Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Schools Should 'Seriously Consider' Arming Staff Members, Administration Safety Commission Recommends
The New York Times: Trump Administration Report On School Safety Plays Down Role Of Guns
Unveiling a report commissioned by President Trump in the aftermath of a mass shooting last winter at a Florida high school, administration officials on Tuesday played down the role of guns in school violence while focusing instead on rescinding Obama-era disciplinary policies, improving mental health services and training school personnel in the use of firearms. The report — by the Federal Commission on School Safety, which consists of four cabinet officials and is led by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos — drew on months of research marked by political conflict and mixed messaging from the administration on how to handle violent events like the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Seventeen students and staff members were killed and 17 others were injured in the shooting. (Rogers and Green, 12/18)
The Associated Press: Trump's Safety Panel Seeks To Revoke School Discipline Rules
The panel was asked to study a range of options to bolster security at America's schools, from the regulation of guns to the regulation of violent video games. Yet rather than suggest a series of sweeping changes, the commission issued 100 smaller suggestions that largely avoid strong stances on topics like gun control and whether schools should arm teachers. "Our conclusions in this report do not impose one-size-fits-all solutions for everyone, everywhere," said Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who led the commission. "The primary responsibility for the physical security of schools and the safety of their students naturally rests with states and local communities." (Binkley, 12/18)
The New York Times: Trump Administration Imposes Ban On Bump Stocks
The Trump administration on Tuesday issued a new rule banning bump stocks, the attachments that enable semiautomatic rifles to fire in sustained, rapid bursts and that a gunman used to massacre 58 people and wound hundreds of others at a Las Vegas concert in October 2017. The new regulation, which had been expected, would ban the sale or possession of the devices under a new interpretation of existing law. Americans who own bump stocks would have 90 days to destroy their devices or to turn them in to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Justice Department said A.T.F. would post destruction instructions on its website. (Savage, 12/18)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Federal School Safety Plan Similar To State Proposal
President Donald Trump’s school safety commission on Tuesday released its report, saying the question of arming school teachers and other employees should be left to states and schools to decide. It also called for a rollback of an Obama-era policy that was meant to curb racial disparities in school discipline but that critics say left schools afraid to take action against potentially dangerous students. (Smith Broady, 12/18)
Meanwhile —
The New York Times: Nearly 40,000 People Died From Guns In U.S. Last Year, Highest In 50 Years
More people died from firearm injuries in the United States last year than in any other year since at least 1968, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 39,773 gun deaths in 2017, up by more than 1,000 from the year before. Nearly two-thirds were suicides. It was the largest yearly total on record in the C.D.C.’s electronic database, which goes back 50 years, and reflects the sheer number of lives lost. (Mervosh, 12/18)
