Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Is it Time For Trump To Fire Fauci, Birx?; Worry About Poor Nutrition More Than Anything Else
NBC News: 2020 Election Results May Influence Trump's Treatment Of Dr. Fauci. That Matters.
On Sunday, goaded by his supporters and chants of "Fire Fauci," President Donald Trump indicated that he would try to sack Dr. Anthony Fauci after the election. The tension between the White House and many members of its coronavirus task force, particularly Fauci, has become obvious to most Americans over the course of the pandemic. And yet, despite the president's chastisements — not to mention death threats — Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, has managed to remain an effective voice for applying an evidence-based approach in the government's pandemic response. (Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, 11/4)
CNN: Dr. Deborah Birx's Stern Warning Is A Wakeup Call
Dr. Deborah Birx has a dire warning for Americans: The Covid-19 pandemic is going to get much, much worse before it gets any better. And there's one clear takeaway from her warnings: whatever happens on election day, we're largely on our own. It's up to us to keep the number of Covid-19 infections as low as possible as we head into a difficult season that will last far beyond the results of the 2020 election. (Filipovic, 11/3)
The Washington Post: Days Of Deception Are Over. It Is Time For Truth On The Pandemic.
The voting is ending but the pandemic is not. In the final days of the campaign, President Trump produced a flurry of deception and denial. Nothing is more important now than getting an honest handle on the runaway virus that is killing more than 800 Americans every day. The nation’s trust must be rebuilt for the difficult battle ahead. (11/3)
Stat: Paying More Attention To Nutrition Can Make America Healthy Again
Health care and health care policy were centerpieces of the 2020 presidential and congressional campaigns. It’s a shame that neither party focused on the underlying issue: the poor health of the American people, largely attributed to poor nutrition. (Vanita Rahman and Matthew Rees, 11/4)
The Hill: America Heads Closer To Medical Price Transparency With New Rule
It is official that health insurance companies will soon be mandated to disclose the real prices of their covered medical treatments and procedures. The new rule marks a huge step forward in medical price transparency and is estimated to assist over 200 million Americans. (Robert Moffit, 11/2)
Stat: Health Care Needs Ethics-Based Governance Of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform health care. It can enable health care professionals to analyze health data quickly and precisely, and lead to better detection, treatment, and prevention of a multitude of physical and mental health issues. (Satish Gattadahalli, 11/3)
The Washington Post: We’ve Created Cartoonish Narratives About People In The Opposite Party. They’re Not True.
“Polarization takes on a life of its own,” says Dan Vallone, the U.S. director for More in Common and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. “It fuels its own logic. The more threatening you see the other side, the more you see indicators of the threat.” I’ve spent the past four years learning about our political conflict, talking to groups of people who rarely talk to one other. What I’ve realized is that both sides are motivated by fear. Some of that fear is based in fact. But a startling amount is based on myth. I’ve heard people describe their neighbors and fellow Americans in ways that reveal how little they understand them. Both sides do this, and it is heartbreaking. (Amanda Ripley, 11/2)
The Washington Post: Why I Hope The Supreme Court Sides With Catholic Social Services In Fulton V. Philadelphia
On Wednesday, when the Supreme Court hears our case, the justices will decide not only CSS’s fate but the fate of thousands of children across the country — children just like mine. If CSS’s foster program is closed permanently, I will be devastated. Families could be left, as the city testified, to start over again and find someone else to work with — if that is even possible. For any foster parents who can’t, the city has acknowledged, their foster children “would have to be removed” — no matter the trauma it causes. And faith-based foster care programs will face an existential choice: surrender your beliefs or surrender your ministry. (Toni Simms-Busch, 11/3)
Fox News: Trump Will Change Dems' Racial Disparity Mantra Into Republican Reality Of Racial Opportunity
When the Trump campaign first created the Black Voices for Trump coalition, many naysayers laughed and name called. When I called President Trump, “the first Black president,” many more laughed and name called. When I predicted the Black awakening ahead of the upcoming election, many more laughed and name called. As we enter Election Day 2020, the laughing and name-calling is fading away. My colleagues and I have helped Black Voices for Trump become the largest Trump campaign coalition. (Jack Brewer,
