#public-health

#public-health

When new forms of gambling appear, the rate of savings go down, then you see the rate of credit card defaults going up. And you see the rate of mortgage defaults going up. So these are long-term financial and societal costs with broad implications,

Photo via Getty Images The impending introduction of three new casinos in New York has come with promises of increased tourism, tax revenue, permanent job creation, affordable housing, and public green space. And while all of this seems beneficial and may very well come to fruition, one threat that cannot go unaddressed is the further enablement of gambling addiction. The State must start directing more resources to meet New York's growing addiction problem before these casinos open.

Long-term Gallup research compiled in 2023 showed the share of adults younger than 35 who said they drink alcohol at all had steadily declined, from 72% in 2001-2003 to 62% in 2021-2023. A Gallup survey conducted in July 2025 found that figure dropped further to 50% and that just 54% of Americans of legal drinking age reported consuming alcohol at all, the lowest level Gallup has recorded in 90 years.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller danced to "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife appeared as guests of honor; Trump auctioned off a gigantic portrait of Jesus Christ for $2.7 million; and MAGA's demon couple (Stephen and Katie Miller) announced they've spawned for the fourth time.

Robyn's mother, Yvonne Ford, had shown no signs of illness in the months after returning from her holiday in Morocco in February. She had spoken highly of the country and its people, and recommended it for future getaways. She had not realised that a seemingly harmless interaction with a puppy while sitting in the sun would cause so much damage.

New CDC data shows that there's been at least 7.5 million illnesses, 81,000 hospitalizations and 3,100 deaths from the flu so far this season. Many of these cases have been tied to "subclade K" - a variant of the H3N2 virus, which is a subtype of influenza A. Experts and patients say subclade K is an example of the "super flu," referring to a strain that spreads quickly and rapidly, becoming more troublesome.

Whooping cough cases are sweeping in the U.S., with tens of thousands infected and at least 13 people dead from the bacterial infection this year. While the infection rate is lower than last year, it remains above typical prepandemic years, and the number of deaths has risen. The respiratory infection, also known as pertussis, is characterized by a severe, violent cough that can leave peopleespecially infantsstruggling to breathe. Although rarely fatal, its lingering symptoms have earned it the moniker of the 100-day cough.

The first test of the Wynn-Stelt's water came back with PFAS levels at 24,000 parts-per-trillion, much higher than the 4-10 ppt limits the federal government would later set for the chemicals in 2024. It was such a high number local officials thought it had to be an error, but subsequent tests have shown numbers as high as 100,000 ppt for various PFAS, known as "forever chemicals" because they do not readily break down in water, soil, wildlife and humans.

It seems possible that what will ultimately emerge is a clarified sense of principles and a deeper commitment to them (which is why part of the conflict is over American history itself). On one hand, there are the heads of the federal government and their spokespeople, whose lies are part of their disdain for the electorate and the rule of law.

"Dr. Katz led the financial turnaround of NYC H+H, expanded access to more New Yorkers, and steered the nation's largest municipal health system through COVID-19," Mamdani said.

Known as the land of ice and fire, Iceland has one of the most mesmerizing sceneries on the planet. But nature is not the only thing that will take your breath away when you travel to this Nordic island; so will the alcohol prices. Iceland has the most expensive alcohol in Europe, according to Eurostat. Icelandic alcohol prices are nearly triple than the EU average, though the country itself is not part of the European Union.

Look at the condition we're living in. I've lived here for 64 years, I came to this country at 16 I've never seen it this bad. I'm sick, he says. I try my best. At the end of the day, I just want my area clean. That's all I want. Piles of bin bags, broken glass and furniture have been dumped on the street outside his home and the mosque next door.

Ultra-processed foods filled with preservatives, additives and flavour enhancers have been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer. In the UK and US, more than half of the average diet consists of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), such as ready meals, fast food and fizzy drinks. A previous BMJ study in 2024 linked UPFs to 32 harmful health effects including a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, adverse mental health and early death.

This is is the fifth episode of our ongoing series breaking down the U.S. Constitution. This month, Roman and Elizabeth first talk through Article Two, which establishes the executive branch, section by section. Elizabeth explains the constitutional powers and limitations of the presidency, including hiring and firing, impeachment, pardons, and presidential duties - and how President Trump and the current Supreme Court are upending those powers.

The federal agency says 23 people in seven provinces got sick with the bacterial illness after eating or handling certain flavours of the frozen snack between early October and late November. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled several pepperoni and bacon Pizza Pops on Sunday due to an E. coli contamination that is under investigation. The outbreak has now reached Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Kara is not a lawyer. Her background is in public health and communications. Yet she now leads a company that has used AI to summarize more than 3.3 million judicial opinions and made them free and publicly available. In our conversation on "Notes to My (Legal) Self," she explained how justice, like health, is a public good. And access to law is one of its critical delivery systems.

For Grandma: A tariff! Did they not want tariffs? That's what we got everyone. Sorry. For Uncle Greg: A TINY CAR!!! (We're making these now.) For Her: A photoshoot with Vanity Fair. Nothing says "glamour" like Vanity Fair. Usually. But sometimes the picture they take of you comes out looking like Dorian Gray's DMV photo-unflattering, but in a way that implies deep spiritual corruption. This gives a fun Russian-roulette aspect to the gift!

Clouds settle low in the sky as dusk sets in across Pajaro Valley. Fields of strawberries stretch out as far as the eye can see, catching the last amber rays of the day. In the distance, the twin stacks of Moss Landing Power Plant sit among factories pushing plumes of smoke into the air. On the exterior wall of a house in Castroville, a newly installed sensor glows green with an important message: It's safe to go outside.

Although relational AI has potential therapeutic benefits, recent studies and emerging cases suggest potential risks of emotional dependency, reinforced delusions, addictive behaviors, and encouragement of self-harm,

It helps keep people being responsible for their pets

An intense surge in flu cases driven by a newly dominant virus strain is sweeping across Europe, placing healthcare systems in several countries under severe pressure, the World Health Organization has said. The WHO said on Wednesday that at least 27 of the 38 countries in its European region were reporting high or very high influenza activity, with more than half of patients with flu-like symptoms testing positive in six countries including Ireland, Serbia, Slovenia and the UK.

Last Tuesday afternoon, Dean Andrea Baccarelli at the Harvard School of Public Health sent out a brief message announcing that one of the country's most experienced and accomplished public health leaders, Dr Mary T Bassett, would step down as director of the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights. The email struck a polite, bureaucratic tone, thanking her for her service and offering an upbeat rationale for a new focus on children's health.

The more we dug, the more we realized there was a gap between the procedure's public perception as a routine, normal part of giving birth and what experts were saying. We set out to figure out why. We also wanted to better understand the complexity involved in a procedure that can be life-saving and is also performed around double the rate the World Health Organization says is "ideal" for maternal and infant health.

Toronto is seeing rapidly increasing flu activity particularly among children, with flu season coming early this year, Dr. Michelle Murti said in a statement Tuesday. It's being driven by influenza A, she said, which has affected children more severely. This early surge is leading to more pediatric cases requiring hospital care, underscoring the seriousness of the current season, she said, saying influenza A has also been spreading to adults and people in long-term care.

One of our mandates at Grub Street is to take an obsessive approach not only to the pleasures of restaurants but the business of building and running restaurants. The year's most popular stories demonstrate it's a topic that interests you, too: reports on a restaurant group's debt, industry memoirs, woes at the Tin Building, reservation worries, and even a look into how much salt we're all eating (spoiler: it's too much) were part of our 20 most-read articles, defined by total minutes of audience engagement.

Actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found fatally stabbed Sunday at their home in Los Angeles. Their 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, has been arrested, and has spoken publicly about struggles with drugs and periods of homelessness as a teen. [New York Times] Governor Gavin Newsom is hiring two CDC officials fired by Trump to work for the California health department.

Pregnant people who get a COVID vaccine are dramatically less likely to experience severe symptoms of the disease or to give birth prematurely, according to a comprehensive new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Those who got the shot during pregnancy, rather than before they were pregnant, showed even lower odds of health complications. The findings add to a growing body of evidence that COVID vaccines are safe and beneficial across different populations.

"You're standing for what's supposed to be 35 minutes, which can go on up to 45 minutes. I've had previous surgeries, so my back is just locking up from the standing - I'm hobbling on to the train at this stage,"

Smoking is one of the clearest public-health failures of our time. More than 500,000 Americans still die each year from smoking-related illnesses, and globally the picture is even more alarming. In the United States, anti-smoking campaigns have reduced the number of new cigarette users, but the effectiveness of these measures may be fading. Indeed, the headline of a widely-shared news story notes "Celebrities Are Making Smoking Cigarettes Cool Again". Yikes.

A quintessential holiday spice made by a single manufacturer has been recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for possible contamination. The FDA recalled Lucky Foods brand cinnamon powder on Tuesday after an analysis conducted by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets found high levels of lead. It's unclear how the product became contaminated. Lead may be present in food products as a result of the environment in which they're grown or processed.