Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: GLP-1s May Curb Addiction, Keep Families Together; CDC Nominee Will Likely Clash With RFK Jr.
The Boston Globe: Could Ozempic Save Families From Addiction, Foster Care?
GLP-1s have been shown to reduce drug cravings. What if they can help prevent drug-fueled child abuse and neglect? (Naomi Schaefer Riley, 4/29)
Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Should Get On Board With The White House Pick For CDC
The White House has nominated Erica Schwartz, a strikingly conventional candidate, to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Schwartz, formerly a deputy US surgeon general, is a lawyer and medical doctor by training. She’s by most accounts a decent choice. If confirmed, she’ll face three big challenges. (4/30)
Stat: Lawmakers Must Stay Engaged With RFK Jr., Public Health
Our former colleagues in Congress recently heard from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the first time in more than half a year. (Michael C. Burgess and Larry Bucshon, 4/30)
Stat: Is The Residency Match System Unfair To Americans?
The 2026 Main Residency Match was the largest in the program’s 74-year history. With 48,050 active applicants, 41,482 residency training positions were filled. Among the celebrations, however, Match Day announcements triggered a surge of posts on X and other social media platforms calling for new restrictions on international medical graduates (IMGs) in the match, claiming that U.S. medical graduates (USMGs) had been displaced. (Manal Khan, Abishek Bala and Sarah Mohiuddin, 4/30)
The New York Times: Rich People Didn’t Used To Look Like This
Social media has turbocharged the normalization of cosmetic work. One plastic surgeon said that his Gen Z patients take selfies at their appointments “as if it’s a concert or a ‘get ready with me’ video. They want everyone to know.” Like haul vlogs, it’s a way to say, “Look what I just bought.” (Amy Odell, 4/30)
