Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gunman In 2017 Las Vegas Attack Was Resentful Of How Casino Treated Him
USA Today: FBI: Mandalay Bay Shooter In Las Vegas Who Killed 58 Was Angry About How Casinos Treated Him
A trove of documents recently released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation show that the shooter who killed 58 people at a Las Vegas concert in 2017 was "very upset" about how casinos were treating him. The documents provide the strongest indication yet of a motive for the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history. Stephen Paddock, 64, a regular gambler who had a penchant for video poker, killed himself at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino before he could be apprehended. The documents provide the most detailed look to date into Paddock's possible motive and gambling habits, delving into the weeks and years before he fired from his 32nd-floor windows into a crowd of 22,000 people at the Route 91 Harvest Festival. (Abdollah, 3/30)
Las Vegas Review-Journal: Nevada Leaders React To FBI Records On Oct. 1 Shooter
Members of Nevada’s congressional delegation and other elected officials urged lawmakers to pass gun legislation in response to the FBI records that provide new insight into the Oct. 1, 2017, mass shooting in Las Vegas. (Hill, 3/30)
More on the gun violence epidemic —
The Guardian: Tennessee Governor Fails To Mention Gun Control In Message After Shooting
The Republican governor of Tennessee called for compassion and an end to mass violence but pointedly declined to mention guns or gun control in a message to his state after three nine-year-old children and three adults were shot dead at a Christian school in Nashville. (Conroy, 3/29)
Politico: Florida Lawmakers Hand DeSantis Political Win On Guns
The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature on Thursday voted to let gun owners in the nation’s third most populous state carry guns without a state permit, delivering on a campaign promise by Gov. Ron DeSantis as he ramps up his expected run for president. DeSantis, who was promoting his new book at a Georgia sporting goods store that bills itself as the world’s largest gun store, vowed to act quickly on the legislation. (Fineout, 3/30)
CNN: Most States Get An 'F' On Gun Laws This Year In New Analysis By Advocacy Group
Most US states get a failing grade on gun laws, according to a new scorecard published by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The group advocates for stricter gun laws as a way to save lives. (Wolf, 3/31)
More mental health news —
The Washington Post: Social Media Is Addictive For Many Girls, Especially Those With Depression
Nearly half of adolescent girls on TikTok feel addicted to it or use the platform for longer than they intend, according to a report that looks at social media as a central facet of American girlhood. TikTok leads the way in total time on its platform, with girls who use it logging more than 2.5 hours a day, according to researchers from Brown University and the nonprofit Common Sense Media. But YouTube is only a bit behind, at nearly 2.5 hours, with Snapchat and messaging apps at about two hours, and Instagram at 92 minutes. Many of the girls surveyed, ages 11 to 15, use multiple platforms each day. (St. George, 3/30)
AP: US Navy Deploys More Chaplains For Suicide Prevention
Mental health problems, especially among enlisted men under 29, mirror concerns in schools and colleges, which are also increasingly tapping campus ministry for counseling. The isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated depression and anxiety for many. But chaplains, civilian counselors, families of suicide victims, and sailors from commodores to the newly enlisted say these struggles pose unique challenges and security implications in the military, where suicides have risen for most of the past decade and took the lives of 519 service members in 2021, per the latest Department of Defense data. (Dell'Orto, 3/30)
Bloomberg: Less Than Half Of US Workers Use All Their Vacation Days
Spring break is here, and summer vacations are just around the bend. But while increasingly stressed-out US workers say having paid time off is critical, many still don’t even take all that they’re allowed. (Boyle, 3/30)
