Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Racist Hate Speech: Facebook Bans Anti-Semitic, Blackface Images
Politico: Facebook Bans Racist Depictions Of Jews And Black People
Facebook on Tuesday said it updated its hate speech policy to include a ban on images of blackface and anti-Semitic tropes. The company said it changed its standards to "more specifically account for certain kinds of implicit hate speech," including caricatures of Black people in the form of blackface and Jewish people running the world or controlling major institutions such as media networks, the economy or the government. (Saeed, 8/11)
USA Today: COVID-19 FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out Persists Amid Pandemic, Experts Say
[W]ith travel plans nixed, large gatherings canceled and many stuck in quarantine, is 2020 a year of less FOMO? The fear of missing out is alive and well in lockdown, according to Wolkin and other mental health experts. "It's shape-shifted," she says. "It might not be looking at pictures of someone's vacation or their parasailing trip or swimming with dolphins. It now becomes 'They're making sourdough starters,' and 'They're going for a hike in these woods with their family, and I'm just on the couch and doing nothing and surviving and trying to find my breath.' " (Trepany, 8/11)
The New York Times: 11 Supposedly Fun Things We’ll Never Do The Same Way Again
Early in the pandemic, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said something that grabbed a lot of attention: Handshakes should become a thing of the past. It sounded far-fetched. But as the outbreak drags on, and we’ve become more conscious of germs and hygiene, “some of the changes we made are likely to be really durable,” said Malia Jones, who researches social environments and infectious disease exposure at the Applied Population Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Pietsch, 8/11)
The New York Times: Judge Agrees To Retire After Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
It is hard to pinpoint exactly when people who appeared in front of Judge ShawnDya L. Simpson noticed something wrong. There were times when the judge would come to court late, leave early, or not show up at all. Her demeanor became inconsistent, and she treated lawyers and others in her courtroom in a way that was “erratic and at times intemperate,” state officials said. It was unusual enough that the State Commission on Judicial Conduct opened an investigation into Judge Simpson, who has served in three boroughs in her 16-year career. (Feuer, 8/11)
NBC News: First New Insect Repellent Approved In 11 Years Smells Like Grapefruit
A new type of insect repellent will be making its way to drugstore shelves — and it smells like grapefruit. Monday, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it had approved a new ingredient, called nootkatone, that repels and kills mosquitoes and ticks. The naturally occurring ingredient — which is responsible for the characteristic scent of grapefruit — was discovered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and developed into an insecticide. It’s also found in Alaska yellow cedar trees and is widely used in the cosmetic industry to make perfumes and colognes. (Syal, 8/11)
The Washington Post: ‘Green’ Household Cleaners And Coronavirus: What You Need To Know
[W]hen it comes to killing the novel coronavirus, green products might not be enough. The Environmental Protection Agency released a searchable database (List N) of products proven to be effective against the coronavirus that contains few green cleaners. This doesn’t mean you have to toss your natural products, but you do have to be judicious about where and when you use them. Here’s what you need to know. (Rosenbloom, 8/11)
In other public health news —
The New York Times: In The Wake Of Covid-19 Lockdowns, A Troubling Surge In Homicides
It started with an afternoon stop at a gas station. Two customers began exchanging angry stares near the pumps outside — and no one can explain exactly why. That led to an argument, and it escalated quickly as one of them pulled a gun and they struggled over it, according to the police. “There’s too many shootings. Please don’t do this,” the wife of one of the men pleaded, stepping between them. (Eligon, Dewan and Bogel-Burroughs, 8/11)
Dallas Morning News: Violent Crime Is Up In Dallas But City Officials At Odds On Best Way To Reduce It
When the city recorded an uptick in violence last year, Dallas Police Chief U. Reneé Hall faced a mandate to reduce violent crime.But so far this year, that hasn’t happened. According to police statistics, aggravated assaults in Dallas are up about 21% this year. Dallas has reported 128 murders so far this year compared to 127 the same time last year. By comparison, robberies and rapes saw steep declines. (Jaramillo, 8/10)
WBUR: Boston Police Shot An Injured Man 31 Times In 3 Seconds, Wrongful Death Lawsuit Says
Boston police and a state trooper are facing a wrongful death lawsuit over the shooting of a man with a history of mental illnesses. Police shot and killed 41-year-old Juston Root in February after a confrontation at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, a car chase through Brookline and a crash in Chestnut Hill. (Gorel, 8/11)
