Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Planned Parenthood Decision Has Far-Reaching Effects; Defunding Gavi Will Harm Children
The New York Times: The Real Impact Of The Supreme Court’s Planned Parenthood Decision
The federal Medicaid law requires states to ensure that Medicaid patients are entitled to care from “any qualified provider” willing to offer it. Invoking that guarantee, a woman who was receiving birth control and other medical services at a Planned Parenthood clinic joined the organization in suing the state. (Linda Greenhouse, 7/2)
Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Is Playing With Babies’ Lives On Vaccines
Kennedy’s decision to end support to one of America’s few remaining positive interventions in the Global South is both immoral and dangerous. It will cause resentment about inequities in worldwide healthcare access to spread and further damage US standing abroad when compared to countries like China. (Mihir Sharma, 6/2)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Guns Kill Kids More Often In Missouri Than In Most States. It's Not Coincidence.
Guns don’t kill, people kill, goes the popular old trope against rational gun-safety laws. Setting aside that it’s not strictly true (what about accidental discharges of found firearms, which kill hundreds of kids a year?), the trope is always colliding with inconvenient data. (7/2)
Stat: Tackling Fentanyl Requires More Than Tariffs
Bogged down in the courts, President Trump’s tariffs, designed to punish trading partners for the traffic in illegally manufactured fentanyl, have been roundly criticized as a threat to U.S. economic power. Yet, amid intense political debate, few critics cite their most damning flaw: As a tool to cajole other governments in desirable directions, fentanyl tariffs are also manifestly ineffective. (Kathleen J. Frydl, 7/3)
The CT Mirror: The Unequal Burden Of Food Insecurity And Allergies
In Connecticut, food insecurity is estimated to affect between 10.4% and 17% of the population, which equates to at least 362,500 individuals who may lack sufficient access to safe and nutritious food. Studies have shown that food insecurity disproportionately affects Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and refugee families. Within these communities, certain groups, such as individuals with food allergies, face even more complex challenges. (Idalis Cardona Ortiz, 7/2)
