NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers say a severe birth defect caused by Zika infection may not be apparent at birth but develop months afterward, further confirmation that the virus can cause unseen damage to developing babies. The findings come from a study of 13 Brazilian babies whose heads all appeared normal at birth but then … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump promises big tax cuts, a border wall and massive spending on infrastructure. That’s a recipe for bigger deficits that fiscally minded conservative Republicans have railed against during President Barack Obama’s tenure. Trump’s agenda runs counter to years of promises by congressional Republicans to try to balance the federal budget. … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — It’s been a hectic year for Kanye West. There was a new album that had a tortured, months-long release. Two fashion shows that were plagued by last-minute changes and long delays. There also was the reopening of a bitter feud with Taylor Swift, an ambitious U.S. concert tour, a newborn son, … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The number and rate of abortions tallied by federal authorities have fallen to their lowest level in decades, according to new data released Wednesday. The latest annual report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, incorporating data from 47 states, said the abortion rate for 2013 was 12.5 abortions per … Continue reading
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s failed again in a widely anticipated study, disappointing many who had hoped drugmaker Eli Lilly had finally found a way to slow the progression of the mind-robbing disease. The drug did not work better than a placebo treatment in a study of more than 2,100 people with … Continue reading
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Saying nothing is beyond the reach of God’s mercy, Pope Francis told Catholics worldwide he is allowing all priests to absolve the faithful of abortion — women and health workers alike — even while stressing that it is a grave sin in the eyes of the church to “end an innocent … Continue reading
CINCINNATI (AP) — The country’s addictions epidemic has created a generation of children affected by their parents’ problems, a doctor who works with infants born addicted to heroin told a gathering of experts struggling with the issue Tuesday. The effect includes the physical problems of the addicted newborns and the chaos older children experience as … Continue reading
BAGHDAD (AP) — The Latest on the battle in Iraq, now entering its fourth week, to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group (all times local): 12:55 p.m. The U.N. health agency says it has set up 82 “rapid response teams” to manage risks of epidemics, chemicals exposure and other health worries … Continue reading
Millions of Americans are finding out this month that the price of their health insurance is going up next year — as it did this year, last year, and most of the years before that. And it’s not just that the price is going up, it’s that it goes up faster than wages and inflation, … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Voter support for marijuana legalization reached a new high as California, Massachusetts and Nevada approved recreational pot, joining four other states and Washington, D.C., with similar laws. Voters in Florida, North Dakota and Arkansas passed medical marijuana measures, pushing the number of states with such laws past two dozen. The California … Continue reading
NEW DELHI (AP) — Even for a city considered one of the world’s most polluted, the Indian capital hit a new low this past week. Air so dirty you can taste and smell it; a gray haze that makes a gentle stroll a serious health hazard. According to one advocacy group, government data shows that … Continue reading
Doctors are warning about vitamin D again, and it’s not the “we need more” news you might expect. Instead, they say there’s too much needless testing and too many people taking too many pills for a problem that few people truly have. The nutrient is crucial for strong bones and may play a role in … Continue reading
More than 15 years ago, 17 babies were born after an experimental infertility treatment that gave them DNA from three people: Mom, Dad and an egg donor. Now researchers have checked up on how the babies are doing as teenagers. The preliminary verdict: The kids are all right. With no sign of unusual health problems … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Senate candidates are jumping on news of sharply rising premiums under President Barack Obama’s health care law as they seek advantage in the closing days of the election. The unpopular law was already an issue in some key Senate races, a recurring attack line for GOP candidates and in some cases … Continue reading
LONDON (AP) — Researchers are trying to infect mosquitoes in Brazil and Colombia with a type of bacteria that could prevent them from spreading the Zika virus and other dangerous diseases. British and American governments are teaming up with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.K.-based Wellcome Trust to expand field tests in … Continue reading
CHICAGO (AP) — Think autism and an image of an awkward boy typically emerges, but the way autism strikes girls — or doesn’t — may help reveal some of the developmental disorder’s frustrating secrets. Autism is at least four times more common in boys, but scientists taking a closer look are finding some gender-based surprises: … Continue reading
BOSTON (AP) — The widow of a state trooper killed by a driver accused of driving under the influence of marijuana is making an emotional plea against a ballot question that would legalize recreational pot. Trooper Thomas Clardy, a father of seven, was killed in March when a medical marijuana patient crashed his vehicle into … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is leaving the White House in a few months, but the troubles of his signature health care law continue to make headlines. With premiums rising by double digits and many consumers scrambling to replace coverage because their insurer bailed out, the 2017 sign-up season that starts Nov. 1 looks … Continue reading
RECIFE, Brazil (AP) — Two weeks shy of his first birthday, doctors began feeding Jose Wesley Campos through a nose tube because swallowing problems had left him dangerously underweight. Learning how to feed is the baby’s latest struggle as medical problems mount for him and many other infants born with small heads to mothers infected … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospitals, too, are getting slammed by sharp price increases in prescription drugs, and the industry is urging the next president and Congress to take up the issue. Consumer groups and insurers were already complaining loudly about drug costs. Now hospitals are turning up the volume as well, leaving the pharmaceutical industry more … Continue reading
A new study questions the value of mammograms for breast cancer screening. It concludes that a woman is more likely to be diagnosed with a small tumor that is not destined to grow than she is to have a true problem spotted early. The work could further shift the balance of whether screening’s harms outweigh … Continue reading
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s Democratic governor said Wednesday that the Affordable Care Act is “no longer affordable” for many, a stinging critique from a state leader who strongly embraced the law and proudly proclaimed health reform was working in Minnesota just a few years ago. Gov. Mark Dayton made the comments while addressing … Continue reading
PARIS (AP) — Rihanna and Natalie Portman dressed to the nines. Jennifer Lawrence opted for jeans. And most of the stars passed unnoticed amid the sea of celebrities awash inside Paris’ Rodin Museum on Friday. The great equalizer for them all was a chance to glimpse one of the year’s biggest fashion spectacles: the hugely-awaited … Continue reading
PARIS (AP) — Kim Kardashian jostled for attention with the new fashion royalty, Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid, in Paris. Fashion Week parties got into their highest gear. And Valentino’s designer made his debut solo show. Here are the highlights of Sunday’s spring-summer 2017 ready-to-wear collections: KIM KARDASHIAN HAS COMPETITION AT GIVENCHY The new … Continue reading
PARIS (AP) — Among the forest decor at the star-studded Balmain collection, pop star and former French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy killed time chatting with French Vogue Editor Emmanuelle Alt. Guests were all waiting on one person: Kim Kardashian, who arrived late to the usual whirl of paparazzi flashes in her first appearance since getting … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 