Pregnant women are exposed to toxic chemicals in dishware, hair coloring, plastics and pesticides that can heighten their risk of cancer and harm child development, a new study warns. Melamine and its major byproduct, cyanuric acid, were found in nearly all the 171 women in the study and levels were highest among women of color…  read on >  read on >

COVID-19 vaccines do not increase your risk for stroke, new research shows, but severe COVID infection does, and experts hope the finding will ease the concerns of those who are hesitant to get the shot. “We now know that patients who’ve had a vaccine are not at higher risk of stroke, thanks to a large…  read on >  read on >

It’s safe to say that when searching for somewhere to live most people prefer open, airy spaces over dark and dingy ones. Now, new research suggests why: Homes filled with lots of natural light makes for happier residents. “We sought to explore the relationship between natural light and emotional well-being in residential indoor spaces,” explained…  read on >  read on >

Although there’s now enough monkeypox vaccine to go around, the Americans who need it most still may not be getting it, a new report shows. Only 10% of the Jynneos vaccine doses have been given to Black people, even though they make up a third of U.S. cases, new data from the U.S. Centers for…  read on >  read on >

A survey conducted among American gay and bisexual men in early August found about half saying they’d cut down on sexual activity — including one-night stands and app-based hookups — in response to the global monkeypox outbreak. The survey, conducted online Aug. 5-15, was led by Kevin Delaney, of the Monkeypox Emergency Response Team at…  read on >  read on >

Most people have cherished memories of their grandparents reading to them as children. Ekaterina Pesheva’s memories are quite different. “I remember distinctly being very irritated and very angry listening to my grandmother reading children’s books to me, like fairy tales,” said Pesheva, 48, who lives in Boston. “I would become aware of her mouth getting…  read on >  read on >

In yet another example of the financial toll that the new coronavirus has exacted during the pandemic, a new report estimates that up to 4 million Americans are out of work as they struggle with long COVID. “This is a shocking number,” report author Katie Bach, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, told…  read on >  read on >

Life-threatening heat waves will become more common by the end of this century, according to a new study. A “dangerous” heat index — what the temperature feels like when humidity and air temperature are combined — is defined by the National Weather Service (NWS) as 103 degrees Fahrenheit. NWS defines “extremely dangerous” as 124 degrees…  read on >  read on >

This year’s hurricane season has been quiet so far, but if and when it cranks up many American cities won’t be prepared to execute mass evacuations, a new study finds. After Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans in 2005, the country bore witness to the pitfalls of not having an effective evacuation plan. Since then…  read on >  read on >