First Edition: February 11, 2019
Mark your calendar: Join our Facebook Live chat, "Helping People Age With Independence,” with KHN columnist Judith Graham on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 12:30 p.m. Share your questions or experiences ahead of time, or ask questions on Facebook during the event.
Kaiser Health News:
False Lead: Senator’s Offer To Help Patient Import Cheap Insulin Goes Nowhere
It sounded like an answer to prayers for millions with diabetes struggling to pay soaring prices for insulin. At a congressional hearing last month, Sen. Mike Enzi said an adviser had found “a foundation to import insulin for a number of people at lower cost.” The Wyoming Republican told the mother of a young man with Type 1 diabetes that his adviser “worked through a foundation so that it would be legal, and I will share that with you.” Such a group could link patients to safe medicines while saving them hundreds or thousands of dollars a year. But it doesn’t appear to exist, leaving patients with diabetes to either pay sky-high U.S. prices or try to import cheap insulin on their own, which is technically illegal. (Hancock, 2/11)
Kaiser Health News:
A ‘Fountain Of Youth’ Pill? Sure, If You’re A Mouse.
Renowned Harvard University geneticist David Sinclair recently made a startling assertion: Scientific data shows he has knocked more than two decades off his biological age. What’s the 49-year-old’s secret? He says his daily regimen includes ingesting a molecule his own research found improved the health and lengthened the life span of mice. Sinclair now boasts online that he has the lung capacity, cholesterol and blood pressure of a “young adult” and the “heart rate of an athlete.” (Taylor, 2/11)
Kaiser Health News:
Direct And Unfiltered: John Dingell’s Popular Health Care Tweets
Former Rep. John Dingell, who died Thursday, was known for his strong opinions during his nearly 60 years in Congress. And even after leaving Congress, he continued to express his views through a lively, partisan — and sometimes earthy — Twitter account that attracted a keen following of more than 265,000 supporters and critics. Although his posts dealt with a wide variety of issues, Dingell’s longtime devotion to improving health care was a frequent topic. (2/8)
The Hill:
Democratic White House Hopeful Hits Medicare For All As 'Bad Opening Offer'
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who is mulling a 2020 presidential bid, says a plan to provide "Medicare for all" and take away private insurance, which has the support of several Democratic White House hopefuls, is “a bad opening offer.” Bennet is presenting himself as a moderate possible alternative in next year’s Democratic primary, although he has yet to formally announce his campaign. (Bolton, 2/10)
Politico:
Republicans Can’t Wait To Debate 'Medicare For All'
The only people more eager than progressive Democrats for hearings on Medicare for All are conservative Republicans. GOP lawmakers, fresh off an electoral shellacking fueled in large part by health care concerns, are now trolling Democrats with demands for hearings on the sweeping single-payer bill set to be introduced this month. They're confident that revelations about its potential cost and elimination of most private insurance will give them potent lines of attack heading into 2020 — an election that President Donald Trump is already framing as a debate about "socialism." (Ollstein, 2/10)
The New York Times:
In Surprise Abortion Vote, John Roberts Avoids ‘Jolt To The Legal System’
At Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.’s confirmation hearings 14 years ago, the first dozen questions were about whether he would respect the Supreme Court’s abortion precedents. He was still answering those questions Thursday night. In a surprise move, the chief justice joined the Supreme Court’s liberal wing in a 5-to-4 decision blocking a Louisiana law that could have severely restricted abortion in the state. Although he offered no reason for his vote, there is little doubt that he wanted to avoid sending the message that the court was ready to discard a 2016 decision, a precedent, in which it struck down a similar Texas law. (Liptak, 2/8)
The Associated Press:
High Court Takes Abortion Vote, But Key Tests Still To Come
Activists on both sides of the abortion debate are reacting cautiously to a 5-4 Supreme Court vote blocking Louisiana from enforcing new abortion regulations. They agree that the crucial tests of the court's stance are still to come. Depending on the viewpoint, the vote represented a temporary victory or setback — but not proof as to how the court might deal with a slew of tough anti-abortion laws working their way through state legislatures and federal courts. (Crary, 2/8)
The Associated Press:
Collins: Kavanaugh's Attackers 'Haven't Even Read' Dissent
Critics of Republican Sen. Susan Collins are angry over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's opinion in an abortion case, saying it's proof that he's not following through on his assurance to respect past Supreme Court decisions on abortion. Kavanaugh was on the losing side of a 5-4 ruling that blocked a Louisiana law requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. (2/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
States Are Shifting Farther Apart On Abortion
Conservative and liberal states are pulling farther apart on the issue of abortion in response to the heightened possibility that the Supreme Court could limit access to some procedures. In Republican-led statehouses, such as Ohio and Kentucky, lawmakers are getting behind proposals to ban the procedure within the first trimester of a pregnancy. In more liberal legislatures, abortion-rights advocates are building momentum for laws like that just enacted in New York that loosen restrictions on late-term procedures and enshrine abortion rights into state codes. (Gershman, 2/8)
Los Angeles Times:
OB-GYNs Remain Conflicted About Abortion, Survey Shows, But Pills May Be Changing Attitudes
With the national abortion debate entering a new stage, a survey of U.S. obstetricians and gynecologists has found that while nearly 3 out of 4 had a patient who wanted to end a pregnancy in the past year, fewer than 1 in 4 were willing and able to perform one themselves. Among the doctors who answered questions about the procedure, 1 in 3 cited personal, religious or moral reasons for not providing abortion services. (Healy, 2/8)
The New York Times:
Prosecutor Drops Abortion Charge In Queens Murder Case, Stirring Debate
As Democrats in New York last month celebrated Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s signing of a law expanding abortion rights in the state, anti-abortion campaigners predicted it would eliminate criminal penalties for violence that ends women’s pregnancies. The debate resurfaced over the weekend after the Queens district attorney, Richard A. Brown, cited the Reproductive Health Act as the reason for dropping an abortion charge against a man who the police say fatally stabbed his former girlfriend when she was 14 weeks pregnant. (Southall, 2/10)
The New York Times:
House Democrats, Newly Empowered, Turn Their Investigations On Veterans Affairs
The new Democratic leadership of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said Friday that it would investigate the influence exerted by three members of President Trump’s Florida beach club on the Department of Veterans Affairs. The move was viewed as an early, and powerful, indication that the committee, which has always been known as among the most bipartisan on Capitol Hill, could adopt a harder edge under the new Congress as empowered Democrats move to scrutinize the administration. (Steinhauer, 2/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
A Top Trump Health Administrator Faces Test From Newly Elected Democrats
Seema Verma, head of one of the most powerful federal health-care agencies, granted Republican states the authority to require that Medicaid recipients work to be eligible. Now, after November midterm elections that saw Democrats flip seven governorships and retake the House of Representatives, Democratic-run states are poised to ask for approval to expand coverage, including statewide single-payer or public health options. Ms. Verma has said her goal is to give states more authority over their own health-care markets. Some health analysts say the question now is whether that push for deregulation will also mean her agency approves bolder Democratic plans. (Armour, 2/10)
The Wall Street Journal:
Democrats Say Some States’ Medicaid Programs Aren’t Complying With Abortion Rules
House Democrats are pressuring the Trump administration to crack down on several states that a government report found weren’t fully complying with a Medicaid requirement to cover abortions in cases of rape, incest or danger to a woman’s life. In a letter to Seema Verma, the Trump administration official overseeing Medicaid, the Democrats asked why 14 states were being permitted to not cover mifepristone, a drug necessary to perform nonsurgical abortions. They also asked why one state, South Dakota, doesn’t cover abortions in cases involving rape or incest. (Hackman, 2/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
House Democrats Assess How Hard To Press Gun-Control Agenda
House Democrats are warming to gun-control legislation once considered risky for all but the safest incumbents, but remain uncertain whether they will vote this year on some of the more far-reaching bills. In a sign of the changing political climate around gun-safety legislation, some of the more vulnerable House Democrats, including those who just ousted GOP incumbents, said they would support a ban on assault-style weapons. For Democrats, such legislation has long been considered a gamble, with its potential to trigger the wrath of the National Rifle Association and voters swayed by the gun lobby. (Peterson, 2/10)
The Associated Press:
Gun-Seizure Laws Grow In Popularity Since Parkland Shooting
In the year since the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school, more and more states have passed laws making it easier to take guns away from people who may be suicidal or bent on violence against others, and courts are issuing an unprecedented number of seizure orders across the country. Supporters say these "red flag" laws are among the most promising tools to reduce the nearly 40,000 suicides and homicides by firearm each year in the U.S. Gun advocates, though, say such measures undermine their constitutional rights and can result in people being stripped of their weapons on false or vindictive accusations. (Foley, 2/9)
NPR:
School Shooters: Roots Of Violence Often Include Depression And Desperation
It's hard to empathize with someone who carries out a school shooting. The brutality of their crimes is unspeakable. Whether the shootings were at Columbine, at Sandy Hook, or in Parkland, they have traumatized students and communities across the U.S. Psychologist John Van Dreal understands that. He is the director of safety and risk management at Salem-Keizer Public Schools in Oregon, a state that has had its share of school shootings. In 2014, about 60 miles from Salem, where Van Dreal is based, a 15-year-old boy shot one student and a teacher at his high school before killing himself. (Chatterjee, 2/10)
Politico:
Trump’s HIV Strategy Faces Potential Minefield
President Donald Trump has vowed to end the nation’s HIV epidemic in a decade — but to do so, he’ll need to win over skeptics in the health community and on Capitol Hill, tamp down concerns from faith leaders and navigate hurdles inside his administration. The ambitious State of the Union pronouncement has been undermined by Trump’s own actions: He’s tried to cut nearly $1 billion in global HIV/AIDS funding, roll back protections for patients living with the disease and strike down health benefits for LGBTQ Americans. “There’s a lot of distrust between the community and the administration, understandably,” said Carl Schmid, deputy executive director of the AIDS Institute, who was recently tapped to help lead Trump's advisory council on HIV/AIDS. “This could be a good opportunity to show they’re committed to this.” (Diamond, Cancryn and Ehley, 2/9)
NPR:
How '80s AIDS Activist Group ACT UP Changed The Face Of Medicine
In the summer of 1985, Mike Petrelis was savoring life as young, openly gay man in New York City. He'd landed a cool job working for a film publicist who mostly handled foreign art films. He'd found an affordable apartment — not far from the gay mecca of Greenwich Village. Then one day, Petrelis noticed a sort of blotch on his arm. He went to a doctor, who ran a new kind of test, and gave Petrelis the verdict: "You have AIDS." (Aizenman, 2/9)
The Washington Post:
Administration Seeks To Fund Religious Foster-Care Groups That Reject LGBTQ Parents
President Trump made religious leaders a contentious promise at this week’s National Prayer Breakfast: Faith-based adoption agencies that won’t work with same-sex couples would still be able to get federal funding to “help vulnerable children find their forever families while following their deeply held beliefs.” The president offered no details, but a plan is already in motion. (Cha, 2/8)
The Associated Press:
FDA Questions Juul, Altria Commitment To Combat Teen Vaping
The head of the Food and Drug Administration is questioning whether electronic cigarette maker Juul and its new partner Altria are following through on pledges to help reverse the boom in underage vaping. FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb on Friday posted letters he sent to Juul and Altria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes and other tobacco products. He called for a joint meeting to discuss what he calls "inconsistent" statements from the companies. (Perrone, 2/8)
The Associated Press:
EPA Decision Soon On Chemical Compounds Tied To Health Risks
The chemical compounds are all around you. They're on many fabrics, rugs and carpets, cooking pots and pans, outdoor gear, shampoo, shaving cream, makeup and even dental floss. Increasing numbers of states have found them seeping into water supplies. There's growing evidence that long-term exposure to the perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl compounds, or PFAS, can be dangerous, even in tiny amounts. (Knickmeyer, Casey and Flesher, 2/11)
The Washington Post:
Under Trump, EPA Inspections Fall To A 10-Year Low
Under President Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency inspected fewer industrial facilities during 2018 than at any time over the past decade, according to data released by the agency Friday. The sharp drop in inspections and evaluations last fiscal year — to roughly 10,600 — is only half the number EPA conducted at its peak in 2010, and continues a downward trend that began in 2012. Other enforcement activities at the agency experienced similar declines, according to EPA figures: The number of civil cases the division started and completed in 2018 hit a 10-year low, and the $69 million in civil penalties it leveled represents the lowest in nearly a quarter-century. (Eilperin and Dennis, 2/8)
The New York Times:
‘Pit Of Infection’: A Border Town’s Crisis Has Nothing To Do With Migrants
For generations, residents of the Southern California border town of Calexico watched with trepidation as their river turned into a cesspool, contaminated by the booming human and industrial development on the other side of the border in Mexico. Noxious sewage filled with feces, industrial chemicals and other raw waste regularly comes in through the New River, which flows from Mexico’s Mexicali Valley and through Calexico, leaving neighborhoods along the waterway engulfed in pungent fumes. (Del Real, 2/9)
Reuters:
Seven Mumps Cases Confirmed At Houston ICE Detention Facility
Seven adult detainees at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Houston have been diagnosed with mumps, but the contagious disease is contained, the city's health department said on Saturday. "Since these individuals were isolated inside the facility during the period they were infectious, we do not anticipate these cases posing a threat to the community," Dr. David Persse, Houston's local health authority and emergency medical services medical director, said in a statement. ICE's Houston Contract Detention Facility houses approximately 950-1,000 adults. (2/9)
Reuters:
Trump, Not Especially Vigilant On Diet, Declared 'In Very Good Health'
President Donald Trump was declared "in very good health" by the White House physician on Friday after four hours of examinations in what amounted to a test of whether his doctor's order that he follow a healthier diet has paid dividends. Specific details on Trump's weight, cholesterol levels and blood pressure were not released in a statement from White House physician Sean Conley after Conley and 11 specialists put the 72-year-old president through a battery of medical tests. (2/8)
The New York Times:
Trump Is In ‘Very Good Health’ Following His Annual Physical, His Doctor Says
But Dr. Sean Conley, a Navy officer who is the president’s physician and the current director of the White House medical unit, released no details about what a team of 11 specialists had found in the course of a four-hour examination of Mr. Trump. Dr. Conley said that “reports and recommendations are being finalized,” but did not say if, when or in what form they would be publicly released. Last year, after Mr. Trump’s first full examination as president, the White House took the unusual step of having Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, then the president’s physician, deliver a lengthy report in the White House briefing room and then answer questions from reporters. Dr. Jackson was widely ridiculed for using excessive language in describing the president’s health. (Rogers and Altman, 2/8)
The Wall Street Journal:
President Trump Is Healthy, White House Physician Says
The exam took about four hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Mr. Trump, 72 years old, didn’t undergo procedures requiring sedation or anesthesia, the memo stated. Dr. Conley performed and supervised the evaluation with a panel of 11 board-certified specialists. (Leary, 2/8)
The Associated Press:
Utah Plan To Cut Medicaid Expansion By 50,000 Nears Passage
A plan to scale back a voter-approved Medicaid expansion in Utah won a key approval in the state Legislature on Friday despite protests that it reduces access to needed health care and thwarts voters' wishes. The measure would insure about 50,000 fewer people under Medicaid, a change that would need a federal approval that has not been given for any other state. Republican lawmakers argue that and other restrictions are essential to controlling long-term costs, but say their plan will still cover the state's neediest. (2/8)
The New York Times:
Hospital Mergers Improve Health? Evidence Shows The Opposite
Many things affect your health. Genetics. Lifestyle. Modern medicine. The environment in which you live and work. But although we rarely consider it, the degree of competition among health care organizations does so as well. Markets for both hospitals and physicians have become more concentrated in recent years. Although higher prices are the consequences most often discussed, such consolidation can also result in worse health care. Studies show that rates of mortality and of major health setbacks grow when competition falls. (Frakt, 2/11)
The Washington Post:
Washington Measles Outbreak Draws Crowd To Hearing On Vaccine Law
Anti-vaccine activists packed a public hearing Friday to oppose a bill that would make it harder for families to opt out of vaccination requirements for measles, mumps and rubella amid the state’s worst measles outbreak in more than two decades. An estimated 700 people, most of them opposed to stricter requirements, lined up before dawn in the cold, toting strollers and hand-lettered signs, to sit in the hearing, which was so crowded that staff opened up additional rooms to accommodate the crowd. Many gathered outside afterward for a rally. (Sun and Young, 2/8)
The Washington Post:
Unvaccinated Teens Are Fact-Checking Their Parents — And Trying To Get Shots On Their Own
Ethan Lindenberger, frustrated by years of arguments about his mother’s anti-vaccination stance, staged a quiet defection on Reddit. The Norwalk, Ohio, teenager needed advice, he said, on how to inoculate himself against both infectious disease and his family’s dogma. At 18, he was old enough, Lindenberger explained. He wanted to get vaccinated. But he didn’t know how. “My parents think vaccines are some kind of government scheme,” Lindenberger wrote days before Thanksgiving. “But, because of their beliefs I’ve never been vaccinated for anything, god knows how I’m still alive.” (Horton, 2/10)
NPR:
Teen Gets Vaccines During Measles Outbreak, Despite Mom's Belief
At a time of widespread measles outbreaks in the Pacific Northwest, causing Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency, more minors are raising questions about whether they can provide their own consent to get vaccines. According to the CDC, for month of January this year, measles have been confirmed in 10 states, with the agency monitoring other outbreaks in New York state and New York City. (Morris and Simon, 2/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Flu Drug Called ‘Silver Bullet,’ But Some Doctors Prescribe Caution
A new pill that can kill the flu virus in 24 hours with a single dose has become the most-prescribed influenza treatment in Japan, which is suffering through its worst flu season in two decades. But some doctors are backing away from the drug after new evidence emerged about mutant viral strains that prevent it from working well in some patients. The pill, called Xofluza, was discovered by Osaka-based Shionogi 4507 & Co., and it was approved last year by regulators in Japan and the U.S. In the U.S., it is marketed by Roche Holding AG’s Genentech unit. (Fujikawa and Davis, 2/11)
The Associated Press:
Depression 101: Dallas Schoolkids Learn About Mental Health
In a scenario playing out in more and more classrooms around the world, a Dallas teenager recently asked her classmate if anything was wrong, noting that she hadn't been acting like herself. The brusque reply: "Just leave me alone." The ninth-graders at the Uplift Hampton Preparatory school were role-playing as part of a program that aims to teach teens how to spot the signs of depression in themselves and others. (2/9)
The New York Times:
A Mother Tried To Save Her Son For Years. Now He’s Accused Of Killing Her.
Jason Reeves, 32, struggled for years to find his way, frequently running afoul of the law and grappling with mental health issues. In spite of it all, his mother, Paulette, stood by him, trying to help her son climb out of his personal morass. This month, everything came crashing down. (Winston, 2/10)
Stat:
Sean Parker Calls Gene-Edited Babies A 'Sputnik 2.0 Moment'
He is famous for his founding roles at Facebook and Napster, but these days the billionaire philanthropist Sean Parker is turning his attention to fighting cancer. Three years ago, he announced a $250 million investment to build teams of scientists for immunotherapy research, one of the hottest fields in taking on cancer. In an interview with STAT last week in his hotel suite overlooking Central Park, Parker spoke intensely about his belief that the government needs to move far more aggressively in investing in biotech, life sciences, and health care. (Berke, 2/11)
NPR:
What's The Right Dose Of Medicine For Kids?
It's the middle of the night and you wake up to the disturbing sound of your little one crying and sniffling with a cold, sore throat or fever. And, if you're like many parents, you reach into the medicine cabinet, seeking some relief. But giving medication — and getting the dose right — can be more challenging than you might think. Jesse and Shannan Ridall live in Palmyra, Pa., with their three young children. Jesse says the lined markings on dosing devices of children's medicine can be confusing, especially when they show both teaspoons and milliliters. (Neighmond, 2/11)
The Washington Post:
Website Has A Trove Of Studies, Personal Stories About Multiple Sclerosis
How close is a cure for multiple sclerosis? That’s difficult to answer: Researchers are still working hard to understand the potentially disabling disease. But MS studies are growing. In 2018, the term “multiple sclerosis” appeared in the titles of more than 3,000 articles in PubMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s search engine for academic research on life sciences and biomedical topics. That’s a torrent of information. (Blakemore, 2/10)
The New York Times:
A New Treatment For A Painful Penis Curvature
Sometimes it takes the licensing and advertising of a treatment to get patients to seek help, even for a medical problem that is often painful and psychologically devastating. Such is the case with Peyronie’s disease, a scarring and bending or curving of the penis that can make sexual intercourse difficult or impossible for both straight and gay men. It most often afflicts middle-aged men, usually the result of an injury that may not have been noticed. Injury can occur during a sports activity, accident or vigorous sex when the erect penis is bent or pounded against bone. (Brody, 2/11)
The Washington Post:
Do You Sleep Long Hours? Many Experts Say It’s Benign, But Others Aren’t Sure.
Tracey Thomsen Anderson, 57, a retired ad agency copywriter from Colorado Springs, sleeps nine or 10 hours every night, and has done so her entire life. “My ability to sleep through ridiculous circumstances was legendary as a kid — parties, fireworks, I slept through a car wreck once,” she says. “I can get by on eight for a day or two, but I feel like a zombie all day with anything less than nine.” (Cimons, 2/9)
The Washington Post:
Teenage Sleep Can Be Harmed By Early School Time
At first, Lilly Grey Rudge objected to her classes starting later. Delaying the first-period bell nearly an hour until 8:45 a.m. meant that her mother could no longer drive her, and Lilly Grey would have to take two buses to Ballard High in Seattle. Now, more than two years since the change, the 16-year-old junior is a fan. (Cohen, 2/9)
The Washington Post:
Snoring Can Be Sign Of Bigger Problems. Here's What To Do About It.
Snoring is the top reason that patients come to see Jennifer Hsia, a sleep surgeon at University of Minnesota Health in Minneapolis. Most of the time, they come in not because they are worried about their health, but because their partner has been complaining about the noise. “It’s very rare that I have someone come in and say, ‘I think I have sleep apnea,’ ” she says. “It’s more, ‘I’m snoring quite badly and my bed partner wants me to do something about it.’ ” (Sohn, 2/9)
The Washington Post:
Sleep Patterns Can Change With Aging. Does That Spell Trouble?
When Carol Gee turned 55, she made a new friend: 4 a.m. In the past, she usually slept through it. But once she entered menopause, it became her new wake-up time. “I would go to sleep and wake up every morning around the same time, almost like you set the clock,” says Gee, who is now 68. She’s not the only older adult to have experienced an exasperating shift in her sleep cycles. In 2017, a national poll conducted by the University of Michigan found that 46 percent of adults 65 and older have trouble falling asleep on a regular basis. (Blakemore, 2/10)
The Washington Post:
Sleep Aids May Help, But Consider The Risks.
A lot of people out there don’t get enough sleep — more than 1 in 3 American adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re one of them, you probably know there are two main treatments for improving sleep: behavioral methods and medications. When you’re desperate for a good night’s sleep, medications sure do sound appealing. But there are caveats with them all — the prescription pills, the over-the-counter products and the herbal supplements. (Adams, 2/9)
Stat:
University Of California To Get CRISPR Patent, Likely Reviving Legal Dispute
It has taken nearly six years, detours for bitter legal challenges, and tens of millions of dollars in legal fees, but the foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patent for which the University of California applied in March 2013 will soon be granted, according to documents posted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Friday, throwing yet another monkey wrench into genome editing’s tangled IP landscape. (Begley, 2/8)
The New York Times:
Arizona Nursing Center Where Incapacitated Woman Was Raped Will Now Stay Open
On Thursday, operators of a health care center in Phoenix where an incapacitated woman was raped and gave birth last year announced that they would close it down. But on Friday, the operator, Hacienda HealthCare, backtracked. It said it now planned to stay open, under increased state oversight, after regulators balked, saying in a letter that they were concerned about the “health and safety” impacts of moving the center’s patients elsewhere if it was shuttered. (Zaveri, 2/8)
The Hill:
Arizona Considers Declaring Porn A Public Health Crisis
A Republican state lawmaker in Arizona has introduced a resolution that would declare pornography a public health crisis. A measure introduced by state Rep. Michelle Udall (R) passed through the Arizona House Committee on Health & Human Services on Thursday, the first hurdle in its path to a full vote, AZ Central reported. (Gstalter, 2/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Poor, Elderly And Too Frail To Escape: Paradise Fire Killed The Most Vulnerable Residents
Dorothy Mack had crippling back pain and deteriorating eyesight. Helen Pace used a walker and could barely hear. Teresa Ammons suffered a stroke in 2017 and couldn’t drive. Although each woman had a different frailty, their final circumstances were strikingly similar: They were all seniors on fixed incomes, they all lived alone, and they all died when the Camp fire roared through their mobile home park. (Newberry, 2/10)
Reuters:
Florida Caregiver Charged After Mentally Disabled Woman Gives Birth
A Florida man has been charged with sexually assaulting a mentally disabled woman who became pregnant four years ago at a group home where he worked as a caregiver. Willie Shorter, 58, was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a disabled adult after a test showed his DNA matched that of the child of the woman who was identified only as "DB," Rockledge, Florida, police said in a court affidavit. (2/8)
The Associated Press:
Judge Critical Of Mass. Mental Health Services For Children
A federal judge has criticized Massachusetts for being too slow to provide mental health services to low-income children. The Boston Globe reports U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor in Springfield rebuked the state in an order Thursday and denied its request for those services to be removed from court oversight. (2/9)
Los Angeles Times:
Orthodox Jewish EMT Service Faces Fight From L.A. Fire Department, And A Powerful Fire Union
It started with a few bites of ice cream with cashew and ended with a ride in an ambulance run by an Orthodox Jewish emergency medical service. In 2017, 2-year-old Rus Amster was on her way home with her family after Shabbat lunch in Baltimore when she began throwing up. Within minutes, her stomach was swollen with puffy blotches, and she had difficulty breathing. (Miller, 2/10)