Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Abortion, Covid Shots At Heart Of Midterm Debates
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, is under fire for arguing that "local political leaders" should have a say on abortion rights. Oz said that he did not want the "federal government" involved in abortion while backing the involvement of local politicians during his debate with Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, his Democratic opponent, on Tuesday night. (Slisco, 10/25)
Sparring over crime, abortion and the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection took center stage Tuesday as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul faced her Republican challenger, Rep. Lee Zeldin, in the campaign's only televised gubernatorial debate. Hochul blasted Zeldin’s past support for abortion restrictions and for former President Donald Trump, while Zeldin vowed to repeal liberal criminal justice reforms and criticized Hochul's push to send millions to abortion providers to expand access for a predicted surge in out-of-state patients. (10/25)
Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signaled opposition to mandating coronavirus vaccines for children to attend school during Michigan's final gubernatorial debate before Election Day. Whitmer was asked during Tuesday's debate about new guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urging children to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. (Alic, 10/25)
In other election news from Nebraska and Georgia —
Nebraska Republicans are expected to dominate as usual at the polls in November and retain control of the officially nonpartisan Legislature. They face a far tougher challenge flipping enough seats to push through a statewide abortion ban. (Beck, 10/25)
Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker claimed fentanyl is being dressed up to imitate candy by "the people of China and Mexico," during a rally on Monday. ... "So, I want you to be very vigilant when you're taking your kids on Halloween, because there's a new war in town and that war is China, because China don't like us." (Bickerton, 10/25)
Also —
Just 15% of Republicans have a "great deal" of confidence in scientists to act in the best interest of the American people, according to the Pew Research Center. (Scribner, 10/25)
