Feb 18 Watch 5:58 Examining the truth about fighting fires in California amid water management claims By William Brangham, Sam Lane, Mike Fritz Last month’s wildfires in California destroyed thousands of homes, killed at least 29 people and will likely cost hundreds of billions of dollars. President Trump has claimed that state officials made the disaster worse by how they managed the state’s… Continue watching
Feb 18 West Texas measles outbreak grows to 58 cases By Devi Shastri, Associated Press The measles outbreak in rural West Texas has grown to 58 cases as of Tuesday. Eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed with the highly contagious disease. Continue reading
Feb 17 Vatican says the pope has a ‘polymicrobial respiratory tract infection.’ What is that? By Maria Cheng, Associated Press Here’s a look at the Pope’s latest diagnosis and what his treatment could involve. Continue reading
Feb 15 Watch 4:12 As winter swimming gains popularity, the benefits and risks of taking an icy plunge By William Brangham, Claire Mufson, Satvi Sunkara It’s the middle of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and while it might not feel like the season for jumping in the water, more and more people are finding an icy plunge invigorating. William Brangham takes a look at the… Continue watching
Feb 15 New research finds rural Americans don’t live as long as city-dwellers By Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Bryan Tysinger, Jack Chapel, The Conversation A new research study shows that rates for smoking, obesity and chronic conditions such as heart disease are comparatively higher in rural areas, leading to shorter life expectancy. Continue reading
Feb 14 CDC set to lose one-tenth of workforce under Trump administration probationary job cuts By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press Nearly 1,300 employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being forced out under the Trump administration's move to get rid of all probationary employees. That's roughly one-tenth of the agency's workforce. Continue reading
Feb 13 CDC finds evidence that bird flu spread silently to veterinarians, suggesting undercount of cases By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press A new study published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians, echoing two smaller studies that detected evidence of infection in previously undiagnosed farmworkers. Continue reading
Feb 13 WATCH: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. sworn in as Trump’s secretary of health and human services By Amanda Seitz, Associated Press Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was sworn in Thursday as President Donald Trump’s health secretary after a close Senate vote, putting the prominent vaccine skeptic in control of $1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programs for roughly half the… Continue reading
Feb 13 WATCH: McMahon says Trump would involve Congress in plan to close Education Department By Erica R. Hendry Education secretary nominee Linda McMahon said in her confirmation hearing Thursday that President Donald Trump "understands we will be working with Congress" on plans to change or eliminate the Department of Education. Continue reading
Feb 13 Egg prices are already climbing. Is the nation’s surging demand for breakfast making them higher? By Dee-Ann Durbin, Associated Press A bird flu outbreak that forced egg producers to slaughter their flocks is making supplies scarcer and pushing up prices - and a surging demand for breakfast may be adding to this. Continue reading