Dispatches: The Power of Investigative Journalism
News and notes from Pacific Standard staff and contributors.
Health
How to Reduce Health-Care Discrimination Against Trans and Non-Binary Communities
Approximately one-fifth of transgender and non-binary individuals have been denied equal treatment when trying to access doctors or hospitals.
You Don't Really Want that Burger—You Want Higher Social Status
An evolutionary leftover makes it hard to convince people to shift to a vegetarian diet.
How a Coming Exodus From Flint Could Further Imperil the City's Infrastructure
According to a new study, wealthy and educated citizens could be the first to go.
How Fraternity Culture Encourages Excessive Drinking
New research finds alcohol consumption is higher in chapters where members are expected to assert their masculinity.
Why Employers Should Stop Giving Away Snacks
All that free junk food expands employees' waistlines—and creates ethical quandaries in the workplace.
Americans' Attitudes Toward Suicide Are Softening
But as with so many social issues, the liberal-conservative divide has grown wider over time.
An Open Letter Accuses Netflix's 'Afflicted' of Abandoning Ethics and Science
The new documentary series promised compassion for sufferers of poorly understood chronic illnesses. Instead, it peddled the tired narrative that their suffering is "all in their heads."
Female Heart Attack Victims Are More Likely to Survive If Treated by a Woman Doctor
New research suggests male physicians are less successful at treating female patients.
A Conversation With Porochista Khakpour
The novelist discusses her new memoir about living with Lyme, being a refugee, and the search for home.
More Evidence That Abortion Does Not Cause Depression
A common talking point among anti-abortion activists is debunked.
Obama-Era Climate Change Leaders Launch a Climate Health Center at Harvard
Harvard University and Google together launched a center on Wednesday that "will seek to reduce the use of harmful chemicals in building products and materials."
'Right to Try' Law Will Give Terminally Ill Patients Access to Experimental Drugs
The bill will allow terminally ill patients to request experimental drugs that the FDA has not yet approved.
Fighting Obesity With Better-Designed Menus
New research finds calorie counts can be effective—if the figures are properly placed.
An EPA Summit on Contaminants in Drinking Water Draws Attention for Who It's Missing: Activists, Independent Scientists, and Journalists
The Environmental Protection Agency made a splash on Tuesday for barring journalists from three news outlets from attending, in person, a summit about contaminants in drinking water.
Elite Chess Players Live Longer Lives
Grandmasters take their time getting to the ultimate endgame.
Five Facts About the FDA's New Menu Labeling Rule
The calorie counts you've long seen at Starbucks will be at every chain restaurant starting today.
The Mysterious Long-Term Effects of Inhaling Smoke From Forest Fires
As wildfires burn longer and fiercer, doctors are trying to work out how today's smoke will affect tomorrow's health.
Higher Risks, Fewer Protections for America's Immigrants
By virtue of both income and ethnicity, new Americans have the odds stacked against them when it comes to finding a healthy place to live.
The Bizarre Odyssey of the Barkley Marathons
Inside the legendary ultra challenge, which reminds us why it's good for runners to face defeat every once in a while.
Many E.R. Doctors Underestimate How Many Opioids They Prescribe
New research finds presenting them with actual numbers can change their behavior.
Collaboration Is Helping Underserved Communities Receive Better Health Care
Forging strong partnerships between hospitals, community organizations, and patients is crucial to successfully facilitating more fundamental shifts in health care.
How Obesity Kills Taste Buds
Taste buds may be the tiniest victims of the obesity epidemic.
Searching for Biomarkers to Diagnose Mental Illness
New research is working toward creating simple physical tests that could shed light on diseases like anxiety and depression.