Jan 20 Watch Telling the story of parents and activists who fought for autism acceptance By PBS News Hour The story of autism is many stories -- from doctors, to parents, to the afflicted themselves. Journalists Caren Zucker and John Donvan examine that history in their new book, "In a Different Key: The Story of Autism." Jeffrey Brown sits… Continue watching
Jan 20 Watch 11:12 In Flint, public trust poisoned by toxic drinking water crisis By PBS News Hour In Flint, Michigan, toxic drinking water has become a federal emergency. For a year and a half, residents were consuming water contaminated by lead, despite repeated claims from state health officials that everything was fine. That revelation has led to… Continue watching
Jan 20 Was this autism pioneer also a Nazi? By William Brangham Viennese psychologist Hans Asperger ran a clinic for autistic children in the 1930s and is considered by many to be one of the first to diagnose and define autism as we know it today. But what became of Asperger during… Continue reading
Jan 19 Watch 7:07 How home visits for vulnerable moms boost kids’ brainpower By PBS News Hour A rapidly expanding medical program for low-income first-time mothers combines social services with the latest in brain science. The Nurse-Family Partnership provides in-home advice on health and parenting, which can lead to improved cognitive development and language skills for their… Continue watching
Jan 19 Watch 8:13 Author explores life on the expanding autism spectrum By PBS News Hour The rate of diagnosed cases of autism has more than doubled since 2000 and researchers have spent millions looking for causes and cures. In "NeuroTribes," author Steve Silberman explores the history behind this dramatic increase, arguing it's just always been… Continue watching
Jan 18 Watch 8:53 The invisible catastrophe sickening families in California By PBS News Hour Porter Ranch seems like a picturesque Southern California town, but an environmental disaster has been unfolding there for several months. Natural gas has been spewing from an underground storage facility, causing health issues for residents and forcing temporary relocations for… Continue watching
Jan 18 What is the Zika virus and how does it spread? By Larisa Epatko The Zika virus is a mosquito-borne illness predominately in Central and South America, but outbreaks have occurred in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Americas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continue reading
Jan 15 Uninsured rate of Hispanic children hits record low, study finds By Lisa Gillespie, Kaiser Health News The rate of Hispanic children without health insurance fell to a historic low in 2014, the first year that key parts of Obamacare took effect, but they still represent a disproportionate share of the nation’s uninsured youth, according to a… Continue reading
Jan 15 Biden sees politics of cancer as an obstacle to curing it By Josh Lederman, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Four weeks after announcing he wouldn't run for president, Joe Biden returned to the world-renowned cancer center in Texas where doctors had tried to save his son's life. Continue reading
Jan 15 Heroin addiction is rare among painkiller abusers, study says By Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News A new review article published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine provides insights for policymakers on how to curb this deadly trend of prescription painkiller abuse… Continue reading