Scientists Aim to Save Northern White Rhino From Extinction

Scientists Aim to Save Northern White Rhino From Extinction

Nairobi —  Kenyan and international researchers are hoping to save the northern white rhino species from extinction by implanting eggs from an older female northern white rhino into a female surrogate rhino from another species. Samuel Mutisya, head of research and species at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya, says his team used 29 … Read more

Poinsettia’s Origins, Namesake’s Checkered History Get New Attention

Poinsettia’s Origins, Namesake’s Checkered History Get New Attention

SANTA FE, N.M. —  Like Christmas trees, Santa and reindeer, the poinsettia has long been a ubiquitous symbol of the holiday season in the U.S. and across Europe. But now, nearly 200 years after the plant with the bright crimson leaves was introduced in the U.S., attention is once again turning to the poinsettia’s origins … Read more

Officials Push to Get Kids Vaccinated as More US Parents Opt Out

Officials Push to Get Kids Vaccinated as More US Parents Opt Out

When Idaho had a rare measles outbreak a few months ago, health officials scrambled to keep it from spreading. In the end, 10 people, all in one family, were infected, all unvaccinated. This time, the state was lucky, said the region’s medical director Dr. Perry Jansen. The family quickly quarantined and the children were already … Read more

French Pharma Firm Ordered to Pay Millions Over Deadly Diabetes Drug

French Pharma Firm Ordered to Pay Millions Over Deadly Diabetes Drug

PARIS —  A French appeals court on Wednesday ordered pharmaceutical firm Servier to pay more than $460 million in damages over a scandal involving a diabetes drug linked to hundreds of deaths. The health scandal came to light in 2007 when a doctor raised the alert on heart risks linked to Mediator, a drug destined … Read more

In Sudan, Health Care Crisis Looms for Unborn, Newborn as Conflict Escalates

In Sudan, Health Care Crisis Looms for Unborn, Newborn as Conflict Escalates

Nairobi, Kenya —  According to the British charity Save the Children, some 30,000 children will be born in war-torn Sudan over the next three months without access to proper medical care, such as through doctors, hospitals and medicines. The group says the lack of basic health care endangers both mothers and unborn children, heightening the … Read more

Health Care Under Siege as Ukraine Enters Second Winter of War

Health Care Under Siege as Ukraine Enters Second Winter of War

GENEVA —  As Ukraine enters a second winter of war, the World Health Organization warns that the country’s public health system will come under enormous stress as millions of civilians try to keep safe and warm during the long, brutally cold weather ahead. “Since the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine … we have seen the … Read more

Drought-Prone California OKs New Rules for Turning Wastewater Directly Into Drinking Water

Drought-Prone California OKs New Rules for Turning Wastewater Directly Into Drinking Water

SACRAMENTO, California —  When a toilet is flushed in California, the water can end up in a lot of places: an ice skating rink in Ontario, ski slopes around Lake Tahoe, farmland in the Central Valley. And — coming soon — kitchen faucets. California regulators on Tuesday approved new rules to let water agencies recycle … Read more

WHO Classifies JN.1 Coronavirus Strain as ‘Variant of Interest’

WHO Classifies JN.1 Coronavirus Strain as ‘Variant of Interest’

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday classified the JN.1 coronavirus strain as a “variant of interest,” but said it did not pose much threat to public health. “Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low,” WHO said. JN.1 was previously classified as a … Read more

Study Bolsters Evidence Severe Obesity Increasing in Young US Kids

Study Bolsters Evidence Severe Obesity Increasing in Young US Kids

NEW YORK —  A new study adds to evidence that severe obesity is becoming more common in young U.S. children. There was some hope that children in a government food program might be bucking a trend in obesity rates — earlier research found rates were dropping a little about a decade ago for those kids. … Read more

Study Bolsters Evidence Severe Obesity Increasing in Young US Kids

Study Bolsters Evidence Severe Obesity Increasing in Young US Kids

NEW YORK —  A new study adds to evidence that severe obesity is becoming more common in young U.S. children. There was some hope that children in a government food program might be bucking a trend in obesity rates — earlier research found rates were dropping a little about a decade ago for those kids. … Read more