Virginia lawmakers consider proposal to legalize physician-assisted death
In ten states and Washington D.C., some patients with terminal illnesses can request medication from their doctor to end their lives.
Health & Safety
Virginia considers allowing doctors to help people with terminal illnesses to die
Virginia lawmakers are considering bills that would allow doctors to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to patients with terminal illnesses who've been given a prognosis of six months or less to live.
Scientists rely on private funding to push long COVID research forward
Advocates say the federal government no longer views long COVID with urgency. Private donors are funding research, bringing an unprecedented level of collaboration. (Story aired on ATC on 2/6/24.)
A genetically modified purple tomato is now available to home gardeners
The plant gets its color — and a boost in antioxidants — from genes from an edible flower. It's the first time gardeners have been able to grow a GMO crop at home.
Long COVID research goes private
Advocates say the federal government is no longer viewing long COVID with the urgency it deserves. Private donors are now funding research bringing an unprecedented level of collaboration.
The Census Bureau is dropping a controversial proposal to change disability statistics
After public outcries, the U.S. Census Bureau says it's no longer moving ahead with proposed survey changes that could have shrunk a key estimated rate of disability in the U.S. by about 40%.
N.C. officials promote children's dental health
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and North Carolina officials are stressing the importance of kids' dental hygiene.
FDA move to ban formaldehyde in hair straighteners called too little, too late
The FDA will soon move to ban formaldehyde in hair-straightening products. It's more than a decade after research raised alarms about health risks and other worrying chemicals remain in the products.
As 'magic mushrooms' got more attention, drug busts of the psychedelic drug went up
Busts of psilocybin mushrooms went way up from 2017 to 2022, a new study finds, even as the psychedelic drug's potential benefits have been explored by scientists.
Doctors face huge stigma about mental illness. Now there's an effort to change that
Doctors have long dealt with perceived threats to their careers if they are open about mental illness and addiction. Now about two dozen states are changing licensing forms to lessen the stigma.