Vaccine misinformation is everywhere and it's making things worse
Good morning. Today we have a great mix of columns to hopefully kickstart a great weekend for everybody smart enough to subscribe to this newsletter.
Included in today's list are looks at COVID vaccine misinformation, doctor burnout and a column on how school dropout rates have spiked.
Vaccine misinformation hurts all of us
Columnist Connie Schultz offers up her second USA TODAY Opinion column with a heartfelt piece on how the constant COVID-related conspiracies are hurting the nation's attempt to heal and move on.
"Nearly 600,000 in our country have died during this pandemic. They left behind millions of others who only now, after months of vaccinations in America, are allowed to emerge from their cocoons of grief. Many will need coaxing to come out; some will never recover from that time of necessary loneliness, when they needed us most."
Today's editorial cartoon
- June editorial cartoons: Cartoons on Biden, COVID-19, politics and more
'We are not angry. We are human'
Eboni K. Williams is currently a cast member on "The Real Housewives of New York City" who finds herself reliving dialogue that cast her as the angry Black woman.
"The default labeling of Black women as angry is as egregious as the misogynistic trope that labels women of all colors – including white women – as hysterical, irrational and too emotional any time they express their thoughts or feelings in a way that is not pleasing to the patriarchy. Those deeply sexist labels rip away the access and right to the broad spectrum of human emotion. When that is taken away, we lose all opportunity to build an equitable society."
COVID-19 burnout is real
As COVID-19 recedes in the United States, the medical community is taking stock of its impact – not only on the population at large but on our own profession. Over the past year, the pandemic has intensified a worrying trend: America is facing a shortage of physicians – and that shortage will likely get worse.
The United States was heading for a physician shortfall long before the pandemic. The AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) has been tracking this trend for many years now, and the warning signs have been clear: We have consistently found that demand for physicians outpaces supply. Our latest report – which we are releasing Friday – suggests the problem will likely get worse.
But wait, there is more
- I wrote about kids sentenced to life, then the letters from prison started
- The ATF goes easy on problem gun stores. Here's how we found out.
- School dropout numbers are surging. Here's how nonprofits can help
This newsletter was compiled by Louie Villalobos