Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Workplace Safety Body Accused Of Failing Workers During Pandemic
The nation's enforcer of safety in the workplace hasn't done enough to protect workers during the coronavirus outbreak, according to a watchdog report released Tuesday. During six months since the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 last year, inspections by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the agency that regulates workplace safety, dropped by half — even as safety complaints to the agency increased by 15%, according to a report by the U.S. Labor Department's Office of the Inspector General. (Ivanova, 3/2)
Michigan National Guardsmen tasked with continuing to protect the U.S. Capitol have said they're being provided food that's "badly undercooked, raw, moldy, and even filled with metal shavings," according to a letter from the state's House delegation obtained by CBS News on Tuesday. Some guardsmen have been hospitalized after eating the food, the letter said. (Albert, 3/2)
In news about Dr. Anthony Fauci —
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of the U.S. government’s pandemic response, has donated his personal 3D model of the COVID-19 virus to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The museum on Tuesday honored Fauci with its Great Americans Medal. ... The museum asked Fauci to contribute a personal artifact to mark the pandemic, and he chose the lumpy blue and orange ball that he used to explain the complexities of the virus in dozens of interviews. (Khalil, 3/2)
In news about the Trump administration —
The Department of Defense inspector general has issued a scathing review of Rep. Ronny Jackson during his time serving as the top White House physician, concluding that he made "sexual and denigrating" comments about a female subordinate, violated the policy for drinking alcohol while on a presidential trip and took prescription-strength sleeping medication that prompted concerns from his colleagues about his ability to provide proper care. (Raju, Starr, Cohen and Liebermann, 3/2)
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) allegedly made "sexual and denigrating" comments about a female staffer, drank alcohol and took sleeping medication while working as White House physician, according to a report obtained by CNN Tuesday night. The Department of Defense inspector general's report stems from a years-long investigation. Jackson has called the allegations "false and fabricated." (Falconer, 3/3)
