Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As States Sizzle And Heat-Related Illnesses Rise, Federal Response Falters
Federal efforts to help people cope with extreme heat appear to be melting away even as the nation prepares for another summer of record high temperatures and increasing numbers of heat-related illnesses and deaths. (Magner, 6/23)
An intense and nearly historic weather pattern is cooking much of America under a dangerous heat dome this week with triple-digit temperatures in places that haven’t been so hot in more than a decade. The heat wave is especially threatening because it’s hitting cities like Boston, New York and Philadelphia early in the summer when people haven’t gotten their bodies adapted to the broiling conditions, several meteorologists said. (Borenstein, 6/24)
More health and wellness news —
The social media platform TikTok recently banned a hashtag called #SkinnyTok after European regulators warned it was promoting unrealistic body images and extreme weight loss. The company had seen an onslaught of content featuring emaciated-looking young women peddling tips on how to drop weight quickly. Now the hashtag may be gone, but eliminating this kind of harmful content is not that simple. There's still no shortage of people — on TikTok and other social media platforms — spreading unhealthy information on how to eat fewer calories and get very, very thin. (Riddle, 6/24)
John Plageman was covered head-to-toe in Green Bay Packers gear in April as he stood a few feet away from a beer tent at the National Football League draft. But he wasn’t drinking beer. The 53-year-old was hanging out with 20 other football fans drinking water in a “gratitude circle” at a sober tailgate. His group, Section Yellow, is a safe space for football fans to be boldly sober in one of the most intense drinking environments in American sports. (Wernau, 6/23)
Ripping the plastic wrap from the meat or prepackaged fruit and veggies you purchased at the grocery store may contaminate your food with micro- and nanoplastics, according to new research. Plastic contamination may also occur when you’re unwrapping deli meat and cheese, steeping a tea bag in hot water, or opening cartons of milk or orange juice. Glass bottles and jars with a plastic-coated metal closure may also shed microscopic bits of plastic, the study found. (LaMotte, 6/24)
