Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Neglect Charges Against Ex-Governor May Not Be Enough For Flint Residents
The New York Times: Ex-Governor Of Michigan Charged With Neglect In Flint Water Crisis
Rick Snyder, the former governor of Michigan who oversaw the state when a water crisis devastated the city of Flint, has been charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty, according to court records. The charges are misdemeanors punishable by imprisonment of up to one year or a maximum fine of $1,000. (Bosman, 1/13)
AP: Flint Families Welcome Water Crisis Charges, Seek Healing
Flint mother Ariana Hawk struggled to find words. Bittersweet came to mind, as did frustrated. “I literally could have cried,” said Hawk, sitting in her car after learning Tuesday that former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and others in his administration were expected to be charged in a water crisis blamed with causing learning disabilities in scores of children and other medical problems among adults in the majority Black city about 60 miles (95 kilometers) northwest of Detroit. Hawk’s son, Sincere Smith, was 2 years old when she noticed something wasn’t right with the family’s tap water. Sometimes the water they drank and used for cooking and bathing was discolored. More concerning was when it gushed out brown. (Stafford, Household and Williams, 1/14)
In updates from Massachusetts, Maryland and Michigan —
Boston Globe: Natick Issues Boil Water Order After E. Coli Found In Water Samples
Natick issued a boil water order Wednesday after E. coli was found in water samples collected Tuesday, officials said. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection removed the water sources that tested positive for E. coli from operation and increased water disinfection treatments, the town said in a statement. The bacteria was found in 9 out of 12 sampling sites in the water system on Tuesday, the statement said. It was also detected in a sample of untreated water from the Elm Bank source, which is treated before use. Residents are advised to boil tap water for at least 1 minute, the statement said. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, food preparation, brushing teeth, and washing dishes. (Stanton, 1/13)
The Baltimore Sun: Overdose Deaths Jump In Maryland, Likely Due To Coronavirus Pandemic, Health Officials Say
More Marylanders died of drug and alcohol overdoses in the first nine months of last year, a jump that health officials attribute to the coronavirus pandemic. State health officials said Wednesday that 2,025 people suffered “unintentional intoxication deaths” between January and September, a 12.1% increase from the same period in 2019. (Miller, 1/13)
Detroit Free Press: Michigan's Problem With Food Insecurity Only Got Worse During COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens the economy and more Michiganders struggle to afford food, a new report says Michigan must strengthen its food supply by prioritizing food workers for PPE, and help ensure more food makes it the "last mile" to residents in need. The Food Security Council, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created in August, made the recommendations "to inform the state’s response to a potential second wave of COVID-19 or future public health emergency," according to a report issued in October. Whitmer released the group's recommendations Monday. (Rahman, 1/13)
