Health & Safety

Encore: End-of-life doulas are working to make conversations about death easier

4:43pm January 17, 2023

by Sara Wittmeyer | WFIU

End-of-life doulas are like birth doulas –- except rather than helping someone with a birth, they guide people through the process of dying. The profession has been growing since the pandemic.

A man pulls a child past a Lunar New Year decoration on display at the Qianmen pedestrian shopping street, a popular tourist spot in Beijing, on Tuesday.

Here's why China's population dropped for the first time in decades

4:03pm January 17, 2023

by Joe Hernandez

Low fertility rates in the wake of China's former one-child policy and lockdowns related to the COVID pandemic have contributed to the country's shrinking population.

A guide to 9 global buzzwords for 2023, from 'polycrisis' to 'zero-dose children'

3:27pm January 17, 2023

by Andrew Connelly

Are you having a polycrisis? Can the world reduce the number of zero-dose children? Experts shared their views about global buzzwords that will be big this year. Here's the list and the definitions.

Older people who have few social connections and interactions are at a higher risk for developing dementia, a new study has found.

Social isolation linked to an increased risk of dementia, new study finds

2:01pm January 17, 2023

by Kaitlyn Radde

Socially isolated older adults have a 27% higher chance of developing dementia, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins. The findings suggest that simple interventions could be meaningful.

The U.S. faces 'unprecedented uncertainty' regarding abortion law, legal scholar says

1:44pm January 17, 2023

by Terry Gross

Roe author Mary Ziegler has chronicled the legal, political and cultural battles around abortion, and says the debate is far from over: "We're at the very beginning of something very confusing."

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Using telehealth, doctors can prescribe abortion medication to patients who they don't see in person.

Health & Safety

With telehealth abortion, doctors have to learn to trust and empower patients

1:22pm January 17, 2023

by Mara Gordon

Getting abortion medication online is easier than ever thanks to regulatory changes. The practice is pushing the boundaries of the traditional doctor-patient relationship.

Supplemental food benefits set to end in March

10:51am January 17, 2023

by Neal Charnoff

Emergency food benefits instituted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic will be ending in March.

Encore: Seattle sues social media over youth mental health

5:46pm January 16, 2023

by Eilis O'Neill/KUOW

Two Seattle area school districts are suing five social media companies. They allege the companies' practices have led to increased anxiety, depression, eating disorders and bullying among children.

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Encore: Examining how effective the national mental health helpline has been

5:33pm January 16, 2023

by Rhitu Chatterjee

It's been six months since the launch of the national 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. We check in on how many people are using it and whether it's connecting them to help.

A bookmark with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is displayed by Lance Neiberger, a volunteer with the Natrona County Suicide Prevention Task Force, in Casper, Wyoming.

988 Lifeline sees boost in use and funding in first months

5:00am January 16, 2023

by Rhitu Chatterjee

The 3-digit suicide and crisis lifeline – 988 – fielded nearly half a million more calls, texts and chats in its first 5 months than the old 10-digit Lifeline did during the same time in 2021.

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