Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: We're Running Out Of Time To Contain H5N1; Supreme Court Ignoring Reality In Idaho EMTALA Case
The New York Times: We Are Blowing The Fight To Contain Bird Flu
The outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza among U.S. dairy cows, first reported on March 25, has now spread to at least 33 herds in eight states. On Wednesday, genetic evidence of the virus turned up in commercially available milk. Federal authorities say the milk supply is safe, but this latest development raises troubling questions about how widespread the outbreak really is. (Zeynep Tufekci, 4/24)
Bloomberg: In Idaho Emergency Abortion Case, Supreme Court Must Preserve EMTALA
On Wednesday, a divided Supreme Court listened to arguments over a state’s abortion ban – its first such hearing since the justices overturned Roe v. Wade. The case, in which the Joe Biden administration is challenging Idaho’s abortion ban, literally puts the health and even the lives of pregnant women on the line. (Lisa Jarvis, 4/25)
The New York Times: How A Loss In The Emergency Abortion Case Could Become A Win For Biden
If you had asked me at the start of this Supreme Court term what the blockbuster abortion case would be, I would have focused on the one that could limit access to mifepristone, a drug used in a majority of U.S. abortions. But oral arguments last month suggested strongly that the justices might not even think that case has standing — which is to say, that decision is likely not to make much of a difference. (Mary Ziegler, 4/25)
Scientific American: Soviet-Era Pseudoscience Lurks Behind ‘Havana Syndrome’ Worries
That history today offers us insight into the origin of Havana syndrome, the controversial medical condition best known for afflicting U.S. diplomats and intelligence officials. Many victims of these “anomalous health incidents” believe they suffer from brain injuries from a secret Russian acoustic or radiological microwave weapon. (Keith Kloor, 4/24)
The New York Times: Ozempic And Wegovy Have Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss
Last year was called the year of Ozempic, though it was also a year of Ozempic backlash and Ozempic shortages, which could persist for years. (David Wallace-Wells, 4/24)
