Health & Safety

Judge Thad Balkman ruled that Johnson & Johnson is responsible for fueling Oklahoma's opioid crisis. He announced his decision in Norman, Okla., Monday.

Health & Safety

Johnson & Johnson Ordered To Pay Oklahoma $572 Million In Opioid Trial

10:07pm August 26, 2019

In a landmark ruling, Judge Thad Balkman ruled in favor of Oklahoma in its lawsuit to hold the drugmaker accountable for the costs of opioid addiction in the state.

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Laborers in the sugar cane fields of Central America are experiencing a rapid and unexplained form of kidney failure. Above: Harvesting sugar cane in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua.

Whatever Happened To ... The Mysterious Kidney Disease Striking Central America?

10:07pm August 26, 2019

by Jason Beaubien

Some researchers now say that tens of thousands of deaths due to kidney failure may be linked to climate change. But others aren't so sure.

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State's attorney Brad Beckworth lays out one of his closing arguments in Oklahoma's case against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson at the Cleveland County Courthouse in Norman, Okla. in July. The judge in the case ruled Monday that J&J must pay $572 million to

Health & Safety

Oklahoma Wanted $17 Billion To Fight Its Opioid Crisis: What's The Real Cost?

8:18pm August 26, 2019

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

The $572 million judgment against Johnson & Johnson will cover one year of addiction treatment and prevention the judge says. But health economists predict it will take decades to abate the problem.

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Oklahoma Judge Rules Johnson & Johnson To Pay $572 Million To Help Ease Opioid Crisis

7:56pm August 26, 2019

by Jackie Fortier

A judge has found Johnson & Johnson liable in Oklahoma's opioid crisis. The company is ordered to pay the state $572 million in the case that was being watched closely as other trials approach.

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Health & Safety

UNC Hospitals Accreditation Affected After Problems Found

4:10pm August 26, 2019

by Associated Press

A national accrediting agency has placed UNC Hospitals on "preliminary denial of accreditation status" after finding problems during a recent review.

Judge Thad Balkman will rule Monday in the Johnson & Johnson opioid trial.

Health & Safety

Oklahoma Judge To Rule In Landmark Opioid Case

3:16pm August 26, 2019

by Jackie Fortier

Oklahoma has argued that the drugmaker's marketing of painkillers contributed to thousands of overdose deaths and other harms in the state and is asking for a multibillion-dollar award.

Pain researchers say men and women respond differently to pain. Understanding the differences in pain perception could lead to better treatments.

Health & Safety

Women May Be More Adept Than Men At Discerning Pain

11:09am August 26, 2019

by Patti Neighmond

Pain researchers say men and women respond differently to pain, and women may "feel more" pain than men. Understanding the differences in pain perception could lead to better treatments.

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Among patients age 12 and older in a study of people with mild, persistent asthma, more than half did just as well, or better, on a placebo as they did on a steroid inhaler used twice per day to prevent symptoms.

Study Questions Mainstay Treatment For Mild Asthma

6:25am August 26, 2019

by April Dembosky

Many of the 26 million Americans with asthma use a low-dose steroid inhaler daily to prevent symptoms. But a recent study raises questions about this strategy for people with mild, persistent asthma.

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Verdict In Oklahoma Opioid Lawsuit Will Be Watched Closely By Other States

6:25am August 26, 2019

by Brian Mann

The first major opioid trial in the country wraps up Monday. An Oklahoma judge will rule in a $17 billion civil suit filed by the state against Johnson & Johnson.

Rows of guns for sale were on display at the Vernal Knife and Gun Show in northeastern Utah, where firearms are imbued in the culture.

Health & Safety

In Rural Utah, Preventing Suicide Means Meeting Gun Owners Where They Are

5:20am August 26, 2019

by Erik Neumann

In Utah, 85% of deaths from firearms are suicides. To help people who might be vulnerable, outreach workers are discussing suicide prevention at gun shows and firearms classes.

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