That special link you may have with a purring, four-legged friend has been going on between the species for millennia, new research shows. The human-cat relationship was probably forged over a shared interest in rats more than 10,000 years ago, investigators say. As farming became a way of life, cats served as ancient pest control,… read on > read on >
Some Americans appear to be moving from areas with frequent hurricanes and heat waves to places threatened by wildfire and rising heat. They’re trading in the risk of one set of natural disasters for another because the wildfires are only beginning to become a national issue, according to researchers. “These findings are concerning, because people… read on > read on >
The antiviral Paxlovid has kept people from getting really sick and dying from COVID-19 since it became available — at no cost to them. But by the middle of next year, the U.S. government will stop subsidizing the medication. Instead, it will be billed for like many other medications. While the Biden administration has paid… read on > read on >
A high number of preteens and teens in the United States have viewed pornography and many have also sent or received nude or seminude photos — sexting — over their smartphones, a new study reveals. “The prevalence rates we found in this study suggest that school counselors must be prepared to talk about sexting and… read on > read on >
Researchers have discovered a link between access to welfare payments and foster care. As many as 29,000 fewer children may have entered the foster care system during the 12-year study if U.S. states had made it easier for poor families to receive cash through the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. “The relatively… read on > read on >
A facial scar may make a person self-conscious, but it doesn’t change another person’s first impressions of their attractiveness or confidence, a new survey shows. The results found that a single, well-healed facial scar may even increase perceived friendliness, according to the researchers, who had predicted different results and said the findings might be “surprising… read on > read on >
Shehzin Tietjen was 27 years old when she felt a lump in one of her breasts while in the shower. That discovery led to a confirmation of breast cancer, an unexpected jolt at her age. “I was really shocked,” said Tietjen, who lives in Atlanta. Though breast cancer is more common in postmenopausal women, about… read on > read on >
Experts are asking seniors to get their flu shots ASAP as an exceptionally nasty flu season unfolds across the United States. Already, 8.7 million flu cases have been reported, with 78,000 hospitalizations and 4,500 deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the last week alone, the number of flu hospitalizations… read on > read on >
Infants and young children could soon receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine as part of their three-dose series. Pfizer Inc. on Monday asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to have the vaccine that targets the Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 replace the third dose in the series for children aged 6 months through 4 years… read on > read on >
People who’ve had a bout of shingles may face a heightened risk of heart attack or stroke in later years, a new, large study suggests. Anyone who ever had chickenpox can develop shingles — a painful rash that is caused by a reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox. About one-third of Americans will develop… read on > read on >
