Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Toxic Burn-Offs Weren't Warranted After Ohio Train Accident, NTSB Says
The Washington Post: Burn-Off Of Toxics In Ohio Derailment Was Unnecessary, NTSB Says
Norfolk Southern and its contractors overestimated the risk that five train cars could explode after the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment last year, leading to the unnecessary release and burn of chemicals, the National Transportation Safety Board found Tuesday at its final meeting on the incident. The railway’s failure to quickly provide information to emergency responders after the derailment also unnecessarily exposed the public to hazards, the board found. In addition, chemical shippers’ use of a vulnerable model of train car that was punctured and spilled chemicals after derailing led to the fire that dramatically escalated the situation. (McDaniel, 6/25)
Reuters: Connecticut Firefighters Sue DuPont, 3M, Honeywell Over Allegedly Contaminated Gear
DuPont, 3M, Honeywell and 16 other defendants were sued on Tuesday by Connecticut firefighters who said their protective gear was contaminated by toxic "forever chemicals" linked to cancer. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said they believed the proposed class action filed in the New Haven, Connecticut federal court is the first to exclusively target firefighter gear containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. (Stempel, 6/25)
CBS News: Metro Detroit Mother Concerned About Impact Of Hot Weather On Mailed Epinephrine
A Rochester mother is concerned about her 16-year-old son's allergy medication after she says it arrived at their home without the equipment to keep it at a certain temperature. "It's like a gamble. It's like Russian roulette now with this medication," says Lisa Rutter. Her family recently had to switch insurance providers, so if they want insurance to cover his Auvi-Q auto-injectors, they have to go through CVS Caremark delivery services. (Laster, 6/25)
More health news from across the U.S. —
Connecticut Public: Qualified Nursing School Applicants Can’t Get Into CT Programs
Connecticut colleges and universities are expanding their capacity to admit students into nursing degree programs. Albertus Magnus College and Eastern Connecticut State University are set to launch bachelor’s degrees in nursing in the fall of 2024. And UConn School of Nursing will open an expanded space in 2026 to accommodate more students. Still, it’s a drop in the bucket. (Srinivasan, 6/25)
CBS News: Researchers In Pittsburgh Design Pocket-Sized Lab That Could Transform Diagnostic Care
Researchers in Pittsburgh are proposing a diagnostic tool that could change the game for health professionals and patients. The hope is that the small but mighty device dreamed up by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC could someday detect diseases more efficiently. Pitt engineering assistant professor Amir Alavi said the portable pocket-sized lab doesn't even need batteries. It only needs a drop of blood to generate electricity and measure its conductivity. (Guay, 6/25)
CBS News: New Hampshire Sues TikTok, Saying Platform Hurts Kids' Mental Health
New Hampshire is the latest state to sue TikTok, saying that the social media platform is intentionally designed to get kids addicted, which seriously harms their mental health. In fact, the state's complaint claims that as TikTok grew in popularity, so did instances of mental health issues among children. (6/25)
Politico: When Bureaucracy Blocks A Promising Fight Against The Opioid Crisis
A multiyear experiment in this working-class city on Lake Erie’s banks holds clues to how America could get a handle on its overdose crisis — if politicians embrace the lessons. Fatal drug overdoses in the U.S., driven by the synthetic opioid fentanyl, increased by more than half during the pandemic and remain near record levels. But in Lucas County, where Toledo is, they plummeted 20 percent between 2020 and 2022. Researchers credit the county’s effort to bring together health department workers, treatment providers, clergy and law enforcement to look at where overdoses and deaths were happening, so they could target resources to where they were most needed. The community support, in turn, made it easier to overcome bureaucratic obstacles to getting drug users into treatment. (Reader, 6/26)
