Dec 19 California declared an emergency over bird flu. How serious is the situation? By JoNel Aleccia, Associated Press Gov. Gavin Newsom said he declared the state of emergency to better position state staff and supplies to respond to the outbreak. Continue reading
Dec 18 Why some people can get away with only a little sleep every night By Marla Broadfoot, Knowable Magazine Short sleepers cruise by on four to six hours a night and don’t seem to suffer ill effects. Turns out they’re genetically built to require less sleep than the rest of us. Continue reading
Dec 18 Watch 10:21 Why a promising treatment for alcohol abuse is barely used By William Brangham, Mike Fritz In our ongoing look at treating substance abuse in America, we turn to the most commonly used drug, and one of the deadliest: alcohol. Drinking kills more Americans every year than opioids or any other illegal drug. But promising treatments… Continue watching
Dec 18 First severe bird flu case in U.S. reported in Louisiana, according to health officials By Mike Stobbe, JoNel Aleccia, Associated Press A person in Louisiana has the first severe illness caused by bird flu in the U.S., health officials said Wednesday. Continue reading
Dec 17 Watch 10:21 Opioid crisis renews focus on expanding access to methadone treatment By William Brangham, Mike Fritz While the numbers are finally starting to decline, more than 74,000 Americans are still dying every year from opioid overdoses. Despite that, very few people who are struggling with addiction get treatment. William Brangham looks at the renewed focus on… Continue watching
Dec 17 Alabama woman recovering well after latest experimental pig kidney transplant By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Towana Looney is the fifth American given a gene-edited pig organ in a quest to make animal-to-human transplants a reality. Continue reading
Dec 16 How to support grieving loved ones at the holidays By J. Kim Penberthy, The Conversation Holidays and special occasions can amplify the pain, leaving those grieving feeling isolated and overwhelmed. Continue reading
Dec 15 McConnell says Trump’s nominees should ‘steer clear’ of undermining polio vaccine By Moriah Balingit, Associated Press The statement by Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, appeared to be directed at Trump’s pick for health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after a report that one of his advisers filed a petition to revoke approval for the… Continue reading
Dec 15 Watch 6:03 Why Americans are stockpiling abortion medication ahead of Trump’s second term By Ali Rogin, Kaisha Young Since Trump’s reelection, many women and health care providers across the U.S. have been stockpiling supplies of abortion pills and emergency contraception. One of the largest suppliers of abortion medication reported a 17-fold increase in requests the first 24 hours… Continue watching
Dec 15 Researchers have developed a way to break down long-lasting PFAS compounds using light By Arindam Sau, Mihai Popescu, Xin Liu, The Conversation Long-lasting environmental pollutants known as PFAS, or "forever chemicals," can remain in the environment for up to 1,000 years after being used. A team of researchers has developed a chemical system that uses light to break down the incredibly strong… Continue reading