Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
Harvard Public Health: Researchers Tried To Fix A Racist Lung Test. It Got Complicated.
A new lung function test ditches the medical racism of the old version, but with serious consequences to how results are applied. (Freyer, 9/18)
The New York Times: First Day Of A ‘New Life’ For A Boy With Sickle Cell
Kendric Cromer, 12, is among the first patients to be treated with gene therapy just approved by the F.D.A. that many other patients face obstacles to receiving. (Kolata, 9/16)
The Marshall Project: Robert Roberson Shows Perils Of Death Penalty Cases Involving Autism
Robert Roberson, who faces execution in Texas on Oct. 17, is the latest death row prisoner to see a glossy campaign to save his life. He was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter Nikki Curtis in 2002 on a theory of “shaken baby syndrome.” A growing chorus, from the lead detective in his case to novelist John Grisham, is arguing that he is innocent and Curtis’ death, while a tragedy, was not a crime. He’d be the first person ever executed based on shaken baby syndrome, even as the diagnosis faces growing scrutiny in the courts. But another fact about Roberson deserves more attention to make sense of his story — his diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. (Chammah, 9/18)
The New York Times: Bulletproofing America’s Classrooms
Ballistic armor companies are marketing protective products designed for the military to parents and schools. Some people see the items as unsettling but prudent; others find them infuriating. (Baumgaertner and Kalman, 9/18)
The Washington Post: Why Schools Are Ripping Up Asphalt Schoolyards Across The U.S.
As extreme heat worsens, schools nationwide are increasingly replacing asphalt playgrounds with green, cooler spaces. (Phillips, 9/14)
The Washington Post: China Shut Down Foreign Adoptions. This Family Doesn’t Want To Give Up.
On Sept. 5, China’s Foreign Ministry suddenly, and with little explanation, announced an end to the country’s three-decade-old foreign adoption program, which has sent more than 82,000 children to the United States, more than any other country. Chinese civil affairs officials “will not continue to process cases at any stage,” the State Department said. That will stop hundreds of families who have been matched with children by Chinese authorities from completing their adoptions, even those in the final stage of what can be a years-long process, adoption advocates said. (Laris, 9/17)
The Wall Street Journal: The Calamitous Rape Crisis Unfolding In Congo’s War
Around 80% of women in camps for the displaced have been raped in brutal attacks, as international attention wanes. ‘If the war ends, I won’t have to be raped anymore.’ (Steinhauser, 9/15)
