Health & Safety

U.S. Marine Sgt. Robert Scoggin gets a vaccination against smallpox in 2003 at Camp Pendleton in California — one of the final steps before deployment overseas.

Keep Or Kill Last Lab Stocks Of Smallpox? Time To Decide, Says WHO

8:45pm May 09, 2014

by Rob Stein

"If smallpox is outlawed, only outlaws will have smallpox," says one NIH virologist. Others say keeping vials of deadly virus just invites a horrific accident or theft. WHO is about to vote — again.

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A police officer stands outside the entrance to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 15, 2012.

Mental Health 101: Program Helps Police Intervene In Crises

8:24pm May 08, 2014

by Jeff Cohen

The intersection of law enforcement and mental health has been an issue in Connecticut since the Newtown shootings. One city is training its officers to better decipher delicate situations.

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Klotho (right) is one of the three Greek Fates depicted in this Flemish tapestry at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Anti-Aging Hormone Could Make You Smarter

7:49pm May 08, 2014

by Jon Hamilton

Scientists have found that a hormone associated with long life also seems to make people smarter. The gene strengthens the connections between brain cells, a process that's essential for learning.

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Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? Page 10.

A Cartoonist's Funny, Heartbreaking Take On Caring For Aging Parents

1:26pm May 08, 2014

In Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast combines text, cartoons, sketches and photos to describe her interactions with her parents during the last years of their lives.

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On the outskirts of Islamabad, a Pakistani health worker vaccinates an Afghan refugee against polio.

The Comeback Of Polio Is A Public Health Emergency

4:25pm May 06, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The paralyzing virus had seemed on the verge of disappearing. But this year cases are being reported in 10 countries. The World Health Organization has responded with strict vaccination rules.

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Donald Sterling, Philanthropist: What To Do With His Donations?

6:27pm May 03, 2014

UCLA cancelled a $3 million donation from LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, because of racist comments Sterling made in a recording. The donation was to go towards kidney research.

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New research could be promising for infertile men. Scientists were able to make immature sperm cells from skin cells. Their next challenge is to make that sperm viable.

'Provocative' Research Turns Skin Cells Into Sperm

4:20pm May 02, 2014

by Rob Stein

Scientists were able to make immature sperm cells. If they can make the sperm viable, researchers could help men who thought they'd never have kids. But the findings also raise ethical questions.

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Should you fear a chemical inside metal food containers like the ones that hold beans? Government scientists say no.

Health & Safety

Maybe That BPA In Your Canned Food Isn't So Bad After All

12:39pm April 30, 2014

by Jon Hamilton

There's been lots of debate about whether tiny amounts of the chemical have the potential to cause health problems. A new FDA study supports a previous conclusion that the chemical is safe for people.

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Conservatives Yet To Rally Around Obamacare Replacement

12:18pm April 30, 2014

by Scott Horsley

Congressional Republicans say they want to repeal and replace Obamacare, but they've been light on details of what the alternative might look like.

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Mike Smith, of Long Beach, Calif., now pays $200 for his family's health insurance policy, compared with the $3,000 a month he would have had to pay on the individual market last year.

Obamacare Enrollees Emboldened To Leave Jobs, Start Businesses

12:10pm April 30, 2014

by Stephanie O'Neill

Some people who felt stuck in certain jobs, just because they needed the employment-based health insurance, say they are finding the Affordable Care Act liberating.

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