Stories You Might Have Missed This Week
Gun deaths in the U.S. hit a 20-year high, the Supreme Court declines to wade into an abortion debate, and a study offers some hope for coral reefs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The U.S. Suicide Rate Is at Its Highest in a Half-Century
New CDC data suggests suicide is becoming more commonplace in America.
Gun-Related Homicides Are Once Again on the Rise
New research finds that the rate of such tragedies, which had been declining, has returned to the level of 12 years ago.
Climate Change Is Bad for Your Mental Health
As temperatures rise, mental health often declines, but researchers still don't know why.
Are Insurers Doing Their Part to End America's Opioid Epidemic?
A new study asks if insurance policies discourage the overprescribing of opioids and encourage proven alternative pain treatments.
A Man Assaults a Native Woman—and Never Sees a Day in Jail
Seeing these crimes go unpunished can make indigenous communities feel hopeless. But in dark times, I take inspiration from our grandmothers.
How I Discovered My Depression—and Began to Confront It
With suicide rising among undiagnosed American depressives, I recognized it was time to admit I needed help.
We Could Have Eliminated Syphilis 20 Years Ago. Now It's on the Rise.
What can we learn from a failed attempt to eradicate "the Great Pox" in the U.S.?
The CDC Finds Gun-Related Homicides Rose by 30 Percent Over Two Years
The CDC analysis recorded 14,415 gun-related homicides in 2016.
Suicide Rates Have Increased Across the U.S. Since 1999
From 1999 through 2016, suicide rates increased in nearly every state, according to a new report.
A Decade After the FDA Warned Doctors About Methadone, States Finally Stopped Recommending It
When used as a pain reliever, methadone is especially likely to cause unintentional overdoses.
New CDC Data Shows a Jump in Opioid-Related Overdoses
Over 63,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016.
Republicans Agree the CDC Can Research Gun Violence
Rather than a full repeal of the Dickey Amendment, Republicans agree to include a provision in the spending bill to clarify that they never prohibited research on gun violence in the first place.
Emergency Room Visits for Opioid Overdoses Went Up 30 Percent Last Year
It seems few corners of America have been spared the ravages of opioid misuse.
The CDC Plans to Reduce Disease Prevention Initiatives
Beginning in 2019, the CDC will phase out the program to include only 10 countries.
CDC Director Resigns After Financial Conflicts of Interest Come to Light
Reports published this week showed that Brenda Fitzgerald invested in tobacco companies' stock while heading the CDC.
A New Government Report Finds the Zika Virus Caused a Big Uptick in Serious Birth Defects in 2016
The surge is also expected to show up in last year's data.
Trump's CDC Word Ban Is Institutional Warfare
The banned CDC words represent the deliberate erasure of certain concepts—and people—from the bureaucratic categories that are channels for state power.
How Many Government Reports About Drugs Do We Really Need?
In the past two years, government agencies have produced at least four reports about drug use in America, totaling more than 800 pages. Have they done any good?
The Flu Hits Harder in Poorer Neighborhoods
But there's a solution: the annual flu vaccine.
Curbing the Opioid Epidemic in Massachusetts
A handful of insurance companies have begun programs that connect their members with social workers.
Should Women Who Drink Use Birth Control?
Forty percent of births in America are unintended, which can lead to unhealthier babies and kids. But is treating every woman as "pre-pregnant" the answer?
Needle Exchanges Work
Volunteers in inner cities launched the United States' first needle exchange programs, but now the need has moved to suburban and rural America.