Health & Safety

News Brief: Gun Ban, Trump Criticizes McCain, Fentanyl Deaths

6:40am March 21, 2019

New Zealand bans weapons like those used in last week's attacks. President Trump continues to criticize John McCain, even though he's deceased. New data paints a dark picture of the opioid epidemic.

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Health & Safety

FDA Approves Drug That Could Help Women With Postpartum Depression

6:07pm March 20, 2019

by Rhitu Chatterjee

The first drug for severe postpartum depression has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Thousands of women could benefit from the drug, but there are drawbacks, including a $35,000 price tag.

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Afghan couples in Kabul out for a stroll on Valentine's Day this year.

Advice On How To Be Happy From The 3rd Least Happy Country In The World

3:31pm March 20, 2019

Afghanistan ranks extremely low on the World Happiness Report, released for World Happiness Day on March 20. But that doesn't mean it is a place devoid of happiness.

Residents of the city of Beira, which was nearly destroyed by Cyclone Idai, salvage what is left of their belongings.

Health & Safety

Plight Of Survivors After Cyclone Idai: No Power, No Homes, No Roads

3:05pm March 20, 2019

by Tim McDonnell

Charities are trying to help with what a Red Cross staffer calls "the worst humanitarian crisis in Mozambique's history." Zimbabwe and Malawi were also struck.

Statisticians say it may not be wise to put all their eggs in the significance basket.

Statisticians' Call To Arms: Reject Significance And Embrace Uncertainty!

2:02pm March 20, 2019

by Richard Harris

Scientists and statisticians are putting forth a bold idea: ban the very concept of "statistical significance." A bit more humility would be in order to account for the ambiguity in the world.

"We fully respect and support the Sackler family's decision," says a spokesperson for the National Portrait Gallery in central London, after a gift was withdrawn. Members of the Sackler family are accused of pursuing profits on OxyContin amid an opioid cr

Sackler Family's Donation To British Museum Is Quashed Over Opioid Fallout

1:44pm March 20, 2019

by Bill Chappell

The U.K.'s National Portrait Gallery and the Sackler family — owners of the company that makes OxyContin — say they're concerned that allegations of profiteering could overshadow the gift.

The new strategy of some health plans for state employees is to pay hospitals a certain percentage above the basic Medicare reimbursement rate. It allows hospitals a small profit, the states say, while reducing costs to states and patients.

Health Plans For State Employees Use Medicare's Hammer On Hospital Bills

1:23pm March 20, 2019

by Julie Appleby

Some states have begun using Medicare reimbursement rates to recalibrate how they pay hospitals. If the gamble pays off, more private-sector employers could start doing the same thing.

Dr. Hillary Tamar, who's in the second year of her family medicine residency in Phoenix, is part of a new generation of doctors who are committed to treating addiction.

Aspiring Doctors Seek Advanced Training In Addiction Medicine

9:39pm March 19, 2019

by Will Stone

Once a tiny specialty that drew mostly psychiatrists, addiction medicine is expanding its accredited training to include residents from specialties like family medicine who see it as a calling.

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A jury in federal court in San Francisco on Tuesday concluded that Roundup weed killer was a substantial factor in a California man's cancer. The company denies the connection.

California Jury Finds Roundup Caused Man's Cancer

9:09pm March 19, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

After five days of deliberation the jury concluded the weed killer was a "substantial factor" in causing non-Hodgkins lymphoma in the plaintiff. It's the second verdict against the Bayer product.

Research shows a link between marijuana use and psychosis.

Health & Safety

Daily Marijuana Use And Highly Potent Weed Linked To Psychosis

7:32pm March 19, 2019

by Rhitu Chatterjee

As more places in the U.S. and Europe legalize marijuana, weed consumption is growing ever more popular. But researchers are studying a troubling health risk associated with the drug.