In May 2024, Amy Piccoli, a mother of three in Los Angeles, faced an unexpected health crisis. What began as a typical seasonal illness, a stomach bug brought home by her son, escalated into something ominous. After experiencing severe dehydration, Piccoli ended up in the emergency room. A CT scan revealed concerning spots on her...
An outbreak of a rare rodent-borne illness, hantavirus, has occurred on a cruise ship, resulting in three passenger deaths and more illnesses. Despite this, global health officials emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low due to the virus’s difficulty in spreading between people. Understanding Hantavirus Transmission Hantaviruses are present worldwide and primarily...
Adam Van Voorhees enjoyed orange chicken three times a week until a round white patch on his arm changed his routine. Like many 22-year-olds, he didn’t focus on his diet until his continuous glucose monitor alerted him. It signaled a spike into prediabetic blood sugar levels after dining at Panda Express. Now, he opts for...
In the town of Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo, health workers are collecting medication for patients suspected of having the Bundibugyo virus. Trials are now starting on several drugs that showed promise in preliminary studies against the virus responsible for the current outbreak. Dr. Papys Lame, along with his team, is working in a hastily...
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, a judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the state’s universal childcare initiative, allowing the widely observed program to proceed. The lawsuit, involving former Republican gubernatorial candidate Duke Rodriguez and others, questioned how Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration removed income caps and co-pays for childcare before legislative approval of funding. Attorneys...
Sophia Mulei, a laboratory technologist, works with a control sample inside the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Laboratory at the Uganda Virus Research Institute. This lab is a crucial center for testing Ebola samples. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) faced worries about potential Ebola cases in mid-April. Officials noticed deaths in the northeastern region that might...
In December 2024, Joseph Laedtke uncovered startling news from his ancestry DNA test results. The test revealed he had nine half-siblings, all seemingly connected to his mother’s former doctor, Dr. Frederick Dettmann. Mary Ellen Lukezich and her late husband, Thomas Laedtke, had sought fertility treatment from Dettmann in the early 1980s after struggling to conceive....
Every year in May, a ceremony is held in front of the Blessed Mother statue at St. Coletta’s of Illinois in Tinley Park. This event uplifts the spirits of students and adults at the school, which serves those with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Heather Benedick, CEO of the nonprofit, describes the ceremony. ‘We hold Mass...
In 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone. A new working paper suggests that the rise of smartphones might explain the continuing drop in birth rates over nearly two decades. Economist Caitlin Myers has proposed a significant reason behind this trend: smartphones. Understanding the Decline Research led by Myers and others has focused on...
In her late 20s, the author found herself overwhelmed. Working as a journalist in public radio, a role she had long aspired to, proved stressful. She dealt with relentless news deadlines, early morning shifts, and constant pressure. These conditions took a toll, and her stress manifested physically. Alongside her professional pursuits, she harbored dreams of...