Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Different Takes: Public Needs More Trust In Drug Companies; Examining The Future of SB 8
Chicago Tribune: If We Want Cures To Diseases Like COVID-19, We Should Stop Vilifying Drug Companies
Drugmaker Merck just shared stunning data on molnupiravir, an oral antiviral it developed to combat COVID-19. In molnupiravir’s phase three clinical trial, it cut COVID-19 patients’ risk of being hospitalized or dying by 50%. The company is now seeking emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. (Craig Garthwaite, 11/1)
Los Angeles Times: Texas Abortion Law May Go Too Far For Supreme Court Conservatives
After oral arguments in two cases involving the Texas abortion law Monday morning, it appears that a majority of the justices will rightly say that if a state adopts an unconstitutional law, there must be some way to challenge it in federal court and have it enjoined. (Erwin Chemerinsky, 11/1)
San Jose Mercury News: The Texas Abortion Law
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on whether to allow a Justice Department suit to proceed against Texas' near ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The final outcome is pivotal not only to women's basic right to an abortion but also to sanctioning an unwelcome new era of citizen law enforcement. The Texas law empowers private citizens, rather than the government, to enforce the ban. It allows private citizens to bring civil litigation against providers or anyone who helps a woman access an abortion after six weeks. The $10,000 bounty creates a Wild West approach to law enforcement that will only further widen the nation's political divide. (11/1)
USA Today: Supreme Court's Texas Abortion Decisions Put Women's Lives At Risk
The Supreme Court listened to arguments on Monday about SB-8, the Texas bill that all but bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. That's before most women know they're pregnant. The Texas law is in direct conflict with Supreme Court rulings such as Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which established and reaffirmed that a woman's right to decide what happens to her body during a pregnancy stems from the constitutionally protected right to privacy. (Carli Pierson, 11/1)
The Washington Post: The Supreme Court’s Second Thoughts About Texas’s Antiabortion Law
On Monday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a challenge to the notorious Texas abortion law, which has effectively banned all abortions in the state later than six weeks after a woman’s last period. And although five conservative justices allowed that law to go into effect two months ago, the arguments Monday suggested that Justices Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett might be having something resembling a change of heart. (Paul Waldman, 11/1)
Modern Healthcare: Advocating For Advanced Practice Providers
During PA school and early in my career, balancing multiple projects or passions has required me to be as efficient as possible, and that work ethic has continued with me to this day. Once I set a goal, my first step is to prioritize it based on the level of impact and the effort required. I live off to-do lists, so once its prioritized and makes the list, I will do everything in my power to check it off. (Clair Kuriakose, 11/2)
