Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Mother Of Teen Suspected In California Mosque Slayings Reportedly Told Police Her Son Was Suicidal
The Washington Post: Mother’s Call To Police Sparked Search Before San Diego Mosque Shooting
Three men were fatally shot at the Islamic Center of San Diego on Monday morning, and two teenage suspects were found dead nearby shortly after, authorities said. The attackers’ motive was not immediately clear, and San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said they had made no known threat to the mosque. But he said “hate rhetoric was involved,” and investigators are treating the shooting as a hate crime. ... The police department received a call Monday morning about a runaway juvenile from the mother of one of the suspects, Wahl said. She reported that she believed her son was suicidal, and that he had taken three of her weapons and departed in her car with a companion, both of them clad in camouflage clothing. (Alfaro and Brulliard, 5/19)
On gun violence in the healthcare industry —
AP: Luigi Mangione Trial: Gun And Notebook Admitted As Evidence
A gun and notebook that prosecutors say link Luigi Mangione to the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson can be used as evidence at his murder trial, a judge ruled Monday, rejecting a defense argument that they were seized illegally. Judge Gregory Carro’s decision, five months after he held a hearing to examine how police came upon the items, is a major win for prosecutors, enabling them to show jurors a possible murder weapon and motive. That mirrors an earlier ruling in Mangione’s federal case. (Sisak, 5/18)
Fierce Healthcare: Study Examines U.S. Hospital Shootings Over Past 25 Years
Hospital-based shootings across the U.S. have “increased steadily” over the past 25 years, a new study published in JAMA Network Open found. Between 2000 and 2024, shootings increased from six to 34 per year—or a 6.4% increase per year. And, from 2012 to 2024, incidents rose 8.4% year-over-year from 14 to 34 shootings. (Gleeson, 5/18)
More mental health news —
The Washington Post: Surprising Drug Combo Could Reshape Treatment For Suicide Risk
A study to be presented Tuesday at the American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting found that a surprising combination of drugs — a single ketamine infusion followed by low-dose buprenorphine — significantly sustained reductions in suicidal ideation in adults with major depressive disorder. (Cha, 5/19)
The New York Times: Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows
A study of insurance claims for 1.8 million children found that the number of families raising mental health issues at visits to general practitioners rose sharply over a decade, with anxiety by far the fastest-growing complaint. The study, which was published on Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open, found that the number of pediatric visits rose to 9.7 percent in 2023 from 5.7 percent in 2014. (Barry, 5/18)
The Washington Post: Nearly Half Of Teens Are Losing Critical Sleep To Phone Use After Midnight
A new study from the University of California at San Francisco shows the extent to which school-night phone use could be disrupting vital sleep for adolescents. Teens averaged over 50 minutes of smartphone use between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on school nights, researchers found, and nearly half of the teens used their phones between midnight and 4 a.m. The majority of that phone use was spent on social media apps like YouTube, Instagram or TikTok, the study found. Others were looking at streaming apps or playing games like Roblox or Clash Royale. (Gibson, 5/19)
AP: Officer Charged In Fatal Shooting Of A Black Man In Mental Distress
A white police officer in Connecticut who fatally shot a Black man suffering a mental health crisis has been charged with manslaughter after a state investigation found he failed to de-escalate the confrontation. The officer, Joseph Magnano, was fired by the Hartford Police Department following the Feb. 27 shooting of Steven Jones, a 55-year-old man with a history of mental illness who had been walking through the street holding a large knife. (Offenhartz, 5/19)
On gambling and addiction —
The Washington Post: Analysis Of Sports On TV Detected An Excess Of Gambling Ads
A Washington Post analysis of 50 hours of televised football, basketball and hockey games found that betting references have become a ubiquitous part of the viewing experience. A gambling reference, promotion or commercial occurred every four minutes on average during the segments of professional and college games examined by The Post. Every one of the sporting events had a reference to betting. (Merrill, O'Connell and Connors, 5/19)
Roll Call: US Overlooks Drug Treatment Centers In Hepatitis C Fight
Alison Starkie spends her days tracking down people who need testing or treatment for hepatitis C, especially those who are unhoused or actively using drugs. Starkie, an intervention worker for a drug treatment service, recalled the difficulty of treating a man living in a tent in northwest England. Each time he started treatment for the disease, his medication was lost or stolen. (Hellmann, 5/18)
