Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The Washington Post: High Toxin Levels Are Illegal In Public Water. But Not For Americans Using Private Wells.
An estimated 43 million Americans get water from wells they own. Should government require them to test and treat their water? (Foster-Frau, 9/10)
AP: A Remote Tribe Is Reeling From Widespread Illness. What Role Did The US Government Play?
The remote Duck Valley reservation that straddles Nevada and Idaho has battled toxic contaminants on its land for decades. (Stern, 9/9)
The New York Times: Just Miles From Kroger’s Court Battle, A Food Desert Shows What’s At Stake
Federal regulators are trying to block Kroger’s merger with Albertsons. In a Portland suburb, residents already know what deteriorating access to fresh food looks like. (Kaye, 9/10)
Bloomberg: In Louisville, Planting Urban Trees Is A Public Health Priority
A decade ago, Louisville earned an unwanted distinction: With sparse tree cover and no ordinances protecting trees on private property, the Kentucky city had the fastest-growing urban heat island in the US. Since then, Louisville has been exploring a variety of green solutions to extreme heat and air pollution. (Baker, 9/12)
The New York Times: The Pivotal Decision That Led To A Resurgence Of Polio
In 2016, the global health authorities removed a type of poliovirus from the oral vaccine. The virus caused a growing number of outbreaks and has now arrived in Gaza. (Mandavilli, 9/7)
It's been 23 years since the 9/11 attacks —
The Washington Post: 9/11 Responders Are Getting Dementia. They Want The Government To Help.
It took 19 years for the symptoms to emerge. Tom Beyrer, who served for six months as a police officer at Ground Zero following the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center, was 65 when his memory and cognitive abilities began to crumble. Gradually, he pulled away from things that brought him joy. He no longer remembered how to open the family’s backyard pool in the spring. He stopped tinkering on his Corvette. He began sitting in his living room alone without the television on. Then one night, distraught, he called his wife, Maria. “I don’t know where I am,” he told her. (Hurley, 9/11)
Fox News: 9/11 Survivors With Potentially Fatal Illnesses Left Out Of Controversial Plea Deal Talks: Attorneys
Attorneys for 9/11 survivors who have died from cancers related to toxins inhaled that day are urging the federal government to be more transparent about a controversial plea deal. (Joseph, 9/12)
CBS News: 23 Years After 9/11, World Trade Center Health Program Expands To More Flight 93 First Responders
Around 150 people who responded in Shanksville have enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. But more than 1,000 responded to the crash site in the aftermath. Now, more people who assisted at the Flight 93 and Pentagon sites are eligible for the program, including employees of any federal agency and members of the uniformed services. (Guay, 9/12)
