Feb 21 Almost 1.4 million children face 'imminent death': UN agency By Associated Press JOHANNESBURG — The United Nations children's agency is warning that almost 1.4 million children are at "imminent risk of death" as famine threatens parts of South Sudan, Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Continue reading
Feb 21 Facing pressure, insurance plans loosen rules for covering addiction treatment By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News The change comes as addiction to opioids, which include heavy-duty painkillers and heroin, still sweeps the country. Continue reading
Feb 20 Watch 8:32 Fighting to breathe in the world's most polluted city By PBS News Hour Delhi now outranks Beijing as the world's most polluted city. Carbon dioxide, ozone and fine carbon particles get trapped over India's capital, mostly due to dirty fuels, causing long-term health consequences such as lung and heart disease. Special correspondent Fred… Continue watching
Feb 20 Same-sex marriage laws linked to fewer youth suicide attempts, new study says By Corinne Segal The researchers found that suicide attempts by high school students decreased by 7 percent in states after they passed laws to legalize same-sex marriage. Continue reading
Feb 19 Lawmakers seek to help e-cigarette makers escape new regulations By Sheila Kaplan, STAT Congressional supporters of the tobacco industry have proposed legislation to help e-cigarette companies escape rules adopted under Obama. Continue reading
Feb 18 Treatment gaps persist between low- and high-income workers, even with insurance By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News Low-wage workers with job-based health insurance were significantly more likely than their higher-income colleagues to wind up in the emergency department. Continue reading
Feb 17 McConnell intends to replace 'Obamacare' without Democrats By Erica Werner, Associated Press "It's clear that in the early months it's going to be a Republicans-only exercise," the Kentucky senator said at a news conference before lawmakers left for a weeklong President's Day recess. Continue reading
Feb 16 House GOP struggles for consensus on replacing health law By Alan Fram, Associated Press House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters Thursday that the GOP would deliver legislation to repeal and replace the ACA, but offered no details. Continue reading
Feb 16 Broad Institute wins heated dispute over CRISPR patents By Sharon Begley, STAT The U.S. patent office ruled on Wednesday that hotly disputed patents on the revolutionary genome-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 belong to the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, dealing a blow to the University of California. Continue reading
Feb 15 Another West Virginia town sues drug wholesalers By Jessica Yarvin and Associated Press A southern West Virginia town in the state’s poorest county has joined other communities in seeking to recoup the costs of dealing with opioid abuse. Continue reading