Latest Morning Briefing Stories
A Little-Recognized Public Health Crisis
About every 12 minutes, someone is killed on America’s roads and countless others are injured. More than 42,500 people died in car crashes in 2022, a death toll that rivals or surpasses those of other major public health threats, such as the flu and gun violence. “We have not recognized that traffic violence is a […]
Despite Past Storms’ Lessons, Long-Term Care Residents Again Left Powerless
Even after multiple massive power outages — including one from a 2021 winter storm in Texas that prompted a U.S. Senate investigation — little has changed for older Americans in senior living facilities when natural disasters strike.
Colorado Poultry Workers Battle Bird Flu in Heat Wave as US Struggles to Contain Outbreak
So far, all 10 cases reported nationally this year at dairy and poultry farms have been mild, consisting of respiratory symptoms and eye irritation. Scientists have warned that the virus could mutate to spread from person to person, like the seasonal flu, and spark a pandemic.
Es probable que las cinco personas se infectaran por manipular pollos, a los que se les había encargado sacrificar en respuesta a un brote de gripe aviar en esa granja.
Journalists Discuss FTC and Supreme Court Actions — And What’s Up With the Bird Flu
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media in recent weeks to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Finland Is Offering Farmworkers Bird Flu Shots. Some Experts Say the US Should, Too.
Even with a stockpile of bird flu vaccinations, the federal government is not offering them to those at high risk. Along with testing and measures to prevent spread, vaccinations may protect people and stop the outbreak from becoming a pandemic.
Hay controversia sobre el momento para comenzar a vacunar contra la gripe aviar. Algunos piensan que debe hacerse ya, otros que hay que esperar para analizar la evolución del virus.
Why the Election May Slow Plans To Replace Lead Pipes
Lead in drinking water is a known danger. But how many of the country’s estimated 9 million lead service lines need to be replaced — and how quickly — is subject to debate. The clock is ticking on two competing plans as the election looms.
These Vibrant, Bigger-Than-Life Portraits Turn Gun Death Statistics Into Indelible Stories
With pop-up art shows in Philadelphia and beyond, Zarinah Lomax’s mission is to show what is routinely lost to gun violence in America: “This is somebody’s child. Somebody’s son, somebody’s daughter who was working toward something.”
Retratos convierten a muertes por armas de fuego en historias imborrables
Philadelphia ha registrado más de 9,000 tiroteos fatales y no fatales desde 2020, con aproximadamente el 80% de las víctimas identificadas como negras no hispanas. Entre los heridos o muertos, aproximadamente el 60% tenía 30 años o menos.
Supreme Court OKs Local Crackdowns on Homelessness, as Advocates Warn of Chaos
In a momentous 6-3 decision that could affect communities across the nation, the U.S. Supreme Court gave local officials and law enforcement more authority to fine and penalize homeless people living outside. Advocates for homeless people predict the ruling will lead to more sickness and death.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': SCOTUS Ruling Strips Power From Federal Health Agencies
In what will certainly be remembered as a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has overruled a 40-year-old precedent that gave federal agencies, rather than judges, the power to interpret ambiguous laws passed by Congress. Administrative experts say the decision will dramatically change the way key health agencies do business. Also, the court decided not to decide whether a federal law requiring hospitals to provide emergency care overrides Idaho’s near-total ban on abortion. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Victoria Knight of Axios, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week they think you should read, too.
$2 Million Disbursed to Victims and Community Groups in Wake of Super Bowl Mass Shooting
The United Way of Greater Kansas City gave $1.2 million to victims and $832,000 to 14 community groups Thursday, hoping to reach other victims from the violence at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade, as well as those working to prevent gun violence.
Distribuyen $2 millones entre víctimas del tiroteo del Super Bowl y grupos comunitarios
Desde el tiroteo, algunas víctimas y sus familias han recibido facturas médicas por miles de dólares, por tratamientos en salas de emergencia, viajes en ambulancia, atención médica continua por las heridas de bala o consejería de salud mental.
Chorus or Cacophony? Cicada Song Hits Some Ears Harder Than Others
Cicadas are the song of the summer, but this year’s large broods may be especially irritating for people on the autism spectrum who have hearing sensitivity.
El sonido que producen las cigarras afecta a algunos más que a otros… ¿por qué?
Desde esta primavera, miles de millones de insectos de ojos rojos han estado saliendo de la tierra en todo el Medio Oeste y el Sureste. Es parte de una rara aparición simultánea de dos camadas de cigarras: una que aparece cada 13 años y la otra cada 17.
US Judge Finds California in Contempt Over Prison Mental Health Staffing
A federal judge has found top California officials in contempt for failing to hire enough mental health professionals to adequately treat tens of thousands of incarcerated people with serious mental disorders. The judge ordered the state to pay $112 million in fines.
Closing of Rural Hospitals Leaves Towns With Unhealthy Real Estate
Dozens of small cities and towns across the United States struggle not just with health care access and the loss of jobs, but also with the burden of what to do with big, empty buildings.
US Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence ‘a Public Health Crisis’
Gun violence is the No. 1 cause of death for children and teens in America. Vivek Murthy says the toll extends beyond deaths, as survivors deal with “a lifetime of physical and mental health impacts” and those who witness shootings become traumatized.
Young Gay Latinos See Rising Share of New HIV Cases, Leading to Call for Targeted Funding
Since being diagnosed with HIV in 2022, Fernando Hermida has had to move three times to access treatment. A KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis found gay and bisexual Latino men account for a fast-growing proportion of new diagnoses and infections, showing they are falling behind in the fight against HIV.
