Health & Safety

Bradley Opere is the first African to hold the office at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Along the way, he's learned a lot about politics, race — and football.

Now that marijuana use is allowed in 28 states, it has opened up renewed questions about the drug as a pain reliever for people — including players in the National Football League.

Loneliness and social isolation can affect health for the worse. A California hospital is training volunteers to provide companionship and friendly assistance.

Lung cancer affects mostly older people, but they're often not offered surgery as a treatment. A study finds that most older people can tolerate surgery, and that it extends lives.

In the Florida Keys, no cases of locally transmitted Zika have been reported, but officials have decided to go ahead with trials of a genetically modified mosquito to combat the spread of the disease.