, denying its veracity and pledging to sue the outlet for defamation. So far, the campaign has not pursued any legal action. (King, 10/5)
The Daily Beast: She Had An Abortion With Herschel Walker. She Also Had A Child With Him.
After a woman revealed that Republican senatorial candidate Herschel Walker had urged her to have an abortion, Walker adamantly denied the story and claimed he had no idea who this woman could be. But there’s a good reason the woman finds that defense highly doubtful: She’s the mother of one of his children. When the woman first told The Daily Beast her story, we agreed not to reveal certain details about her identity over her concerns for safety and privacy. But then Walker categorically denied the story and said he didn’t know who was making this allegation. (Sollenberger, 10/6)
Politico: Walker's Christian Fans Unfazed By Abortion Revelations
Since revelations surfaced that the former football star and self-described “pro-life” Republican had allegedly paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion in 2009, evangelical Christian leaders in Georgia have banded together to support Walker, as has the Republican Party in general. Walker has staked out a hard-line, “no exceptions” position on abortion. (Allison, 10/6)
In news from Ohio —
AP: Drug Companies In Opioid Crisis Donated $27K To Ohio's Ryan
Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, who has made his opponent’s questionable record fighting the opioid epidemic a central theme of his campaign for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat, has received campaign donations over the years from drug distributors blamed for key roles in the crisis, an Associated Press review found. The contributions to Ryan from AmerisourceBergen, McKesson and Dublin, Ohio-based Cardinal Health, the three biggest drug distribution companies in the U.S., came in between 2007 and August of this year. (Smyth, 10/5)
In other news —
NPR: NPR Poll: Biden's Approval Rating Up But Also Warning Signs For Democrats
With just over a month to go in the 2022 midterm elections, Democrats are starting to rally around President Biden, according to the latest NPR/Marist poll. Biden's approval rating is up to 44%, which marks a third straight month of improvement. He had bottomed out in July at about 36%. Democrats are also largely keeping pace with Republicans on enthusiasm about the elections this fall, a continued trend after the Supreme Court's June Dobbs decision, which overturned the guaranteed right to an abortion in this country. (Montanaro, 10/6)
Tallahassee Democrat: Hurricane Ian Impacts Florida Midterm Elections, Could Reduce Turnout
Hurricane Ian is significantly disrupting Florida’s midterm election in a highly-populated and heavily-Republican region, potentially impacting voter turnout in part of the state that’s critical for the reelection bids of Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Ian slammed into Southwest Florida as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, with the most significant damage in four deep red coastal counties — Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee and Collier. Those four counties have a combined 1.3 million voters, including 582,743 Republicans, 321,706 Democrats and 371,390 no party or minor party voters. The region’s strong Republican tilt makes it essential to the GOP’s playbook for winning statewide races in Florida. (Anderson, 10/5)
