TimeMagazine

President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic who spreads medical disinformation and conspiracy theories, to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) alarmed public health experts who say that Kennedy’s potential confirmation could have dire consequences for the state of health and science in America. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “I … Read more

Viruses don’t often come with silver linings, and infections don’t generally lead to positive health effects. But during the pandemic, some doctors anecdotally began noticing that some people with cancer who got very sick with COVID-19 saw their tumors shrink or grow more slowly. “We didn’t know if it was real, because these patients were … Read more

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was building up a following with his anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, and becoming one of the world’s most influential spreaders of fear and distrust around vaccines. Now, President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Kennedy to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, … Read more

The 1.5 million Americans estimated to have the autoimmune disease lupus already have plenty to manage—what with the pain, fatigue, hair loss, and heart problems the condition can cause. So, the last thing they need is to feel stigmatized or shamed because of their weight. But that’s exactly what has happened to celebrities with lupus … Read more

Merle Bombardieri learned she was a micro-celebrity in 2020, when she happened to Google her own name. Her search led her to a Reddit group of “fence sitters”—people who aren’t sure whether they want to have children—where she is a very big deal. Post after post mentions her book The Baby Decision: How to Make … Read more

If you get a text that says “wyd”—translation: “what are you doing?”—there’s a good chance there’s one thing you’re crossing off that list: replying to the message. According to a study published Nov. 14 in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 99.3% of texters regularly use abbreviations that, in theory, could save precious typing time, … Read more

H5N1 avian influenza, more commonly known as bird flu, has infected more than 100 million birds in the U.S. and almost 500 dairy cattle herds across 15 states. The virus has popped up in mammals including elephant seals, goats, foxes, and house cats. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Despite its prolific spread among animals, federal health authorities maintain … Read more

Hours after Donald Trump was elected president for the second time, Dr. Clayton Alfonso had two messages from patients seeking to replace their IUDs. Over the next few days, three women inquired about getting their tubes tied. All of them said the election was the reason they were making these choices now. Requests for long-term birth control and … Read more

Even though we spend roughly a third of our lives doing it, sleep doesn’t always come easily. More than one in three adults in the U.S. don’t get enough sleep, so there’s a good chance you’ve struggled with getting a solid night’s shuteye from time to time or battled with daytime sleepiness. We asked sleep … Read more

Wannabe grandparents have always ruffled feathers by inquiring—sometimes aggressively—about the timing of their future progeny. They’re not the only ones to overstep: Casual friends, distant relatives, coworkers, and even complete strangers often feel entitled to ask couples about family planning. Once two people get married, those in their orbit tend to become overly inquisitive: “When … Read more