Health & Safety

Hand-Pumped Anesthesia Could Help With Surgeries In The Dark

12:13pm November 09, 2014

by Nurith Aizenman

Across Africa, hospitals are struggling to provide surgery. Doctors, nurses, and even basics like electricity are in short supply. Now Johns Hopkins Medical Center is testing a creative solution.

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A recent study found obese women are more likely than other women to work physically demanding jobs, like the kind that call for hard hats. They're less likely to work in jobs that require a lot of interaction with clients and customers — jobs that, on

Obese Women Make Less Money, Work More Physically Demanding Jobs

7:34am November 09, 2014

by Rebecca Hersher

A 65 percent increase in a woman's weight is associated with a 9-percent drop in earnings. A recent study investigated what's behind that "obesity penalty," and why it hits women harder than men.

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Mariam and Amadou, both from Mali, add their voices to the song "Africa Stop Ebola."

Reggae Vibe, Ebola Message: African Superstars Try To Go Viral

7:03am November 09, 2014

by Linda Poon

They're some of the most popular musicians in West Africa, joining voices to sing (mainly in French but also in some local languages) about defeating an "invisible enemy."

Health & Safety

Supreme Court Agrees To Hear New Health Law Challenge

8:11pm November 07, 2014

by Nina Totenberg

Health care experts say an adverse ruling would be catastrophic for the health insurance program that the president has fought so hard to enact and preserve.

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The "Aroma R-evolution" kit comes with four forks and 21 vials full of aromas like olive oil, mint and smoke. You drop a dab of scented liquid onto the base of the fork, and the smell is supposed to subtly flavor the food you eat while using the utensil.

Can A Smell-Emitting Fork Alter How We Savor Flavor?

5:22pm November 07, 2014

by Maanvi Singh

Flavor is a combination of taste and aroma. So can a scent-emitting fork trick our brains into thinking we're tasting something, when we're only just smelling it? The Salt team tests it out.

Time for a replay?: Protesters waited outside the Supreme Court for decisions in June.

In Surprise Move, Supreme Court Takes On Fate Of Obamacare Again

3:48pm November 07, 2014

by Julie Rovner

Is it legal for a state-sponsored health exchange to provide subsidies that help people pay insurance premiums? That's the point in question, and one that's still being considered by an appeals court.

Mumadou Traore says the Ivory Coast's French bureaucracy is a "blessing" when it comes to Ebola.

No Ebola, S'il Vous Plait, We're French: The Ivory Coast Mindset

2:44pm November 07, 2014

by Gregory Warner

The country borders Liberia and Guinea, but so far Ebola hasn't arrived. Maybe it's because of the French heritage. When the authorities tell people what to do to keep the virus out, they listen.

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Guinea Is Seeing More Ebola Cases: Can The Trend Be Stopped?

2:08pm November 07, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The country where the outbreak began is now seeing an uptick in the number of new patients. Marc Poncin of Doctors Without Borders explains why — and what's being done to bring things under control.

Republicans' First Order Of Business May Be Chipping Away At Obamacare

6:33pm November 06, 2014

Now that the Republicans control the House and Senate, they've got their eyes on the Affordable Care Act. Which parts will President Obama veto and which parts will he inevitably have to give up?

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Which flu vaccine should you get? That may depend on your age and your general health.

Health & Safety

Flu Season Brings Stronger Vaccines And Revised Advice

6:33pm November 06, 2014

by Patti Neighmond

Health officials estimate that every flu season, 1 in 5 Americans will get the bug. This year, changes in flu vaccines and in federal guidelines could help those most susceptible to the virus.

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