U.S. drops in new global happiness ranking. One age group bucks the trend
The U.S. ranks higher in the world happiness report when it comes to people aged 60 and older. Thomas Barwick/Getty Images How happy are you? The Gallup World Poll has a simple way to gauge well-being around the globe. Imagine a ladder, and think about your current life. The top rung, 10, represents the best […]
Despite bans in some states, more than a million abortions were provided in 2023
More than a million abortions were provided in the U.S. in 2023. That’s a major finding from a report published Tuesday by the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports access to abortion. To be precise, researchers estimate there were 1,026,700 abortions in 2023. “That’s the highest number in over a decade, [and] the first […]
How Hmong and Karen community leaders are fighting youth addiction
Karen and Hmong parents in Minnesota say they are increasingly alarmed by the substance abuse they see in their communities’ youth. Opioids are the largest problem, specifically the the deadly drug fentanyl. MPR News partnered with Sahan Journal to talk about this painful topic, at a special North Star Journey Live event in mid-November, hosted […]
In a pandemic milestone, the NIH ends guidance on COVID treatment
Pfizer’s Paxlovid combines two antiviral drugs to fight the virus that causes COVID-19. Joe Raedle | Getty Images These days, if you’re sick with COVID-19 and you’re at risk of getting worse, you could take pills like Paxlovid or get an antiviral infusion. By now, these drugs have a track record of doing pretty well […]
UnitedHealth says it has made progress on recovering from a massive cyberattack
UnitedHealth is testing the last major system it must restore from last month’s Change Healthcare cyberattack, but it has no date yet for finishing the recovery. The health care giant said Monday that it is testing software for submitting medical claims. It already has largely restored systems for handling pharmacy claims and processing payments. Change Healthcare […]
The U.S. bans most common form of asbestos, after decades of pushback from industry
An asbestos warning sign is seen at Victoria Park in in Sydney, Australia on February 29, 2024. Jenny Evans/Getty Images The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it is banning the most common form of asbestos, a cancer-causing substance that’s linked to the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans every year. The U.S. is […]
Appeals court rules in favor of woman turned away from pharmacy for emergency contraceptive
The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Monday that an Aitkin County pharmacist’s refusal to give a woman emergency contraception in 2019 was illegal sex discrimination under the state’s human rights act. In 2022, a jury in that county found that the Thrifty White pharmacist, George Badeaux, did not discriminate against Andrea Anderson when he declined […]
In Havana syndrome patients, NIH scientists find no physical trace of harm
Workers at the U.S. Embassy in Havana leave the building in September 2017. New research out of the National Institutes of Health finds no unusual pattern of damage in the brains of Havana syndrome patients. Miami Herald | TNS Two rigorous government studies found no unusual pattern of injury or disease in the brains of […]
How Hmong and Karen community leaders are fighting youth addiction
Karen and Hmong parents in Minnesota say they are increasingly alarmed by the substance abuse they see in their communities’ youth. Opioids are the largest problem, specifically the the deadly drug fentanyl. MPR News partnered with Sahan Journal to talk about this painful topic, at a special North Star Journey Live event in mid-November, hosted […]
From anxiety to cancer, the evidence against ultra-processed food piles up
Ultra-processed foods contain substances you wouldn’t find in your own kitchen, like high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavor and color enhancers, anti-caking agents and emulsifiers. Dan Kitwood via Getty Images At a time when Americans consume more than half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, there is increasing evidence that eating too many of these […]