Apr 26 Los Angeles colleges quarantine over 900 possibly exposed to measles By John Rogers, Associated Press The action at the University of University of California, Los Angeles, and California State University, Los Angeles — which together have more than 65,000 students — reflected the seriousness with which public health officials are taking the nation's measles outbreak. Continue reading
Apr 26 Kansas Supreme Court bolsters abortion rights, blocks ban By John Hanna, Associated Press The Kansas decision prevents the state from enforcing a 2015 law that could have greatly limited second trimester abortions. But even worse for abortion opponents, the ruling clears the way for legal challenges to a string of abortion restrictions approved… Continue reading
Apr 26 After devastating Midwest floods, crisis resources gear up to support distressed farmers By April Simpson, Stateline This spring's devastating Midwest floods increased concerns about the mental health and well-being of farmers who already were struggling with years of economic uncertainty. Continue reading
Apr 25 U.S. judge in Washington state blocks new Trump abortion rule By Gene Johnson, Associated Press Judge Stanley Bastian in Yakima blocked new Trump administration rules that could cut off federal funding for health care providers who refer patients for an abortion. Continue reading
Apr 25 Scientists get one step closer to decoding thoughts into speech By Karen Weintraub, Scientific American Using electrodes and computer algorithms, researchers have generated intelligible sentences from the thoughts of people without speech difficulties, sparking hope that similar technology could eventually provide a voice to people who can't speak. Continue reading
Apr 24 Watch 6:14 How federal case against drug distributor could change opioid fight Amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, drug manufacturers, doctors and pharmacists have all come under fire. But it's a drug distributor, a company called RDC, at the center of a new federal criminal case that equates its business operations with illegal… Continue watching
Apr 24 U.S. measles cases hit highest mark in 25 years By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press New York City health officials on Wednesday reported 61 new cases since late last week, apparently pushing this year's nationwide tally past the 667 cases reported for all of 2014. That would make 2019 the worst year for measles since… Continue reading
Apr 24 UN recommends no screen time for babies, only 1 hour for kids under 5 By Associated Press The World Health Organization has issued its first-ever guidance for how much screen time children under 5 should get: not very much, and none at all for those under 1. Continue reading
Apr 24 WATCH: Trump, first lady speak at drug abuse summit in Atlanta President Donald Trump said his administration has secured $6 billion in federal dollars over two years to fight opioid abuse, but the epidemic won't be solved overnight. Opioid abuse claimed nearly 48,000 American lives in 2017. Continue reading
Apr 23 Why Shakespeare's own finale remains a closed book By Dr. Howard Markel In "Hamlet," William Shakespeare contemplated the fact that once a person dies, no living person knows where that departed soul goes. That same uncertainty hovers around the final hours of the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon. Continue reading