Health & Safety

'I Figured It Was Going To Be A Horrible Death, And It Probably Will Be'

10:42am January 23, 2019

by Cat Schuknecht

Thousands of coal miners across Appalachia are grappling with complicated black lung, a disease that has drastically changed their lives, their communities and their families.

The United Nations headquarters in New York City. The agency has released the results of a survey on sexual harassment experienced by employees, consultants and volunteers.

Report Says 1 In 3 U.N. Staffers Has Been Sexually Harassed

5:17pm January 22, 2019

by Malaka Gharib

The organization surveyed over 30,000 respondents. The findings reflect a disturbing trend of inappropriate behavior in the humanitarian world.

At an October news conference, the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus called on President Trump to reverse the administration's moves to limit women's access to birth control. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., spoke at the lectern during the event on Capitol Hill

House Democrats' Focus On Abortion Could Stymie Work With Senate

1:01pm January 22, 2019

by Julie Rovner

Members of the new Democratic majority in the House vow to reverse restrictions that Republicans have imposed on abortions. But the efforts could lead to titanic fights that imperil other legislation.

China Says Claim Of Gene-Edited Babies 'Seriously Violated' Regulations

5:43pm January 21, 2019

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Associated Press reporter Marilynn Marchione about the Chinese government's investigation into He Jiankui, who claims he created the world's first gene-edited babies.

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A scanning electron micrograph shows microglial cells (yellow) ingesting branched oligodendrocyte cells (purple), a process thought to occur in multiple sclerosis. Oligodendrocytes form insulating myelin sheaths around nerve axons in the central nervous s

Researchers Find A Web Of Factors Behind Multiple Sclerosis

8:35am January 21, 2019

by Bret Stetka

It's looking like MS strikes when a variety of triggers gang up to impair neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Researchers are using their new knowledge to search for treatments.

"It feels like confessing a crime," Tommy Tomlinson says about revealing his weight in his new book, The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America.

He Was 460 Pounds. What Confronting His Weight Taught Him About Obesity In America

6:35pm January 20, 2019

by Emma Bowman

"Losing weight is figuring out something you can live with," says Tommy Tomlinson, author of the new memoir The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man's Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America.

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Sabrina Rubich and her 9-month-old son, Kenny, shop for milk and bananas using their newly issued SNAP benefits.

Food Assistance Payments Came Early But Have To Last Until March

5:26pm January 20, 2019

by Nick Mott

People who got their February food assistance payments early don't know when their food money for March will come as the federal government shutdown continues.

Client Wanetta Nurse (left) and senior companion Kitty Gee chat about topics like family, the good old days, and men.

Federally Funded Companions Keep Seniors Connected To Their Neighbors

3:41pm January 20, 2019

by Patty Wight

Isolation is a part of life for many seniors, but a national program helps curb the loneliness by pairing homebound residents with peers, who make weekly visits.

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For Furloughed Worker, Isolation, Hit To Self-Worth Hurt As Much As Lost Pay

8:02am January 20, 2019

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Jaime, a tax examiner with the Internal Revenue Service, about the toll the government shutdown is taking on her mental health.

How Much Is That CAT Scan? Now You Can Check (If You Know Billing Codes)

8:02am January 20, 2019

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Starting this month, hospitals must publish prices for procedures and services online. Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal of Kaiser Health News tells NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro it's not very user friendly — yet.