I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. WELCOME TO MATTER OF FACT. TODAY WE HEAD TO SUMMER CAMP. BUT THIS CAMP IS SPECIAL. THE LAST DAY IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE AND ALL THAT. BUT WE GET THE BUS RIDE HOME, SO IT’S NICE. KIDS CHERISHING EVERY POSSIBLE MINUTE TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY’RE SIBLINGS, SEPARATED IN FOSTER CARE. HOW A CAMP IS REUNITING BROTHERS AND SISTERS, EVEN JUST FOR A FEW DAYS. PLUS, THE NATION’S HIGHEST COURT IS WRAPPING UP A TERM FILLED WITH SOME UNEXPECTED BLOCKBUSTERS. MANY OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HEADLINES COMING OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT HAVE BEEN THE SHADOW DOCKET CASES. IS THE SUPREME COURT CHANGING HOW IT’S CONDUCTED BUSINESS FOR CENTURIES? AND IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY, THERE’S HUNGER AND POVERTY. THIS NEW YORK FARMER IS ISSUING A CHALLENGE. LET’S PEEL BACK THE FULL SYSTEM AND LET’S REALLY TALK ABOUT THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS. WHY? SHE SAYS A CLEAR EYED UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD INEQUITY IN AMERICA CAN HELP US ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THOSE STORIES, AND MUCH MORE RIGHT NOW ON MATTER OF FACT. SUMMER CAMPS ARE UNDERWAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY, BUT AT ONE CAMP, IT’S A PARTICULARLY SPECIAL AND EMOTIONAL TIME FOR THE KIDS. IT’S CALLED CAMP TO BELONG, AND ALL THE CHILDREN ARE IN FOSTER CARE AT THE CAMP. THEY’RE REUNITED WITH THEIR SIBLINGS, WHO LIVE IN DIFFERENT FOSTER HOMES. THERE ARE ROUGHLY 368,000 CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE, ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. CAMP TO BELONG, FOUNDED IN 1995, HOSTS GATHERINGS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR CORRESPONDENT ALEXIS CLARK TAKES US TO CAMP IN IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. I MADE THIS CALL BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT YOUR INTERESTS AND WHAT YOU LIKE. THANK YOU. I MADE YOU THIS PILLOW BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH YOU DO GET ON MY NERVES, I STILL LOVE YOU NO MATTER WHAT. YOU’RE MY BROTHER. YOU LOVE YOU. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST CHERISHED ACTIVITIES AT CAMP TO BELONG. SIBLINGS SWAPPING PILLOWS THEY’VE DECORATED FOR EACH OTHER. FOR SO MANY OF THEM, THEY HAVEN’T REALLY HAD ACCESS TO THIS KIND OF OPPORTUNITY. CHRISTINA VELLA IS THE CEO OF SAINT JUDE’S RANCH FOR CHILDREN, A RESIDENCY FOR FOSTER KIDS IN NEVADA. THE RANCH ACQUIRED CAMP TO BELONG IN 2023. BECAUSE OF OUR LOVE OF PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING SIBLINGS. IT JUST MADE SENSE FOR US TO CONTINUE THE CAMP TO BELONG EXPERIENCE BRINGING THEM TOGETHER FOR FIVE FULL DAYS TO CREATE INCREDIBLE CHILDHOOD MEMORIES TOGETHER. THE IRVINE CAMP HOSTS 81 KIDS AGES SEVEN AND UP. I KNOW YOU’RE USING THE WATER, BUT IT’S AN IDYLLIC SETTING. BLUE SKIES AND HILLS. THERE’S A ZIP LINE, A POOL, AN ORCHARD, A SAFE SPACE FOR BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO BE TOGETHER WHEN YOU DON’T LIVE WITH YOUR SIBLING, THERE’S A DRIFT THAT HAPPENS. THERE’S SO UNFAMILIAR THEY DON’T KNOW EVEN BASIC THINGS LIKE WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? AND DO YOU LIKE KETCHUP? I WANT TO MAKE THIS UP. WHAT’S IT LIKE WHEN SIBLINGS FIRST ARRIVE AT CAMP? WELL, IT STARTS ACTUALLY, WHEN THEY GET ON THE BUS AND SOME WANT TO SIT TOGETHER AND SOME DON’T. SOMETIMES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’RE WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND OR YOU’RE WITH A STRANGER, SO THERE’S A LOT OF EMOTIONS. BEING A SUMMER CAMP IS IMPORTANT, BUT BEING A TRAUMA INFORMED SUMMER CAMP IS SOMETHING SPECIAL. WE ARE THE WHITE TEAM. THIS INCLUDES HAVING SOME COUNSELORS WHO’VE BEEN IN FOSTER CARE AND UNDERSTAND THE RANGE OF EMOTIONS THESE KIDS CAN EXPERIENCE. VELA WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING THE NEVADA SIBLING BILL OF RIGHTS PASSED. IT ENSURES THAT SIBLINGS WHO LIVE IN DIFFERENT FOSTER HOMES CAN MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER IF THE RELATIONSHIP IS SAFE AND HEALTHY. THAT SIBLING BILL OF RIGHTS, WHILE IT DOESN’T MANDATE THAT CHILDREN HAVE TO LIVE TOGETHER, IT FUNDAMENTALLY PROVIDES RULES THAT SAY THAT SIBLING VISITATION IS NOT A PRIVILEGE. IT IS A RIGHT TO BE A CHILD THAT HAS EXPERIENCED ABUSE AND NEGLECT, TO BE IN FOSTER CARE, AND THEN TO LOSE YOUR SIBLINGS SOMEWHERE IN THE SYSTEM. IT’S LIKE A DOUBLE TRAUMA. I DON’T LIKE HOW IT FEELS. STOP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT 16 YEAR OLD LEANDRO HAS BEEN TO CAMP TO BELONG WITH HIS BROTHER, SILAS. I DON’T GET TO SEE HIM A LOT, SO IT’S NICE TO COME OUT HERE FOR FIVE DAYS. HERE’S A CHANGE OF SCENERY, LIKE ALL THE PLANTS AND STUFF. SO IT’S PRETTY COOL. IT’S VERY FUN BECAUSE WE DON’T SEE EACH OTHER A LOT. AND IT’S NICE BECAUSE I LOVE MY BROTHER. YEAH, I’M ANNALINA AND I’M 18. I’M CJ AND I’M 17. I’M REMY AND I’M 11. YOU GOTTA GO FASTER. THESE SIBLINGS ARE ALSO GETTING QUALITY TIME AT CAMP. WHILE ANNALINA AND CJ LIVE TOGETHER AT SAINT JUDE’S RANCH. YOUNGER SISTER REMI WAS RECENTLY ADOPTED. SHE JUST MOVED OUT LIKE THREE WEEKS AGO, SO IT’S HARD. WE USUALLY ARE AROUND MOST OF THE TIME. NOW THAT YOUR SISTER IS LIVING SOMEWHERE DIFFERENTLY, WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU WHEN YOU MISS EACH OTHER? SHE FACETIMES ME OFF HER IPAD. SIBLINGS MIGHT BE AMONGST THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT WE RECOGNIZE. THE FIRST PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW HOW TO ENGAGE WITH, HOW TO SHARE WITH, HOW TO MANAGE CONFLICT WITH. PROFESSOR BELINDA CAMPOS IS THE CHAIR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CHICANO LATINO STUDIES AT UC IRVINE. A PSYCHOLOGIST, SHE STUDIES FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS WHEN SIBLINGS ARE SEPARATED. WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE ON THE KIDS? ANY KIND OF SEPARATION FROM A LOVED ONE DOES INVOLVE A SENSE OF LOSS. WE’RE IN EACH OTHER’S DAILY ROUTINES THAT GETS DISRUPTED IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE RELATIONSHIPS. ACCORDING TO CAMPOS, THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE EMPHASIS ON THE POSITIVE, LONG TERM EFFECTS OF HEALTHY SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS. THE SYSTEM IS, I THINK, MORE FOCUSED ON, LIKE THE PHYSICAL SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN, WHICH OF COURSE IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT. WE SHOULD ALSO BE THINKING ABOUT LIKE THE RELATIONAL SAFETY OF THE CHILDREN, LIKE WHO CAN THEY HAVE THAT HELPS THEM TO FEEL SAFE AND CLOSE AND CONNECTED. AND IF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE WITH THEIR SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS, THEN WE SHOULD BE MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN FOR THEM. WE WISH WE COULD REMOVE ALL OF THE CHALLENGES AND MAKE IT BETTER, BUT WE CAN’T. SO WHEN WE’RE ON THE JOURNEY TOGETHER, WE’RE JUST WALKING ALONGSIDE THEM, PICKING THEM UP ON A BAD DAY, CHEERING THEM ON ON A GOOD DAY. I DON’T HAVE ALL THE SOLUTIONS, BUT I DON’T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO FIND A SUCCESS AND SAY, OKAY, WITH THAT, WE’LL KEEP WORKING. ALL RIGHT, LET’S KEEP GOING. FOR MATTER OF FACT, I’M ALEXIS CLARK. NEXT ON MATTER OF FACT, THE SHADOW DOCKET. THESE RULINGS CAN SOMETIMES HAPPEN IN THE COURSE OF DAYS OR WEEKS. HOW IT WORKS AND HOW IT IS IMPACTING THE LAWS OF THE LAND. PLUS, AN UPDATE ON YOUNG PEOPLE’S TOBACCO USE. BUT FIRST, HOW THIS NEW YORK FARMER IS BRINGING FRESH FOOD TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. YOU’RE WATCHING, MATTER OF FACT, AMERICA’S NUMBER ONE NATIONALLY SYNDICATED PUBLIC AFFAIRS NEWS MAGAZINE. WHEN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT BEGAN ITS TERM LAST OCTOBER, IT AGREED TO HEAR 65 CASES. BUT THEN IN JANUARY, THAT WORKLOAD SUDDENLY CHANGED. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TOOK OFFICE, AND IN THE FOLLOWING MONTHS, THE COURT WAS ASKED TO TAKE UP A FLURRY OF LEGAL CHALLENGES. AND THE JUSTICES DID. IS THE COURT FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGING THE WAY IT HAS LONG CONDUCTED BUSINESS? ALICIA BANNON IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE JUDICIARY PROGRAM AT THE BRENNAN CENTER FOR JUSTICE AT NYU LAW. IT’S SO NICE TO HAVE YOU IN STUDIO. THANKS FOR JOINING ME. THANKS FOR HAVING ME. A LOT OF WHAT WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY IS THE SHADOW DOCKET. WHAT EXACTLY IS THE SHADOW DOCKET? THE SHADOW DOCKET IS THE COURT’S EMERGENCY DOCKET. MOTIONS INVOLVING CASES THAT ARE TYPICALLY STILL ONGOING IN THE LOWER COURTS, WHERE THE COURT IS BEING ASKED TO STEP IN AND ESSENTIALLY PRESS PAUSE ON ORDERS THAT HAVE BEEN COMING OUT OF THE LOWER COURTS. TRADITIONALLY, THIS WAS RARELY USED, AND ONLY IN SITUATIONS WHERE THERE WAS SOME SERIOUS IMMINENT HARM, LIKE A PENDING EXECUTION. EMERGENCIES. REAL, REAL EMERGENCIES. BUT WHAT WE’VE SEEN IS THAT THE USE OF THIS EMERGENCY DOCKET HAS REALLY EXPLODED IN RECENT YEARS, AND ESPECIALLY OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. AND WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? WELL, ONE BIG CHANGE IS THAT WE’VE SEEN MUCH MORE RELIANCE ON THE SHADOW DOCKET BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. ONE STUDY FOUND THAT IN THE FIRST 20 WEEKS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, THERE WERE 19 MOTIONS FILED BY THE ADMINISTRATION ON THE SHADOW DOCKET OVER FOUR YEARS IN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. IT WAS THE SAME NUMBER. IS THERE A STRATEGY FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO PUSH THINGS THROUGH THE SHADOW DOCKET? THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS, I THINK, USING THE SHADOW DOCKET AS A WAY TO BYPASS LOWER COURTS THAT HAVE BEEN VERY SKEPTICAL OF A LOT OF THE BEHAVIOR COMING OUT OF THE ADMINISTRATION. THERE’S BEEN VAST FINDINGS ACROSS A WIDE ARRAY OF JUDGES APPOINTED BY DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, INCLUDING JUDGES WHO HAD BEEN APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP, THAT HAVE FOUND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES BY THE ADMINISTRATION AND HAVE HALTED MUCH OF WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE. AND WE’VE REPEATEDLY SEEN THE ADMINISTRATION TURN TO THE SUPREME COURT, WHO, WITHOUT ANY KIND OF JUSTIFICATION, FREQUENTLY HAS SIMPLY HALTED THOSE LOWER COURT ORDERS AND ALLOWED ADMINISTRATION POLICIES TO MOVE FORWARD. GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SOUGHT TO TAKE AWAY LEGAL STATUS FROM HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM LATIN AMERICA WHO WERE GIVEN LEGAL IMMIGRATION STATUS UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. THE SUPREME COURT STEPPED IN WITHOUT EXPLANATION AND BLOCKED A LOWER COURT ORDER THAT HAD SAID THAT THAT STATUS SHOULD CONTINUE. DO YOU THINK THIS IS THIS ADMINISTRATION, THE WAY THEY’RE DOING BUSINESS, OR IS THIS A NEW WAY THAT THE SUPREME COURT WILL BE DOING BUSINESS, OR A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH? I THINK IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH. I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION IS SEEING THAT THE SUPREME COURT IS VERY OPEN TO THESE SHADOW DOCKET MOTIONS. AND SO IF THEY THINK THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD AUDIENCE FOR THESE MOTIONS, THEY’RE GOING TO KEEP FILING THEM AND THEY’RE GOING TO KEEP PUSHING THE ENVELOPE ABOUT THE KINDS OF CASES THAT THEY’RE BRINGING BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT. SO HAS THE SHADOW DOCKET BEING SO ACTIVE, KIND OF BLOWN UP WHAT EVERYBODY THOUGHT WOULD BE THE BIG IMPORTANT STORIES ON THE DOCKET. IN A LOT OF WAYS IT HAS. THERE HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN SIGNIFICANT CASES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT THIS TERM. MAJOR BLOCKBUSTER CASES. BUT REALLY, I THINK MANY OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HEADLINES COMING OUT OF THE SUPREME COURT HAVE BEEN THESE SHADOW DOCKET CASES RELATING TO QUESTIONS OF PRESIDENTIAL POWER, RELATING TO QUESTIONS ON ISSUES LIKE DEPORTATIONS. AS WE THINK ABOUT THE NEXT TERM, WHAT ARE THE BIG ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO BE DECIDED? I EXPECT THAT MANY OF THE CASES THAT THE COURT IS NOW WEIGHING IN ON, PRELIMINARILY ON ITS SHADOW DOCKET, ARE GOING TO COME BACK AND ARE GOING TO END UP BEFORE THE COURT ON ITS REGULAR DOCKET. SO BIG CASES RELATED TO PRESIDENTIAL POWER, FOR EXAMPLE, IS THE PRESIDENT’S POWER TO FIRE HEADS OF INDEPENDENT AGENCIES. THAT’S SOMETHING WHERE CONGRESS HAS SAID THAT THERE ARE PROTECTIONS THE PRESIDENT CAN’T FIRE. FOR EXAMPLE, MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD WITHOUT CAUSE. THE PRESIDENT HAS SOUGHT TO DO SO, AND THE COURT HAS SIGNALED AN OPENNESS TO REVISITING A 90 YEAR OLD PRECEDENT THAT HAD SAID THAT THAT THE PRESIDENT’S POWER WAS LIMITED IN THAT WAY. ALICIA BANNON FROM THE BRENNAN CENTER, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. COMING UP, WHY A GROUP OF FRIENDS FROM NEW YORK CITY DECIDED TO BUY A FARM. PLUS, ANTI-SMOKING ADS RAN FOR DECADES. WE EXAMINED THE EFFORT TO HELP AMERICANS KICK THE HABIT. FOOD INSECURITY IS ON THE RISE. THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH INSUFFICIENT ACCESS TO ADEQUATELY HEALTHY FOOD ROSE BY 4 MILLION BETWEEN 2020 AND 2023. THAT ESPECIALLY IMPACTS BLACK AND AFRICAN AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS. NEARLY 21% EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY, COMPARED TO ABOUT 8% OF WHITE HOUSEHOLDS. KAREN WASHINGTON WAS RAISED IN THE BRONX, ONE OF THE MOST FOOD INSECURE COUNTIES IN NEW YORK STATE. WE DO HAVE FOOD. WE HAVE THE JUNK FOOD, THE PROCESSED FOOD, THE FAST FOOD. WE DON’T HAVE HEALTHY FOOD OPTIONS. YET CULTIVATING HER OWN FOOD WAS NEVER PART OF HER PLAN UNTIL SHE GREW HER OWN TOMATOES. AND THEN WHEN I BIT INTO IT, IT JUST CHANGED MY WORLD THAT I WANTED TO GROW EVERYTHING. WASHINGTON AND THREE BUSINESS PARTNERS FOUNDED RISE AND ROOT FARM. FOR THE PAST 11 YEARS, THEY’VE WORKED TO BRING FRESH FOOD TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. OUR PRODUCER, TARA CLEARY, VISITED WASHINGTON ON HER FARM. OKAY. RISE AND ROOT STARTED AMONGST MY FRIENDS. WE WERE ALL IN THE FOOD MOVEMENT, AND WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT LIKE, WHAT IS OUR ASPIRATIONS? WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? AND 90% OF US SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? IF WE HAVE A CHANCE, LET’S FARM TOGETHER. WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY LAND HERE IN THE CHESTER AGRICULTURAL CENTER. HERE AT RISING ROOT, WE GROW VEGETABLES, HERBS, CULINARY HERBS, MEDICINAL HERBS, EDIBLE FLOWERS. WE ALSO GROW ALL OF THE STARTS OF THE 400 COMMUNITY GARDENS IN NEW YORK CITY. MAYBE WE COULD STRATEGIZE THAT WHEN WE GO BACK THERE. EVERYONE HAS A ROLE. JANE IS THE FARM MANAGER. I DO A LOT OF THE WEEDING. I LOVE WEEDING. LORI DOES A FARMERS MARKET ON SATURDAY. MICHAELA DOES MOST OF THE. FINANCES AND SHE HAS THE FARMERS MARKET ON WEDNESDAY. SO HOW WAS THE HARVEST TODAY? WE’RE FRIENDS. IT’S NOT ABOUT PRODUCTION AND MAKING MONEY. IT’S ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GIVING BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY. FARMING IN THE UNITED STATES HAS TO CHANGE. IT’S BEEN SO COMMERCIALIZED, IT’S BEEN EXTRACTIVE, EXPLOITATIVE. I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO FIRST UNDERSTAND WHO’S GROWING THEIR FOOD AND TO LOOK AT THE SYSTEMIC RACISM THAT WE’VE HAD IN OUR FOOD SYSTEM. I STARTED THIS WORK BECAUSE AS A BLACK PERSON IN FOOD, I WOULD GO TO CONFERENCES AND I WOULD SIT IN A SEA OF WHITENESS. COMMUNITIES CAN LOOK AT US AND SAY, OH YES, THERE ARE BLACK WOMEN FARMERS OUT THERE THAT ARE TRYING TO FEED THIS COUNTRY AS WELL. YOU WANT TO TRY YOUR HARDEST TO NOT HAVE TOO MUCH EXCESS SOIL. THERE IS A THIRST FOR THIS KNOWLEDGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE FINDING THEIR PLACE IN AGRICULTURE. WE WORK WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED ARCORE. THEY WANT THE YOUTH TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THEIR FOOD COMES FROM AND ACTUALLY WORK ON THE FARM. MY NAME IS DEDE ADJOHAKAKPO. I’M A STUDENT AT DUTCHESS COMMUNITY COLLEGE. EVERYONE THINKS FARMING, JUST WORKING IN THE DIRT, WHICH IS RIGHT, BUT ALSO WRONG BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO PLANT AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND SEE THEM GROW AND YOU GET TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE SOIL AFFECTS A LOT OF THINGS. FARMING IS HARD WORK, FOLKS. SOMETIMES IT’S GLORIFIED BECAUSE YOU SEE US AT A MARKET OR YOU COME TO A FARM, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, BABY, MY KNEES ARE I’M SWEATING, MY BODY IS ACHING. BUT I LOOK ALONG THE HORIZON AND I SEE THE SKY. AND I SEE THE MOUNTAINS. AND I’M JUST SO, SO THANKFUL TO HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE. SO I FIND JOY IN IT EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND I FEEL THAT I’M VERY, VERY LUCKY. AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, A LOOK AT RECENT EFFORTS TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE QUIT VAPING. PLUS, MAKING HOSPITAL STAYS A BIT MORE MANAGEABLE. ANYBODY THAT’S EVER BEEN THAT LOVED ONE SITTING IN A ROOM FOR SIX HOURS WAITING FOR THE DOCTOR TO COME IN, HAS FELT THE PROBLEM THAT WE’RE TRYING TO SOLVE. HIS INNOVATIVE TECH SOLUTION TO TACKLE THE WAIT TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH. MATTER OF FACT, SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER ATWELCOME BACK TO MAT THE VERY FIRST ANTI-SMOKING AD HIT. TV AND RADIO BACK IN 1967. SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TO GET AMERICANS TO STOP SMOKING. DID THEY WORK? RECENT NUMBERS SHOW SMOKING RATES HAVE DROPPED FROM NEARLY 57% IN 1955 TO 12.5% IN 2022. RESEARCHERS CREDIT YOUNG ADULTS FOR THE DECLINE AND EXPECT THE NATIONAL RATE TO FALL BELOW 5% BY 2035, WHILE THE NUMBER OF TEENS SMOKING CIGARETTES HAS REACHED ITS LOWEST LEVEL, VAPING IS STILL A CONCERN. IT REMAINS THE MOST POPULAR METHOD OF USING TOBACCO FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. THE NUMBERS ARE FALLING, THOUGH JUST UNDER 6% OF KIDS IN 2024 ADMITTED TO VAPING, COMPARED TO 7.7% IN 2023. AND THERE SOON COULD BE A MEDICATION TO HELP MORE YOUNG PEOPLE STOP VAPING. IT’S STILL BEING TESTED. BACK IN APRIL, THE SUPREME COURT GAVE THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION A WIN. THE FDA ARGUED THAT FRUIT AND CANDY FLAVORED VAPING PRODUCTS WERE DELIBERATELY GEARED TO APPEAL TO MINORS. IT IS ONLY A PARTIAL WIN. THE JUSTICES SENT THE CASE TO THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS FOR FURTHER REVIEW. STILL AHEAD ON MATTER OF FACT, IF WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE THE DIGNITY FROM DOMINO’S PIZZA OF KNOWING WHEN THE PIZZA LEAVES THE OVEN, WHY ARE WE NOT PROVIDING THAT SAME TIME? TRANSPARENCY IN HEALTHCARE. HOW HE’S NOW DEVELOPED AN APP FOR THAT. FINALLY, HAVING A LOVED ONE IN THE HOSPITAL IS STRESSFUL. IT’S NOT JUST WORRYING ABOUT THEIR WELL-BEING, BUT KEEPING UP WITH DOCTOR’S ORDERS WHILE JUGGLING YOUR OWN WORK AND LIFE. A DOCTOR IN MINNESOTA HAD AN IDEA FOR HOW TO HELP LETTING FAMILIES KNOW WHEN THE DOCTOR WOULD BE MAKING ROUNDS. I WAS SITTING IN A GREAT CLIPS. I GOT A TEXT THAT MY HAIRCUT WAS FOURTH IN LINE. IF THEY GIVE ME THE RESPECT TO TELL ME WHEN I’M DUE FOR A HAIRCUT AND THEY VALUE MY TIME ENOUGH, WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT FOR PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL. THAT’S MIKE PITT, PEDIATRIC PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA MASONIC CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. HE PARTNERED WITH A COLLEAGUE IN COMPUTER ENGINEERING, GOT A GRANT FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND CREATED AN APP. IT’S CALLED Q ROUNDS. IT SHOWS PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHAT TIME THE DOCTOR IS MAKING ROUNDS AND THEIR PLACE IN LINE. IT ALSO ALLOWS FAMILY MEMBERS TO JOIN THE BEDSIDE SESSIONS REMOTELY. ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THINK THIS WAS INVENTED FOR THEM. NURSES ARE TELLING US THEY’RE GETTING TO TAKE THEIR LUNCH BREAKS AGAIN BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT THE DOCTOR. DOCTORS ARE HAVING THOSE MEANINGFUL INTERACTIONS WHERE THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE WAITING FOR THEM. FOR THAT MOST IMPORTANT DISCUSSION OF THE DAY. AND FAMILIES ARE SAYING, I DIDN’T HAVE TO QUIT MY JOB TO BE PRESENT FOR ROUNDS FOR MY THREE MONTH NICU STAY. THE APP HAS BEEN LIVE AT THE HOSPITAL FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS. MORE THAN 20,000 FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE JOINED ROUNDS REMOTELY, AND NURSE AND FAMILY PRESENCE HAS TRIPLED. PITT SAYS THEY’RE WORKING TO MAKE Q ROUNDS AVAILABLE AT OTHER HOSPITALS STARTING THIS FALL. THAT’S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF MATTER OF FACT, I’M SOLEDAD O’BRIEN. I’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT WEEK. TO WATCH MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ANYTIME, HEAD TO MATTEROFFACTTV.