‘Mommy can’t do this for much longer’: Waiting for a liver transplant, she prepares her family for the worst

Erika Zak and her family moved across the country more than a year ago to be near the Cleveland Clinic. They wanted to be ready at a moment’s notice for a liver transplant that could save her life. She and her husband, Scott Powers, thought the move would last three months, maybe five. That she…… MORE

There’s lead in Newark’s water. A mom worries her 5-year-old is ‘being poisoned’

Bryce Thomas’ toy prehistoric reptiles nosedived into the cold, soapy tap water in the kitchen sink, scooping up schools of imaginary fish, when his mother started weeping in the living room. “If I don’t advocate for him, the city isn’t going to advocate for him,” Shakima Thomas cried. “I don’t trust they’re doing everything they…… MORE

More than 120 cases of lung disease in 15 states could be linked to vaping

At least 15 states have identified more than 120 cases of lung disease or injury that could be linked to vaping, a CNN survey of state health departments has found. States with the most cases include Wisconsin, with 15 confirmed cases and 15 more under investigation. Illinois has 10 confirmed cases, while 12 more are…… MORE

Mother dies of Ebola in Congo’s South Kivu province, baby under care

A 24-year-old woman has died after contracting Ebola in the South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organization. Her 7-month-old son, who is also confirmed to be infected with the Ebola virus, is receiving treatment, WHO said on Twitter on Friday. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the patients…… MORE

15 million children don’t have money for school supplies. Here’s how you can help them

Going back to school can be scary for kids. There’s peer pressure, homework and tests. But 15 million children living in extreme poverty in the US face far more basic fears — not having the supplies to learn or not knowing where they’ll get their next meal, especially on weekends. Here’s what’s being done and…… MORE

New treatment approved for drug-resistant tuberculosis

The US Food and Drug Administration approved a new treatment for highly drug-resistant tuberculosis, offering new hope in the fight against the world’s most deadly infectious disease. TB most affects the lungs and can be particularly difficult to treat. Drug-resistant strains are on the increase due to incomplete and challenging courses of treatment that last…… MORE

FDA reveals proposed graphic warnings for cigarette packs and ads

Warning labels on cigarette packages could soon be more graphic, warning that “Smoking reduces blood flow to the limbs, which can require amputation,” and “Smoking causes bladder cancer, which can lead to bloody urine.” The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday issued a proposed rule that requires tobacco companies to place new graphic health…… MORE

Taking ‘Miracle’ solution as cure for autism or cancer is the ‘same as drinking bleach,’ FDA says

People should stop using the “Miracle” or “Master” mineral solution products sold online as cures for autism, cancer, HIV, hepatitis, flu, acne and a host of other illnesses and diseases, the US Food and Drug Administration warned Monday. The products — known by various names, including Miracle or Master Mineral Solution, Miracle Mineral Supplement, MMS,…… MORE

Over a third of American kids who don’t smoke are exposed to it anyways. Most are below the poverty line.

More than a third of American young people who don’t smoke have been exposed to secondhand smoke, according to a new study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers looked at nonsmoking youth from 2013 to 2016 and found that 35.4% of those ages 3 to 17 had been exposed to…… MORE

‘It is raining plastic’: Scientists find colorful microplastic in rain

It’s raining plastic — that’s what a survey of rainfall in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, concluded recently. The rainfall survey, titled “It is raining plastic,” was put together by scientists at the US Department of the Interior and US Geological Survey. They couldn’t see the plastic with their naked eyes, but found it using a…… MORE