Adam Johnson’s ‘freak’ hockey death sparks debate over neck protection
The day eight years ago is still vivid in Krisa Keute’s memory. Her oldest son, Cole, was 11 years old and playing in a summer hockey game in Duluth. A teammate took a hard slap shot and kicked up his leg. “And his skate hit Cole’s jaw. And Cole suffered a lacerating injury to the […]
Tyson recalls 30,000 pounds of chicken nuggets after metal pieces were found inside
Tyson is recalling some 30,000 pounds of dino-shaped chicken nuggets because they may be contaminated with metal. The U.S. Agriculture Department says there was one report of a minor oral injury. Danny Johnston/AP About 30,000 pounds of dinosaur-shaped frozen chicken nuggets are being recalled after consumers reported finding metal pieces in the product, U.S. food […]
Winter is coming. Here’s how to spot — and treat — signs of seasonal depression
Experts say anyone can get seasonal affective disorder, though geography and gender may make people more susceptible. Leon Neal | Getty Images The days are getting shorter, darker and colder, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. And while there’s a lot to look forward to in winter, it’s not necessarily the most wonderful time of […]
Fairview Health Services announces plans to cut 250 jobs
Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services says it’s cutting 250 jobs across its hospitals and clinics. Fairview says the jobs will be cut before the end of the year, and most of the affected jobs are not full-time positions. In a statement, the organization says health care is facing “tremendous pressures,” including increased labor costs and reimbursement […]
The FDA proposes banning a food additive that’s been used for a century
A sign for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is displayed outside its offices in Silver Spring, Md., on Dec. 10, 2020. The FDA says it’s considering banning brominated vegetable oil, a food additive. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering banning brominated vegetable oil, a food additive that was recently […]
Rollout of all-terrain trackchairs broadens access to state parks
In October Ro and Jamie Morin of Mountain Lake, Minn., celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, Minn. The autumnal backdrop set the scene for their adventure. Avid hunters, they love the outdoors. But multiple surgeries on his ankles and knees left Ro in a lot of pain and unable […]
Chronic drug shortages stress hospitals and patients
A tornado damaged a Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in Rocky Mount, N.C., in July. The facility makes almost 25% of Pfizer’s sterile injectable medicines used in the U.S. Sean Rayford/Getty Images As a pharmacist, Jason Chou didn’t major in international relations. But a few days after the Hamas attack on Israel threw the Middle East into […]
Addressing rising alcohol use among women
Alcohol use and misuse among women is on the rise and it’s causing severe health problems for some women. Women who drink have a higher risk than men for certain health problems, including liver disease, heart disease and cancer. And research suggests that the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with more drinking among […]
Open enrollment starts this week for ACA plans. Here’s what’s new this year
Open enrollment starts Nov. 1 for Affordable Care Act marketplaces. Carmel Wroth/NPR For millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, the end of the year brings a day of reckoning: It’s time to compare benefits and prices, and consider changing to a new plan, or enroll for […]
A landmark gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease moves closer to reality
“It’s really life-changing,” says Victoria Gray, when describing the gene-editing treatment for sickle cell disease that she received as part of a clinical trial in 2019. Orlando Gili for NPR The Food and Drug Administration may soon approve a therapy that uses the gene-editing technique called CRISPR to treat sickle cell disease. It would mark […]