Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Theories Were Wrong About Kids And Covid; Do Psychedelics Live Up To The Health Hype?
Scientific American: Long COVID Is Harming Too Many Kids
Since the COVID pandemic began, claims that the disease poses only minimal risk to children have spread widely, on the presumption that the lower rate of severe acute illness in kids tells the whole story. Notions that children are nearly immune to COVID and don’t need to be vaccinated have pervaded. (Blake Murdoch, 10/18)
The Atlantic: The Weak Science Behind Psychedelics
No psychiatric treatment has attracted quite as much cash and hype as psychedelics have in the past decade. Articles about the drugs’ surprising results—including large improvements on depression scores and inducing smokers to quit after just a few doses—earned positive coverage from countless journalists (present company included). (Olga Khazan, 10/18)
Los Angeles Times: Menopausal Women Have A Lot At Stake In This Election
Perhaps you’ve heard: Menopause is having a moment. Celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Drew Barrymore have begun speaking out about coping with symptoms and self-worth. Halle Berry shouted from the steps of the Capitol: “I’m in menopause, OK?!” (Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Tamsen Fadal, 10/17)
Stat: There’s No Good Language For Pregnancy Loss
I have lost babies. Well, I didn’t lose them per se. They haven’t been misplaced, like keys or something. To forgo the polite euphemisms, they died after 20 weeks. I felt isolated, devastated, and like there wasn’t a vocabulary for what happened — clinically, emotionally, or legally. (Rebecca Little, 10/21)
The Wall Street Journal: Weekend Interview: Trump Tangles With The Journal’s Editors
Lately Donald Trump’s detractors have been speculating about his “mental decline.” There’s no sign of such slippage in our Thursday meeting. The 2024 Trump seems more confident and is certainly more knowledgeable about policy than he was in 2015. His discursive style of talking can confuse listeners, but that was equally true nine years ago, and he never appears lost in his thoughts the way President Biden repeatedly did in their June debate. (James Taranto, 10/18)
Kansas City Star: Kansas City Council, Ban Flavored Tobacco Smoking Products
As a community committed to public health and equity, we now face a pivotal moment in Kansas City. The City Council is considering a comprehensive flavor ban ordinance that seeks to prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco, nicotine and vapor products that lack approval from the Food and Drug Administration. However, this legislation is under serious threat from powerful lobbyists and misguided council members, who want to water it down to exclude menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars — leaving the most dangerous products on the shelves. (D.J. Yearwood, 10/21)
