Shingles Vaccine Can Decrease Risk of Dementia, Study Finds

Shingles Vaccine Can Decrease Risk of Dementia, Study Finds

Getting vaccinated against shingles can reduce the risk of developing dementia, a large new study finds. The results provide some of the strongest evidence yet that some viral infections can have effects on brain function years later and that preventing them can help stave off cognitive decline. The study, published …

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Trump Administration Abruptly Cuts Billions From State Health Services

Trump Administration Abruptly Cuts Billions From State Health Services

The Department of Health and Human Services has abruptly canceled more than $12 billion in federal grants to states that were being used for tracking infectious diseases, mental health services, addiction treatment and other urgent health issues. The cuts are likely to further hamstring state health departments, which are already …

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Human Therapists Prepare for Battle Against A.I. Pretenders

Human Therapists Prepare for Battle Against A.I. Pretenders

The nation’s largest association of psychologists this month warned federal regulators that A.I. chatbots “masquerading” as therapists, but programmed to reinforce, rather than to challenge, a user’s thinking, could drive vulnerable people to harm themselves or others. In a presentation to a Federal Trade Commission panel, Arthur C. Evans Jr., …

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The Teacher in Room 1214

The Teacher in Room 1214

It was 45 seconds too late, but the teacher had a plan. A gunman had just barraged her classroom with an AR-15, killing two students and injuring four others before turning to a classroom across the hall. The bullet-riddled walls were crumbling. Ceiling tiles were falling. If the shooter came …

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Could the Bird Flu Become Airborne?

Could the Bird Flu Become Airborne?

In early February 2020, China locked down more than 50 million people, hoping to hinder the spread of a new coronavirus. No one knew at the time exactly how it was spreading, but Lidia Morawska, an expert on air quality at Queensland University of Technology in Australia, did not like …

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Insulin Prices Dropped. But Some Poor Patients Are Paying More.

Insulin Prices Dropped. But Some Poor Patients Are Paying More.

Maricruz Salgado was bringing her diabetes under control. Thanks to a federal program that allowed health clinics that serve poor people to buy drugs at steeply discounted prices, she was able to pay less than $75 for all five of her diabetes medications every three months. But in July, the …

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