A Recap of This Week’s Top News – April 21, 2023

Changes to policy, scientific discovery, and expert recommendations and opinions all have the power to rapidly influence the landscape of a sector. Whether you’re a leader at a non-profit, a member of a university’s marketing department, or a stakeholder for a public health agency, being informed about the latest industry happenings can be the difference between exceeding and falling short of organizational goals. At Hager Sharp, our experts vigorously scan media coverage to identify areas of opportunity. And now, with the introduction of the Sharp Round-Up, you too can review what we consider to be some of the top news of the week.

Below you will find a compilation of news spanning the health and education, labor, and economy sectors. This list includes mainstream, DC-focused, and trade publication coverage from Saturday, April 15, to Friday, April 21. Let these clips serve as a resource when developing thoughtful strategies and use them to further foster organizational innovation and adaptability.

Here’s what you need to know.

Health News:

• Black women have a 40% higher risk of dying due to early-onset breast cancer. A new study suggests that if Black women begin screening for breast cancer at age 42, it could help lower racial disparities in breast cancer deaths.
• A first-of-its-kind study analyzed the rates at which mild versus profound autism diagnoses are increasing. While diagnoses with both levels of severity are increasing, the study shows that mild autism cases are becoming more common than profound autism.
• A new study suggests that eating too many refined wheat or rice products, too much red and processed meats, and too few whole grains is driving the growth of new cases of type 2 diabetes. These three factors were the primary fuel of over 14 million new cases of type 2 diabetes in 2018.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted a new study on how many Americans use dietary supplements. The results showed that over half of American adults and more than a third of children use dietary supplements. Experts say these numbers grew during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Researchers have discovered that overdose fatalities in Americans 65 and older have quadrupled from 2002 to 2021, with 83% being accidental deaths. The CDC reported that while the number of overdose deaths is higher among younger people, the rates of overdose deaths are rising the fastest among those 65 and older.
• A new strategy to attack cancer cells is showing promise in early tests. This strategy involves attacking the sugar cells that many cancer cells coat themselves in in order to suppress immune cells from killing them. A new field of chemistry was invented to study these complex sugar cells, and now scientists are using this research for the novel strategy to attack cancer cells.

Education News:

• Rebeka Peterson, a high school math teacher in Oklahoma, was named the 2023 National Teacher of the Year for making mathematics engaging and accessible and for her commitment to recognizing good things happening daily in her classroom.
• In the first national study of middle and high school students’ nonmedical use of prescription stimulants, one in four teens reported that they’ve abused prescription stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder during the prior year.
• The Florida Board of Education has forbidden teaching gender identity and sexuality in K-12 public schools, stating that teachers who violate the ban could have their teaching licenses suspended or revoked.
• Many schools nationwide are facing calls to replace Native American mascots as public backlash against Native American stereotypes rises. Schools in New York risk losing state funding if they do not retire the logos and mascots by 2025 unless they receive approval from a recognized Native American tribe to keep them.