Public pieces.
This is a new venture for us. Our mission is to bring attention to the public’s health with our weekly newsletter The Public’s Health. Our interest is two-fold: to understand threats to the public’s health and to promote well-being. We aim to give influencers, policymakers, and deciders the information you need to move all of us toward being healthier.
In the early 1980s, the United States had a higher life expectancy than most other high-income countries. Today, Americans live shorter lives than the populations of all other economically comparable countries, as well as the populations of countries we do not normally compare ourselves to, like Chile, Cuba and Singapore. The U.S. is also sicker than other high-income countries, with a higher mortality rate from a broad range of diseases, including non-communicable diseases like heart disease and cancer.
The February 14 shooting in the Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, reminded us once again about the horrific toll of gun violence on the United States. This was the 18th school shooting in the US this year; in Parkland, 17 students were killed and about as many were injured. The shooter used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, the same weapon used in many other high-profile mass shootings, including Sandy Hook. These guns have been widely available in the United States ever since Congress allowed the federal assault weapons ban to expire in 2004.
On Wednesday, a gunman killed 17 people and wounded at least a dozen others at a Parkland, Florida high school. This act was shocking, evil, and, in America, routine. There have been 30 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, And just last October, a gunman in Las Vegas killed 58 people and wounded hundreds more, making it the deadliest mass shooting in the country’s modern history.
ON FRIDAY, a Washington Post report suggested that a directive was issued to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that bars the agency from using seven words and phrases in CDC budget materials and official documents. According to the report, the censored terminology includes “fetus,” “transgender,” “diversity,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “evidence-based,” and “science-based.” In a somewhat Orwellian twist, the CDC has apparently been told that an acceptable option for describing evidence or science-based information could read as follows: “The CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes.” It may be worth remembering that, at times in world history, community standards and wishes shared the consensus that the earth was flat.
On Friday, a Washington Post report suggested that a directive was issued to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that bars the agency from using seven words and phrases in CDC budget materials and official documents. According to the report, the censored terminology includes “fetus,” “transgender,” “diversity,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “evidence-based,” and “science-based.” In a somewhat Orwellian twist, the CDC has apparently been told that an acceptable option for describing evidence or science-based information could read as follows: “The CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes.” It may be worth remembering that, at times in world history, community standards and wishes shared the consensus that the earth was flat.
A recent Washington Post report suggested that a directive was issued to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that bars the agency from using seven words and phrases in CDC budget materials and official documents. According to the report, the censored terminology includes "fetus," "transgender," "diversity," "vulnerable," "entitlement," "evidence-based" and "science-based." In a somewhat Orwellian twist, the CDC has apparently been told that an acceptable option for describing evidence or science-based information could read as follows: "The CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes." It may be worth remembering that at times in world history, community standards and wishes shared the consensus that the Earth was flat.
On Friday, a Washington Post report suggested that a directive was issued to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that bars the agency from using seven words and phrases in CDC budget materials and official documents. According to the report, the censored terminology includes “fetus,” “transgender,” “diversity,” “vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “evidence-based,” and “science-based.” In a somewhat Orwellian twist, the CDC has apparently been told that an acceptable option for describing evidence or science-based information could read as follows: “The CDC bases its recommendations on science in consideration with community standards and wishes.” It may be worth remembering that, at times in world history, community standards and wishes shared the consensus that the earth was flat.
This is the personal website of Sandro Galea. All photos are taken by Sandro Galea.
