Public Health Archives - Page 29 of 185

2023 Is a Wrap

Episode 327

Dec. 21, 2023

2023 was another busy year in health care. As the covid-19 pandemic waned, policymakers looked anew at long-standing obstacles to obtaining and paying for care in the nation’s health care system. Meanwhile, abortion has continued to be an issue in much of the nation, as states respond to the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the constitutional right to the procedure. This week, Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, and Joanne Kenen of Johns Hopkins University and Politico Magazine join 51��Ƶ Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and wrap up the year in health. Also this week, Rovner interviews 51��Ƶ Health News’ Jordan Rau about his joint 51��Ƶ Health News-New York Times series “Dying Broke.”

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A person crouches on the ground as they test a water sample for PFAS. Various equipment is on the ground around them.

Inside the Pentagon’s Painfully Slow Effort to Clean Up Decades of PFAS Contamination

Cost estimates balloon and complications mount as the Defense Department grapples with PFAS pollution at hundreds of its bases and surrounding communities.

By Hannah Norman and Patricia Kime

Dec. 21, 2023

A woman wearing a transparent yellow rain jacket looks down at a sign stuck into the ground. There are dozens of similar markers in the background and the U.S. Capitol farther in the distance.

Payback: Tracking Opioid Cash

The Year in Opioid Settlements: 5 Things You Need to Know

In the past year, opioid settlement money has gone from an emerging funding stream for which people had lofty but uncertain aspirations to a coveted pot of billions being invested in remediation efforts. Here are some important and evolving factors to watch going forward.

By Aneri Pattani

Dec. 21, 2023

Payback: Tracking Opioid Cash

‘They See a Cash Cow’: Corporations Could Consume $50 Billion of Opioid Settlements

As opioid settlement dollars land in government coffers, a swarm of businesses are positioning themselves to profit from the windfall. But will their potential gains come at the expense of the settlements’ intended purpose — to remediate the effects of the opioid epidemic?

By Aneri Pattani

Dec. 18, 2023

A digital illustration drawn with colorful gouache and pencil shows morel mushrooms being tossed in a cast-iron skillet. The skillet is on the left side of the image and, behind it, the background is a bright red, illuminated by hot flames. One mushroom flies out of the pan toward the right, where the background is icy blue and cold, which implies it has not been cooked to a safe temperature.

Mysterious Morel Mushrooms at Center of Food Poisoning Outbreak

Federal officials issued their first guidelines on preparing morel mushrooms after a deadly food poisoning outbreak in Montana, noting the toxins in the delicacy aren’t fully understood.

By Keely Larson

Dec. 18, 2023

What the Health? From 51��Ƶ Health News

Abortion and SCOTUS, Together Again

Episode 326

Dec. 14, 2023

The Supreme Court agreed this week to hear its first major case on abortion since overturning Roe v. Wade — one that could restrict the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone, even in states where abortion remains legal. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, lawmakers in the House and Senate finally moved to renew health programs that expired in October — but it’s likely too late to finish the job in 2023. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Riley Griffin of Bloomberg News, and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join 51��Ƶ Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Jen Golbeck, a University of Maryland professor and social media superstar, about her new book, “The Purest Bond,” which lays out the science of the human-canine relationship.

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Rift Over When to Use N95s Puts Health Workers at Risk Again

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering fuzzy guidelines on infection control in hospitals, critics say, leaving employers free to cut corners on N95 masks and other protective measures.

By Amy Maxmen

Dec. 14, 2023

The Health 202

Republicans Once Championed Public Health. What Happened?

By Julie Rovner

Dec. 13, 2023

51��Ƶ Health News On Air

Journalists Delve Into Gun Violence, Medicaid’s ‘Unwinding,’ Opioid Lawsuits, and More

51��Ƶ Health News and California Healthline staffers made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

Dec. 9, 2023

Two college students, Limya Harvey (left) and Cydney Mumford (right), sit at a table covered with small, paper grab-bags. The women smile towards the camera, each holding a paper fan with pride-flag colors.

Grassroots College Networks Distribute Emergency Contraceptives on Campus

Peer-to-peer efforts can meet a clear need among students whose colleges may not make sexual health products accessible or affordable.

By Michelle Andrews

Dec. 6, 2023

Letters to the Editor

Readers Slam Hospital Monopolies and Blame the Feds for Understaffed Nursing Homes

51��Ƶ Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Dec. 6, 2023

People protest with handmade signs outside the Supreme Court

Payback: Tracking Opioid Cash

Watch and Listen: Opioid Settlement Case Triggers Protests Outside the High Court

The Supreme Court heard arguments over whether the Sacklers, the family behind Purdue Pharma — which marketed OxyContin — could claim immunity from future lawsuits without claiming bankruptcy.

By Aneri Pattani

Dec. 5, 2023

51��Ƶ Health News & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Explosive DeSantis-Newsom Debate Reflects Nation’s Culture Wars

The two governors exchanged heated verbal barbs when they faced off in a wide-ranging debate that covered various health-related topics, from abortion to gun violence.

By Angela Hart and PolitiFact Staff

Dec. 1, 2023

A digital illustration of a glossy-red plastic fish on a white dinner plate on a vivid yellow tablecloth. A hand on the left side of the fish holds a knife, which casts a blue shadow that, together with the border of the plate, makes the shape of a circle with a diagonal line across it. The hand on the right side holds a fork with a rubbery, glistening cube from the plastic fish speared on it.

‘Forever Chemicals’ Found in Freshwater Fish, Yet Most States Don’t Warn Residents

At least 17 states have issued PFAS-related fish consumption advisories, 51��Ƶ Health News found. But with no federal guidance, what is considered safe to eat varies significantly among states, most of which provide no regulation.

By Hannah Norman

Dec. 1, 2023

The Health 202

DeSantis, Newsom to Tangle Over Hot-Button Health Issues

By Angela Hart and Daniel Chang

Nov. 30, 2023

‘Forever Chemicals’ in Thousands of Private Wells Near Military Sites, Study Finds

New research finds that private wells near more than 82% of select military sites were contaminated with PFAS chemicals.

By Patricia Kime

Nov. 29, 2023

A man in a suit and red tie stands at an angle to the camera. There are many people behind him and out of focus.

GOP Presidential Hopefuls Use Trump’s Covid Record to Court Vaccine Skeptics

Candidates see former President Donald Trump’s embrace of his administration’s covid-19 vaccine policies as an opportunity to gain ground. So far, their efforts haven’t found traction.

By Darius Tahir and Daniel Chang

Nov. 29, 2023

The Health 202

Medicaid’s ‘Unwinding’ Can Be Especially Perilous for Disabled People

By Rachana Pradhan

Nov. 28, 2023

‘Everybody in This Community Has a Gun’: How Oakland Lost Its Grip on Gun Violence

A few years ago, Oakland won national acclaim for slashing gun-related crimes. Then the covid-19 pandemic tore through poor neighborhoods, and the murder of George Floyd fueled distrust in police. With guns readily available, violent crime has once again skyrocketed, leaving the community struggling to contain it.

By Samantha Young

Nov. 28, 2023

Two photos where Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is picture on the left and California Gov. Gavin Newsom is on the right.

Health Care Is Front and Center as DeSantis and Newsom Go Mano a Mano

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will square off in a first-of-its-kind debate on Nov. 30. 51��Ƶ Health News compared the political rivals’ health care positions, showing how their policies have helped — or hindered — the health of their states’ residents.

By Daniel Chang and Angela Hart

Nov. 27, 2023

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