Category «Health Care»

Free COVID-19 test program to be suspended for now

The Hill: “The federal government’s free at-home COVID-19 test program will be suspended beginning Friday in response to a drop in respiratory diseases. The Biden administration brought back the free test program last year ahead of the respiratory viral season. By going to COVIDtests.gov, households could order a free pack of four at-home COVID-19 tests. …

Subjects: E-Government, Health Care, Medicine

Fetal personhood laws, explained

Vox: “The Alabama Supreme Court touched off a nationwide furor in February when it ruled that frozen, fertilized embryos legally count as “children.” The ruling upended the lives of patients undergoing IVF in Alabama and opened up a new front in the post-Dobbs battle over abortion rights. It also revived interest in — and concern …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Congress, Courts, Health Care, Legal Research, Medicine

State of the Union

USA Facts: In Numbers – A nonpartisan, data-driven snapshot of the state of our union​. “Article II of the US Constitution mandates that the president periodically inform Congress about the “state of the union,” including budget reports and legislative proposals. It is also a chance for the president to review their achievements, with not just …

Subjects: Congress, Economy, Education, Energy, Environmental Law, Financial System, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Legislation, Transportation

U.S. prescription drug market in disarray as ransomware gang attacks

Washington Post via MSN: “A ransomware gang once thought to have been crippled by law enforcement has snarled prescription processing for millions of Americans over the past week, forcing some to choose between paying prices hundreds or thousands of dollars above their usual insurance-adjusted rates or going without lifesaving medicine. Insurance giant UnitedHealthcare Group said …

Subjects: Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Health Care, Medicine

Biden Issues Executive Order to Protect Americans’ Sensitive Personal Data

“President Biden issued an Executive Order to protect Americans’ sensitive personal data from exploitation by countries of concern. The Executive Order on Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern, marks the most significant executive action any President has ever taken to protect Americans’ data security, authorizes the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Defense, E-Records, Government Documents, Health Care, Privacy

Their States Banned Abortion

ProPublica – Doctors Now Say They Can’t Give Women Potential Lifesaving Care. “…Most medical exceptions in abortion bans only allow the procedure to “save the life of the mother.” But there is a wide spectrum of health risks patients can face during pregnancy, and even those that are potentially fatal could fall outside of the …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Courts, Government Documents, Health Care, Legal Research, Legislation

Libraries are on the front lines of America’s problems

Axios: “…Zoom out: At the same time, libraries are grappling with everything from the high cost of e-books to the need to provide free outdoor Wi-Fi so people without broadband can have off-hours access. Many libraries are trying to ease food insecurity by adding gardens, nutrition classes, food pantries and cooking lessons. “During the pandemic, …

Subjects: Economy, Education, Food and Nutrition, Health Care, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Air pollution could be significant cause of dementia even for those not predisposed

The Guardian: “Air pollution from traffic is linked to some of the more severe forms of dementia, and could be a significant cause of the condition among those who are not already genetically predisposed to it, research suggests. Research carried out in Atlanta, Georgia, found that people with higher exposure to traffic-related fine particulate matter …

Subjects: Climate Change, Environmental Law, Health Care

Air pollution linked to more signs of Alzheimer’s in brain

Grace M. Christensen, Zhenjiang Li, Donghai Liang, Stefanie Ebelt, Marla Gearing, Allan I. Levey, James J. Lah, Aliza Wingo, Thomas Wingo, Anke Hüls. Association of PM 2.5 Exposure and Alzheimer Disease Pathology in Brain Bank Donors—Effect Modification by APOE Genotype. Neurology, 2024; 102 (5) “People with higher exposure to traffic-related air pollution were more likely …

Subjects: Climate Change, Environmental Law, Health Care, Transportation

My Mother Got on a Bike. It Changed Her Life.

The New York Times [no paywall]: “When my mother was 62 years old, she dusted off a clunky Cannondale with Mary Poppins handles and joined a bicycling group. She was recovering from heartbreak and had just moved to a new town. She had no background as an outdoor activity enthusiast: She did not camp or …

Subjects: Health Care