Health & Safety

Jess Hegstrom, a public health worker for Lewis and Clark County in Montana, tries to start conversations about suicide risk at gun shows. "I'm not here to waggle my finger at you," she says.

Health & Safety

Storing guns away from home could reduce suicides, but there are legal hurdles

5:01am September 06, 2023

by Aaron Bolton

New ideas like "safe storage maps" show gun owners where to put their firearms in safekeeping if a mental health crisis happens. The idea has support, but obstacles are in the way in some states.

Lab data suggests the new COVID-19 booster shots should protect against a variant that concerns scientists. The boosters should be widely available this fall at pharmacies, like the one seen in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn borough in New York City.

Health & Safety

Lab data suggests new COVID booster will protect against worrisome variant

9:21pm September 05, 2023

by Rob Stein

Preliminary laboratory studies find antibodies from previous infections and vaccinations can neutralize the BA.2.86 variant. The findings bode well for new boosters on the way this fall.

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'Safe storage' helps keep suicidal gun owners from using their weapons

4:48pm September 05, 2023

by Aaron Bolton

Gun owners in psychiatric crisis can lower their risk of suicide by temporarily storing their guns at a gun store or with family or friends. But "safe storage" is easier in theory than practice.

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President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave as they arrive at the White House, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Washington after a vacation in Lake Tahoe.

First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, again

10:24pm September 04, 2023

by Jennifer Ludden

The White House says President Biden tested negative, and will continue to be tested ahead of a planned trip to India this week. The First Lady will remain in Delaware.

My grandpa Yeye and grandma Nainai. After they both caught COVID last December when China abruptly lifted its restrictions, my grandparents have felt significantly weaker. Their morning walks now consist of more resting than walking. To my grandparents, the virus should've been a death sentence. However, they were still kicking and cooking on my screen on a video call last week.

Health & Safety

Whatever happened to this cartoonist's grandmother in Wuhan? She's 16 going on 83!

8:33am September 04, 2023

by Laura Gao

In 2020, Laura Gao hoped to visit her birthplace, Wuhan, to see her grandparents. COVID caused her to cancel. How have grandpa and grandma fared? She says she's "walking backward" toward the sun.

People with diabetes who were prescribed fruits and vegetables, saw their blood sugar decline significantly. And adults with hypertension saw their blood pressure go down.

Prescriptions for fresh fruits and vegetables help boost heart health

7:22am September 04, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

People with diet-related diseases show health improvements when they're given "prescription" produce. A new study shows reductions in blood sugar and blood pressure, key measures of heart health.

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A view of the Pakistani territory of Baltistan from the heights of the mountain above the village of Chunda. The patches of white in the foreground are snow and water. The patches of silver in the distance are clouds that shroud the peaks of most mountains in Baltistan. The territory boasts towering peaks, including K2, the world's second highest mountain.

A glacier baby is born: Mating glaciers to replace water lost to climate change

10:06pm September 03, 2023

by Diaa Hadid

Residents of Pakistan's Himalayan region turn to science and folklore, with backing from the U.N. They're erecting ice towers, harvesting avalanches and performing an ancient glacier ritual.

Musician Jimmy Buffett performs onstage at Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live from the Gulf Coast, a concert presented by CMT at on the beach on July 11, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Jimmy Buffett died of a rare skin cancer

5:06pm September 03, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

Merkel cell carcinoma has a high risk of recurring and metastasizing, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. About 3,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year.

Whatever happened to the 'period day off' policy?

12:13pm September 03, 2023

by Raksha Kumar

In 2017, two Indian firms began offering workers a day off for a painful period — earning much praise but also some criticism. We wondered if this policy is gaining favor in India and beyond.

These Rwandan women were imprisoned for having abortions, before they were pardoned and released in 2019. From left: Nyiramahirwe Epiphanie, 26, was sentenced to 15 years. Akingeneye Theopiste was sentenced to 10 years. Akimanizanye Florentine was sentenced to 10 years. Mushimiyimana Anjerike, 29, served more than five years for inducing an abortion using pills she says she bought at a pharmacy.

Health & Safety

These Rwandan women were sent to jail for having an abortion. Now free, they speak out

12:07pm September 03, 2023

by Sarah McCammon

They were sentenced for up to 10 years for violating anti-abortion laws. Some say their pregnancy was a result of rape. Rwanda has now liberalized its abortion laws and pardoned hundreds of the women.

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