Parents of a child with autism might wonder if a pet cat would be a good fit for the family. Now, research suggests both children with autism and cats benefit when a feline joins the household. Gretchen Carlisle, a research scientist at the Missouri University Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction, in Columbia, Mo., and her…  read on >  read on >

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar revealed Thursday that she’s been treated for early-stage breast cancer, including surgery to remove a lump and radiation therapy. The 61-year-old Minnesota Democrat said in a statement posted on social media that Mayo Clinic doctors found worrying signs during a routine mammogram in February, including “small white spots called calcifications.” A…  read on >  read on >

Many people feel their to-do list is overloaded, but there is also such a thing as too much free time, a new study suggests. In a series of studies, researchers found that having either too little or too much free time seemed to drain people’s sense of well-being. It’s no surprise that constantly feeling pressed…  read on >  read on >

President Joe Biden is slated to announce an ambitious six-point plan to double down on a resurgent COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, including more pressure on government, business and schools to implement vaccine mandates, news sources report. A speech outlining the new plan is scheduled for 5 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, The New York…  read on >  read on >

Workers, take heed: Your place of work can help bring on or exacerbate asthma, a new study suggests. Common workplace triggers include poor ventilation and moldy air conditioning systems, cleaning products and even the toner used in printers, the researchers said. Employees with asthma caused by the office environment often quit, the researchers said, especially…  read on >  read on >

Wildfires are killing people around the world — even those with limited exposure to wildfire-related pollution, an international team of researchers reports. The new research revealed that short-term exposure to wildfire-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air is increasing deaths worldwide from any cause as well as from respiratory and heart-related causes. “The pollution…  read on >  read on >

One of the keys to good health could be in the hands of those who decide zoning policies for their communities. Inclusionary zoning policies that provide for affordable housing were associated with lower rates of heart disease for those who benefited from these dwellings, according to a new U.S. study. “Many cities around the country…  read on >  read on >