Colin Powell, the first Black person to become Secretary of State, and a statesman who helped shape U.S. foreign policy for decades, died Monday of complications from COVID-19. He was 84. “General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications… read on > read on >
Researchers may have found a noninvasive way to temporarily open the brain’s borders to allow tumor-fighting medication inside. By necessity, the brain is shielded by a layer of specialized cells called the blood-brain barrier. Its job is to allow needed substances in — like oxygen and sugar — while keeping out substances that could be… read on > read on >
When states spend money on programs that reduce poverty, fewer children are abused and neglected, fewer end up in foster care and fewer die, a new study reveals. Researchers found that for every additional $1,000 that states spent on federal, state and local benefit programs per person living in poverty, there was a 4% reduction… read on > read on >
Pop singer Britney Spears was at the height of her fame in 2008 when, through a series of arcane legal maneuverings, her father gained conservatorship over her and took control of her personal and financial affairs. Spears’ plight and the #FreeBritney movement has shone a bright spotlight on America’s guardianship system, which experts say is… read on > read on >
Health officials say they are trying to track down the source of 10 reported cases of Legionnaires’ disease within a one-mile radius in a Long Island, N.Y., neighborhood. The patients range in age from 35 to 96. As of Saturday, one had died, two remained hospitalized and seven had been released from the hospital, CBS… read on > read on >
Former President Bill Clinton was released from a California hospital on Sunday after being treated for sepsis. Clinton, 75, was admitted for care at the University of California Irvine Medical Center, in Orange, last Tuesday after developing sepsis triggered by a urological infection. A spokesperson for Clinton shared a statement on Twitter from Dr. Alpesh… read on > read on >
Among the many negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may be damage to the bond between mothers and their infants, researchers say. Women who experienced grief and depression due to pandemic-related losses may find it more difficult to form this all-important emotional connection with their babies, according to a new study from Brigham and Women’s… read on > read on >
Mixing and matching different types of COVID-19 vaccines is highly effective, new research shows. The study found that protection against infection was stronger in people who received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and a second dose of an mRNA vaccine than in those who received two doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. The AstraZeneca… read on > read on >
Persistent depression can significantly shorten lung cancer survival — even if patients receive the latest cancer treatments, new research shows. “We need to help these patients, not only at diagnosis, but throughout treatment to take depressive symptoms out of the equation and let these impressive new therapies do their jobs,” said lead author Barbara Anderson,… read on > read on >
Prolonged stays in space appear to damage astronauts’ brains, a small, new study suggests. The researchers studied five Russian cosmonauts, mean age 49, who stayed on the International Space Station (ISS) for an average of 5.5 months. Blood samples were taken from the cosmonauts 20 days before their departure to the ISS, and one day,… read on > read on >
