Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Hate-Crime Killings Hit Record In 2019, But COVID May Have Eased Violence
The Washington Post: FBI: Hate-Crime Killings Reached A Record In 2019
Hate-crime killings reached a record last year in the United States, due in large part to the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso that officials say was motivated by anti-immigrant bias, according to figures released Monday by the FBI. There were 51 hate-crime killings in 2019, the highest number since the FBI began tabulating such figures in the early 1990s. (Barrett, 11/6)
The New York Times: Hate Crimes In U.S. Rose To Highest Level In More Than A Decade In 2019
Hate crimes in the United States rose to their highest level in more than a decade last year, while more murders motivated by hate were recorded than ever before, the F.B.I. said on Monday. The sharp rise in homicides driven by hatred — there were 51 last year, according to the F.B.I. — was attributed in large part to the mass shooting in El Paso in August 2019. In that shooting, the authorities say a 21-year-old gunman motivated by hatred toward Latinos stormed a Walmart and killed 23 people and injured many more. (Arango, 11/16)
In other news related to mental health —
AP: Academics, Video Game Makers Team Up In Rare Collaboration
A study by Oxford University researchers on how playing video games affects mental health used data from video game makers, marking what the authors say is a rare collaboration between academics and the game industry. Lack of transparency from game makers has long been an issue for scientists hoping to better understand player behaviors. (Chan, 11/17)
The New York Times: ‘How Did We Not Know?’ Gun Owners Confront A Suicide Epidemic
Gun violence kills about 40,000 Americans each year, but while public attention has focused on mass shootings, murders and accidental gun deaths, these account for little more than one-third of the nation’s firearms fatalities. The majority of gun deaths are suicides — and just over half of suicides involve guns. According to national health statistics, 24,432 Americans used guns to kill themselves in 2018, up from 19,392 in 2010. (Rabin, 11/17)
KHN: Facebook Live: Helping COVID’s Secondary Victims: Grieving Families And Friends
Judith Graham, author of KHN’s Navigating Aging column, hosted a discussion on these unprecedented losses and dealing with the bereavement on Facebook Live on Monday. She was joined by Holly Prigerson, co-director of the Center for Research on End-of-Life Care at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, and Diane Snyder-Cowan, leader of the bereavement professionals steering committee of the National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals. (11/16)
