Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
We're All Breathing More Toxic Air Now Than 25 Years Ago: Report
USA Today: More Americans Breathing Toxic Air, Lung Report Finds
Americans are breathing more toxic air now than in the past quarter century, according to a new report from the American Lung Association. The findings released Wednesday show the worst toxic particle pollution in the 25 years the ALA has released its annual “State of the Air” report. The recent spike in pollution, experts say, is likely the result of climate change including the increase in wildfires. More than 131 million Americans lived in areas that showed unhealthy levels of air pollution, the report showed. (Cuevas, 4/24)
The Boston Globe: Massachusetts To Deploy Hundreds Of Community Air Pollution Sensors
Massachusetts will spend $775,000 to deploy more than 200 small community air sensors across the state, as well as nearly 100 more sophisticated sensors in low-income areas and communities of color. The sensors can measure harmful air pollutants, which have been linked to higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. “This is a great day,” said María Belén Power, Massachusetts Undersecretary of Environmental Justice and Equity, as she stood outside of an air monitoring station at Kenmore Square Tuesday afternoon. (Douglas, 4/23)
More environment news —
Military.com: VA's PACT Act Management Could Use Lessons From 9/11 First Responders Legislation, Rand Says
The Department of Veterans Affairs should be concerned about the lack of input from veterans and family members in decisions related to the PACT Act, as well as the absence of strong scientific processes to determine new presumptive conditions, analysts with a California-based think tank said Tuesday in a new report. But the VA could find potential fixes in legislation passed to aid 9/11 responders and survivors who were exposed to environmental hazards after the terrorist attacks in 2001, Rand Corp. said in the report. Those earlier laws included beneficiaries in decisions and mandated robust research. (Kime, 4/23)
KFF Health News: Tire Toxicity Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Salmon Die-Offs
For decades, concerns about automobile pollution have focused on what comes out of the tailpipe. Now, researchers and regulators say, we need to pay more attention to toxic emissions from tires as vehicles roll down the road. At the top of the list of worries is a chemical called 6PPD, which is added to rubber tires to help them last longer. When tires wear on pavement, 6PPD is released. It reacts with ozone to become a different chemical, 6PPD-q, which can be extremely toxic — so much so that it has been linked to repeated fish kills in Washington state. (Robbins, 4/24)
The 19th: Advocacy Groups Join Texas Lawsuit Over Extreme Heat In Prisons
Four Texas advocacy groups announced Monday that they’re joining a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Criminal Justice, which they say is failing to address life-threatening temperatures inside its prisons. (Norwood, 4/23)
In other health and wellness news —
Axios: COVID Prison Death Rate Increased 3 Times Higher Than Broader Population: Study
The death toll among incarcerated people in the U.S. increased at a rate more than three times higher than among the general population during the worst phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say. (Fitzpatrick and Beheraj, 4/23)
CIDRAP: National COVID-19 Guidelines Vary Widely, Often Promote Ineffective Treatments
A comparative analysis yesterday in BMJ Global Health shows that national clinical guidelines for treating COVID-19 vary significantly around the world, and nearly every national guideline (NG) recommends at least one COVID-19 treatment proven not to work. Several countries, especially those in poorer regions, in 2022 continued to recommend treatments that had been disproven and were not recommended by the WHO, including chloroquine, lopinavir–ritonavir, azithromycin, vitamins, and zinc. (Soucheray, 4/23)
Reuters: Gerber, Perrigo Sued Over 'Store-Brand' Infant Formula Prices
Infant formula makers Gerber and Perrigo have been hit with a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing them of scheming to artificially drive up prices for “store-brand” formula sold at Walmart, Walgreens and other retailers. The lawsuit, opens new tab, filed Monday in Alexandria, Virginia, federal court, said Perrigo violated antitrust law by illegally agreeing with Gerber to block competitors from cutting into the market for store-brand formula. (Scarcella, 4/23)
CBS News: More Women Are Falling Behind On Breast Cancer Screenings, Study Shows
A simple mammogram can be life-saving. The problem is that not enough women are getting them. Dr. Debra Houry, the chief medical officer of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said about 40,000 women die each year from breast cancer and having these screening mammograms can save lives. A new CDC Vital Signs study found that only about 65% of women ages 50-74, with three or more health-related social needs, are up to date with their mammograms. (Garcia, 4/23)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest 'KFF Health News Minute'
“Health Minute” brings original health care and health policy reporting from the KFF Health News newsroom to the airwaves each week. (4/23)
