Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hard To Estimate Impact Of Protests On Pandemic Since States Were Reopening At Same Time, Experts Say
The Washington Post: Protests Probably Didn’t Lead To Coronavirus Spikes, But It’s Hard To Know For Sure
When the killing of George Floyd drew tens of thousands of protesters into the streets of America’s largest cities, many of those streets had been empty for weeks. Restrictions had left family members unable to attend the funerals of relatives for fear of spreading the novel coronavirus. Shutdowns sent businesses into bankruptcy. (Janes, 6/30)
The Washington Post: Americans Are Living In A Big ‘Anger Incubator.’ Experts Have Tips For Regulating Our Rage.
Americans are angry. The country erupted into the worst civil unrest in decades after the death of George Floyd, and anger about police violence and the country’s legacy of racism is still running high. At the same time, we’re dealing with anger provoked by the coronavirus pandemic: anger at public officials because they’ve shut down parts of society, or anger because they aren’t doing enough to curb the virus. Anger about being required to wear a mask, or anger toward people who refuse to wear a mask. Anger at anyone who doesn’t see things the “right” way. “We’re living, in effect, in a big anger incubator,” said Raymond Novaco, a psychology professor at the University of California at Irvine who has expertise in anger assessment and treatment. (Chang, 6/30)
In news on violence and police reforms from Minnesota, Massachusetts, California, New York and Mississippi —
The Washington Post: Minneapolis Undercuts The Idea That Economic Prosperity Leads To Racial Equality
The Twin Cities once drew black families fleeing racism in the Jim Crow South, and with their combination of progressive policies and prosperity, regularly rank among the best places to live in America. Taxes, for decades, have been redistributed from wealthy suburbs to poorer communities to combat inequality — an effort bolstered in recent years by raising state income taxes on the rich. The result: more money for schools, affordable housing and social services in lower-income neighborhoods. (Jan, 6/30)
Boston Globe: House Approves Commission To Reduce Racial Inequities In Maternal Childbirth Deaths
The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday to create a commission led by people of color to reduce or eliminate racial inequities in maternal deaths. ...The United States has the highest rate of death related to pregnancy and childbirth in the developed world, noted cosponsor Representative Kay Khan, a Newton Democrat. (Ebbert, 6/30)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. Calls Restraining Order On LAPD Use Of Batons And Projectiles 'Unwarranted'
Attorneys for Los Angeles on Tuesday argued against a temporary restraining order to block city police officers from using batons and tactical bullets to control crowds, saying the request was “unwarranted and overbroad” and that police “must be able to respond” to unlawful crowds. The Los Angeles Police Department used such weapons on protesters at the end of May and in early June, injuring many, and are now being sued for it in federal court by Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, the local chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and the Los Angeles Community Action Network. (Rector and Winton, 6/30)
ABC News: Protester Martin Gugino, Who Was Injured By Police, Released From Hospital
The 75-year-old protester who was pushed to the ground by police officers in Buffalo, New York, has been released from the hospital almost four weeks after being injured. Martin Gugino was attending a protest outside City Hall on June 4 when he was pushed to the ground by a line of police officers clearing out the relatively empty area. He fell and hit the back of his head, fracturing his skull and putting him in the hospital for 26 days. (Osborne, 6/30)
The New York Times: Mississippi Governor Signs Law To Remove Flag With Confederate Emblem
Just a few weeks ago, as Mississippi lawmakers mobilized to take down the only state flag in the nation with the Confederate battle emblem embedded into it, Gov. Tate Reeves said the choice was not theirs to make. “It should be the people who make that decision,” Mr. Reeves told reporters then, “not some backroom deal by a bunch of politicians in Jackson.” But on Tuesday, Mr. Reeves signed into law a measure that removes the flag that has flown over the state for 126 years and been at the heart of a conflict Mississippi has grappled with for generations: how to view a legacy that traces to the Civil War. (Rojas, 6/30)
