Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
EPA Will Pay Attention To People's Symptoms After Ohio Train Incident
The Hill: EPA Administrator Says Officials Won’t ‘Second-Guess’ East Palestine People’s Symptoms
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan said officials will not “second-guess” the symptoms that the people of East Palestine, Ohio, are experiencing following the train derailment earlier this month. Regan said in an interview on “CNN This Morning” on Wednesday that the tests that have been conducted on the water and the air in the local community have shown that they should not be causing adverse health effects. (Gans, 2/22)
NBC News: Ohio Derailment: What Chemicals Spilled, And How Could They Affect Residents?
The chemicals that spilled and were later burned near East Palestine, Ohio, after the Feb. 3 train derailment have the kinds of names that bring back visions of high school chemistry: vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate and isobutylene. Scientists know the names well, along with the harms these chemicals can cause to the environment and human health — from irritation of the eyes and skin to breathing difficulties and cancer — raising major concerns about exposure and contamination in the wake of the incident. (Chow and Abou-Sabe, 2/22)
Newsweek: East Palestine Residents Could Get Medicare For Life After Ohio Disaster
Residents of East Palestine and the surrounding areas could be able to claim Medicare under a little-known clause of the Affordable Care Act that gives victims of environmental disasters extended coverage—though it remains unclear if it will be granted in this case. (Phillips, 2/22)
The Hill: Poll Shows Support For Stricter Regs On Transporting Hazardous Materials
Most Americans support more regulations on the transportation of hazardous materials in a new poll, which comes after a train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed in Ohio earlier this month. The poll, conducted by The Economist and YouGov, found that 54 percent of American adults supported more regulations on transportation hazardous materials. Twenty-one percent said they supported no changes, 17 percent were not sure and 8 percent said there should be fewer regulations. (Sforza, 2/22)
Meanwhile, in Florida —
Politico: Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapo Investigated For Allegedly Falsifying Covid Report
The Florida Department of Health’s inspector general last fall investigated Joseph Ladapo, the state’s surgeon general, after the agency received an anonymous complaint alleging he falsified a report focusing on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines for young men. (Sarkissian, 2/22)
In health news from California —
CapRadio: Sacramento City Council OKs Cannabis Dispensary, Denying Appeal By Nearby Detox Center
The Sacramento City Council approved a permit for a cannabis dispensary in a 8-0 vote on Tuesday, denying a request to prevent the store from opening near a detox center. City officials said La Krisha Young, the owner of the proposed dispensary and graduate of the city’s equity cannabis program, met requirements and added extra restrictions to respond to the detox center’s concerns. (Lam, 2/22)
CapRadio: Birth Rates Are Declining In California. Here’s Why Experts Think It's Happening.
California’s birth rate is at its lowest level in roughly 100 years, according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California. According to the January report, the number of births hit a peak in 1992 at roughly 613,000 children born. Now, more than 30 years later, that number dropped by nearly a third to 420,000. Authors called the trend “a new baby bust.” (Gonzalez, 2/23)
San Francisco Chronicle: State Supreme Court: School Districts Can't Require COVID Vaccines
The state Supreme Court rejected a challenge Wednesday to a ruling that said school districts in California cannot require their students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 because only the state government can issue such a mandate. While public health agencies have recommended the vaccinations for children as young as 6 months old, legislation calling for vaccine mandates in schools has stalled in Sacramento. (Egelko, 2/22)
In other news from across the country —
New Hampshire Public Radio: N.H. Senate Panel Recommends Making Medicaid Expansion Permanent
A state Senate committee recommended permanently reauthorizing New Hampshire’s Medicaid expansion program Wednesday, after a broad coalition of businesses, health care providers and patients testified in support. “The question for us today is: has Medicaid expansion worked?” Republican Senate President Jeb Bradley said at the start of a hearing Wednesday. “And I think you're going to hear a lot of testimony today that the answer clearly and unequivocally is yes.” (Cuno-Booth, 2/22)
Philadelphia Inquirer: COVID Death In Delaware County Prompted A Rare Lawsuit Over Pandemic Medical Care
COVID had so ravaged Tamika Jones’ lungs she could barely finish a sentence without gasping for breath when the emergency medical technicians arrived at her Delaware County home on Jan. 22, 2021. The 46-year-old struggled to stand, and couldn’t get to the bathroom without a walker. An EMT did not check her temperature, blood pressure, or heart rate — or see if she needed oxygen — yet urged her not to go to the hospital. (Laughlin, 2/23)
AP: 'Baby Box' Locations Would Debut Under West Virginia Bill
A West Virginia legislative panel on Wednesday advanced a bill that would let the state establish “baby box” safe surrender locations. The House Judiciary Committee forwarded the bill to the full House of Delegates. West Virginia’s Safe Haven Law already allows children less than 30 days old to be turned over to a hospital, health facility or fire department that is staffed 24 hours a day. (2/22)
Politico: This Airplane Fuel Is Still Poisoning Children
The United States banned leaded gasoline for cars long ago, but smaller aircraft continue to use the fuel — and it’s exposing hundreds of thousands of children to lead poisoning. POLITICO’s E&E News reporter Ariel Wittenberg dug into the issue in an investigation this week. She found that fuel producers such as Chevron and Exxon Mobil have repeatedly blocked efforts to create unleaded fuels for small aircraft. (Skibell, 2/22)
