An increasing number of U.S. states have passed laws that allow health care providers – including doctors, nurses and pharmacists – to refuse to treat patients based on their personal…
Category: Anthropology
What declining vaccination rates mean for families in Allegheny County – where 1 in 3 kindergarten classrooms lack herd immunity for measles
As the risk of measles remains an ongoing concern, herd immunity in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is already slipping. According to data obtained via The Washington Post in January 2026, 1…
Tobacco is still one of the world’s top killers – here are the key obstacles to enacting generational smoking bans
Smoking is really bad for you. Most people know that. Even smokers think smoking is bad for one’s health. But most people don’t know just how bad it is. More…
Health care sticker shock has become the norm, but talking to your doctor about costs can help you rein it in
As health care costs rise, patients aren’t just shouldering higher bills. They’re bearing more and more responsibility for getting information. Americans are facing a health care affordability crunch on multiple…
Psilocybin mushrooms are going mainstream, but scientific research and regulation lag behind
Amid a renaissance in the science of psychedelics, public interest in psilocybin – or magic mushrooms, as they’ve long been known – is surging. One study found that rates of…
From a vaccine mascot to business leadership, lessons for the US from Brazil’s public health system in building public trust and keeping it
Public health institutions are under threat by populist governments across the globe. From Budapest to Jakarta, Indonesia, public health agencies are being stripped of funding and independence. Meanwhile, disinformation has…
Massive eye drop recall reflects ongoing issues with manufacturing and FDA inspection
A California company has recalled more than 3.1 million bottles of lubricating eye drops because it had not properly tested – and thus could not prove – whether the products…
Toxic dust from California’s shrinking Salton Sea is harming children’s lung growth – our study tracked the impact in 700 kids
Southern California’s Salton Sea was once a resort playground, with sunny beaches, celebrities and people waterskiing on the vast inland lake in the 1950s and ’60s. Today, those resorts are…
Kratom poisonings surged 1,200% over the past decade, and regulators are struggling to keep up with the dangers
Proposals to ban or regulate kratom, a plant-based substance sold in gas stations, convenience stores and vape shops, are making headlines in local newspapers across the United States. But as…
For adults with ADHD – or even those with just some symptoms – using smart strategies to start and complete tasks can make all the difference
Do you ever find yourself at the end of a nonstop day feeling like you haven’t made progress on the things that are actually important to you? If so, you’re…
