Dec 08 Facing war and hunger, momentum for women’s rights slows in Yemen By Larisa Epatko In Yemen, where forces loyal to the government are clashing with Houthi rebels, millions are going hungry. Because food is so scarce, aid groups are finding they have to focus on life-saving measures and set women’s empowerment efforts aside –… Continue reading
Dec 08 Obama vows to sign this sweeping mental health bill Congress passed By Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News The bill strengthens laws mandating parity for mental and physical health care and includes grants to increase the number of psychologists and psychiatrists, who are in short supply across the country. Continue reading
Dec 07 Free mental health clinics open to veterans tired of long wait times By Anna Gorman, Kaiser Health News Over the past three years, the sprawling VA system has come under fire from Congress and the media because veterans were waiting too long to see a doctor. Now, a new chain of free mental health clinics for vets has… Continue reading
Dec 07 If Republicans repeal Obamacare but stall to replace it, this study predicts millions would be uninsured By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press The plan is for Congress to first use a special budget-related procedure to repeal major portions of the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, next year. The effective date of that repeal would be delayed by months or years to give… Continue reading
Dec 06 Watch 5:34 When it comes to screen time, parents are poor role models for kids By PBS News Hour While many parents worry about how much time their children spend glued to computers, tablets and televisions, a new study reveals the adults themselves spend more than nine hours a day in front of screens. Hari Sreenivasan talks to Jim… Continue watching
Dec 06 Watch 9:16 Major health bill would fund medical research, hasten FDA approvals By PBS News Hour In Congress, lawmakers are close to passing a major bill that would increase funding for the FDA, the NIH and the effort to fight opioid abuse. The measure would also introduce more flexible standards for drug approvals, reducing the need… Continue watching
Dec 06 How much time do parents spend on their screens? By Laura Santhanam If you want to scold your teen or tween for their screen time on smartphones, tablets and computers, think twice: You may be setting their example. Continue reading
Dec 06 Who wins and loses with the 21st Century Cures Act? By Sheila Kaplan, STAT More than 1,300 lobbyists roamed the halls of Congress on the 21st Century Cures Act, and disclosure reports show most of them were working for pharmaceutical companies. Continue reading
Dec 06 Signed out of prison but not signed up for insurance, inmates fall prey to ills By Jay Hancock, Kaiser Health News, Beth Schwartzapfel, The Marshall Project INDIANAPOLIS — Before he went to prison, Ernest killed his 2-year-old daughter in the grip of a psychotic delusion. When the Indiana Department of Correction released him in 2015, he was terrified something awful might happen again. Continue reading
Dec 05 A symphony of second opinions on Mozart’s final illness By Dr. Howard Markel On Dec. 5, 225 years ago, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart drew his last breath, at age 35. Ever since, generations of doctors have been obsessed with figuring out what caused his premature death. Continue reading