A Recap of This Week’s Top News – January 6, 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 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, December 31, to Friday, January 6. Let these clips serve as a resource when developing thoughtful strategies and use them to further foster organizational innovation and adaptability.
Politics and Policy:
- The Justice Department announced that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will be able to continue delivering prescription abortion medication. This comes after restrictions on some medications were lifted by the FDA in December 2021 to allow them to be sent by mail and after the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court in June 2022.
- The Biden administration has asked the Supreme court to uphold its student loan forgiveness plan. It argued that this plan does not need congressional authorization and rejected legal challenges from Republican-led states. This comes a month after the Court agreed to expedite the case. The Justices will hear arguments in February.
Health News:
- A new study released in the journal Pediatrics found that between 2017 and 2021 the number of reported cases of children under six accidentally consuming cannabis edibles rose from about 200 to 3,054. Most children were exposed to the drug at home and suffered mild impacts. However, 22.7% of children were hospitalized and 8% of them needed critical care.
- Many people are turning to Mounjaro and Ozempic—brand-name drugs typically used to treat diabetes—for weight loss. Both drugs serve to curb an individual’s appetite and slow the stomach from emptying. They are now in such high demand that individuals who use them to treat diabetes are finding a shortage.
- The CDC warned that that diabetes diagnoses are expected to rise in the coming decades among young Americans. They cited a recent study which shows a 700% increase in Type 2 diabetes diagnoses among Americans under 20 years old by 2060.
Education News:
- U.S. News & World Report announced that it is changing its law school ranking formula after intense criticism from schools about how they are ranked. Over a dozen law schools decided not to participate this year, including Yale and Georgetown, and some of them stated that they will continue to do so, despite these changes.
Opinions/Perspectives:
- Columnist Jay Mathews with The Washington Post analyzed claims that inflated grades, reduced homework, and credit recovery courses are contributing to learning loss and detrimental to student success. Mathews cited education experts who have found that these “shortcuts” either contribute negligibly increased high school graduation rates; experts also found that if they are contributing, those contributions are necessary to ensure that students obtain high school diplomas and improve their chances at success after graduation.
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