Volcanoes are erupting in The Philippines, but on-fire Australia received some welcome rain. The Iran war cries have been called off and The Donald’s military powers are about to be hamstrung by the Senate. Meanwhile, his impeachment trial is starting, and we’re all on Twitter for a front-row seat.
Tag: Health
07/29/2021
The Graphic Truth: Life is actually getting better
There's a lot of doom and gloom in the world these days, and much cause for pessimism. Still, the advent of new technologies and scientific advancements has lifted billions out of poverty and increased quality of life for many over the last half century.
07/28/2021
FDA approves ‘game changing’ new breast cancer treatment
The federal health agency gave the nod to Merck’s immunotherapy Keytruda to treat an early form of aggressive breast cancer.
07/27/2021
Study: Expanding Medicare eligibility may shrink racial disparities
Medicare helps to reduce racial and ethnic disparities and close gaps in insurance coverage, a new study in JAMA Network shows.
07/23/2021
Illinois becomes one of the first Midwest states to allow over-the-counter birth control
A new law signed this week by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) will allow residents of the state to access birth control over the counter.
07/20/2021
First Total Artificial Heart Successfully Transplanted In the US
The artificial heart has four chambers and runs on external power. Welcome to a new cyborg future.
07/21/2021
House passes bill requiring EPA to regulate ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
The House on Wednesday approved a bill that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish national drinking water standards for “forever chemicals” — a group of toxic compounds linked to kidney and liver issues, among other health problems.
07/22/2021
What Could Go Right? The kids are safe
We ask whether it's time to reassess the risk profile of mass-vaccinated countries and Scotland builds the world's first tidal energy farm in the latest edition of the newsletter.
07/20/2021
PrEP, the HIV prevention pill, must now be totally free under almost all insurance plans
Insurers have been advised that they shouldn’t be charging for Truvada and Descovy as HIV prevention and that associated clinic visits and labs must also be free.
07/15/2021
Nanoparticle urine test diagnoses cancer and pinpoints its location
The earlier cancer is detected, the better the outcome for the patient. Now, researchers at MIT have developed a new diagnostic system that can be performed as a simple urine test to detect the presence of cancer, and if a positive is returned, a follow-up test can locate where it is in the body.
07/18/2021
Beyond condoms: Do new options mean men will take more responsibility for birth control?
Male contraception has been limited to the same two options for more than a century: wearing condoms or having a vasectomy.
07/14/2021
Analyzing sewage poop in Nairobi averted a polio crisis and is now providing answers for antibiotic resistance
In 2018, the Kenyan ministry of health discovered a vaccine-derived polio outbreak when studying sewage samples in Nairobi. They immediately launched a renewed polio campaign targeting 2.8 million children in high risk areas. Kenya had, from 1988 to 2017, reduced the number of children suffering from polio-related paralysis from 350,000 a year to 22 and is close to eradicating polio.
07/15/2021