White House 1600 Daily: Giving terminally ill patients a chance, here at home

The Day Ahead

President Donald J. Trump travels to Texas, where he will meet with family members and community leaders affected by this month’s tragic shooting at Santa Fe High School. Read the President’s May 18 Proclamation honoring victims.

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Giving terminally ill patients a chance, here at home

An estimated 609,640 Americans will die from cancer alone in 2018, according to the National Cancer Institute. Before yesterday, the options for terminally ill patients who had exhausted all available treatments were extremely limited. Only 3 percent of cancer patients today are enrolled in clinical trials for new medication, for instance. With President Trump’s signature, this bleak picture changes. The “Right to Try” law he signed yesterday gives more than 1 million Americans who die each year from terminal illnesses a new tool to make potentially lifesaving treatment decisions. The act amends Federal law to allow certain unapproved, experimental drugs to be administered to terminally ill patients who have exhausted all approved treatment options and are unable to participate in clinical drug trials. “People who are terminally ill should not have to go from country to country to seek a cure,” President Trump says. “I’d see people-friends of mine, and other people I’d read about, where they’d travel all over the world looking for a cure. And we have the best medical people in the world.” President Trump fulfills his promise to expand options for terminally ill Americans. Bonus read: “Thank Republicans for your right to try,” says AEI’s Marc Thiessen

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250 kids join President Trump on the South Lawn

Sports participation and physical activity are crucial for child development, supporting personal and social growth, lifetime health and fitness habits, and a competitive spirit. Children that play sports have higher educational achievement, earn higher incomes as adults, and have improved mental health. Each president since Dwight Eisenhower has convened a Council on Fitness to focus on various sports, nutrition, and well-being initiatives. President Trump has given his Council a clear purpose: to reverse the declining trend of youth sports participation and to ensure that all American children are given the opportunity to compete. To introduce his intended Council appointees, the President invited several hundred children, parents, and coaches to the White House for a field day on the South Lawn. Athletes such as Mariano Rivera, Herschel Walker, and Misty May-Treanor joined youth participants in activities ranging from flag football to volleyball. Watch President Trump host field day at the White House. In-depth report: The potential for youth sports to improve childhood outcomes

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