Health & Safety

Chris holds a plastic syringe he and his wife use to administer homemade medical marijuana oil to their 13-year-old son, Dylan, who has autism.

Health & Safety

After Other Options Fail, A Family Tries Medical Marijuana For Son With Autism

7:29am December 25, 2018

by Lynn Arditi

Rhode Island is among a growing number of states allowing children with autism to be treated with medical marijuana. The benefits are unproved and the full extent of the risks are unknown.

Children select a snack at St Claret's school in the southern Indian village of Karumathur. And then it's up to them whether to do the right thing and pay up.

So How Do You Teach Kids To Be Honest?

7:00am December 25, 2018

by Kamala Thiagarajan

At St. Claret's School in India, snack time is time for an ethical decision. Students could toss a few coins in the box — or just take the food and walk away.

Terry Mote (right) visits the home of Stanley and Lorit Jamor in Enid, Okla. Stanley was born on Bikini atoll, and is a descendant of Chief Juda, who was told in 1946 by Commodore Ben H. Wyatt, of the U.S. Navy, to give up the island homeland "for the goo

A Policy Knot Leaves Oklahomans From Marshall Islands Struggling To Get Health Care

4:58am December 25, 2018

Their former homeland was a U.S. testing site for nuclear bombs, but they can't get Medicare or Medicaid in Oklahoma. A resident of Enid, Okla., who was born in the islands is trying to change that.

Many Food and Drug Administration activities will continue despite the partial federal shutdown.

Health & Safety

As Partial Shutdown Continues, FDA Prepares To Furlough Employees

4:28pm December 24, 2018

by Rhitu Chatterjee

About 40 percent of the Food and Drug Administration employees will go on unpaid leave starting Wednesday. The remaining staffers will respond to emergencies and continue work funded by user fees.

Ed Mabaya on his parents' farm in Zimbabwe.

Health & Safety

I Gave A Spur-Of-The-Moment Christmas Gift — And Asked Myself A Hard Question

3:19pm December 24, 2018

by Edward Mabaya

I had gone home to rural Zimbabwe for the holiday. In the village shop, two skinny young boys came in to buy cooking oil and bread. They hoped to use any leftover change to buy treats.

Sarah Witter had two operations to repair bones in her lower left leg after a skiing accident last February. The second surgery was needed to replace a stabilizing plate that broke.

Health & Safety

Bill Of The Month Update: Skier To Get $6,358 Refund After Surgery For Broken Leg

1:56pm December 24, 2018

by Jordan Rau

Ski buff Sarah Witter will get $6,358 back from her hospital and insurer after a review of her bill following the NPR-Kaiser Health News story about her case.

Research inspired by soccer headers has led to fresh insights into how the brain weathers hits to the head.

Bad Vibes: How Hits To The Head Are Transferred To The Brain

10:47am December 24, 2018

by Jon Hamilton

A question about heading soccer balls inspired a series of experiments to understand how the brain changes shape when someone's head takes a hit.

Queue Listen Now

A growing body of research shows that writing down what you are thankful for can lower stress, help you sleep better and could even reduce the risk of heart disease.

If You Feel Thankful, Write It Down. It's Good For Your Health

9:51am December 24, 2018

by Maanvi Singh

A growing body of research shows keeping a log of what you are thankful for can lower stress, help you sleep better, and may even reduce the risk of heart disease. But it's not for everyone.

Queue Listen Now

From left: Man Kaur of India celebrates after competing in the 100-meter sprint in the 100+ age category at the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand; an illustration inspired by a list of global poverty thinkers being called a "Sausagefest"; Marya

6 Fearless Women Who Were An Inspiration In 2018

7:09am December 23, 2018

by Malaka Gharib

They broke taboos and stereotypes around the world. They include the co-recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize, a disability activist — and a 101-year-old runner.

Charlotte Potts, who has a history of heart problems, lives within sight of Livingston Regional Hospital. After a recent stint there, she was discharged into the care of a home health agency, and now gets treatment in her apartment for some ailments.

How Helping Patients Get Good Care At Home Helps Rural Hospitals Survive

7:00am December 23, 2018

by Blake Farmer

Hospitals are now financially rewarded by insurers for safety and efficacy — which often results in patients spending less time as inpatients.