Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maryland 'Glock Switch' Ban Prompts Panic Gun Sales Around Baltimore
The Baltimore Sun: Gun Shops See Sales Rush As Maryland Limits Glocks
A new Maryland law banning the sale of most Glocks and other brands of guns with a certain kind of trigger bar is driving customers to Baltimore-area firearms shops in waves, shop owners say. The law, which will take effect on Oct. 1, will ban the sale of guns that have a “cruciform trigger bar.” Such weapons can be easily converted into illegal, fully automatic firearm, using a banned device colloquially known as a “Glock switch,” though it is not affiliated with the manufacturer. The device overrides the trigger bar, allowing the gun to fire continuously on a single pull of the trigger. Under the new law signed Tuesday, Maryland residents who already own guns with this specific type of trigger bar will be allowed to use them, but can’t resell them to others, except for transfers to family. (Carey, 5/27)
Maryland Daily Record: NRA Sues MD Officials Over Glock Pistol Ban
The National Rifle Association and two other gun rights groups sued Maryland officials Tuesday over freshly signed legislation that effectively bans the sale of Glock pistols in the state. (Belson, 5/27)
On gun violence and mental health —
The San Diego Union-Tribune: Long Before San Diego Mosque Shooting, Teen Suspect’s Chula Vista School Raised Alarms
Well more than a year before the May 18 attack, Caleb Vazquez’s behavior had so concerned officials that he was placed on a 72-hour involuntary hold for a mental health evaluation, feared to be a danger to himself or others, court documents indicate. He was then 17 years old and a student at High Tech High in Chula Vista. (Figueroa, 5/26)
On the chemical tank implosion in Washington state —
NBC News: 11 Presumed Dead In Washington State Paper Mill Implosion As Rescue Shifts To Recovery
No survivors are expected to be found at a Washington state manufacturing plant after a chemical tank implosion, according to officials, who said Wednesday that a second death had been confirmed and that nine other people are presumed dead. (Gamboa, Helsel, Chesky and Douglas, 5/27)
AP: West Coast Chemical Emergencies Raise Questions On Regulating Safety
There are millions of chemical tanks around the U.S., and experts say it is exceedingly rare for them to fail as long as they are properly maintained and inspected. Yet this past week, there were two major hazardous chemical emergencies on the West Coast. A large tank containing a corrosive chemical at a Longview, Washington, paper mill ruptured on Tuesday, killing two and possibly nine others. And late last week about 50,000 people were evacuated in Southern California after a chemical tank overheated and threatened the area with a catastrophic explosion. Authorities mitigated that risk, and people have been able to return home. (Bellisle and Funk, 5/28)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Iowa Public Radio: Reynolds Signs Pediatric Cancer Funding Into Law, Channeling Money From New Vape Tax
The University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital will receive up to $3 million for pediatric cancer research annually, under a bill signed into law Tuesday. The law (SF 2480) implements a 5-cent tax on vapes and alternative nicotine products. The first $3 million from the tax money collected each year will go toward clinical trials, lab research and other research activities for pediatric cancer treatment. (Luu, 5/27)
Verite News: Bill Tightens Immigrants' Access To SNAP, Healthcare
A state Senate bill that would increase barriers for immigrants to access public food assistance and health insurance has passed both chambers of the state legislature. The Louisiana House of Representatives voted 66-28 Tuesday in favor of the measure. This bill builds on a state law passed last year that required state agencies to report applicants for public benefits without “satisfactory” immigration status to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (Parker, 5/27)
Missouri Independent: Abortion-Rights Coalition Launches Campaign Against Missouri’s Amendment 3
The campaign opposing a November ballot measure that would reinstate Missouri’s abortion ban formally launched Wednesday, arguing Republican lawmakers are trying to overturn the 2024 vote that ended the state’s near-total ban through a “bait and switch” measure. (Spoerre, 5/27)
The Texas Tribune: Camp Mystic Health Officer Barred From Direct Patient Care
The Texas Board of Nursing restored Camp Mystic’s chief health officer’s nursing license but barred her from working directly with patients after the board temporarily suspended her license on May 19. (Runnels, 5/27)
Los Angeles Times: ‘Monster Who Killed Him’: Matthew Perry’s Former Assistant Gets More Than Three Years In Prison
A former live-in assistant to Matthew Perry was sentenced Wednesday to more than three years in prison after repeatedly injecting the actor with ketamine, including the fatal dose that killed him. Kenneth Iwamasa, who previously made $150,000 a year working for Perry, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. He admitted to repeatedly injecting Perry, 54, with ketamine without medical training, including multiple injections on Oct. 28, 2023 — the day of Perry’s death. (Mejia, 5/27)
KFF Health News: In A Vaccine-Skeptical California County, A Potential Playbook To Contain Measles
James Mu had braced for the call that came in late January. A patient from his rural Northern California county had measles, a disease so rare there that many physicians have never treated a case. While California has some of the strictest vaccine laws in the country, conservative Shasta County’s approach during the covid pandemic stood in stark contrast with the state’s guidance. Its local leaders opposed masking and vaccine mandates, and they ousted the county public health officer, who had sought to enforce those state policies and other safety measures. (Sciacca, 5/28)
