Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
NYC Rushes To Shelter Unhoused From Extreme Cold As Death Toll Rises
The New York Times: New York City Races To Help Homeless People As Temperatures Plunge
Between Friday evening and Monday afternoon, eight people were found dead outside or later died at a hospital, officials said. They had not yet determined how the eight had died by Monday and said they were still investigating whether the people were homeless. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said some of them had “interactions with the shelter system” in the past, but did not provide specifics. (Zaveri, 1/26)
USA Today: At Least 34 Deaths Connected To Weekend Winter Storm
People in 14 states have died as a result of the weekend winter storm that brought, snow, ice and treacherous conditions. (Waddick, Pulver and Nguyen, 1/26)
CBS News: Major Winter Storm Brings Warnings About Heart Attack Risk Of Shoveling Snow
As large parts of the U.S. dig out from a major winter storm, health officials are renewing warnings about the serious and potentially deadly risks of shoveling snow, which has been linked to heart attacks. "Snow shoveling is definitely associated with an increased risk of both heart attack and sudden cardiac death, especially in men and those with unknown cardiac coronary heart disease, or with multiple cardiac risk factors," said Christopher Kramer, a cardiologist and University of Virginia Health and the president of the American College of Cardiology. (Czachor, 1/26)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Colorado Sun: A Plan To Cut Medicaid Rates For Coloradans With Disabilities Gets No Support From Governing Board
When it came time for any of the Colorado Medical Services Board members to make a motion, there was only dead silence. For two hours, the 11-member board that governs the state Medicaid program heard pleas from parents who provide round-the-clock care of their adult children with severe disabilities. And when the testimony was over, no one on the board would make a motion that would result in cuts to the parents’ monthly pay. (Brown, 1/26)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Police Met A Mental Health Crisis Training Goal, But Gaps Remain
Baltimore Police are showing progress on a goal to address mental health crises, with more than a quarter of the department’s patrol officers now certified in crisis intervention. (Belson, 1/26)
WUSF: Candy Under The Microscope: Florida Testing Reveals Arsenic In Sweet Treats
The DeSantis administration's Healthy Florida First initiative finds traces of the toxic element in several popular candies. How dangerous is this? Manufacturers criticize the testing as "misguided." (Mayer, 1/26)
The Washington Post: Man With Dementia Forgot He’s Been Married 40 Years. He Proposed Again
Michael O’Reilley doesn’t always remember his wife’s name when she visits him, or even that she’s his wife at all. “He just knows he loves me,” said Linda Feldman, O’Reilley’s wife of 39 years. “That’s a constant.” O’Reilley, 77, has Alzheimer’s disease. Last November, during a visit at his memory care facility in Berkeley, California, he pulled Feldman close, looked at her and asked her a question she had already answered nearly four decades earlier. “Will you marry me?” he asked. “Yes,” Feldman replied. (Page, 1/26)
On race and health —
The Washington Post: Stress And Inflammation In Black Communities Shortens Survival, Study Says
Nearly half of the mortality gap between Black and White adults can be traced to the cumulative toll of a lifetime of stress and heightened inflammation, a new study published Monday shows. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, bolsters the body of evidence showing that chronic stress takes a biological toll that shortens lives. (Johnson, 1/26)
