Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gun Violence Is A Public Health Issue, Fauci Says
Fox News: Fauci Ties Gun Violence To A Public Health Issue
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top disease expert in the U.S., tied gun violence to public health in the country during an interview Sunday after a recent spate of mass shootings. Fauci was a guest on CNN’s "State of the Union," and the host, Dana Bash asked him his opinion on gun violence, which she described as "another epidemic" in the U.S. "When you see people getting killed, I mean, in this last month, it’s just been horrifying what’s happened. How can you say that’s not a public health issue?" (DeMarche, 4/18)
Indianapolis Star: FedEx Shooting: Indianapolis Trauma Doctors See Gun Violence Every Day
On Friday morning when Dr. Jennifer Hartwell awoke to news of a mass shooting at a local FedEx facility, she called some of her fellow trauma surgeons to make sure they were OK in the wake of tragedy that left eight dead and at least five wounded. Many said sure, they were fine; it was just another busy night. Mass shootings grab the headlines but for trauma surgeons an incident like the one last week at the FedEx Ground Plainfield Operations Center is unfortunately another example of the gun violence whose victims these doctors treat every day. (Rudavsky, 4/19)
A Peloton treadmill faces scrutiny —
CNBC: U.S. CPSC Tells Consumers To Stop Using Peloton's Tread+ Treadmill
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on Saturday said consumers should stop using the Tread+ treadmill from exercise equipment maker Peloton if small children or pets are around. The announcement came one month after Peloton itself disclosed an accident involving the treadmill that resulted in the death of a child. (Novet, 4/17)
The Washington Post: Peloton Fights With CPSC Over Recalling Its Treadmills After Child Deaths, Injuries
One month after revealing that one child died and others were injured in accidents on Peloton treadmills, the at-home exercise company is fighting a federal safety agency’s request that the company recall the products and has delayed the agency’s investigation into potential safety problems, according to officials familiar with the incident. The Consumer Product Safety Commission this week took the unusual step of issuing an administrative subpoena to require Peloton to disclose the name of the child who died and the family’s contact information so regulators can continue an inquiry into what went wrong, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. (Frankel, 4/17)
In other public health news —
The New York Times: How Safe Are You From Covid When You Fly?
More people are flying every day, as Covid restrictions ease and vaccinations accelerate. But dangerous variants have led to deadly new outbreaks, raising questions about just how safe it is to travel now. (Grondahl, Mzezewa, Fleisher and White, 4/17)
USA Today: COVID Travel And Stress: Airports Step Up Mental Health Assistance
Robin Hancock gently worked her steel tongue drum with a pair of mallets, producing a set of soothing, mystical tones. They blended with the soft sound of chirping birds and bubbling creeks pouring from a Bluetooth speaker. Her warm voice invited the two visitors in the dimly lit room to slip into a nature setting of their choosing. The 20-minute guided meditation took place at an unlikely location: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which until 2020 was the world’s busiest passenger hub. The airport interfaith chapel’s executive director, Blair Walker, introduced the meditation sessions last fall in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Ridderbusch, 4/18)
North Carolina Health News: Illness Can Turn Housing Instability Into Homelessness
A freezing February rain pummels the hospital windows, but for once, it won’t reach Donna. The 52-year-old cannot remember the last time four solid walls and a roof protected her from the bitter Appalachian winter. The bacterial infection that brought her to the intensive care unit in the middle of the night weakened her, but Donna was well enough to appreciate the perks her illness bestowed. (Engel-Smith, 4/19)
