Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Longer Looks: Interesting Reads You Might Have Missed
The New York Times: F.D.A. Faces Upset Over Denials Of New Drugs
Megan Selser has been savoring the antics of her toddler son, who laughs as he leaps from a household ottoman each night before bed and points to Minion characters on TV while shouting, “Eyeballs!” She has also been anxiously awaiting the Food and Drug Administration’s decision on a promising gene therapy for children like her son, who has Hunter syndrome. The disease floods children with cell fragments that their brains and bodies can’t break down, robbing them of the ability to walk and talk by age 8. (Jewett, 3/5)
The Marshall Project: As Texas Restricts Cashless Bail, More People Will Be Jailed For Months Based On An Accusation
Taken together, SB 9 and Proposition 3 illuminate a two-pronged effort to stiffen pretrial detention: They simultaneously tighten the money-bail pathway for some offenses, while widening the menu of cases where people can be held without bail at all. This is not just a Texas story. Across the country, state legislatures are reaching for similar tools. Earlier this month, lawmakers in Tennessee teed up a 2026 ballot measure that would expand the categories of offenses for which bail can be denied. Just days later, legislators in Indiana advanced an amendment that would allow judges to deny bail based on a broad finding of danger to public safety — language that critics warn could widen quickly in practice. Voters in both states will decide on the measures in November. (Lartey, 2/28)
The Wall Street Journal: Gemini Said They Could Only Be Together If He Killed Himself. Soon, He Was Dead.
Jonathan Gavalas embarked on several real-world missions to secure a body for the Gemini chatbot he called his wife, according to a lawsuit his father brought against the chatbot’s maker, Alphabet’s Google. When the delusion-fueled plan crumbled, Gemini convinced him that the only way they could be together was for him to end his earthly life and start a digital one, the suit claims. About two months after his initial discussions with the chatbot, Gavalas was dead by suicide. (Jargon, 3/4)
The New York Times: A Danish Program Takes On The Stigma Of Mental Illness
One of Us, run by Denmark’s health ministry, works with people with mental health conditions to share their stories in schools, hospitals and police stations, helping turn fear into understanding. (Bajaj, 3/3)
The New York Times: Can Owning A Pet Help You Live Longer?
Studies show that having a pet is associated with lower blood pressure, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and lower rates of death after a heart attack or stroke. And a large review of studies published in 2019 found that owning a dog was associated with a 24 percent lower risk of dying from all causes over the course of 10 years. The benefit is so striking when it comes to heart health that the American Heart Association even has a scientific statement devoted to it, declaring that dog ownership “may be reasonable for reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.” (The organization doesn’t advise getting a dog for the sole purpose of heart health, though.) (Smith, 3/3)
