Category: Audio

This Doctor Thought She Could Navigate US Health Care. Then Her Autistic Son Needed Help.

Dr. Mai Pham left her corporate career to spark change in a system that is failing millions of Americans with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Doctor Will See You Now — In the Hallway

At Salem Health Salem Hospital in Oregon, the omicron surge is still swamping health care workers. They are ground down emotionally but keep showing up for their patients.

The Advice to ‘Vaccinate and Test’ Isn’t Much Help to Parents With Kids Under 5

Many parents of children too young for vaccines are exhausted. Some feel isolated and even forgotten by those who just want to move on even as omicron continues to sweep through parts of the country.

The War on Cancer at 50: The Origin Story Begins With a Socialite Citizen-Lobbyist

After the National Cancer Act became law 50 years ago, cancer went from shameful taboo to one of the best-funded areas of medicine. Much of the credit for this transformation goes to one woman, Mary Lasker.

Colorado Hospitals in ‘Critical Condition’ as State Weathers Another Surge

Patients with other ailments are frustrated, and nurses and doctors are stressed and burned out, as unvaccinated covid-19 patients fill ICU and acute care beds.

Texas Toughens Ban on Medication-by-Mail Abortions With Jail Time and Hefty Fine

Last week, on the same day the Supreme Court heard a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling on abortion rights, Texas enacted a law that creates criminal penalties for anyone who prescribes medication abortions via telehealth or mail.

As Climate Worsens, Environmentalists Grapple With the Mental Toll of Activism

After her son’s death by suicide, a mother promotes mental health for environmentalists. It’s part of a larger push to address the burnout and psychological stress that can affect activists.

‘I Can Go Anywhere’: How Service Dogs Help Veterans With PTSD

The PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act means more veterans with symptoms of traumatic stress can get specially trained service dogs.

Texas Abortion Law Harms Survivors of Rape and Incest, Activists Say

While anti-abortion activists say abortion exceptions are a “punishment” to “innocent human life,” social workers say Texas’ new abortion law rigidly curtails options for rape and incest survivors at a moment when they need the “power and control” of choice to begin healing.

As Constituents Clamor for Ivermectin, Republican Politicians Embrace the Cause

Hospitals and doctors are facing more demands for ivermectin as a covid-19 treatment, despite a lack of proof it works. In some Republican-dominated states, pushing for ivermectin interventions has become a conservative rallying cry.