Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Study: Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Deaths Doubled Between 1999-2022
Axios: Alcohol-Related Liver Disease Deaths Double In Two Decades
The U.S. death rate from alcohol-related liver disease roughly doubled over two decades and was exacerbated by the pandemic, with women, young adults and Indigenous people experiencing the sharpest rise, a study in JAMA Network Open found. (Reed, 6/12)
CBS News: Zicam Nasal Swabs, Orajel Teething Swabs Recalled Nationwide Over Potential Fungal Contamination
Check your medicine cabinet — Zicam nasal swabs and Orajel baby teething swabs are being recalled due to potential microbial contamination, according to federal health officials. In an alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Church & Dwight Co., Inc., the brands' manufacturer, voluntarily issued the recall after the potential contamination was discovered, which was identified as fungi in the cotton swab components of the products. (Moniuszko, 6/11)
The New York Times: Midea Recalls AC Units Over Mold Risk, Leaving Customers Frustrated
Midea’s recall of 1.7 million air-conditioners is causing frustration and confusion among its design-conscious user base. The problem, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, is that water could be pooling inside the air-conditioners instead of draining. Any window unit can become moldy, because of the condensation that is produced when warm air cools. But moldy air-conditioners may carry respiratory health risks for those who use them.(Kircher and Holtermann, 6/11)
Bloomberg: David Murdock, Former CEO Of Dole Food, Dies At 102
David Murdock, a high school dropout who became a billionaire as proprietor of one of the biggest private corporate empires in the US, has died. He was 102. He died on June 9, according to William Goldfield, a spokesman for Dole Food Co., which Murdock led from 1985 to 2021. (Arnold, 6/11)
On the environment and your health —
AP: Scientists: EPA's Carbon Emissions Proposal Is Scientifically Wrong
The Associated Press asked 30 different scientists, experts in climate, health and economics, about the scientific reality behind this proposal. Nineteen of them responded, all saying that the proposal was scientifically wrong and many of them called it disinformation. Here’s what eight of them said. “This is the scientific equivalent to saying that smoking doesn’t cause lung cancer,” said climate scientist Zeke Hausfather of the tech firm Stripe and the temperature monitoring group Berkeley Earth. (Borenstein, 6/12)
AP: Tulane Scientist Resigns Citing University Censorship Of Pollution And Racial Disparity Research
A Tulane University researcher resigned Wednesday, citing censorship from university leaders who had warned that her advocacy and research exposing the Louisiana petrochemical industry’s health impacts and racial disparities in hiring had triggered blowback from donors and elected officials. In her resignation letter, Kimberly Terrell accused the university of sacrificing academic freedom to appease Louisiana’s Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. (Brook, 6/12)
Bloomberg: How Natural Disasters May Be Shaping Babies’ Brains
Climate disasters are known for damaging homes, disrupting power and displacing residents. But even after the lights come back on and people return to their homes, their effects can linger — including in the brains of children born afterwards, a new study suggests. Climate stressors, and the effect they have on pregnant people, appear to affect the brain development of their babies, according to the study published in PLOS One on Wednesday, which relied on brain imaging conducted years after 2012’s Superstorm Sandy hit the New York City metro area. (Court, 6/11)
