Latest KFF Health News Stories
“Sadly, we live in a world where you should always suspect the worst,” said Maricarmen Molina, a worker who has a mentally mapped exit plan in case an attacker comes into her building. Meanwhile, Amnesty International issues a warning to travelers over gun violence in America and mourners in both cities grieve as the political fireworks play out.
After President Donald Trump’s rhetoric was criticized, some on the right pointed to the Dayton’s shooter left-leaning social media posts in return. But experts say there’s no evidence that the Dayton shooter was motivated by ideology, while the El Paso attacker left behind a manifesto. The accusations have thrust the role of ideology, white supremacy and political rhetoric into the national spotlight following the incidents.
Experts say that problems with self esteem and perceived social rejection are common characteristics among people who commit mass shootings, as is having experienced significant trauma over an extended period of time. “If you’re going to do screening, you need to screen for multiple things, and mental health is only one of them,” Dan Flannery, director of the Begun Center for Violence Prevention at Case Western University, told NBC News. “You need to understand what’s going on in and consider stress points — what’s happening at work, in domestic life and their social media activity. If someone belongs to a lot of hate groups on social media, that’s a red flag.”
President Donald Trump raised concerns among his advisers and the NRA when he talked about the current political appetite for extensive background checks on guns, an idea that hasn’t been popular among his allies in the past. Meanwhile, Republicans see “red flag” laws as a way to address the public’s renewed calls for lawmakers to “do something.” But a look at previous shooting incidents show that those “red flags” often go unseen or unheeded even by those trained to spot them.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Opinion writers express views about the motives behind recent mass shootings and how to stop them.
Opinion writers weigh in on these public health issues and others.
Media outlets report on news from Georgia, Missouri, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Connecticut, New York, Texas, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Florida and Louisiana.
For example, some products containing lead, such as kajal, have been banned by the Food and Drug Administration but can still be purchased at specialty grocery stores. In other public health news: vaccines, boxing, climate change and exercise.
Series Of Restrictive Arkansas Abortion Laws Including 18-Week Ban Blocked Again By Federal Judge
U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted a preliminary injunction preventing the state from enforcing the restrictions: an 18-week ban, a mandate that physicians performing abortions be board-certified or board-eligible in obstetrics and gynecology, and a ban on anyone seeking the procedure because of a Down syndrome diagnosis. Abortion news comes out of Alabama and Illinois, as well.
The fate of who gets to manage settlements from opioid lawsuits against drug companies is playing out as the October trial approaches. Federal Judge Dan Polster is overseeing the consolidation of some 2,000 cases from a negotiating bloc of thousands of U.S. cities and towns affected by the opioid crisis. “There has to be some vehicle to resolve these lawsuits,” said Polster. Also, opioid distributors offer their solution to settling claims. News on the opioid epidemic also looks at soaring use of naloxone, abuse by older people, and involuntary treatment, as well.
Novartis Concealed Manipulated Data From FDA While Seeking Approval For $2.1M Gene Therapy Drug
Officials say the issue doesn’t put patients at risk, but the drugmaker could face penalties for withholding the information. The news has also unsettled an industry where many are racing to be the first to come out with these expensive gene therapies.
Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) wants CMS regulators to look into Medicaid managed care companies that he says are prioritizing profits over patients. After meeting with Centene, the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care company, Casey was appalled. “I thought they would try to persuade me that they were going to do better, but they didn’t seem interested in that at all,” he said. Meanwhile, advocates fear that if an Obama-era rule is dropped from Medicaid there won’t be enough providers to care for the low-income patients.
For Many Latinos, The Hatred-Driven El Paso Shooting Is ‘The Death Of The American Dream’
Latinos, regardless of immigration status, across the country were shaken by the shootings — a lethal exhibition of the increased racism and vitriol directed toward them. “It’s really hard to be alive as an immigrant right now and to not be sick and exhausted,” said Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, 30. “It feels like being hunted.” Meanwhile, experts warn that mass shootings can come in clusters and be contagious. In other news from the shootings: a look into the El Paso medical center that handled the victims; President Donald Trump plans to visit the cities; experts question if the death penalty would really be a deterrent; and more.
Following the shooting in Dayton, Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine faces demands that he “do something” from grief-stricken Ohioans. DeWine on Tuesday announced that he would push for measures that he thinks can pass the Republican-controlled state legislature, which has a history of knocking down similar efforts.
Democrats Invoke Emotional, Personal Experiences With Gun Violence In Messaging Shift For Party
Even a few years ago, it was politically fraught for Democrats to take a fierce and vocal stance against guns. “Since 2008 or 2004, we’ve continued to have, both in intensity and quantity, more and more of these horrific shootings that capture the mind’s eye and public attention,” said Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who runs a rural state with a strong hunting tradition. “My family hasn’t been immune from that.” Other Democrats on the presidential trail are also using stronger language to urge for more restrictions.
President Donald Trump gave political cover to Republicans when he signaled his support for some kind of “red flag” legislation, which allows loved ones and law enforcement to take guns away from those they suspect might harm themselves or others. Some experts, however, question the effectiveness of such proposals and say that despite several “red flags” troubled people still slip through the cracks and end up going on to commit the mass shootings.
Read recent commentaries about drug-cost issues.
News outlets report on stories related to pharmaceutical pricing.
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
