Health & Safety

U.N. Investigator On Extreme Poverty Issues A Grim Report — On The U.S.

4:49pm December 21, 2017

by Sasha Ingber

He undertook his fact-finding mission with a series of questions: Are those in poverty able to live with dignity? And what does a government do to protect those who are most vulnerable?

Life expectancy in the U.S. has fallen for the second straight year, in part because of the surge of overdoses on opioids, such as oxycodone.

Health & Safety

Life Expectancy Drops Again As Opioid Deaths Surge In U.S.

2:44pm December 21, 2017

by Rob Stein

The opioid epidemic caused U.S. life expectancy to fall for the second year in a row, marking the first time that has happened since the early 1960s. Death rates also continued to rise.

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Health & Safety

North Carolina Proposes Opioid Limits For Injured Workers

10:43am December 21, 2017

by Associated Press

Injured workers may soon be limited in the amount of opioid prescriptions they could receive. New rules are being considered by the North Carolina Industrial Commission.

One ProPublica story found that the many eye drop companies waste medication by making the dispenser too big.

Health & Safety

A Prescription To Reduce Waste In Health Care Spending

10:31am December 21, 2017

by Marshall Allen

A ProPublica series has illuminated the many ways the U.S. health care system leaks money. Here are some ideas for plugging the holes.

Scientists used a new gene-editing technique to prevent a form of deafness in mice.

Scientists Use Gene Editing To Prevent A Form Of Deafness In Mice

6:06am December 21, 2017

by Rob Stein

Success with a new gene-editing technique in mice prone to deafness highlights the potential for using it to prevent a form of inherited hearing loss in humans. But it has many hurdles to overcome.

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The MacArthur Foundation has awarded $100 million to Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committtee to create a version of Sesame Street aimed at Syrian refugee children. Above: Characters from the Afghani version of the show that premiered this

$100 Million Prize Will Deploy Muppets To The Middle East

6:01pm December 20, 2017

by Jason Beaubien

The money from the MacArthur Foundation will fund new Sesame Street programs for Syrian refugees.

About 180,000 babies develop hydrocephalus each year in sub-Saharan Africa. Baby Faridah received treatment for the deadly condition this year at the CURE Children's Hospital of Uganda in Mbale, Uganda.

Surgery For Saving Babies From 'Water On The Brain' Developed in Uganda

5:28pm December 20, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

It's a new way to treat hydrocephalus. A study show it could save thousands of lives – in poor countries like Uganda and in rich countries, too.

Studying the penis of a thistle tortoise beetle may lead to a better design for medical catheters.

Beetle Penises May Hold Clues For Better Medical Devices

4:20pm December 20, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

Thistle tortoise beetles have enormously long, hooked penises that are rigid in some parts and soft in others. Scientists hope studying the beetle penises could help people design better catheters.

Samantha Pierce of Cleveland has a 7-year-old daughter, Camryn. In 2009, Pierce gave premature birth to twins. The babies did not survive. Scientists say black women lead more stressful lives, which makes them more likely to give birth prematurely and put

How Racism May Cause Black Mothers To Suffer The Death Of Their Infants

10:05am December 20, 2017

African-American women are more likely to lose a baby in the first year of life than women of any other race. Scientists think that stress from racism makes their bodies and babies more vulnerable.

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Health & Safety

Appalachian State Offers Food Pantry For Students and Staff

5:53am December 20, 2017

by Neal Charnoff

Hunger is an ongoing problem in the U.S. for people of all ages. And that includes college students.

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