Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
News Report Prompts Air Force Investigation Into Domestic Violence
CBS News: Air Force Secretary Orders Investigation Into Domestic Violence Cases Following CBS News Report
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has ordered an investigation into cases involving alleged domestic violence following a two-year investigation by CBS News anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell and the investigative unit into the military's handling of such cases. "I am extremely troubled by the claims of inappropriate handling of domestic violence complaints highlighted in your broadcast and have directed the Department of the Air Force Inspector General to conduct a comprehensive review of those cases," Kendall said in a statement Wednesday. (Yilek, 9/8)
CBS News: Military's Domestic Violence Crisis Compounded After 20 Years Of War
Deployment. Post-traumatic stress disorder. Self-medication with alcohol. Domestic abuse. And finally, in some cases, sexual assault. It's a cycle retired longtime Army attorney Captain Tony Hosein has seen many times. Hosein, who served as a legal assistance and special victims attorney for the Army before he retired in February, had helped dozens of domestic violence survivors — "I've seen the worst of the worst." But cases typically only got to his desk once an abusive situation had escalated. (O'Donnell, Steve, Tepper, Verdugo and Yilek, 9/8)
In news about the Supreme Court —
The Hill: Supreme Court Returning To Courtroom For Arguments
The justices will return to the Supreme Court next month to hold their first in-person oral arguments since the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic. Courtroom access will be limited to the justices, court personnel, legal counsel and journalists during upcoming arguments, though the court is expected to provide live audio of the proceedings. The court building remains closed to the public indefinitely due to ongoing health concerns, a court spokesperson said. (Kruzel, 9/8)
Politico: The Surprisingly Strong Supreme Court Precedent Supporting Vaccine Mandates
Henning Jacobson, a 50-year-old minister, put his faith in his own liberty. Back in his native Sweden, he had suffered a bad reaction to a vaccine as an infant, struggling for years with an angry rash. Now he was an American citizen, serving as pastor of the Swedish Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That gave him the full protections of the U.S. Constitution. So when the Cambridge board of health decided that all adults must be vaccinated for smallpox, Jacobson sought refuge in the Constitution’s promise that no state shall “deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” The year was 1904, and when his politically charged legal challenge to the $5 fine for failing to get vaccinated made its way to the Supreme Court. (Canellos and Lau, 9/8)
