Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Failed Tennessee Execution Puts Spotlight On Supply Chain For Lethal Injection Drugs
The Wall Street Journal: Botched Tennessee Execution Draws Scrutiny Of Lethal Injection Drugs
Tennessee’s failed execution of Christa Pike this week has resulted in fresh scrutiny of the shaky and secretive supply chain for lethal injection drugs. Pharmaceutical companies no longer provide drugs for executions. So U.S. states have turned to loosely or even unregulated sources for the deadly cocktails, which experts say make lethal injections less reliable. (Lawrence and Janin, 10/3)
The Washington Post: Christa Pike Still In Critical Condition After Botched Execution, Lawyer Says
Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death in Tennessee for her role in a brutal 1995 murder, remains in critical condition several days after she was hospitalized following a botched execution, her attorney said Sunday. Stephen Ferrell told CNN that his client is still on a ventilator as doctors continue trying to clear two doses of pentobarbital, the lethal injections she survived, from her system. (Jira, 10/4)
In other news from across the nation —
Bloomberg: Boston Brigham And Women’s Hospital Nurses Plan Strike Over Pay Dispute
Nurses at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, among the most prestigious in the country and one of Harvard University’s teaching hospitals, are set to go on an indefinite strike after a months-long stalemate over salary and benefit negotiations. Roughly 4,000 nurses, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, are set to begin their strike on October 14 after providing the required 10-day notice to hospital leadership on Friday, according to a statement from the union. The nurses group voted to authorize a strike in late September. (Querolo and Ryan, 10/2)
CalMatters: Doctors, Insurers Sue California Over Health Care Tax Law
Doctors and health insurers filed a lawsuit Friday alleging Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature violated the law when they approved a healthcare tax that could substantially increase insurance premiums for Californians. (Hwang, 10/2)
CalMatters: Fact Check: Did Newsom's Mental Health Court Reach 10,000 Californians?
Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed a major victory for his signature mental health court on Thursday, but critics say his math appears more than a little fuzzy. Posting on X, Newsom wrote the CARE Court program “has now helped 10,000+ Californians get the lifesaving support and care they need and deserve – reaching (his administration’s) goal of 7,000 to 12,000 ‘initially served.’” (Wiener and Kendall, 10/2)
The Colorado Sun: Proposition 135 Explained: Colorado Would Ban Gender-Related Surgeries For Youth
Voters this November will decide whether to make Colorado the latest state to ban certain gender-related surgeries for people under the age of 18. Proposition 135 would prohibit doctors from performing surgeries on minors to alter their sex characteristics. It would also ban state or federal funds, Medicaid or private insurance coverage from paying for such surgeries. (Ingold, 10/4)
ProPublica & The Frontier: Oil Company Plugs Well That Posed Threat To Enid, Oklahoma’s Water
An Oklahoma oil and gas company plugged a well that disposes of oil production’s toxic byproduct after an investigation by The Frontier and ProPublica revealed that regulators had approved the well in violation of state rules meant to protect public groundwater supplies. The disposal well, named the Flying Monkey, injected oil field wastewater underground and sat roughly a quarter-mile from two municipal groundwater supply sites that served the small city of Enid in northwest Oklahoma. Wastewater injection operations are banned within a half-mile of public water wells unless regulators hold a hearing to ensure that this activity will not pollute groundwater. (Bowlin, 10/5)
NBC News: Kratom-Like Substances Are Popping Up In A Typically Benign Supplement
The calls started coming into the Utah Poison Control Center in March. People had taken a herbal supplement known as “cat’s claw” but were reporting symptoms that sounded much like an opioid overdose. (10/1)
Also —
ABC News: Conjoined Twins Receive Scoliosis Surgery 11 Years After Separation
Eleven years after conjoined twins Knatalye and Addy Mata were successfully separated, the girls are undergoing surgery yet again. The pair received surgery at Scottish Rite for Children hospital in Dallas to treat their scoliosis, according to a hospital Facebook post on Thursday. The sisters were apart for three months for their surgeries and have since reunited, ABC News' Dallas affiliate WFAA reported. "It's something to be proud of and not to be ashamed of," Knatalye said, according to Scottish Rite. (Fahrney, 10/2)
