News Above the Noise—April 30, 2023
1. Disney Sues Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
The Walt Disney Company and Ron DeSantis have been battling for the better part of the year, and on Wednesday, Disney filed a lawsuit against Florida Gov. DeSantis and other officials, alleging that the governor has waged a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power.” For more on the lawsuit, the events leading up to it, and why the feud is happening in the first place, click here.
2. Why are House Republicans Crafting a Debt Ceiling Bill?
This week, the House narrowly passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling while cutting spending, which would unravel major elements of President Biden’s domestic agenda, including rolling back parts of his landmark health, climate and tax laws. Given the likelihood that the legislation will go nowhere in the Democratic-led Senate, House Republicans have called the vote a crucial step in strengthening their negotiating position against President Biden. For more on this developing story, click here.
3. Adult ADHD is the Wild West of Psychiatry
Late last year, the FDA announced a shortage of Adderall—a prescription medication for people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Yet while the shortage has ended, it shined a spotlight on the surge in Americans who rely on Adderall and some of the problems in how ADHD is treated. From a lack of clinical guidelines for how doctors should diagnose and treat adults with ADHD to a dearth of trained providers, there are a number of issues experts are finally considering. This excellent piece in The Atlantic takes a thoughtful look at the issues.
4. Parents of the Recent Louisville Bank Shooter Speak Out
Senseless gun violence has become sickeningly commonplace in this country. The recent shooting at a bank in Louisville, Kentucky, is no exception. This week, Todd and Lisa Sturgeon—parents of 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, who walked into his workplace at Old National Bank and killed five people and injured eight others with an AR-15-style rifle—sat down with Savannah Guthrie in an exclusive TODAY show interview. Did they see any signs of violence in their son? Did they have any indications that he was capable of doing something like that? Watch the heartbreaking interview here.
5. The New Face of Alzheimer’s
When an Alzheimer’s diagnosis strikes, it’s especially devastating given there’s no cure. However, advancements in how the disease is diagnosed and treated are giving people with mild cognitive impairment and early dementia from Alzheimer’s more hope. New blood tests are making it easier to spot the early signs of Alzheimer’s. A growing body of evidence shows lifestyle changes can help keep people in the early stage of the disease longer. And according to this Washington Post article, all of it is giving Alzheimer's patients good reason to refuse to surrender.
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