Biden Boosts LGBTQI Protections, Bans Conversion Therapy

June 15, 2022 – President Joe Biden issued an executive order today banning conversion therapy and offering other LBGTQI+ protections as part of White House efforts to advance equality during Pride Month. “My order will use the full force of the federal government to end inhumane practices of conversion therapy,” Biden said in a speech…

Experimental Drug May Ease Hot Flashes

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, June 13, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Hot flashes are one of the most well-known symptoms of menopause and they can be severe and frequent, happening throughout the day and night over several years. Researchers say they have found a new, effective treatment that could provide relief and an alternative…

Using Mental Health Team, Not Cops, on 911 Calls Lowers Crime

June 14 – Pairing a mental health expert with a paramedic to respond to low-level, nonviolent 911 calls decreased the number of criminal offenses in downtown Denver, a new study reveals. These non-police response teams were trained to address problems related to mental health, depression, poverty, homelessness, and/or substance abuse. During 6 months in 2020,…

FDA Set to Rule on COVID Shots for Youngest Kids This Week

June 13, 2022 — The FDA is gearing up for a busy week – after a busy weekend releasing information about the effectiveness and safety of both the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in children under 5 years old and the Moderna vaccine in children 6 months to 17 years of age. This data comes just before…

Is There a Future for Safe Drug Consumption Sites?

PHOTO CREDIT: Kent Nishimura / Getty Images SOURCES: Cornell Law School: “21 U.S. Code S 856 – Maintaining drug-involved premises.”  The New York Times: “Nation’s First Supervised Drug-Injection Sites Open in New York.” Filter: “NY Bill to Expand Safe Consumption Sites Advances, With Time Short.” Gothamist: “After Years Of Delay, NYC Opens First Supervised Injection…

Half a Million Chickens to Be Destroyed in Bird Flu Outbreak

March 23, 2022 A commercial chicken farm in Nebraska will destroy 570,000 broilers because a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza – better known as bird flu – was discovered in the flock, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture reported. Earlier this month, bird flu was discovered in a backyard flock in Merrick County and in…

U.S. Teens Get Less Sex Ed Now Than 25 Years Ago

By Robert PreidtHealthDay Reporter TUESDAY, Nov. 9, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Sex Ed — it’s been a staple of public education for decades, but new research shows that only half of American teens are getting instruction that meets minimum standards. “The findings show that most adolescents are not receiving sex education that will enable them…

D.C. Law Allowing Child Vaccinations Without Parental Consent Blocked

March 22, 2022 A federal judge has temporarily prevented a District of Columbia law from going into effect that would have allowed children to get vaccinated – including with the COVID-19 vaccine – without parental consent. The Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act said children as young as 11 could be vaccinated so long as…

The Truth About Beet Juice

Most lists of “super foods” don’t include beetroot juice, but maybe they should. Beet juice may boost stamina to help you exercise longer, improve blood flow, and help lower blood pressure, some research shows. Why? Beets are rich in natural chemicals called nitrates. Through a chain reaction, your body changes nitrates into nitric oxide, which…

Number of Flu Cases Lower Than Pre-pandemic Levels

March 21, 2022 The number of influenza cases is increasing across the United States but has not hit pre-pandemic levels, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection says. One of the positive side effects of the COVID pandemic was a drop in flu cases, apparently because people were isolating and social distancing. In the…