Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
I’m A CPAP Dropout: Why Many Lose Sleep Over Apnea Treatment
When doctors told Frances Faulkenburg she had sleep apnea, she was more than ready for relief from her tired-all-the-time existence. She used to fall asleep at red lights while behind the wheel. At night, she’d wake up gasping for air, heart pounding. Her husband told her she snored. But Faulkenburg, 47, couldn’t tolerate the CPAP …
Listen: Opioid Trial In Oklahoma Wraps Up
Did drugmaker Johnson & Johnson create a “public nuisance” that led to the opioid epidemic? That’s the question a state judge in Oklahoma is weighing after the country’s first trial against opioid manufacturers wrapped up Monday. The state is asking for $17 billion in damages. Jackie Fortier of StateImpact Oklahoma has covered the trial from …
A ‘No-Brainer’? Calls Grow For Medicare To Cover Anti-Rejection Drugs After Kidney Transplant
On Wednesday, Alexis Conell will mark seven years since she received the kidney transplant that saved her life, but the 53-year-old Chicago woman isn’t exactly celebrating. Although the federal government paid most of the costs for her 2012 transplant, a long-standing Medicare policy halted coverage three years later for the drugs that keep her body …
‘An Arm And A Leg’: Journalist Learns The Hard Way That CPAP Compliance Pays
Can’t see the audio player? Click here to listen. About This Podcast Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But you’re not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. “An Arm and a Leg” is a podcast about these issues, and its second season is co-produced by KHN. Visit armandalegshow.com When …
Google Glass Has an Afterlife as a Device to Teach Autistic Children
Privacy concerns caused the computerized eyewear to fail with the general public. But researchers believe it could help autistic children learn to recognize emotion and make eye contact.
Born to Walk Barefoot
Shoes protect our feet, but they also alter our strides and could increase the wear on our leg joints.
To Help Smokers Quit, Pay Them
Whether the incentive was under $100 or over $700, paying people to quit seemed to be effective.
States Are Making Progress on Opioids. Now the Money That’s Helping Them May Dry Up
Billions in federal grants for treatment and prevention programs are set to end next year. The Trump administration has not said whether it will seek to extend them.
Tiny Love Stories: ‘Will You Please Forgive Me?’
Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words.
Do You Have a Generous Relationship?
These four questions can help you determine how your relationship rates on the generosity scale.
High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol May Pose Special Risks in Young Adults
Men and women under 40 may be at risk for heart failure or heart disease if they have hypertension or high levels of “bad” cholesterol.
Healthy Lifestyle May Reduce Dementia Risk
Healthful eating and exercise might lower dementia risk in those who are genetically predisposed to developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Viewpoints: Biden’s Health Care Ideas Could Take U.S. One Step Closer To Single Payer; Health Care Is A Market Failure
Opinion writers weigh in on these health care issues and others.
State Highlights: Rhode Island’s Laws On 911 Calls Hide Important Facts From Public; Hundreds Of Colorado Child Neglect Cases Sent To Wrong Email Account
Media outlets report on news from Rhode Island, Colorado, Minnesota, Missouri, Georgia, Connecticut, Nevada, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and California.
Judge Slashes Roundup Weedkiller Verdict From $80 Million To $25 Million For California Man With Cancer
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco said Monday the higher award was “constitutionally impermissible” because it was nearly 15 times the compensatory damages award. He denied Bayer’s request for a new trial. Edwin Hardeman used Roundup for many years starting in the 1980s to treat poison oak and weeds on his property. He …
‘Technological Feat’ Of Research On Old Tissue From DNC Serves Up Evidence HIV Started Infecting Humans In Late 1800s
Scientists at the University of Arizona examined a tissue sample that dates back to the 1960s, the oldest sample of HIV to date, and concluded the virus jumped from primates earlier than expected. The researchers tested 1,652 pathology samples and found the HIV sequence in one. Public health news also looks at: CRISPR baby editing …
‘We Need Something Quicker And Dirtier’: Scientists Excited About Possibility Of A Simple Alzheimer’s Blood Test
Doctors want a test that they can order during a routine exam to help catch Alzheimer’s early. “In the past year we’ve seen a dramatic acceleration in progress” on these tests, said Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging.
Uptick In Wildfires, Flooding Contributing To A ‘Toxic Gumbo’ Of Chemicals In Survivors’ Daily Lives
The toxic substances displaced during disasters “are much more long-lasting and ubiquitous than I think people realize,” said Gina McCarthy, who ran the Environmental Protection Agency during the Obama administration. “And we clearly haven’t caught up in terms of our laws and regulations, and the process of disaster response.”
How The Department Of Homeland Security Found Itself At The Heart Of Deep Moral Dilemmas
The New York Times takes a look inside the agency that so often is the face of President Donald Trump’s immigration strategy that has led to national outrage over how it is being implemented. Meanwhile, Border Patrol is investigating those involved with a secret Facebook group that included posts joking about migrant deaths. Other news …
Health Leaders Worry About Unscrupulous Data Mongers Circling Like Sharks As Patient Records Are More Accessible
There are concerns from experts who say patients may not fully understand the privacy implications of new records apps and end up signing a lot of their information away without realizing it. Other news at the intersection of technology and health care: artificial intelligence and dental bills, telemedicine in rural areas, wireless health hazards and …
‘Dope Refugees’ Flock To New York City’s Transit Hubs In Search Of A Better Life
Experts say the swelling number of users around the transit hubs is in part because they can find more tolerance and support in New York City than in their hometowns, as well as greater access to services such as syringe exchanges. Meanwhile, the country’s foster system is being strained beneath the weight of the drug …
‘Cunning, Cynical And Deceitful’: Sparks Fly In Closing Arguments Of Closely Watched Johnson & Johnson Opioid Trial
The six-week trial was the first of many lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies over what role they played in the opioid epidemic, and the outcome is expected to set the bar for the ones that follow. The judge says he anticipates taking about a month to reach a decision in the case.
First Edition: July 16, 2019
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
As Temperatures Climb, A New Push To Keep Workers Safe
Last month, on a day that was sweltering even by Phoenix standards, Filiberto Lares knew he wasn’t well. An airline caterer, he said he had spent hours moving between the scalding tarmac and a truck with no air conditioning. Lares, 51, was dehydrated and fell ill with a fever that would keep him out of …