Viewpoints: Climate Change Exacerbates Infectious Diseases; Some Nonprofit Hospitals Are Anything But
Editorial writers discuss bird flu, nonprofit hospitals, presidential health, and more.
Bloomberg:
Bird Flu And Extreme Heat Are A Dangerous Combination
A recent cluster of bird flu cases among poultry farm workers in Colorado is the latest example of an undeniable truth: Climate change is putting people at greater risk of infectious diseases by creating a cauldron of conditions that allow them to thrive. (Lisa Jarvis, 7/20)
The Washington Post:
Many Hospitals Are Nonprofit In Name Only, And Get Away With It
“Hospitals are some of the biggest businesses in the U.S. — nonprofit in name only,” said Martin Gaynor, an economics and public-policy professor at Carnegie Mellon University. “They realized they could own for-profit businesses and keep their not-for-profit status. So the parking lot is for-profit; the laundry service is for-profit; they open up for-profit entities in other countries that are expressly for making money. Great work if you can get it.” (Elizabeth Rosenthal, 7/22)
The New York Times:
I Was A White House Doctor. Presidents Should Have To Take Cognitive Tests
Health scares can happen at any moment. My role as White House physician was to keep the president healthy and performing optimally, and to provide the public with a candid medical assessment of his ability to carry out the duties of his office. (Jeffrey Kuhlman, 7/21)
The New York Times:
What Biden’s Decision Not to Run Means for America
President Joe Biden’s act of political self-sacrifice caps an extraordinary career of public service, including a presidency more productive than others, even some that lasted twice as long. Biden’s announcement also offers a stark contrast between his devotion to the national interest and Donald Trump’s long focus on his own personal interest. I suspect that Biden’s withdrawal may also nurture another norm: one against aging leaders, following the preference of many voters in polls. Perhaps Biden is fostering a principle that aging presidents should not seek a second term. (Nicholas Kristof, 7/21)
Stat:
NIDA Shouldn't Fund Companies That Violate People's Privacy
In a ground-breaking settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, two online addiction and mental health treatment companies, Monument and Cerebral, admitted to deceptively and widely sharing sensitive personal and health information with third-party advertising platforms including Meta (Facebook) and Google. They aren’t alone. (Jonathan JK Stoltman and Mishka Terplan, 7/22)
