Health & Safety

Each year, between 8,000 and 9,000 people nationwide complain to the government about nursing home evictions, according to federal data. That makes evictions the leading category of all nursing home complaints.

Nursing Home Evictions Strand The Disabled In Costly Hospitals

12:57pm February 25, 2016

by Ina Jaffe

Federal rules mostly prohibit nursing homes from refusing to readmit residents after a hospital stay. But states rarely enforce the regulations. Some California families are now suing the state.

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A goat locked in a car in a Massachusetts parking lot got its moment of YouTube fame courtesy of a passerby's video.

Breaking News: Goat Locked In A Car In A Parking Lot Drinks A Soda

8:14pm February 24, 2016

by Marc Silver

A goat expert says the goat in the car was probably — and we quote — "freaked out." Maybe turning on the hazard lights was a bleat for help!

Protected from bites by a mosquito net, this pregnant woman, in her second trimester, came into the hospital in Cucuta, Colombia, with symptoms of Zika. A blood test is being run to find out if she has the virus.

All Eyes Are On Colombia: Will Zika Trigger A Spike In Microcephaly?

6:23pm February 24, 2016

Researchers say Colombia offers a chance to learn more about Zika's possible link to microcephaly. If the country sees a sudden rise in cases as Brazil did, that's stronger evidence of a connection.

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Whoops! 12 Tales Of Accidental Brilliance In Science

6:00pm February 24, 2016

by Adam Cole

You nominated 300 cool stories of scientific surprise for Skunk Bear's Golden Mole Award. Our shortlist has it all: circuits painted with light, imperceptible genitalia, and a terrifying frog.

A budtender prepares an edible sale for a customer at LivWell Broadway in Denver.

For Pot Tourists, The Trip Is More Likely To End In The ER

5:59pm February 24, 2016

by Angus Chen

Tourists who indulge in legal marijuana in Colorado are more likely to end up in the emergency room with cannabis-related problems than are state residents, a study finds. Talk about a bad trip.

Can Baltimore Provide Addiction Treatment On Demand?

5:43pm February 24, 2016

Andrea Towson, who has used heroin off and on for 30 years, is eager to get treatment. "I just want to wake up and eat breakfast and be normal, no matter what that might be," she says.

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A New York judge has ruled that items like Panera's Bacon Turkey Bravo Sandwich on Tomato Basil bread, which contains 2,850 milligrams of sodium, require a warning label.

Judge Rules NYC Can Require Sodium Warnings On Restaurant Menus

5:12pm February 24, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

A state judge ruled Wednesday that New York City health officials can enforce a requirement for chain restaurants to inform consumers which menu items have more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium.

Burnout and low pay can make it tough to retain counselors in the field of addiction services. "You take on your clients' pain," explains one former counselor.

Shortage Of Addiction Counselors Further Strained By Opioid Epidemic

4:30pm February 24, 2016

by Emily Corwin

Counselors in the field of substance abuse rehabilitation earn roughly $40,000 a year, surveys show, and the work can be emotionally draining. Employee turnover is high, and likely to get worse.

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Is Venezuela's Collapsing Health System Ill-Equipped To Handle Zika?

4:18pm February 24, 2016

by John Otis

The scale of the Zika virus outbreak in Venezuela is unclear. The government is reporting more than 5,000 cases with three related deaths. But independent Venezuelan physicians fear it could be as many as 400,000 infections. The outbreak is occurring in a country with a collapsing medical system, an economy in tatters and no funds to buy mosquito repellant, contraception or medicine.

Heroin use has become a major problem in the Northeast.

Ithaca's Plan To Open A Safe Site For Heroin Users Faces Legal Hurdles

3:22pm February 24, 2016

by Angus Chen

The goal is to reduce the city's death toll from heroin. But it would be breaking various laws unless Ithaca gets a pass from the governor and federal authorities.