News

President Obama toured the El Reno Federal Correctional Institution in Oklahoma on Thursday and met with six inmates.

Obama Visits Federal Prison, A First For A Sitting President

6:30pm July 16, 2015

by Scott Horsley

"These are young people who made mistakes that aren't that different than the mistakes I made and the mistakes that a lot of you guys made," Obama said after meeting with inmates in Oklahoma City.

A depiction of meal with cheese from Tacuinum Sanitatis, a medieval handbook on health and well-being based on the Taqwim alâsihha, an 11th-century Arab medical treatise.

We Didn't Build This City On Rock 'N' Roll. It Was Yogurt

5:17pm July 16, 2015

by Adam Maskevich

We got milk when we domesticated goats and sheep around 9,000 BC. At first, that milk was easier to digest when fermented. So yogurt, along with other Neolithic foods, helped fuel civilization.

Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos attends a session of Parliament in Athens on Wednesday as lawmakers prepared to vote on reforms demanded by eurozone creditors in exchange for a new bailout.

Beyond A Bailout: Greece Needs Debt Relief, IMF Says

5:03pm July 16, 2015

by Jim Zarroli

Greece is so saddled with debt it probably can't turn its economy around for years, the International Monetary Fund says. But writing down debt would require an OK from Germany, which has opposed it.

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Pew: 'Smartphone-Dependents' Often Have No Backup Plan For Web Access

3:32pm July 16, 2015

by Emma Bowman

People who rely most on their smartphones to get online often deal more frequently with service interruptions because of financial hardship and data limits.

Health & Safety

When To Start Taking A Cholesterol Pill? The Decision Is Yours

3:29pm July 16, 2015

by Harlan Krumholz

The latest cholesterol guideline identifies more people as candidates for treatment with statins. But the decision about taking a daily pill to reduce heart disease risk is more personal than ever.

If you know what a bladder infection feels like, should you have to go to the doctor every time?

Should Women Be Able To Treat Bladder Infections Themselves?

3:29pm July 16, 2015

by Nancy Shute

It can be pretty miserable waiting to get the urine test when you're sure you've got a bladder infection and just need the antibiotics already. Some doctors think it's time for to let women prescribe.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right, with blue necktie) arrives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the International Conference on Financing for Development.

The World Could Wipe Out Extreme Poverty By 2030. There's Just One Catch

3:26pm July 16, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

It'll take trillions of dollars — not billions, but trillions. Leaders are meeting in Ethiopia this week to figure out how to raise the money. Spoiler alert: Most of it won't come from governments.

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Choosing a home health agency can be even more difficult than picking a nursing home.

Health & Safety

Home Health Agencies Get Medicare's Star Treatment

3:13pm July 16, 2015

by Jordan Rau

For the first time, the government is using a star system to rate agencies that care for seniors in their homes. Medicare was stingy with top ratings and also the poorest scores.

Students learning to code at General Assembly in New York City.

New Student Loans For A New For-Profit Education Sector

2:53pm July 16, 2015

by Anya Kamenetz

Financing options are multiplying for "coder boot camps" — small, immersive schools that turn out software developers in weeks rather than years.

Top Official Says Inside Help Was Likely In 'El Chapo' Escape

2:50pm July 16, 2015

U.S. authorities had wanted Joaquin Guzman extradited, in part over fears that he would get out again. Mexican authorities refused. His escape likely will deepen distrust between the countries.

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