Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
When A State Has No Insanity Plea, Those With Serious Mental Illness Face Harsh Sentences
NPR: Four States Don't Allow The Insanity Defense At All
On the evening of March 8, 2016, 30-year-old Kyle Odom was arrested in Washington, D.C., for throwing objects over the White House fence. He'd traveled from Idaho, where authorities suspected him of shooting and wounding Idaho pastor Tim Remington in a church parking lot days earlier. Shortly after his arrest, an Idaho television station released a 30-page manifesto believed to have been sent by Odom. In the letter, the writer claims his life was ruined by "an intelligent species of amphibian-humanoid from Mars" using humans as sex slaves. The manifesto included drawings of the aliens and a claim that President Obama and Remington were aware of or involved in the Martians' plot. (Jacewicz, 8/5)
In other mental health news —
Detroit Free Press: Flint's Growing Mental Health Crisis
People living in Flint are experiencing mental health issues caused by the ongoing water crisis, including stress, anxiety and fear over what the future holds as they continue to rely on bottled water and filters more than two years after problems first surfaced with the drinking water.A widespread concern for residents throughout the lead-poisoned city is not knowing how they, or their children and grandchildren, may be impacted because of exposure to the contaminated water. (Anderson, 8/7)
Des Moines Register: Mental Health Marchers Focus On Funding, Ending Stigma
The March on the Capitol gathered in Cowles Commons, downtown, to march to the Iowa state Capitol building so that legislators and Gov. Terry Branstad could hear from Iowans who believe in making mental health care a priority. In 2015, Branstad closed two prominent facilities for citizens living with mental illness. The march was meant as a way to show legislators that it affects the whole world, not just Iowa — but we're far behind the rest of the world, said Susan Rowe. (Gstalter, 8/7)
