Health

WASHINGTON — While much good came from the COVID relief funds doled out by the Small Business Administration as the pandemic ran its course time has shown that certain businesses -- particularly those owned by women and minorities -- went... Read More

WASHINGTON - Despite being in the early phases of an investigation into PFAS contamination at nearly 700 U.S. military installations, the Department of Defense says the future environment clean-up of these facilities will cost at least $2.1 billion and likely... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deaths among Medicare patients in nursing homes soared by 32% last year, with two devastating spikes eight months apart, a government watchdog reported Tuesday in the most comprehensive look yet at the ravages of COVID-19 among its... Read More

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot declared racism a public health crisis in Chicago this week, pointing to new research from the Chicago Department of Public Health showing that racism is the primary reason for a 9.2-year life expectancy gap between Black... Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have accelerated a long-standing trend in declining birth rates across the globe and could have long-lasting consequences, particularly for women, according to a recent panel discussion at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, D.C.... Read More

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that the nation’s manufacturing capabilities were ill-prepared to respond to the urgent needs of the medical community. As the pandemic’s scope progressed, so did China’s chokehold on supplying countries with... Read More

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a challenge to the Affordable Care Act, preserving insurance coverage for millions of Americans. By a 7-2 vote, the justices left the entire law intact and ruled that Texas and other Republican-led states (as... Read More

MINNETONKA, Minn. — UnitedHealthcare announced it would delay plans to implement policy changes that would retroactively deny emergency medical care coverage to its customers if the company determines the reason for the care does not qualify as an emergency. Initially... Read More

Researchers from the Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center in China published a study this week in the medical journal Development, offering new insight into preventing infertility in men.  Currently, at least 30 million men worldwide are infertile, and one... Read More

The House Committee on Financial Services met this past week to discuss how increasing Section 8 housing vouchers could reduce housing instability, overcrowding, and better prepare the nation for the next health or economic crisis.  “Providing a voucher to all... Read More

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted routine health services making it difficult to deliver high-quality care to pregnant women and children living with HIV. But it has also pushed global leaders to try and reinvigorate global commitments to eliminate pediatric HIV... Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cue the fireworks. President Joe Biden wants to imbue Independence Day with new meaning this year by encouraging nationwide celebrations to mark the country's effective return to normalcy after 16 months of coronavirus pandemic disruption. Even as... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — A new analysis of blood samples from 24,000 Americans taken early last year is the latest and largest study to suggest that the new coronavirus popped up in the U.S. in December 2019 — weeks before... Read More

Vaccine maker Novavax said Monday its COVID-19 shot was highly effective against the disease and also protected against variants in a large study in the U.S. and Mexico, potentially offering the world yet another weapon against the virus at a... Read More

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — U.S. plans to donate 500 million more COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries were met Thursday with both celebration and hesitation amid questions over whether the effort will be enough to help poor regions desperate... Read More

The FDA has authorized the first aid for diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder in children 18 months through 5 years of age called Canvas Dx. It was developed by Cognoa, a behavioral health company.  “Currently, pediatricians refer most children with suspected... Read More

Why do some people get side effects after COVID-19 vaccines? Temporary side effects including headache, fatigue and fever are signs the immune system is revving up -- a normal response to vaccines. And they're common. "The day after getting these... Read More

Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Ariz., has joined Rep. Jodey Arrington, R- Texas, and a bipartisan group of members in a drive to improve the performance standards for health care providers who participate in Medicare’s Accountable Care Organizations, which are part of... Read More

The Supreme Court this week decided to leave in place a $2 billion verdict in favor of women who claim they developed ovarian cancer from using Johnson & Johnson talc products. As is their custom, the justices did not comment Tuesday on... Read More

WASHINGTON - The Library of Congress has acquired a digital archive of the real-time impressions of more than 200 frontline health care workers documenting the country in crisis during the coronavirus pandemic. The audio diaries from health care workers were collected... Read More

WASHINGTON - Sen. Patty Murray, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is pushing for future investments in long-term care, improving VA’s relationship with state veterans homes, and expanding the care veterans residing in state-run veterans homes receive.... Read More

The White House announced Thursday that the United States will purchase and donate half a billion Pfizer vaccines to 92 low- and lower middle-income countries and the African Union, a historic action intended to supercharge the global fight against the... Read More

Over half of adult Americans have now had at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, and the Biden administration is working with private companies to soon offer digital vaccine credentials from a mobile device, which would allow Americans to... Read More

NEW YORK (AP) — Couples in the U.S. are racing to the altar in a vaccination-era wedding boom that has venues and other vendors in high demand. With restrictions on large gatherings loosening, wedding planners and others who make the... Read More

This article is by Emma Bryce and was originally published by Anthropocene magazine. Researchers have discovered that a medical device used to detect cancer in humans can also be employed to detect mislabeled seafood, and other meats—with 100% accuracy. The... Read More

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration on Monday granted its approval to aducanumab, an Alzheimer’s treatment developed by Biogen for use in patients, despite mixed clinical trial results for the drug.  Prescribed under the brand name “Aduhelm,”... Read More

Health authorities are trying to determine whether heart inflammation that can occur along with many types of infections could also be a rare side effect in teens and young adults after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. An article on... Read More

A healthy diet around the time of conception through the second trimester may reduce the risk of several common pregnancy complications, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. Expectant women in the study who scored high... Read More

A new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and their colleagues has found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, does not appear to pose a threat to the safety of the nation’s blood supply.  The analysis,... Read More

Turmeric is a bright, yellow-colored spice commonly used in dishes throughout the Middle East and Asia, but is also a Nutraceutical, or a food which has natural healing properties.   Oh Sung Kwon, assistant professor of Kinesiology in the College of... Read More