Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Thousands Of Scientists To Strike For Day To Evaluate How Racism Effects Their Research
The New York Times: For A Day, Scientists Pause Science To Confront Racism
Galvanized by the reaction to the killing of George Floyd and continued reports that minority researchers feel marginalized and disrespected, almost 6,000 scientists and academicians said they would participate in a one-day strike on Wednesday. The event was organized by a loosely affiliated group of physicists and cosmologists operating under various hashtags, including #Strike4BlackLives, #ShutDownStem and #ShutDownAcademia. (Overbye, 6/10)
The Hill: Over 5000 Scientists Stop Work In Protest Against Systemic Racism In STEM
Thousands of scientists pledged to halt research on Wednesday as part of a protest over systemic racism against black academics and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) professionals. More than 5,000 academics from institutions across the globe signed an online pledge to strike posted by Particles for Justice. As of Wednesday evening, Particles for Justice said it was no longer accepting pledges to strike, but is encouraging everyone to participate and acknowledge this is “only one of many days” needed for action and support. (Klar, 6/10)
Stat: For Black Youth, A Time Of Upheaval Takes A Toll On Mental Health
From his room in Los Angeles, Cecil Hannibal worries about his grandmother getting Covid-19 every time she goes to the supermarket in Louisville, Ky. In northern Georgia, Visaysha Harris puts limits on her news consumption, to keep from “taking too much of it all in.” In Dallas, Ashley Otah makes sure to follow reminders on her mindfulness apps. In New Jersey, Zane Keyes unwinds by riding his bike. “Since George Floyd’s murder, I feel angry, frustrated, unheard,” he says. (Glaser, 6/11)
Stat: Geneticists Weigh In On How 23andMe Can Tackle Racial Inequity In The Field
At the consumer genetics giant 23andMe, CEO Anne Wojcicki last week issued a remarkable statement calling her product “euro-centric” and saying her company is “part of the problem.” Competitor Ancestry put out its own statement saying it has “a long, long way to go to make our product experience as inclusive as it can possibly be for everyone.” And the DNA testing startup Nebula Genomics published a blog post about the lack of diversity in their field — a post that was drafted months ago, but which the company held off on publishing because of concerns about how it would be received. (Robbins, 6/10)
The Hill: Author Joel Kotkin Discusses Urban Communities, Young People Being Hit Hardest By Effects Of COVID-19
Author Joel Kotkin on Wednesday said that urban communities and young people are being hit hardest by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and will have a tougher time recovering. Kotkin, a presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University, told Hill.TV that small businesses in inner-city communities face a “really rough turn” and predicted that many will never reopen after the coronavirus shutdown. “What you’re really seeing and, I think it’s really tragic, is that the small businesses that were deemed nonessential are — many of them are never gonna reopen,” he said. (6/10)
