Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Lawsuit Calls For Medical Testing, Care After Ohio Train Derailment
AP: Lawsuit Seeks Medical Testing After Toxic Train Derailment
Residents who filed a federal lawsuit in the fiery derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals along the Ohio-Pennsylvania line are seeking to force Norfolk Southern to set up health monitoring for residents in both states. The lawsuit filed Thursday by two Pennsylvania residents calls for the rail operator to pay for medical screenings and related care for anyone living within a 30-mile (48-kilometer) radius of the derailment to determine who was affected by toxic substances released after the derailment. The lawsuit also is seeking undetermined damages. (2/10)
CBS News: Texas Officials Investigate Chemical Leak That Triggered Shelter-In-Place Order
A shelter-in-place order issued Sunday morning for portions of Texas' most populous county was lifted by the early afternoon, local officials announced. The order applied to sections of Harris County, which includes Houston and is home to more than 4 million residents, and was ordered in response to a chemical gas leak at a 99 Cents Only Store distribution center about 30 miles west of the city. (Mae Czachor, 2/12)
The Colorado Sun: Did Toxins From A Colorado Manufacturer Cost A Young Man His Leg?
Blake Darnell and his father, Gordon, gingerly make their way across a layer of sidewalk ice to an overlook, where they peer down at a snow-covered set of bike jumps where Blake spent his teenage years perfecting his moves. At age 32, Blake has to limp to the spot. (Booth, 2/13)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Tampa Bay Times: Florida Nursing Homes See Spike In Serious Violations
A man in a wheelchair was left outside a St. Petersburg nursing home on a 95-degree summer day. When the nursing home’s staff discovered him two hours later, he was unresponsive. His body temperature had climbed to 106. (Chritchfield, 2/10)
Valley News: Group Installing ‘NaloxBoxes’ To Help Reverse Overdoses
Amy Lappin, deputy director of Lebanon Public Libraries, looked out the window of Kilton Library one day about a year and a half ago as she was shelving books and saw a man suffering from a heroin overdose. She called 911 and the man was revived by paramedics. The library is across the street from a fire station, so first responders were nearby. But she still recalls the day as a difficult one. (Doyle-Burr, 2/11)
Philadelphia Inquirer: John Fetterman Released From Hospital; Will Return To Senate Monday
Sen. John Fetterman was released from the hospital late Friday afternoon after checking himself in on Wednesday with lightheadedness. Fetterman’s office said that doctors ruled out another stroke and that he was expected to return to the Senate when the chamber is back in session on Monday. (Terruso, 2/10)
The Washington Post: Darryl Tyree Williams Died After Raleigh Police Used Taser, Despite Warnings Of Heart Problems
A North Carolina man who died about an hour after police repeatedly used a Taser on him had told officers that he had heart problems before he lost consciousness, according to footage of police surveillance and body cameras. Darryl Tyree Williams, 32, died on Jan. 17, shortly after he fled an arrest for alleged drug possession and was stunned at least three times by officers with the Raleigh Police Department. Six officers have been placed on administrative leave amid an internal investigation and a separate inquiry from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. (Bella, 2/11)
