Category: Lifestyle
Sudan cholera outbreak kills 40 in a week as health centres overwhelmed
MSF charity calls situation ‘beyond urgent’ as thousands seeking refuge from war rely on contaminated water The “worst cholera outbreak in years” has killed at least 40 people in the last week in Sudan, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières. Overwhelmed medical centres are resorting to treating patients on mattresses on the floor,…
Why AI ‘Therapy’ Can Be So Dangerous
Why ChatGPT Shouldn’t Be Your Therapist Using AI chatbots for “therapy” is dangerous, mental health experts say. Here’s why By Allison Parshall edited by Dean Visser Artificial intelligence chatbots don’t judge. Tell them the most private, vulnerable details of your life, and most of them will validate you and may even provide advice. This has…
Why ‘Use Your Words’ Can Be Good for Kids’ Health
The Science of ParentingMondays Why ‘Use Your Words’ Can Be Good for Kids’ Health Studies show that writing or expressing what we are feeling can help adults mentally and physically. Kids are no different By J. David Creswell edited by Megha Satyanarayana Cut through the claims: Get email alerts for The Science of Parenting In…
The hidden costs of cutting Medicaid
By Emily Crawford With the passage of the big Republican tax and spending bill, the federal government is poised to reduce support for Medicaid and the insurance marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that these cuts could cause 10 million Americans to lose health insurance by 2034. Lawmakers have…
Amber health alerts as heatwave temperatures set to hit 34C
School summer holidays and another heatwave on the way means a busy day in central London and attempts to keep cool Temperatures have been rising and will continue to do so with the fourth heatwave of the summer on the way for some. The UK Health Security Agency, external has issued heat health alerts, for…
Federal agents spread out across D.C. streets amid Trump vow to crackdown on crime
Brian Mann WASHINGTON — Scores of federal agents fanned out across Washington D.C. on Sunday night, after President Donald Trump promised a swift crackdown on crime and homelessness in the nation’s capital. “The homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY,” Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social. “We will give you places to stay,…
‘At least I’m safe’: A Kenyan immigrant opts to leave the U.S. on his own terms, leaving children and wife behind
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán LANSING, Mich. — On a recent Thursday afternoon, Samuel Kangethe pushes his 5-year-old daughter on the swings at a leafy park near his home. While she swings, the little girl eyes the nearby playground on top of a small hill. Nearby, Kangethe’s 13-year-old son is showing his dad a few things about fishing…
NYC shooter had two ‘mental health holds’ in Las Vegas. They didn’t affect his legal right to own guns
Martin Kaste Records released this week by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police confirm they had several contacts in recent years with Shane Tamura, the 27-year-old man who drove to New York and killed four people on July 28. The records show he was known to suffer from mental illness, had been the subject of two emergency…
The quest to create gene-edited babies gets a reboot
Rob Stein A Chinese scientist horrified the world in 2018 when he revealed he had secretly engineered the birth of the world’s first gene-edited babies. China imprisoned the scientist, He Jiankui, for three years for violating medical regulations. Fast forward to today: Mainstream scientific organizations are encouraging very careful basic research to explore gene-editing and…
Teens Are Flocking to AI Chatbots. Is this Healthy?
The Science of ParentingMondays Teens Are Flocking to AI Chatbots. Is this Healthy? Kids crave approval from their peers. Chatbots offer an alternative to IRL relationships, but they can come at a price By Elizabeth Englander edited by Megha Satyanarayana Cut through the claims: Get email alerts for The Science of Parenting Relationships are messy,…
Terracotta Is a 3,000-Year-Old Solution to Fighting Extreme Heat
Terracotta Is a 3,000-Year-Old Solution to Fighting Extreme Heat Companies are adapting this humble clay-based ceramic to keep people cool—without electricity By Jyoti Thakur edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier Cooling facade built from terracotta Join Our Community of Science Lovers! A little over 20 percent of India’s households own an air conditioner or cooler, and…
Trump’s dream of building a ballroom at the White House is becoming a reality
Tamara Keith The renderings are complete, the architects and contractors have been hired. After at least 15 years of talking about it, President Trump is building a ballroom at the White House. According to the White House, the work will begin this September, with a price tag of $200 million. “President Trump is a builder…
Christian refugees caught in crosshairs of U.S. immigration policy
By Ximena Bustillo , Juliana Kim On a Sunday in June, Pastor Ara Torosian gave a message to his congregation in Los Angeles: if detained by immigration officers, “first, call your lawyer and second, call your pastor.” It didn’t take long. By the end of the month, two families reached out to Torosian, one through…
Heatstroke and Extreme Heat Exposure Leads to Chronic Health Effects on Kidneys, Heart and Brain
Heatstroke and Extreme Heat can Hurt Health in the Long-Term, Too The immediate harms of extreme heat are well documented, but a growing body of research suggests that heatstroke may have long-term health effects throughout the body By Nora Bradford edited by Lauren J. Young Heatstroke can sneak up on anyone, especially when exercising outside.…
Trying to keep your brain young? A big new study finds these lifestyle changes help
Jon Hamilton Scientists have unveiled the strongest evidence yet that a combination of diet, exercise and brain training can improve thinking and memory in older Americans. A study of more than 2,100 sedentary people in their 60s and 70s found that those who spent two years on the intensive regimen not only improved their mental…
Medical groups are concerned that RFK Jr. may dismiss a panel of primary care experts
Pien Huang Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may soon dismiss the members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an advisory panel of primary care experts, raising “deep concern” from the American Medical Association and other top medical groups. The plan was first reported in The Wall Street Journal. “It’s very…
NSW real estate agents threaten renters with fees if they are not home for tradespeople – but legally they don’t have to be
More than 2,100 people contacted the tenants’ union in 2024 for advice about access, despite ‘no basis’ for the charge Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast New South Wales real estate agents are threatening renters with fees as high as $330 if they are not at home to let maintenance…
Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 aid-seekers in Gaza since May, the U.N. says
By The Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food in the Gaza Strip, mostly near aid sites run by an American contractor, the U.N. human rights office said Tuesday. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 25 people across Gaza, according…
Biggest Trial of Four-Day Workweek Finds Workers Are Happier and Feel Just as Productive
The Biggest Trial Yet Confirms Four-Day Workweek Makes Employees Happier The largest yet study on a four-day workweek included 141 companies, 90 percent of which retained the arrangement at the end of the six-month experiment By Jenna Ahart & Nature magazine Join Our Community of Science Lovers! Moving to a four-day work week without losing…
Ozzy Osbourne, Who Suffered with Rare Form of Parkinson’s, Dies at 76
Ozzy Osbourne’s Death Puts Spotlight on a Form of Parkinson’s Ozzy Osbourne, lead singer of Black Sabbath, has died at age 76. He had been previously diagnosed with a form of Parkinson’s disease linked to the gene PRKN By Lauren J. Young edited by Andrea Thompson Ozzy Osbourne at the press conference for Ozzy Osbourne…
Have all girls or all boys? Study suggests the odds aren’t 50/50
By Scott Neuman Couples who’ve been surprised by a string of baby boys or baby girls could be forgiven for wondering whether the odds in the offspring lottery are more than just pure chance. A new study by Harvard University researchers that examines the birthing records of 58,007 women suggests their hunch might be correct.…
Three-Person Mitochondrial IVF Leads to Eight Healthy Births
Eight Healthy Children Born Using Three-Person IVF Technique Long-awaited results of a three-person IVF technique suggest that mitochondrial donation can prevent babies from inheriting diseases caused by mutant mitochondria By Ewen Callaway & Nature magazine Eight children in the United Kingdom are living healthy lives — potentially due to a ground-breaking but controversial reproductive procedure…
Malaria ‘back with a vengeance’ in Zimbabwe as number of deaths from the disease triple
Withdrawal of USAID funds threatens decades of progress, say experts, with cuts to research and shortage of mosquito nets putting thousands at risk across the country Zimbabwe’s efforts to control malaria have been dealt a huge blow as experts say the disease has returned “with a vengeance” after US aid cuts, with 115 outbreaks recorded…
Ask your kids’ camps these key questions about heat and flood safety, experts say
Julia Simon The deaths of at least 27 children and staff at Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas have some parents and guardians questioning the safety of summer camps, especially as global warming increases risks of extreme weather. Part of summer camp’s allure is that children are outside in nature. But that can also raise…
Maryland taps Affordable Care Act fund to help pay for abortion care
From By Scott Maucione Maryland is the first state to tap into a 15-year-old fund connected to the Affordable Care Act, to help solve a more recent problem: helping pay the expenses of patients who travel to Maryland for an abortion. The law passed this spring, and went into effect on July 1. Since the…
How a third parent’s DNA can prevent an inherited disease
Rob Stein Scientists can protect children from being born with certain devastating genetic disorders by creating “three-parent” babies, according to the results of a landmark study released Wednesday. British researchers used the experimental technique to help families have eight children who appear healthy. They now range in age from younger than 6 months to older…
Exclusive: Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight
Brian Mann The Trump administration has delayed and may cancel roughly $140 million in grants to fund fentanyl overdose response efforts, according to four staff members with close knowledge of the process at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The staffers shared detailed information with NPR about the funding disruption and potential cuts on…
With social prescribing, hanging out, movement and arts are doctor’s order
By Rhitu Chatterjee For more than 30 years, Frank Frost, worked as a long-distance truck driver, ferrying industrial chemicals across the U.K. “I worked away from home six days a week, working up to 12-15 hours a day,” says Frost, now 76. “My only exercise was looking for a fast food outlet in the evening…
New data reveals FEMA missed major flood risks at Camp Mystic
Laura Sullivan More cabins and buildings at Camp Mystic — the tragic site of more than two dozen deaths in the Texas flood — were at risk of flooding than what the federal government had previously reported, according to new analysis from NPR, PBS’s FRONTLINE and data scientists. Loading… Maps by First Street, a climate…
Former White House doctor declines to testify in GOP probe of Biden’s mental acuity
Elena Moore Former President Joe Biden’s longtime physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, has said he will not testify as part of a Republican-led congressional investigation into Biden’s health while in office. O’Connor declined to answer questions during a deposition scheduled for Wednesday in front of the House Committee on Oversight and Government, asserting physician-patient privilege as…
Tracking Coral Reef Health with Bioacoustics
Hear the Sounds of a Sick Coral Reef The underwater world relies on sound signals—so what happens when a noisy reef falls silent? By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Jeffery DelViscio Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. In case you missed it we’re spending this week revisiting some of our favorite…
After Iran’s war with Israel, questions return about Khamenei’s potential successors
Jackie Northam In the aftermath of the 12-day war in June between Israel and Iran, questions have arisen about Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He is 86 years old and was a potential Israeli target during the conflict, leading to speculation about who might succeed him. There has only been one previous time when…
Gut Microbe Deficiency in U.S. Babies Tied to Asthma, Allergies, Autoimmune Disorders
Most U.S. Babies Are Deficient in Key Gut Microbes Essential for Their Health Babies lacking in key gut bacteria are at greater risk of developing asthma, allergies or eczema By Rachel Nuwer edited by Andrea Gawrylewski Dirty diapers are more than a messy reality of infant care—baby poop can be an indicator of an infant’s…
Supreme Court allows Trump to resume mass federal layoffs for now
By Nina Totenberg , Anuli Ononye The Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a lower court order that had blocked President Trump’s executive order requiring government agencies to lay off hundreds of thousands of federal employees. The order was unsigned. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was appointed to the court by President Biden, dissented. Justice Sonia…
‘The worst day of my life:’ Texas’ Hill Country reels as deaths rise due to floods
Sergio Martínez-Beltrán KERRVILLE, Texas — Melvin and Melinda Harris were asleep in their grape-color motor home when they heard banging on the door. “Get out! It’s flooding!” Melvin Harris, 65, recalls the neighbors yelling in the early hours of Friday. He’s seen floods before, but this was different. The Guadalupe River had soared so much…
Will Trump’s megabill help Democrats win the House?
Domenico Montanaro Democrats feel that President Trump’s massive tax-and-spending bill is giving them an opening — and a message — ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The focus is Medicaid, which provides health insurance for tens of millions of lower-income and elderly Americans, and affordability. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in an hours-long speech in…
How Massive Medicaid Cuts Will Harm People’s Health
How Massive Medicaid Cuts Will Harm People’s Health Evidence shows that Medicaid improves people’s health and is particularly vital for babies, older people in need of long-term care and people in rural communities By Meghan Bartels edited by Lauren J. Young Editor’s Note (7/3/25): The House of Representatives passed the budget bill in a 218–214…
How Trump’s Federal Funding Cuts Are Hurting Early-Career Researchers and American Health
U.S. Budget Cuts Are Robbing Early-Career Scientists of Their Future Canceled grants and slashed budgets are disproportionately affecting junior health researchers, dealing a major blow to the future of science and society in the U.S. By Rachel Nuwer edited by Lauren J. Young People rally during a “Kill the Cuts” protest against U.S. President Donald…
States sue Trump administration for sharing health data with DHS
By Jude Joffe-Block Twenty states, led by California, sued the Trump administration Tuesday after federal health officials shared sensitive data about Medicaid recipients with the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees immigration enforcement. “The Trump Administration has upended longstanding privacy protections with its decision to illegally share sensitive, personal health data with ICE,” said California…
DOJ announces a record-breaking takedown of health care fraud schemes
Ryan Lucas The Justice Department has charged a Pakistani national who allegedly orchestrated a $650 million fraud scheme that primarily targeted an Arizona Medicaid program offering addiction treatment and other services for Native Americans. Court papers say the defendant, Farrukh Ali, conspired with at least 41 substance abuse clinics to bill the state for hundreds…
Meditation’s Benefits Stretch Beyond the Person Who Meditates
Meditation’s Benefits Stretch Beyond the Person Who Meditates Often framed as a boon for personal wellness, meditation helps us connect with and support others, too By Mariah G. Schug edited by Daisy Yuhas Listening to the daily news, with stories of war and conflict, can be disheartening. Unsurprisingly, data suggest that a majority of Americans…
RFK Jr.’s picks for CDC vaccine advisers meet this week amid controversy
Pien Huang An influential committee that helps craft federal vaccine policy and recommendations for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention begins a two-day meeting in Atlanta Wednesday. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, often meets in obscurity, but was thrown into the spotlight two weeks ago when Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy,…
How to Keep Your Home Cool in Extreme Heat
How to Keep Your Home Cool in Extreme Heat When extreme heat arrives, here are science-based tips to keep your home cool, from the most efficient way to use air conditioning to strategic uses of fans By Andrea Thompson edited by Dean Visser This summer’s first extreme heat wave in North America—the result of a…
Home sales just posted their slowest May in 16 years
Laurel Wamsley The home sales slump in the U.S. continues: Last month was the slowest May for existing home sales since 2009. Existing home sales in May fell 0.7% compared to the same month last year. Measured monthly, sales were up slightly, 0.8%, from the month before — but that marks an increase from the…
What children in poverty could lose from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
Cory Turner Low-income children and families would be among the groups hit hardest by Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While the bill would be a boon to wealthy Americans, it would scale back resources for the nation’s poorest households, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warned in a recent letter to lawmakers. In an…
When Wildfire Smoke Arrived from Canada, Federal Safety Experts Were Gone
When Wildfire Smoke Arrived from Canada, Federal Safety Experts Were Gone Health specialists were put on leave, and a report on how to protect 20 million workers from wildfire smoke has stalled By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News Buildings as smoke from Canada wildfires creates haze in Chicago, Illinois, on June 27, 2023. CLIMATEWIRE |…
Planning to be outside on a hot day? Take these precautions
Clare Marie Schneider The first significant heat wave of the summer is expected to hit much of the United States this weekend, impacting regions from the Midwest to the East Coast. Temperatures are forecasted to be well into the 90s, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. So if you’re planning to be outside,…
Supreme Court Skrmetti Decision Permits Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Children
How Supreme Court Trans Health Care Ruling Will Affect Kids The Supreme Court has decided to uphold a state ban on gender-affirming care for minors in U.S. v. Skrmetti By Allison Parshall edited by Dean Visser Hundreds of trans people, activists and supporters rally outside of the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington,…
Air-Conditioning Can Help the Power Grid instead of Overloading It
Air-Conditioning Can Surprisingly Help the Power Grid during Extreme Heat Switching on air-conditioning during extreme heat doesn’t have to make us feel guilty—it can actually boost power grid reliability and help bring more renewable energy online By Johanna Mathieu & The Conversation US The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online…
RFK Jr. overhauled the CDC’s vaccine panel. Here’s what it does and why it matters
Maria Godoy Until this week, it’s likely many people hadn’t heard much about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory panel. But the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, plays a key role in determining which vaccines children and adults receive, what gets covered by insurance and which shots are made available…
Planned NIH Cuts Threaten Americans’ Health, Senators Charge in Tense Hearing
Planned NIH Cuts Threaten Americans’ Health, Senators Charge in Tense Hearing Senators grilled NIH director Jayanta Bhattacharya the day after more than 300 NIH staff members sent him a fiery letter protesting the cancellation of thousands of research projects By Max Kozlov & Nature magazine U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Jayanta (Jay) Bhattacharya…
Drug deaths plummet among young Americans as fentanyl carnage eases
Brian Mann When Justin Carlyle, 23, began experimenting with drugs a decade ago, he found himself part of a generation of young Americans caught in the devastating wave of harm caused by fentanyl addiction and overdose. “I use fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, yeah, all of it,” Carlyle said, speaking to NPR on the streets of…
NIH scientists call on director to protect biomedical research
Rob Stein Hundreds of scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a call for action they dubbed the Bethesda Declaration on Monday to push back against cutbacks and changes at the biomedical research agency. Organizers say more than 340 staffers on the NIH’s sprawling campus in Bethesda, Md., just outside Washington, D.C., sent…
What Will Happen to Opioid and Drug Overdose Deaths after CDC Cuts?
Inside the Collapse of America’s Overdose Prevention Program Layoffs and funding freezes have gutted the CDC’s response to the opioid crisis—just as harm reduction was beginning to work By Lois Parshley edited by Lauren J. Young A worker checks on a patient at an overdose prevention center in New York City on February 8, 2022.…
Recovery Failure: Why we struggle to rebuild for the next storm
Laura Sullivan This is the first of two episodes from NPR’s The Sunday Story from Up First. You can listen to both episodes here or wherever you listen to podcasts. Loading… When Shalana Jordan finally arrived at her parents’ trailer home in Swannanoa, N.C., alongside the river, she paused and let out a long sigh. The building was…
‘The US was our El Dorado’: Africans on Trump’s travel bans and taxes
Already affected by US aid cuts, many Africans now face limits on travel to US and looming remittance tax When Essi Farida Geraldo, a Lomé-based architect, heard about partial restrictions on travel to the US from Togo as part of the travel bans announced by Donald Trump on Thursday, she lamented losing access to what…
Trump’s travel ban includes Afghanistan, where thousands await U.S. resettlement
By Greg Myre , Megan Pratz President Trump enacted a travel ban on citizens from a dozen countries Wednesday, including Afghanistan, where U.S. troops were stationed for nearly two decades. Even though the president’s travel ban applies to Afghanistan, it does include an exception. Afghans who served with the U.S. during the war can still…
Venezuela says being in US is ‘great risk’ as countries respond to Trump travel ban
Caracas describes US government as fascist, Somalia vows to address security and Iranian Americans express regret US politics live – latest updates Venezuela has hit back over the Trump administration’s travel ban by warning that the US is a dangerous place, while Somalia immediately vowed to work with Washington on security concerns. The mixed responses…
Trump issues new travel ban covering a dozen countries
By NPR Washington Desk , Asma Khalid President Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation banning travelers from 12 countries and partially restricting travelers from seven others, starting on Monday, June 9. The White House said the action was needed to protect the United States from terrorist attacks and other national security threats, and said the…
Vietnam ends its longstanding 2-child policy
By Nga Pham HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam has scrapped a policy that limited couples to have up to two children, as it addresses a declining birth rate and a shrinking working-age population. Vietnamese lawmakers on Tuesday passed new amendments to the Population Law, leaving it up to families to decide how many children they are…
Home Office accused of ‘racist crackdown’ on Nigerians after denial of visit visa
Officials refused entry to man who runs top security firm in Nigeria and his family to spend holiday with his sister The Home Office has been accused of a “racist crackdown on Nigerians” after refusing a visa to a man who runs one of the west African country’s top security firms for a holiday to…
Researchers say the true cost of prisons and jails is higher than many realize
Meg Anderson Dorothy Gaines knows firsthand the burdens prison can put on a family. She was in federal prison for seven years with three children at home. “My oldest daughter was 18,” she says. “She had to come out of college, and try to take care of them. So it was a lot of stress…
The World Isn’t Ready for the Mental Health Toll of Extreme Heat
The World Isn’t Ready for the Mental Health Toll of Extreme Heat Temperatures are rising, and so are mental health risks By Madhusree Mukerjee edited by Dean Visser A man walks with an umbrella to protect himself from the heat as a yellow alert is issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) due to…
South Korean Haenyeo Divers’ Extreme Lifestyle Is Shaping Their Genetics
These ‘Real-Life Mermaid’ Divers Have Remarkable Underwater Abilities—and Genetics The Haenyeo, an all-female group of divers on South Korea’s Jeju Island, spend much of their lives underwater without equipment—a “superpower” that may be written into their DNA By Gayoung Lee edited by Lauren J. Young Haenyeo women, famous for diving into their eighties and holding…
These researchers think the sludge in your home may help save the planet
Ari Daniel There are places where the Earth’s inner rumblings burble to the surface — like Iron Spring, located just outside the bustling town of Manitou Springs in central Colorado. Every few seconds, a burst of water surges out of a narrow pipe, splashing into a concrete basin that’s partly dyed a bright orange. Henriksen…
How a Los Angeles camp made space to let kids be kids after the wildfires
Emma Bowman Not long after the Eaton fire displaced her family from their Los Angeles home, 10-year-old Emory Stumme broke down. The tears came during a family dinner, and she struggled to catch her breath. “You just were like, ‘I can’t pick up this fork, it’s too heavy,’ ” Emory’s mother, Becca, told her, recounting…
Google and Home Depot drop Pride Toronto sponsorship amid Trump’s DEI war
Organizer points to president’s anti-diversity push as companies join Adidas and Clorox in withdrawing support In another blow to one of the largest celebrations of LGTBQ+ people in North America, Pride Toronto has unexpectedly lost two more major corporate sponsors, just weeks before the festival in a setback the festival’s organizer says is direct result…
CDC recommends parents talk to a doctor about getting COVID-19 shots for kids
By Pien Huang , Rob Stein The federal government has removed the recommendation that children and pregnant women get routine COVID-19 vaccines. The change, reflected in new vaccine schedules posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 30, results from a directive announced on May 27 by Health and Human Services Secretary…
Former ambassador calls on UK to advise citizens against travel to Egypt
John Casson says Cairo ‘fobbing us off’ by refusing to release British-Egyptian national Alaa Abd el-Fattah The former British ambassador to Egypt, John Casson, has urged the UK to advise its citizens against travelling to Egypt, in response to Cairo’s refusal to release dual British Egyptian national Alaa Abd el-Fattah. A UN panel found on…
White House acknowledges problems in RFK Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ report
By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The White House will fix errors in a much-anticipated federal government report spearheaded by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which decried America’s food supply, pesticides and prescription drugs. Kennedy’s wide-ranging “Make America Healthy Again” report, released last week, cited hundreds of studies, but a…
In a county that backed Trump, people dependent on Medicaid are conflicted about cuts
By Noam Levey In an Arizona county that voted for Trump 2-to-1, many people rely on Medicaid, would hate to lose it, and are persuaded that there is fraud that can be cut from the program. MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Gila County, Arizona, went big for Donald Trump and backed the president 2 to 1…
Medicaid Cuts Will Make Older People Sicker
The Very Real Health Implications of Medicaid Cuts for Older People For people aged 65 and older, Medicaid can provide vital health care—and losing coverage makes people sicker By Jane Tavares, Marc Cohen & The Conversation US Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for more than 82 million Americans. The following essay is reprinted with permission…
5 years after anti-police protests, initiatives for officer mental health have traction
By Katja Ridderbusch ATLANTA — A day rarely goes by when Officer Jonnie Moeller-Reed’s eyes don’t fall on a small, framed photograph on the bookshelf in her office. It shows two smiling young men in casual, colorful shirts and shorts. Both died by suicide in the past few years. Looking at the photo of her late…
Mahmoud Khalil told a judge his deportation could be a death sentence. Here’s why
Adrian Florido JENA, La. — The immigration judge was looking out over her courtroom. Mahmoud Khalil was sitting at a table next to his lawyers as they tried to convince her not to order him deported to the Middle East. “His life is at stake, your honor,” one of them, Marc Van Der Hout, told…
COVID Vaccines Face Potential New Limits from Trump Administration
What FDA’s Planned Limits on COVID Vaccinations Mean for Health Despite the fact that vaccines against COVID have already undergone strict safety reviews and that people continue to die from the disease, Trump’s FDA is moving to reduce access to annual COVID boosters for healthy Americans By Stephanie Armour & KFF Health News Larry Saltzman…
A Public Health Researcher and Her Engineer Husband Found How Diseases Can Spread through Air Decades before the COVID Pandemic
Mildred Weeks Wells’s Work on Airborne Transmission Could Have Saved Many Lives—If the Scientific Establishment Listened Mildred Weeks Wells and her husband figured out that disease-causing pathogens can spread through the air like smoke By Carol Sutton Lewis, Luca Evans & The Lost Women of Science Initiative LISTEN TO THE PODCAST If you’re enjoying this…
Vitamin D May Slow Cells’ Aging by Protecting DNA
Vitamin D May Slow Cells’ Aging Vitamin D supplements may help prevent the loss of telomeres, DNA sequences that shrink with aging, a large study shows. But the health effects aren’t yet clear By Stephanie Pappas edited by Jeanna Bryner A new study suggests vitamin D supplements might slow cellular aging by protecting telomeres. Vitamin…
Getting Enough Sleep is Critical for Weight Loss and Maintenance
Sleep Plays an Important Role in Sustainable Weight Loss A sleep medicine specialist explains how restless nights lead to consuming more calories and how you can use sleep as a tool for weight loss By Tammy Worth This Nature Outlook is editorially independent, produced with financial support from Avadel. A healthy diet and regular exercise…
Southwest Airlines will require passengers to keep chargers visible due to fire risk
By Joe Hernandez Passengers flying on Southwest Airlines will soon be required to keep battery packs and other portable charging devices visible if they’re using them during a flight. The airline announced in an emailed statement on Wednesday that this “first-in-industry” policy will take effect on May 28. It is intended as a safety measure…
El Salvador arrest prominent human rights lawyer
Eyder Peralta López has been an outspoken critic of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. She and her organization have documented human rights abuses in El Salvador — including inhumane conditions in jails and the extended state of emergency, during which the government has suspended many constitutional rights and imprisoned tens of thousands of suspected gang members…
For the first time, the U.S. is absent from WHO’s annual assembly. What’s the impact?
By Jonathan Lambert It’s the biggest global health meeting of the year. And the United States won’t be taking a seat at the table. This week, representatives from the 194 countries of the World Health Organization — minus the U.S. — are gathering in Geneva to discuss and vote on policies that will shape global…
What Are AI Chatbot Companions Doing to Our Mental Health?
What Are AI Chatbot Companions Doing to Our Mental Health? AI chatbot companions may not be real, but the feelings users form for them are. Some scientists worry about long-term dependency By David Adam & Nature magazine “My heart is broken,” said Mike, when he lost his friend Anne. “I feel like I’m losing the…
UnitedHealth Group abruptly replaces CEO Andrew Witty, deepening a terrible year
By Maria Aspan UnitedHealth Group abruptly replaced CEO Andrew Witty on Tuesday, as the sweeping problems facing the company and industry deepened. Witty resigned “for personal reasons,” UnitedHealth said. He was replaced, effective immediately, by the company’s former CEO and current chairman, Stephen J. Hemsley. A UnitedHealth spokesperson declined to comment further. Shares in UnitedHealth…
Ways To Cope When Your Child Gets A Life-Altering Diagnosis
Opinion The Science of ParentingMondays Ways To Cope When Your Child Gets A Life-Altering Diagnosis Parents often struggle with the news that their child has a major health issue. Learning how to manage new routines and expectations is key to everyone’s happiness By Beth S. Russell Cut through the claims: Get email alerts for The…
VA says its job cuts will limit doctor, nurse resignations
By Katya Mendoza , Quil Lawrence Data that employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs have shared with NPR shows that 11,273 agency employees nationwide have applied for deferred resignation, which the Trump administration is offering as part of its DOGE initiative to cut the VA’s workforce by 15%. The top positions across all networks…
Trump Aims to Cut Hospital Disaster Preparedness Program
Trump Aims to Cuts Program Used to Help Hospitals Evacuate During Disasters The Hospital Preparedness Program helps hospitals and emergency managers save lives in wildfires, tornadoes, pandemics and other mass-casualty events. The Trump administration has proposed cutting it By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News The damaged interior of Monette Manor nursing home on Dec. 12,…
HIV Testing and Prevention Efforts Gutted as Trump Funding Cuts Sweep U.S. South
HIV Testing and Prevention Efforts Gutted as Trump Funding Cuts Sweep U.S. South A disruption in federal funds has jeopardized HIV testing and outreach in the U.S. South, and researchers warn of a resurgence of the epidemic in the region By Amy Maxmen & KFF Health News JACKSON, Miss. — Storm clouds hung low above…
IVF Treatment Faces Threats from ‘Fetal Personhood’ Laws That Would Grant Fetuses Legal Rights
The Push to Grant Fetuses and Embryos Legal Rights Is Threatening IVF Treatment In the new book Personhood, historian and law professor Mary Ziegler explores how the push to grant embryos and fetuses full legal rights is reshaping U.S. reproductive health care, research and policy By Lucy Tu edited by Lauren J. Young President Donald…
Trump EPA Reorganization Signals End to Climate Work
EPA Reorganization Signals End to Climate Work Under President Trump, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate offices that track greenhouse gas emissions and regulate air pollution By Jean Chemnick & E&E News EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin aims to eliminate the Office of Atmospheric Protection and Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. CLIMATEWIRE |…
Trump restricts funding for ‘gain-of-function’ research — calling it dangerous
Rob Stein President Trump issued an executive order Monday restricting federal funding for research that involves a controversial field of scientific study known as “gain-of-function” research. The research, which is also known as “dual-use” research, involves experimenting with viruses and other pathogens that have the potential to trigger a pandemic. Those studies could discover how…
A Maryland town backed Trump’s cost-cutting pledge. Now it’s a target
Frank Langfitt EMMITSBURG, Md. — Frank Davis saw a lot of waste during his decades in the federal government. In November, he voted for Donald Trump to get rid of it. So far, Davis likes a lot of what he’s seen. “I’m probably gonna get shot for this, but he is doing what he said…
The Trump administration says it will cut EPA staffing to Reagan-era levels
By Alejandra Borunda The Trump administration announced plans for a significant reorganization of the Environmental Protection Agency on Friday, and signaled major cuts in staffing to come – especially for the agency’s scientific research arm. EPA administrator Lee Zeldin said the EPA expects to cut staff to levels similar to the 1980s, when President Ronald…
Health care for transgender children questioned in 400-page Trump administration report
Selena Simmons-Duffin On Thursday, the Department of Health and Human Services published a 400-page document entitled “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices.” The review’s authors are not being named by HHS. According to a press release, the names “are not initially being made public in order to help maintain the…
Education Department stops $1 billion in funding for school mental health
Cory Turner The Trump administration says it will stop paying out $1 billion in federal grants that school districts across the country have been using to hire mental health professionals, including counselors and social workers. The U.S. Department of Education is telling impacted districts that the Biden administration, in awarding the grants, violated “the letter…
Trump’s VA strands thousands of veterans by ending a key mortgage program
By Chris Arnold , Quil Lawrence The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as of Thursday, has ended a new mortgage-rescue program that so far has helped about 20,000 veterans avoid foreclosure and keep their homes. The move leaves millions of military veterans with far worse options than most other American homeowners if they run into…
Fears for health of Alaa Abd el-Fattah and mother as hunger strikes take toll
Activist jailed in Egypt receives medical treatment and family worry his mother Laila Soueif is ‘dying in slow motion’ The family of the imprisoned British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah say they fear for his health along with that of his mother, Laila Soueif, as both continued their hunger strikes to demand his freedom. Relatives of…
Homes destroyed and 1,500 detained in Kashmir as India cracks down following attacks
By Bilal Kuchay , Omkar Khandekar PULWAMA, India — Indian authorities have detained at least 1,500 people in India-administered Kashmir after a militant attack killed 26 people last week, a top police officer told NPR. Several homes linked to alleged militants were also destroyed. India accused Pakistan of having a connection to the attack —…
Child Asthma Will Worsen with Trump’s Pollution Rollbacks and RFK, Jr.’s CDC Cuts
Childhood Asthma Will Worsen with Pollution Rollbacks and CDC Cuts President Trump has ordered agencies to act “urgently” to curb asthma—a goal at odds with moves to roll back air pollution limits and with RFK, Jr., cutting CDC experts By Ariel Wittenberg & E&E News CLIMATEWIRE | When EPA announced its intent to roll back…
Ukrainian families divided by Russian occupation hang on and hope to be reunited
Eleanor Beardsley ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine — On a recent Saturday morning, several dozen volunteers at a youth center are weaving strips of cloth to make camouflage netting for the Ukrainian army. They are in the capital of Ukraine’s southeastern province of Zaporizhzhia, about two-thirds of which is controlled by Russian forces. The front line is 25…
In a reversal, the Trump administration restores funding for women’s health study
Rob Stein The Trump administration is restoring financial support for a landmark study of women’s health, an official said Thursday, reversing a defunding decision that shocked medical researchers. “These studies represent critical contributions to our better understanding of women’s health,” said a statement from Andrew Nixon, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human…